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Quite possibly taking the record for the most tardy Amtrak train this year, #5(18) limped into Pinecliffe siding (between Denver and the Moffat Tunnel) and sat there for the next nearly 11 hours waiting for some spare power to drag it westwards. It lost more time and regained a little but current estimated arrival in Emeryville 12:37am local time, some 14 hours from now as I pose this - that assumes perfect running throughout, of course. Meanwhile, Auto Train #52(19) enroute northwards, also appears to have sat down, very nearly but not just yet beating the Zephyr by estimating a 10h46 late arrival into Lorton.
But despite a heat wave hitting SoCal this week (105+) and some heat restrictions in place (speed limits), Amtrak in SoCal are running remarkably well so far today!
On another positive note, it looks like the flooding problems affecting the Sunset Limited have eased as both are currently showing on time with no service interruptions.
Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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I didn't pick up the exact arrival times for those two late trains, except heard that the Auto Train took first place after suffering damage from an obstruction deliberately placed on the track.
Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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Ohmygosh! I did not know tha Auto Train had hit anything. How awful! I hope no one was hurt! And that that was deliberate -- how horrible!!
PTC will never prevent trains from colliding with things on the track, unless those things are metal and make a good electrical connection between the rails and therefore alert crews and dispatchers -- but how often does that happen?
And #5 of June 18 arrive at Emeryville, ca (just north of Oakland) at 2:57 am -- just 3 minutes before the crew "hoglawed". Whew!!
Because the engines died just 35-40 miles west of Denver, I will think Amtrak should have towed that train back to Denver, and given the pax a choice of whether or not to continue on the train, or to make other arrangements to get where they were going. I assume the HEP did not fail when the engines malfunctioned and worked well for the entire rest of the trip.
Posts: 211 | From: California | Registered: Dec 2004
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quote:Originally posted by MargaretSPfan: Because the engines died just 35-40 miles west of Denver, I will think Amtrak should have towed that train back to Denver, and given the pax a choice of whether or not to continue on the train, or to make other arrangements to get where they were going. I assume the HEP did not fail when the engines malfunctioned and worked well for the entire rest of the trip.
How many times do people complain about being bustituted?
The simpler answer would have been to start spare power east from Oakland (perhaps as power for a UP train), and borrow a unit from UP to provide movement power. I assume one of the units was available to provide the hotel power for the passenger cars.
Posts: 1404 | Registered: Oct 2001
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