Storm closes UP’s Donner Pass and Feather River routes

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp
What terminal is GR?

In the listing of symbols I have, GR repersents two different places; Granger Texas and Green River WY. I assume the MGRRV is coming out of Green River, Wyoming.

SP9033

[jeaton]

SP 9033 Took a look about sunset so I got the direction. You are right about the view.

Jay

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SP9033

Here are a couple more of the flanger at work. Interesting to note, the train facing the camera is the MGRRV, it went up to Truckee on Friday night/Saturday early AM, received a manned helper set, then was sent back down to Sparks, spending Saturday night at Hafed, the first siding east of Sparks. It headed back west Sunday the 9th.





SP9033

What terminal is GR?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

AP9033-

I haven't figured the directions yet. Just have to get a look on mapquest.

Jay

Jay,

Right is west, left is east. I think most of us fans like the camera when its show the depot rather than the Union 76 station.

SP9033

[jeaton]

AP9033-

Great shots. Winterwonderland.

I just watched a mixed freight go through Truckee The camera has been shifted from yesterday and provides a better view of the railroad, which runs behind the buildings and empty lots just accross the street from the camera location. I haven't figured the directions yet. Just have to get a look on mapquest.

Jay

[Anonymous]

Ah yes, brings back memories of my favorite railroad, manned tunnel motors on the way to battle Donner.



...And the reason I purchased a home with a backyard that butts-up against the "Overland Route" at Lawton, NV (MP235.5), just west of Reno.

[Anonymous]

Here is a series of photos taken as the MGRRV passes the camera. MGRRV is the trains id.



If you look at the road you'll see another fan taking photos of the MGRRV.



Two more in the next post.

SP9033

[Anonymous]

Here are a couple more of the flanger at work. Interesting to note, the train facing the camera is the MGRRV, it went up to Truckee on Friday night/Saturday early AM, received a manned helper set, then was sent back down to Sparks, spending Saturday night at Hafed, the first siding east of Sparks. It headed back west Sunday the 9th.





SP9033

[Anonymous]

Got a couple of nice shots this weekend from east of Donner. The first link is of a photos of Amtrak's No. 5 at Reno, NV on Saturday the 8th. This is the train that was annulled and was to become No. 6 of the 9th. But, I understand it derailed in Sparks yard Sunday the 9th, after that I don't know what happened.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=90403

Union Pacific as I understand it, wanted to run a flanger ahead of the Reno Fun Train and No. 5 on Sunday. This is a photo of the flanger heading towards Reno at about 1:30 PM. Its got one of the newly rebuilt former SP flangers in tow, its yellow!

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=90458

Here is one taken Saturday night at UP's Sparks yard.



More later...

SP9033

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by MP173

Got a silly question. Remember, I am from Indiana and we dont usually have these situations...

Lets just say a crew goes dead after 12 hours, but they are in a situation where there is danger for them to stay in their current location. What do they do?

Do they stay in their locomotives until another crew arrives, or do they continue with their train?

ed

Ed,

I don't think its a silly question, and it was asked on a list I belong to, and got some good answers.

Apparently this sums it up:

"The code, in part, reads:

(a) General. - This chapter does not apply to a situation
involving any of the following:
(1) a casualty.
(2) an unavoidable accident.
(3) an act of God.
(4) a delay resulting from a cause unknown and unforeseeable to
a railroad carrier or its officer or agent in charge of the
employee when the employee left a terminal."

"The carrier order the crew to violate, by declaring an emergency. The
carrier always holds the bag.

If the crew knowingly violated the law, without being ordered to do so,
they would hold the bag."

Hope this answers your question.

[Anonymous]

Supposed to get another foot or so in quincy and lord knows about donner. i guess that was it for the zephyr if they're rat holeing it in Sparks and bussing folks. the silver rotary being spoken about...sounds like the one they use to clear portola in 91/92 during the BIG snow. If that is the only silver one then they just may use it again if need be. I was shooting B&W stills in Portola and ran into Steinheimer and a Pentrex crew at the time. Good stuff!!!

