Re: (erielack) NJ Trip

[Bruce <qc_@_comcast.net>]

One other problem with schedules: AMTRAK.   NJT would have more electric 
MUs if not for AMTRAK not upgrading to 25Kv.  Engine pulled trains do 
not preform as well as electric MUs, but the MUs can not handle the 25 
Kv to 11 Kv change enroute to NYPenn.  Nice work AMTRAK.

On 7/28/2011 1:43 PM, Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul) wrote:
> Ed Montgomery wrote:
>
>>   One thing
>> that I can't get out of my mind is why NJT nearly doubled the time for
>> locals to get from Mountain View to Hoboken.  The old Lackawanna did it in
>> 39 minutes with a GP7 and some Boonton coaches.  I realize there is the
>> slow-order through Montclair, but NJT could speed things up a little.  They
>> do have frequent electric trains from Montclair State so why couldn't the
>> diesel trains miss most of these station stops?  In my mind, something
>> should be done to improve running time but maybe I am one of the few who
>> remember what it was like.  Maybe most of today's commuters don't remember
>> how things used to be.
> When I was going to school at Stevens in Hoboken, the train times seemed much faster. I am continually disappointed at the speeds at which NJT plods along the Morristown Line when even I remember those trains running considerably faster.
>
> I think the issue is that the schedules are highly padded so that the "principal metric," on-time performance, can be kept high.  In EL days, employees worked their darndest to keep trains on-time, but today's crews don't need to work nearly as hard to maintain good on-time performance. I'm not demeaning today's crews by any means, but the people who put the padding into the schedules to artificially make performance look good.
>
>
>> Speaking of that, here we are in 2011, and I'm
>> wondering how many EL employees are actually left running trains?  How many
>> employees remember the faster running?  EL left us 35 years ago - hard to
>> believe!
> There are still quite a number of EL vets still in train service... :)
>
>
>> Hoboken terminal is really looking nice.  I can't wait for the ferries to
>> start using the old ferry building.  This will improve the use of the
>> waiting room.  Wouldn't it be nice if that led to the re-opening of the
>> "Lunch Room" in the station?
> Who knows! It's just a shame that the grand room at the top of the ferry slips will remain abandoned. Boo!
>
>
>> I realize that NJ is in a budget crunch, and looking at the
>> Montclair/Boonton Line timetable, the reduction of trains west of Montclair
>> state is almost where train service was in the 70s.
> By the way, the latest Railpace mentioned that NJT has signed a contract with a media firm to market advertising space on their locomotives (take a look at VIA Rail Canada to see how they did this) and to *SELL NAMING RIGHTS* to their stations. I, for one, am NOT looking forward to things like the "Preparation H - Hoboken Terminal!" :(
>
>        - Paul
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