Freight traffic Window on Marias Pass

[KBCpresident]

I work at a hotel on Marias Pass in Montana. A guest came by the front desk and asked what time in the morning they close the mainline for the extensive trackwork they have been doing. Does anyone know this?

Thanks

[BaltACD]

Can't speak directly to Marias Pass, however, the large mechanized gangs doing major MofW work need undisturbed track time to be effective.  On my carrier that is normally 0700-1900 four days a week - in some cases, to finish a project they may go 5 or 6 days, but that isn't the norm.

[mudchicken]

Balt: At least they are being smart about it. Productivity in the dark is inherently more dangerous and less productive. (been there far  too many times) With MRL being an alternate via Mullan, it's almost all contractor labor that the BNSF railroad isn't budgeting to be marginally productive or in the hole plus their own folks. I'd bet it is during daylight hours.

(forcing the operating side to stick to the plan is probably a big battle)

[ChuckCobleigh]

mudchicken

I'd bet it is during daylight hours.

So would I, based on what I have seen at Tehachapi this year.  In January, the UP trucks would be out of the motel parking lot early and no traffic through town all day.  The last train through would be coming through right after daylight and you could hear the short double-blasts of the horns as it went by crews, then nothing all day.  First of many trains would come through right at dusk and the parade would be nearly constant until ten or eleven, then back to the nightime normal.

In May, lots of trucks in the motel lot at night and when we left very early the next morning, workers out getting their first briefing as we hit the road.  Kind of the same thing in March and April as well, except for one stop with no UP trucks in the lot, a rarity this year.

Bottom line is that the MOW folks were working "all the live-long" daylight on Tehachapi pass.

[BaltACD]

Daylight is all well and good - as long as only freight is involved.

Where you have heavy passenger traffic, as well as commuter traffic - weekends and nights are the only times that are available.

[mudchicken]

BaltACD

Daylight is all well and good - as long as only freight is involved.

Where you have heavy passenger traffic, as well as commuter traffic - weekends and nights are the only times that are available.

 

Understood - but some of us survived (barely) working on the San Diego Sub between Fullerton and San Diego dusk to dawn because of the passenger trains. Many lessons learned. A lot different experience than replacing a road crossing in an 18 hour window with crews on shifts (working in a small area vs. miles of various tasks spread all over...budgets bleed red ink in the dark - highway bubbas tell a similar story and the taxpayers haven't a clue).

(plus the locals getting p-o'ed because of the lights and noise all night... in spite of plenty of advanced warning & mailings...not thrilled about being shot at, cursed at and rocked for doing the work)