A subject that, to my mind, has not received that much play in the model press is modeling the modern passenger scene aka Amtrak. For all the ink spilled over where Amtrak is good or bad or indifferent, the fact remains that Amtrak has been a fixture of the American railroad scene for over 40 years. As modellers, I believe we should be as excited about doing a good job modeling it as we do for the PRR or ATSF or any other of the thousand and one things that are modeled.
I admit that I am somewhat at fault; I've had this post in draft mode for a year and change. I could make excuses, but I'll save my typing.
As I am modelling the 1990's on a major North-South route, Amtrak looms large in the operation. I have been doing as research into the cars, loco, practices and the like over the last couple of years.
When I started, the modeling choices where a bit slim. The available Amfleet cars were all bad stand-ins, at best and good locomotives choices didn't exist unless you wanted to repower the offerings.
Thankfully, the available models have improved: Kato makes good F40PHs and P42s, Athearn made a run of P40s and P42, and Walthers had just begun shipping very good Amfleet Is and IIs (only issue is the price is a bit high)
Next post, I will go into more depth of the consists needed, the prototype cars, and models available, but I want to start with an overview of the issue.
I was able to come up with a timetable from 1997 and cut it down to what I would be concerned with; on a standard weekday, 20 Amtrak trains would cross my modeled area. 10 Northbound and 10 southbound.
If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you realize that I only have 7 or 8 staging tracks at the ends of the layout, depending on which one we are talking about.
Sounds like I will need to double up a couple of tracks, and eliminate other trains entirely, to make it all fit. What helps the cause is the fact that some of the trains deviate from the normal "North in the morning, south in the evening" scheme for a majority of the trains seen in Richmond.
What follows is my cut of this schedule; note the trains marked with a red or yellow highlight are 'outliers' from the normal schedule.
I admit that I am somewhat at fault; I've had this post in draft mode for a year and change. I could make excuses, but I'll save my typing.
As I am modelling the 1990's on a major North-South route, Amtrak looms large in the operation. I have been doing as research into the cars, loco, practices and the like over the last couple of years.
When I started, the modeling choices where a bit slim. The available Amfleet cars were all bad stand-ins, at best and good locomotives choices didn't exist unless you wanted to repower the offerings.
Thankfully, the available models have improved: Kato makes good F40PHs and P42s, Athearn made a run of P40s and P42, and Walthers had just begun shipping very good Amfleet Is and IIs (only issue is the price is a bit high)
Next post, I will go into more depth of the consists needed, the prototype cars, and models available, but I want to start with an overview of the issue.
I was able to come up with a timetable from 1997 and cut it down to what I would be concerned with; on a standard weekday, 20 Amtrak trains would cross my modeled area. 10 Northbound and 10 southbound.
If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you realize that I only have 7 or 8 staging tracks at the ends of the layout, depending on which one we are talking about.
Sounds like I will need to double up a couple of tracks, and eliminate other trains entirely, to make it all fit. What helps the cause is the fact that some of the trains deviate from the normal "North in the morning, south in the evening" scheme for a majority of the trains seen in Richmond.
What follows is my cut of this schedule; note the trains marked with a red or yellow highlight are 'outliers' from the normal schedule.
| Number | What | Direction | |||
| P052 | Autotrain | North | Daily | Arrives Lorton 9am | |
| P053 | Autotrain | South | Daily | Departs Lorton 4:30pm | |
| P066 | "Twilight Shoreliner" | North | Daily | 5:45pm at Richmond Amtrak symbol for this train is 76 on Fri. & Sat. It remains P066 on CSX on those days. |
|
| P067 | "Twilight Shoreliner" | South | Daily | 9:05am at Richmond | |
| P079 | "Carolinian" | South | Daily | 12:27pm at Richmond | |
| P080 | "Carolinian" | North | Daily | 3:50pm at Richmond | |
| P084 | "Virginian" | South | Daily, ex. Sun. | 6:25am at Richmond | |
| P085 | "Colonial" | South | Richmond | Daily | 10:22pm at Richmond |
| P086 | "Colonial" | North | Starts at RVR | Daily | 7:45am at Richmond |
| P089 | "Silver Palm" | South | Daily | 2:26pm at Richmond | |
| P090 | "Silver Palm" | North | Daily | 1:58pm at Richmond | |
| P091 | "Silver Star" | South | Daily | 6:31pm at Richmond | |
| P092 | "Silver Star" | North | Daily | 9:18am at Richmond | |
| P093 | "Virginian" | South | Richmond | Mon.-Thu. | 7:47pm at Richmond |
| P094 | "Old Dominion" | North | Ex. Sat. | 10:25am at Richmond | |
| P095 | "Old Dominion" | South | Ex. Sun. | 5:16pm at Richmond | |
| P097 | "Silver Meteor" | South | Daily | 12:57am at Richmond | |
| P098 | "Silver Meteor" | North | Daily | 3:39am at Richmond | |
| P099 | "Virginian" | Boston | Fri., Sun. | 7:47pm at Richmond | |
| P194 | "Old Dominion" | North | Sat. | 10:25am at Richmond | |
| P195 | "Old Dominion" | South | Richmond | Sun. | 5:16pm at Richmond |
| Southbound AM | |||||
| Northbound PM | |||||
| No fill | Southbound PM or Northbound AM |
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