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Amtrak's Coast Starlight from Los Angeles, carrying 246 passengers, hit a tree on the tracks in the Cascade Range Wednesday, and a mudslide then derailed the baggage car, Amtrak spokeswoman Christina Leeds said. No injuries were reported.
A freight train engine brought the passenger cars back south to the station in Chemult, about 165 miles southeast of Portland. There, passengers were given sub sandwiches, beverages and chips as they boarded buses Wednesday evening for the trip north, arriving in Seattle about 5 a.m. Thursday.
The cars were without power and heat for about three hours as they were hauled back from the slide site.
This incident happened, apparently, between McRedie Springs and Oakridge, in the Cascades. My brother used to live in Oakridge, and when I lived in Eugene, I spent time up in Oakridge area: Steeeeep stuff. This occurred about 9 miles from brother's house.
Interestingly, reports note lead unit struck a tree on tracks and that then triggered a mudslide under trailing (baggage) car(s). Engineer probably was observing reduced speed for that cause-effect to occur.
Half a foot of wet snow contributed. About a 50-mile backup move to Chemult (no HEP) behind the UP relief loco, which came from south side. UnPac often keeps helper locos in Oakridge (north of incident) but there's no switcharound near the slide location. But PAX got Subway sandwiches in Chemult.
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From what I've heard from others, it was pretty hairy. The mudslide and trees just missed the passenger cars. I believe the locomotives, baggage car, and trans/dorm were all left at the scene. The remaining cars (with passengers on board) was towed backwards by a UP engine. This means no HEP (no power, no heat, no nothing) for the two hour trip back. I'm glad nobody was hurt---the outcome could have been much different if they were just a few seconds later.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Trainset was "backup" with UP loco on the (rear) lead. So that #14 became next day's #11, reverse SB consist, until they turned it. I wonder if it was turned before LA?
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If they ran that #14 as the the next #11 without turning it at CMO (which they can't), then they would have to run it all the way to LA that way. There's no other "reasonable" location to do it. The Oakland Amtrak Yard has a wye, but that's only used for the Zephyr (they break it in half and do one section at a time). I have never--ever--heard of them wye'ing it with people on-board there.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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