Amtrak 371 Pere Marquette report 6/22/12

[Jetlink Driver]

I heard from several of you that my trip reports actually get read even if they don't get a lot of comments so I thought I would write another report about my trip by rail to Chicago on Friday June 22, 2012. I lost a few paragraphs of my notes due to an accidental delete before a save but it was only of the last few miles. I'll try to do my best to remember and keep it interesting.

I'm writing this while riding the CTA blue line train from Clinton to O'hare. By far my least favorite part of the trip. Over 50% underground, 21 stops to the airport, sometimes taking nearly an hour. A necessary evil for enjoying the more pleasant Amtrak ride.

I rode train 371, the Pere Marquette, this time instead of the Wolverine or Blue Water. It takes longer and the fare is a little more expensive but that wasn't the point. The point was to cover the miles, enjoy the scenery along the way, enjoy the railroad, and get to work on time. I chose to do the trip this week in particular because the sun rises the earliest and sets at the latest time of day this part of the year thus giving me daylight all the way to Chicago and hopefully all the way home as well.

One of the main reasons I chose the Pere Marquette was because I was not really familiar at all with the CSX Grand Rapids subdivision. I thought it would be fun to ride it as a rail passenger to become more familiar. I became concerned Thursday night when it sounded like the inbound train set would not make it in to Grand Rapids or be severely delayed on arriving thus delaying the next mornings departure or cancelling it entirely in favor of buses. I made a plan B. I thought initially the Wolverine out of Battle Creek may be a viable alternative. It turns out the train was sold out and arrived an hour later. This timetable would not really leave me enough time to get to O'hare by the time I needed to. It would do in an emergency but left no room for delay or error. Plan B would have to be to fly out of Lansing. Not my first choice as I would have to decided the train or the plane before I left my home as there wouldn't be enough time to go the train station then drive to Lansing before the scheduled flight time.

Waking up I checked online. The train set had made it to Grand Rapids although very late. There was no outbound delay posted. I decided to head to the train station. Even if routed on a Grey Dog on the way to Chicago I should at least be able to ride the train home. Not entirely convinced the departure time was real I called Amtrak as I got in my car and began driving. Julie assured me departure was on time. I still have doubt and check with a real live agent. She confirms the on time departure. I asked her about bus-stitutions. She had me hold on and came back and said no bus substitutions or bus connections shown. OK sounds good to me I continue the drive to Grand Rapids.

The next hiccup comes when the ramp from I 196 to US 131 is closed. I'm not great with the lay of the land in downtown GR but I exit Ottawa avenue and head south keeping a look out for Wealthy. I make it without much difficulty. I easily find parking and print my tickets at the quick track machine. The train set arrives at the platform as expected. I notice PTI shows up and a new crew gets out. The crew that brought the train down from overnight parking stays behind with the PTI driver as we pull away from the platform 1 minute late at 07:36.

The train was very full. In fact a lady and her daughter occupy one seat together next to mine. Three of us in one pair of seats. They both were cordial and pleasant but I'm not impressed thus far. Luckily she and her daughter got off in Holland. Another young lady soon took her place after she left. But in this case two in a pair is better than three.

We proceed through the Wyoming yard which I really enjoy as I have never really been there to see it at all before. We pass the diesel house area first. I see the mother-slug set 2354-6594. I see two other csx locomotives further back but don't record their number. One looks very old and faded. I see what I think is a remote locomotive out in the yard switching. I think it is remote controlled because of the yellow flashing beacons on top of it. It turns out it may not be a remote as there are two crew members on board and another one walking on the ground near it. I also see a large snow plow and many other cars. I also spot a pair of BNSF locomotives one orange and one green and cream. I believe I heard on the scanner that we were routed through the yard on the service track. As we leave the yard I see CSX number 2653 on one of the tracks on the west end of the yard. We leave the yard limits at 07:55.

