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Ok, just read the lighning post... and this might be up an interesting related point!!
What if you're traveling on the train and there are really bad severe t-storms or a tornado very close to the train? What would they do?
I mean if you stay on the train it's a real danger with a tornado or high winds... and if you evacuate the train it would also not be a good thing either I would imagine.
Anyone work for Amtrak and know what the protocol would be?
jp1822 Member # 2596
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I was on the northbound City of New Orleans heading northbound to Chicago and in the middle of the night we were down to a crawling speed and finally stopped due to severe weather in the area - thunderstorms and tornado warnings. But we didn't know why we were being delayed until the next morning. Got the info from the dining staff and morning newspaper. We were only about an hour or two late into Chicago.
train lady Member # 3920
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We were coming into DC from Chicago on he Cardinal several years ago. The train was suddenly down to a crawl as we left manassas,Va. Our car attendent told us that we were at 5mph because there was a tornado wawrning for the area. Finally the warning was lifted and we were on aou way. I don't know what we were to have done if one actually struck. Nono of us hought to ask.
gp35 Member # 3971
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A strong F3 or higher tornado will turn a train on it's side, but that is about it. You won't see a 50 ton coach flying to oz. Safer on the train with your head down.
DeeCT Member # 3241
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Was on the SWC last year when there were tornado sightings in an area just ahead of us. They slowed the train to pretty much a crawl until the threat was past.
jp1822 Member # 2596
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So I guess that's the answer - train goes into "crawl" mode when tornado or bad weather report is issued that could put train in harm's way.
notelvis Member # 3071
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Likewise did the crawl thing on the Cardinal through the entire state of West Virginia back in 2002 due to heavy rains and the threat of flash flooding or washouts.
Amtrak207 Member # 1307
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Well that pretty much demonstrates what the protocol for tornadoes is, don't forget other severe weather. Snow: usually nothing. Snow coupled with cold temperatures and the host freight railroad may impose restrictions. CSX likes to panic because they can't maintain Conrail's switch heaters and will very easily sway to one track per direction and all switches staying put until it warms up, meaning your train will be three hours late and losing after getting stuck behind a coal train that you can't pass because they're too chicken to try to move any switches. Heavy fog: Be sure you don't miss any signals and you're counting on the engineer's knowledge of where all the grade crossings are. Heavy rain: usually not much, but railroads are required to inspect vulnerable structures and impose speed restrictions in spots when a flood warning is issued. Flood watches bring on extra inspections for some track classes to guard against instability and washouts. Blizzard: My mom's train in 1993 (Lakeshore) was three hours late, but it got there (try driving I-90 from South Bend to Rochester, it isn't going to happen!) My sister's train in 1999 was around half an hour late until they hit some "debris" coming into the city, and then it was three hours late. That "debris" is another story... I also have a photograph of the only thing that got people from Cleveland to Rochester on December 23, 2001. It's a photo of the Lakeshore with engine 83 leading as a rolling snowbank with a couple of cut-outs for the headlights, ditch lights, and windshield. The train was 8 hours late, but with I-90 shut down and airports in lockdown, at least it moved. The train was at capacity, dinner was being served in 8504, and the engineer was continually blowing the horn to keep it from fouling any further. If the horn does foul, despite the snow screens, it's fifteen miles an hour over every grade crossing until you get it back. Amidships is hardly the best place to put a horn, but that's where they are on new designs. High winds: like you've seen, slow the train down. Earthquake: I heard once the SW Chief experienced a moderate earthquake in the late nineties, stop and inspect the equipment and continue at very restricted speed until the track inspections get done. Electrical storm: don't make me haul out that phony accent again. Hail: turn on windshield wipers, go a speed appropriate for visibility.
There's a lot going on behind the scenes, especially those inspections, that are not too visible, but when switches freeze, that's why most railroad service trucks are four-wheel drive.
So, the trains are hardly infallible in bad weather, but I personally feel a LOT better in any of the above situations than driving or flying. I don't like to fly anyway. Microburst, anyone? Lightning strike, anyone? Icing, anyone?
RRRICH Member # 1418
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On my 1999 trip, I rode the Cascade from Vancouver, BC to Seattle. There had been a mild earthquake around Tacoma somewhere, so the Cascade had to travel at restricted speed until track inspections were completed -- I believe we only arrived 10 or 20 minutes late into Seattle that evening. Then the next night, on the CS, we were delayed by a rockslide in northern California (aftershock of the Tacoma earthquake???) and were 2 or 3 hours late into the Bay area (that was before the CS started running several hours late EVERY DAY)
RRCHINA Member # 1514
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BNSF's operations center at Fort Worth has a private weather service on continually with huge screens positioned so that dispatchers can always see any weather patterns. If tornado alerts or warnings in a given geographical area are present a blowup of that area is featured on a separate screen. The info is immediately transmitted by radio to any trains and personel working on the ground which may be affected. This is similar, but better, than what the public gets from their local public communication services in similar circumstance.
I presume all major railroads employ these measures which allow them to stop trains and send the on ground people to as safe a location as may be available.
BNSF 1088 Member # 2400
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If winds are over 60mph on the BNSF we must stop.Also durring warrnings we must do a speed of 40mph the Dispatcher will tell us from what milepost or city to city that this warrning is in effect for.
PaulB Member # 4258
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I've been through several severe thunderstorms on the SW Chief and CA Zephyer, and we just highballed on through. Must not have been tornado-producing storms.
Amtrak207 Member # 1307
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Sometimes, if you are in the midst of severe weather and the winds aren't quite critical yet, the best way to go is to try to out-run it. In my Buflonian days, I saw many eastbound "rolling snowbank" Lakeshores come through, and two hours later we were in whiteout with a foot on the ground. Plus when I'm foaming, those foggy valley mornings make for some great photography! Cab signals work wonders sometimes!
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