[Anonymous]

that would be cool go go on the Zepher, I might have to take a trip if they are still going on that line on sat. I Was able to go to Portola back in 94 on the E9's and that was amazing.
Brad

[Anonymous]

Monday's eastbound Cal Zephyr is supposed to be the train that is sitting in Sparks today. Passengers will have motorcoach transportation from the bay area to Reno providing I-80 is open.

The southbound Starlight was annulled south of San Luis Obispo because of slides and a sink hole. Then all traffic north of Oxnard was annulled. Supposedly there is a signal and line shack out in the ocean near Gaviota from a slide. Several slides reported north of Santa Barbara so the coast will be down for a while.

[Anonymous]

And todays eastbound California Zephyr was routed via the old Western Pacific route from Sacramento up to Keddie and the Feather River Canyon on its journey to Chicago, avoiding Donner Pass.

I hope the passengers appreciated the fact that they were riding on rare passenger trackage and the original route of the Cal. Zephyr.

The beautiful silver UP rotary that is sitting in Roseville will likely never see service in Donner. It was built in 1957 and houses EMD 567C prime mover, but it was built for the powder snow and the Sierra Concrete, which is a dense, heavy, water packed snow is not suitable for the UP unit, so it sits in storage having never turned a wheel since arriving from the east. The 1929 and 1937 SP rotaries continue to be the rotary of choice when the call comes.

[Anonymous]

Saw the East bound Zephyr run through Quincy on the UP Feather River Sub at about 1300. Had a private stainless car on the back. Any info if others will be rerouting?

Also. BNSF had a train VS pedestrian fatality in Greenville last week.

[Anonymous]

They just reported on the news that number 6 from Oakland to Chicago Deralied last night up in the snow, and it had to be backed back to Sacramento from Up in the mountains. Sounds like a mess up there right now. It is quiet right this second, but tonight and tomorrow it is suppose to rain again.
Brad

[MP173]

Got a silly question. Remember, I am from Indiana and we dont usually have these situations...

Lets just say a crew goes dead after 12 hours, but they are in a situation where there is danger for them to stay in their current location. What do they do?

Do they stay in their locomotives until another crew arrives, or do they continue with their train?

ed

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SP9033

As a side note, It was planned to use the power off of the westbound Z to move two crews to Truckee. But the second unit of this two unit lashup would not load, the crews were transport by car via I-80.

Photos of the UP 8294 and UP 4570 which was to play taxi at:

http://ll-photo3.home.att.net/01-08-05.htm

SP9033 - Lawton, NV MP 235.5

Too bad that was not SP 8294. Too bad SP 8294 no longer exists as an SP locomotive.

[Anonymous]

Here is another video link, its to CalTrans Floriston web cam. During good weather day you can catch a train on it.

http://video.dot.ca.gov/

After the page loads select Floriston.

SP9033 - Lawton, NV MP235.5

[jeaton]

I just found a Truckee web cam at http://www.magnifeye.com/rexhotel.html

It's snowing.

Jay

[Anonymous]

As a side note, It was planned to use the power off of the westbound Z to move two crews to Truckee. But the second unit of this two unit lashup would not load, the crews were transport by car via I-80.

Photos of the UP 8294 and UP 4570 which was to play taxi at:

http://ll-photo3.home.att.net/01-08-05.htm

SP9033 - Lawton, NV MP 235.5

[Anonymous]

Last night the crew that is now still trying to get to UP's Peavine Mountain repeater made an aborted trip between about 17:00 hours and 2330 hours. They were turned back by high winds and windshield deep snow drifts. At that time they figured that the repeater link had about 14 hours of battery life left. At some point this afternoon DS74 has lost his Peavine Mountain link. The crew, probably with replacement batteries has still not made it to the top, they will work on it for about an hour, if they do not make it in that time, they will turn back. (DS74 just came back online via Peavine, 1456 hrs)

Last night, the last westbound that I heard before going to bed rolled by my house at about 0030 hours on the 8th, I live at Lawton, NV (235.5), it had UP 8250 on the point. This train tripped the high-wide detector at West Verdi at MP 229.7, this is where the photo of UP4428 was taken earlier, the train had to be walked, but only that portion that had crossed the detector. After about an hour the train headed to Truckee.