We traveled at restricted speed for a while longer as we didn't get a clear at Lamaar. The conductor also mentions on the radio that we were restricted at Plaster Creek as well, adding to the delay. At MP 15 everyone is startled as a track side irrigator blasts the train with a stream of water. I find it kind of humorous. We soon arrive in Waverly yard where we met what I think was Q326 or maybe it was one of the yard jobs I'm really not sure and I never heard a symbol on the scanner. Two good roll by pleasantries are exchanged. I also see csx 6116 working in the yard. I smile a little as I recognize the unit from her many trips on D 707 through my hometown. We get to Holland station at 08:25 and leave at 08:29.

After we leave Holland I go down to the "lounge" for some breakfast and coffee. The makeshift lounge in the basement of the Superliner is step or two below the Amfleet cafe cars in my opinion. The attendant is not very attending. After a while she put down her paper and took care of a few of the requests of the passengers that had assembled. Over all I'm not impressed with the service but it is better than having no service.

After I return to my seat we begin down Saugatuck hill. I'm surprised at how twisty it is and how slowly we descend it. Soon we cross the river and begin to travel up the other side. The grade seems to be no problem at all for the Amtrak 821 pulling her three Superliners.

As we travel south I see a coal train tied down at Wells. There is no power on the head or the tail end. No pushers or pullers in sight. I imagine the BNSF power at Wyoming probably was on this train not too long ago. The train is cut for a crossing as well.

We have passed several defect detectors by now. They all agree we have 16 axles but the train length reports are comical. I heard 361, 304, 314, 308, and 310. Maybe that's why the detectors on Norfolk Southern don't say the length at all.

We pass several sidings but see no trains. We arrive in Bangor at 9:08 and leave at 9:11. An elderly gentlemen got on the train without a ticket or a reservation in Bangor befuddling the conductors on an already full train. They eventually collected a fare from him but the whole reservation topic went over his head no matter how many times the conductor tried to explain it.

Knowing the bridge in St Joseph is coming up and has had trouble recently I am wondering if it will delay us this morning. I start to worry when the hogger calls approach slow at Paw Paw 84.8. I hear the crew saying we don't have a line up. We pass through the old yard in Benton Harbor slowly. It looks like they are setting some new ties and laying some new rail there. Soon I hear "Looks like we do have a line up now. Medium Clear at Benton Harbor."

Steve the CSX bridge tender in St Joe gives us a good roll by report and mentions that it is 70 degrees. I'm surprised there is actually a manned bridge tender position. Seems like everything else is automated or done by remote control.

The train staff knows they have 16 seats remaining. As we approach St Joseph they are talking about how there are more than 16 people on the platform. They let let them all on. They end up seating a family and a few others in the lounge. Even though there are 3 empty seats in the first car several passengers opt to stand. We depart St Joseph at 09:48 The train is definitely full. For a few minutes there are beautiful views of Lake Michigan as we travel right along the shore.

Next I get a quick view of the Technisand operation. I notice a shiny signal bridge at Livingston and I wonder is it new?
Soon we cross over the Amtrak Michigan Line. A few miles down the line I thought we were meeting a train but it turns out we are passing the New Buffalo yard. I'm surprised at how many cars are there.

Soon after New Buffalo we cross the South Shore rail way. I hear the crew say "I just talked to NS on the phone. The 789 is a good one for us. Bring em on down." I'm not sure what this means but it sounds good. A few minutes later we are at the familiar cp 482 in Chesterton. I'm surprised that we joined the Norfolk Southern literally just a few feet east of where the Amtrak Michigan line is. I had no Idea they were so close to each other in Chesterton.

We literally only ran on clears for only about 4 signals the rest of the way to Union. We met or passed at least 24 trains in the next hour. We switched between track number two and track number one several times. Operating at restricting speed for several miles as well. I saw train after train waiting for signals as we crept along. At least we always kept moving. There was even one Mexican standoff on track number 3. Not sure how that was resolved. I've ridden this stretch of track dozens of times and never seen even half that many trains cramped on it. I was trying to keep tract of them all in my notes but I couldn't.

We arrive at Union Station at 10:47 cdt. 14 Minutes late. Not too bad all things considered. I see only two cabbages in the yard. Nothing else really noteworthy until I'm de training and Amtrak number 500 comes rolling into the station on the track right next to me screaming loudly the whole time. She was leading a train with Amfleets and Horizons. Not sure what train she was leading but it was good to see her again. She had been absent my last few times in Chicago.

