Train 172 on 4/10
 

Train 172 (a regional) had operational problems on 4/10. At OSB (and maybe before - I boarded at OSB), 172 could not pull enough power from the overhead wires. :eek: It took about 15-20 minutes until this got fixed (or so I thought) and finally left OSB. ^ But 5 minutes later, the same thing happened! :eek: And 10 minutes later, the same thing happened again! :eek:

172 finally arrived at NLC 1 hour after leaving OSB! (It's normally a 20 minute trip.)

Instead of further delays, to Amtrak's credit they found a solution! ^ Just behind 172 was AE 2158. At NLC, all passengers got off 172 and boarded 2158 to continue their trip! :D

And to make it better - Because of the problems at OSB, they did not have time to collect tickets! And because 2158 does not normally stop at NLC, they knew that all boarding were from 172, so they did not check tickets! Thus, my trip was FREE! :D

If I were greedy :D, I'd submit my stubs to AGR for credit!

Boy, that must have been fun boarding that many passengers from NLC's tiny mini-high level platform. :eek: Only one car can fit on that platform and you can't board an Acela from the low level platforms that dominate the rest of the station.

It certainly was! And you should have seen 100-150 pax standing in line for that platform! :D

so everyone got a taste of acela. what surprises me is that they would delay down the ae and all the high fair paying customers for a slow train.

I'm not surprised at all. First off, they have to deal with the passengers. Can't leave them standing around New London for a hour or two. Secondly, they may have hoped that they could make up a little bit of the time.

That of course assumes that they hadn't already lost time by getting stuck behind the stalled Regional.

Actually, 2158 was delayed getting to BOS, but only by an hour or so. Besides the regular stops (PVD, RTE, BBY and BOS), 2158 only made 1 additional stop at KIN. Those pax going to MYS or WLY had to wait in NLC for 2 hours for the next regional. :( (Those stations do not have high level platforms. KIN has a short one, so KIN pax could travel on 2158! :D )

I got off in KIN and we arrived 1 hour late. And BOS is about 1 hour away. It may have made up some time on the run.

I agree with AlanB - it's better to deal with 100-150 or so pax by taking them on 2158 than having them wait at NLC! ^ And 2158 was scheduled to depart NHV at 1:29 on a normal 30 minute trip (if it were to stop) to NLC. 172 did not arrive at NLC until about 2, and we still had to wait for 2158. So it was delayed behind 172 already!

Yes - it was great to finally taste AE after all these years! :D Normally it does not stop at KIN.