Amtrak: 400 Trapped Inside 2 Passenger Trains Near Donner Pass

[Anonymous]

Amtrak: 400 Trapped Inside 2 Passenger Trains Near Donner Pass
-- Amtrak officials said Friday that nearly 400 people are trapped inside two passenger trains that have been stuck all afternoon in the snowy Northern California mountains.
An Amtrak spokeswoman said the trains were stranded near Donner Pass around 2 p.m. Friday after a large snow plow being used to clear the tracks fell through a walkway and blocked the trains' path.
The spokeswoman said Amtrak is trying to summon buses to nearby towns to evacuate passengers, but have had little luck because many of the vehicles are in Arizona for the Super Bowl.

Officials said at 7 p.m. that they expect it may take another hour or two to clear the tracks and that more snow has fallen since the accident.
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--- the JOKE is that the trains have HEAT ? [ I FROZE ALMOST TO DEATH last trip i took ]
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- Amtrak officials say that nearly 400 people
are trapped inside two passenger trains that have been stuck all
afternoon near Donner Pass.

One train is traveling eastbound from an area near Oakland to Chicago. According to Amtrak, the other train, traveling in the opposite direction, will be towed back to Reno as soon as possible.

An Amtrak spokeswoman says the trains were stranded around 2 p.m. today after a large snow plow being used to clear the tracks fell through a walkway and blocked the trains' path.

The spokeswoman says Amtrak is trying to summon buses to nearby
towns to evacuate passengers, but have had little luck because many
of the vehicles are in Arizona for the Super Bowl.

Officials said at 7 p.m. that they expect it may take another
hour or two to clear the tracks and that more snow that has fallen
since the accident.
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prepare to freeze some ice cubes !!! brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !

[Nataraj]

How does a snowplow fall through a WALKWAY ???

[CG9602]

Perhaps it is time to get off of Donner Pass, and use the ex-WP route through the Sierras. Would the ex-WP be a faster route? What considerations would be involved in use of the ex-WP ? I know that the route does not go quite as high in elevation as Donner Pass.

[espeefoamer]

I heard on the radio this morning that both trains are on the move.

 

[Railway Man]

Perhaps it is time to get off of Donner Pass, and use the ex-WP route through the Sierras. Would the ex-WP be a faster route? What considerations would be involved in use of the ex-WP ? I know that the route does not go quite as high in elevation as Donner Pass.

The Feather River Canyon route is 3-4 hours slower, 66 miles longer, has no spare capacity to take a pair of daily Amtraks unless freight trains are pulled off and/or reduced in length, and is highly vulnerable to flooding, washouts, mudslides, and rockslides.  The Feather River Canyon in the last 20 years has had two major floods; the most recent in 1996 closed the canyon for 61 days.

RWM 

[rjemery]

How does a snowplow fall through a WALKWAY ???

I believe the snowplow was on a trestle and somehow was lifted off the rails and slid onto the adjacent walkway, where because of its weight it fell to tracks below, blocking the main line.  Most trestles have a walkway which would give bridge access to maintenance personnel and which can also be used to seek safety from a passing train.

If anyone knows the exact location of this mishap, I would like to know. 

Using Google satellite images, I really cannot find anywhere where the tracks cross themselves such that a mishap as described can happen.

The best I can find are roadways where a plow may have slipped off the overpass onto the tracks below.

[rjemery]

The Feather River Canyon route is 3-4 hours slower, 66 miles longer, has no spare capacity to take a pair of daily Amtraks unless freight trains are pulled off and/or reduced in length, and is highly vulnerable to flooding, washouts, mudslides, and rockslides.  The Feather River Canyon in the last 20 years has had two major floods; the most recent in 1996 closed the canyon for 61 days.

I agree.  Just about every rail route is running at capacity.  It's not easy to find spare capacity to re-route a passenger train.  While I do not know the local signaling conditions through Donner Pass, it is also possible that line has enhanced signaling capabilities that could not be reproduced inexpensively if the passenger trains were to be permanently re-routed.

Besides, anyone travelling through Donner Pass in Winter needs to be prepared for rail or Interstate to be closed. The same applies to any high mountain pass in Winter anywhere.

[Ham Radio]

Snow happens.

Part of the fun and challenges of winter travel is an occasional inconvenience.

Enjoy the ride.