Overall it was a great trip. I got to work on time. Now when I hear about livingston, Technisand, Gross, Wells, Kirk and all the others I'll be able to picture them in my mind. The scenery and the railroad were great.

[MQT3001]

Yep, your train in Holland was Q326

St Joseph bridge is manned

The DDs never agree on Length

Porter is packed!

The train in New Buffalo was those sand hoppers mentioned in MI talk

Coal train @ Wells arrived last night

Slug set is usually D700's power
The two other locos sounds like the remote set. A GP15 mother ( in YN3 Paint) and a R-something [YN2 paint] (old GE B unit converted to a slug). The crew does sometimes ride aboard...In fact I saw them doing it the other night.
The BNSF power should be the power off the coal drag you saw at Wells....took a Grain train off MQT east Fri....

Service track or not should be easy to tell: while going thru the East End, did you feel the train switching tracks to the South (not at or before the crossovers @ Plaster Creek).....the Service is to the south of the Main...you likely did take it because thats what P370 used the night before, and P371 is usually the first train that would go around there.....


Nice to hear you had a good trip. What side of the train were you on? I'm suprised they didn't have more cars with it being that busy. Better to see 'em full than empty!

Curiosity question: How much is a fare from GR to CHI?

[YpsiAmtrakBoy]

Curiosity question: How much is a fare from GR to CHI?

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentSe ... k/HomePage

[J T]

At MP 15 everyone is startled as a track side irrigator blasts the train with a stream of water. I find it kind of humorous.

Good stuff.

After I return to my seat we begin down Saugatuck hill. I'm surprised at how twisty it is and how slowly we descend it. Soon we cross the river and begin to travel up the other side. The grade seems to be no problem at all for the Amtrak 821 pulling her three Superliners.

Not much of a grade after the train reaches New Richmond. From there they usually put the hammer down. IIRC, I think there is a 55 mph post just west of the NR signal.

Good read.

[SD80MAC]

Nice report. The old, faded engine you saw in the back by the engine house is CSX 9247, an RCPHG4 drone converted from a B36-7. No engine or traction motors inside, just a hulk that houses RC equipment. It was retired and shoved back there and raided for most of it's parts.



The BNSF power you observed in Wyoming went east on G370 yesterday afternoon.

[MQT3001]

Nice report. The old, faded engine you saw in the back by the engine house is CSX 9247, an RCPHG4 drone converted from a B36-7. No engine or traction motors inside, just a hulk that houses RC equipment. It was retired and shoved back there and raided for most of it's parts.

I heard she has a cracked frame. When was she retired?

[NoviRailfan]

Nice write-up! I rode the PM to Chicago and back in April and took some notes but since I don't have a scanner and wasn't familiar with this part of CSX, by the time I reviewed the track maps and put it all together,it was a bit late for a write up. I recall that when we went south, there were two NB unit coal trains on consecutive sidings with BNSF power. Both trains were cut at the crossings which is the first time I had ever seen that. There seemed to be a fair number of replacement ties along the line between Holland and New Buffalo and there was MOW equipment tied up on one siding going south. I had the same experience with the amount of traffic coming in and out of Chicago. I gave up on counting the number of trains that we passed. We actually did get held up for about 10 minutes on our way into Chicago. But Amtrak did seem to get priority over pretty much everything else between Porter and Chicago.

[SD80MAC]

Nice report. The old, faded engine you saw in the back by the engine house is CSX 9247, an RCPHG4 drone converted from a B36-7. No engine or traction motors inside, just a hulk that houses RC equipment. It was retired and shoved back there and raided for most of it's parts.

I heard she has a cracked frame. When was she retired?

Not cracked, bent to all hell. Sometime in 2007 IIRC.

[MQT3001]

Nice report. The old, faded engine you saw in the back by the engine house is CSX 9247, an RCPHG4 drone converted from a B36-7. No engine or traction motors inside, just a hulk that houses RC equipment. It was retired and shoved back there and raided for most of it's parts.

I heard she has a cracked frame. When was she retired?

Not cracked, bent to all hell. Sometime in 2007 IIRC.

Oh yeah...