At Truckee the train was parked and the crew from that westman took over an eastman with 8294 on the point. They got to MP 237.8 before going dead, this between Lawton and West Reno, NV. This train had both crews on board, the crew that went dead at Truckee and the relief crew that had taken over at Truckee. UP sent a light engine move eastbout out of Sparks and a 3rd crew took over the 8294 eastman.

The light engine move that played taxi was a manned helper set moving to Truckee. Incidenally, I learned by talking to crew that manned helpers were implamented last week during the last strom. Not all trains are getting manned helpers. Some have enough HP/Ton to go without DPU or Helper, other trains have DPUs in-trained.

As a side note to the 8294 eastman which finally able to move into Sparks from MP237.8 received his track warrent from DS74 via MOW forman. As the DS Peavine link was not working at the time.

After DS74 came back online via the Peavin link - heard him inform someone that the plan when they start running trains will be No. 2 track from Shed 10 to Norden and No 1 track Shed 47 to Truckee.

More as I hear...

SP9033 - Lawton, NV MP235.5

[jeaton]

SP9033

Nice coverage keep us posted.

Amtrak 204 looks remarkably devoid of snow and ice on the underside. Is there a place where it stops to stomp its feet? LOL

Jay

[Anonymous]

At about 1940 hours last night Amtrak's No. 6 pulled into a Reno stop and a crew change. In consist was the private car Metis with Canadian National livery and lettering.

About an two hours earlier at 1738 Amtrak's No. 5 pulled out of Reno, NV on its westbound trip with UP 4365 on the point. Just after No. 5 passed an eastbound BNSF trackage rights train that had been recrewed at Lawton, NV (MP 235.5) passed the detector at MP 237.8, the detector malfunctioned. The conductor ended up having to walk both sides of the train. The replacement crew, which was also close on hours of service, almost died on hours and made it into Sparks with only minutes to spare.

A UP manifest with UP 4428 died on hours at West Verdi (MP 229.6), and I
think the Reno fun train died on hours at Boca, not sure about that, but
there was talk about re-crewing it - They didn't arrive at Reno until about
23:15 or so, they had AMTK 184 on the point I think.

The fresh crew of UP 4428 removed the snow covering the windshield, took
about 10 minutes and was done with a broom. Motive power was all UP; 4428, 7186, 9603 and 5806. They proceed eastbound without bells or whistles. By the time they got down to Reno, all was working.

Pictures of No. 6 at Reno and the UP 4428 cane be seen at the following URL:

http://ll-photo3.home.att.net/01-07-05.htm

Just heard this morning that UP's railroad repeater on Peavine Mountain is without power and is operating on battery power. There is a crew on its way to this repeater and it has lost battery power or is about too. The crew is in a snow cat, they have encountered 100 MPH winds and heavy snow drifts.

SP9033 - Trackside at MP236

[jeaton]

Just saw an item on CNN saying that another 6 feet of snow may fall in the Sierra's. Wouldn't plan on using No. 5 or 6 to get home on time. So a question. Are the rotaries going to have to come out?

Jay

[Anonymous]

heres another. .

www.trainweb.org/rrsnowfighting

[ericsp]

Here are some links to SP's snowfighting equipment
http://espee.railfan.net/flangers.html
http://espee.railfan.net/sp_rotaries.html
http://espee.railfan.net/sp_snails.html
http://espee.railfan.net/spreaders.html

[broncoman]

So the ones that are in the Roseville yard that are connected to what look to be "B" units are still active and awaiting the go ahead to clear the hill. I am surprised that they are not in a place a little futher east yet (Colfax). I passed them on my way home from work still in the Roseville yard. I have noticed that traffic in Roseville seems to be backed up. There are at least two trains waiting to leave towards Sparks and about two trains coming in from the Sacramento side that have been setting there for at least 2 days now.
SP9033 are things stacking up in Sparks?

Dave

[dldance]

Craig - the UP homebuilt rotary that I toured did not use snails as it had the original EMD engine/generator set. I believe it also had a steam generator - which leads me to suspect the that base was an E unit rather than an F as I previously mentioned. The traction motor drive to the blade was similar to the SP configuration. Unfortunately I did not have a camera with me - but the memories are priceless.

dd