Anyone know why trains 5 and 6 are 'disrupted' today between Denver and Helper, UT?
Amtrak Delays indicates that #5 arrived in Denver about three hours ago and never departed. #6 departed Helper, UT at 7:39M (Just over 2 hours ago) but is now shown as 'disrupted' and apparantly not expected to arrive in Grand Junction at all today.
Any clues?
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
Rock slide at Granby. #5 is going via Wyoming apparently.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
As I have often noted here (most recently my Frontrunner trip report) a detour via the Overland Route is not to be missed. Anytime I cross that topography, rail or auto, I am "in awe' that people actually crossed that terrain (far more barren than any you see from the Zephyr along the D&RGW) on foot.
Is it as scenic as the D&RGW as in mountains, Pine Trees, and Cottonwood Trees? No, but it sure is interesting. And for railfans (Ms. Sojourner, I know and respect you are not - you just like to ride trains - and your $$$$ are just as Green to Amtrak as is anyone else's) there will be UP "action" running on "headway".
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
I'm slated for a ride on #6 departing the west coast Saturday morning and am hoping for an ascent of Soldier Summit at dawn the next morning and a twilight descent into Denver...... primarily because it has been years since I have ridden #6 through Utah and Colorado.
HOWEVER, I do find the Overland Route fascinating as well. So much so that my last ride on #6 was intentionally scheduled to coincide with one of the pre-arranged Wyoming detours.
Posted by Railroad Bob (Member # 3508) on :
Another vote for "Overland." Some wags on another big train board are saying "why would anyone want to see miles of "no scenery," when they could have that luverly 14 hours of interminable 25-30 MPH running along the mountainous ex-DRGW...who could possibly want to run at 80-90 miles-per across the Great Plains, through vistas that might include huge herds of antelope pacing your train, and see historic towns such as Laramie and Rawlins, the very heart of stage-coach country, and the expansion of early America?
Who would? -->me! Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Interestingly, #6 of the 12th...... today's departure from Emeryville appears to have been annulled and never left the station......
Friday am now -
#5 of the 11th has reappeared having departed Salt Lake City 2 hours late in the wee hours. I'm guessing that this train sat in Denver for several hours and then detoured through Wyoming.
#6 of the 11th seems back on the status map 4 hours late out of McCook, NE. I wonder if it backtracked from Helper to SLC and then likewise detoured via the Overland Route?
#6 of the 12th still appears to have never departed.....annulled from the outset.
#5 of the 12th is approching Denver.
Be interesting to see if this #5 also goes though Wyoming and whether #6 originates later today from the west coast.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
In addition to rock slides bothering #6 (and Saturday 15th #5), there was flooding in Burlington. When I had trouble on #5 2 years ago, it was also flooding on the Plains. So if the choice is interruptions sometimes for flooding on the Plains or for rock slides in the Rockies, I'll take the Rockies. The run through Gore Canyon, Glenwood Canyon . . . simply exquisite. Great draw for tourists too.
Posted by AHALL (Member # 3515) on :
My friends were on the eastbound Zephyr on 5/15-5/16. They were put on a bus at Grand Junction, CO, took I-70 to Denver. KFC served on the bus. They boarded train at Denver and arrived in Chicago in time for their connection to the Capitol Ltd.
Sorry, no Wyoming.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Full report to follow in a day or two as I've just returned home and I'm weary having set foot in four time zones in three days....
However - #6 of the 15th (in Colorado the 16th) departed Sacramento about 15 minutes late but otherwise was on-time or early at every station (except Granby, CO) into Denver.
We did hear from the crew of the bustitution in Colorado the day before. The eastbound consist was turned in Grand Junction, awaited the buses bringing passengers from a flood delayed #5 in Denver, and departed westward about 8-10 hours late. We met this train shortly after 6:00am on the western slope of Soldier Summit. For those keeping score, the train should have been there about 9:00pm the night before.
Full report in a day or two.......
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
From the web site "status," it looks like there is trouble on #5 again, on both the train due to arrive in Emeryville tomorrow and also the one due on Thursday. Does anyone have more details?
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
Looks like a bridge bash this time, a truck that didn't quite duck enough. Coal Creek Canyon which, if I remember correctly, is the highway from Denver up towards Pinecliffe and Moffat, where the railway crosses over the road just before going round a bend and into the first tunnel.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Correct Geoff -
I spent a number of mornings going up to Coal Creek Canyon in the summer of 1984 when I was with a youth group in Denver to watch the California Zephyr swing across that bridge.
Trucks hauling heavy equipment have not been kind to Amtrak in the last week.
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