How did tht happen? Derailment?

[rob]

that enging was to be scrap on site, but when csx converted to a drone they left the engine in it for weight. so now it a hazmat problem. so there it sits. the roundhouse has been stealing parts of it to keep other thing running.



Rob Beown

[Jetlink Driver]

Thanks for the additional info and comments guys. I heard in the other trip report thread that my raw notes were popular so I'm going to post the raw notes from the trip in this read in the next reply box.

[Jetlink Driver]

left 1 late @ 0736

Entered the yard mother slug set 2354 6594
two others back by diesel shop
one loco yellow lights switching
bnsf power set one orange one cream
2653 at the west end
left yard limits at 0755
got sprayed by irrigator near mp 15
dd 19.1 no defects lenght 361 16 axles
Conductor reported restricted to plaster creek reason for the delay
meet at Waverly good on the roll by X2 (I think it was 326)
6116 working in waverrly yard
Holland at 08:25 08:29
Lounge open at Holland
announced after Sauguatack hill
Coal train at Wells 08:50 cut the crossing no power on the head or the tail end
dd44.2 no 16 axle 304
Arriving Bangor @ 09:08 09:11
tried to log onto to wifi
old man got on bangor no reservation
dd66.2 no defects 16 axles 314
Heavy MOW hi rail truck in Hartford
approach slow paw paw 84.8
Looks like they may be laying or replacing a track in BEH yard.
medium clear at Benton Harbor. "Looks like we do have a line up now"
Great view of Lake Michigan as we crossed the bridge in ST Joeseph. Thank goodness the bridge
steve at the csx st joe bridge gave a good report on the markers on the rear. 70 degrees
16 seats left. looks like more than 16 on the platform at ST Joe.
Departed ST Joe 09:48
Seated a family in CAfe
still have 3-4 seats in the front car
beautiful vews of lake michigan
could look across to the SW and see industries along the south shore of the lake Clear ove to GAry IN and further
dd 91.9 no defects 16 axle 308 length vine
saw what looked like a redneck train watchers shack EE livingston
GOt a quick look at the Technisand operation
Shiny signal bridge we livingston
dd108.9 no defects 16 310 length
Crossed over the Amtarak Michigan line just prior to New Buffalo
Thought we had a meet but it was just the New Buffalo yard. Lots of rail cars there. Tons of CH
Crossed over the South Shore
Got the NS on the phone The 789 is a good one for us bring em on down while creeping through Michigan City
coffee
approach 135 chesterton
slow approach
upgrade approach medium
going to 46
medium clear cp482
clear to the big house
on ns #1 track
several high hood GP 50 @ yard at cp485 burns harbor yard
mp 490 no defects
Meet with an opposite track with UP power all white cars (salad shooter maybe) 10:50 am
approach 495
CN moving eastbound on the track to the north.
meeting a train with symbol I80 they called approach on track 2 501
kirk yard
crosses over to # 2 track cp 497
33n on freq sounds like chicago west is going to have them follow us
following a mystery train conductor wonders train symbol
NS coke train parked on the above grade crossing 8054 leading 1052
train parked on # 1 (I thinki it is 33N) short with NS power
medium approach 502
cross over 2 to 1 at 50
up power autoracks on # 3 track empty racks mp 502
orange harbor belt loco at 502
up power manifest east bound on #3 track
coke train tied down on north rail road chicago shortline letter locomotives for power
ns train on # 2 track the one we were tailing on (I80) I think
first view of chicago skyline
505 no defects
bnsf power coal on # 2 track east
black tanks on #3 track west
above two at the state line

Like I said earlier I accidentally deleted the last few miles worth of notes. Sorry.

[Jetlink Driver]

Curiosity question: How much is a fare from GR to CHI?

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentSe ... k/HomePage

My understanding is that Amtrak uses a 5 tier fare schedule using shadow box pricing methods. Very similar to airline pricing model but a little simpler with only 5 "fare buckets". I know the fare I bought was in the highest bucket because I heard the conductor mentioning that the highest fare the route charged was $50. I paid $50 each way.

For comparison the fares on the Wolverine from Battle creek are: $17, $24, $32, $40, & $56.