Trains.com

Serious Amtrak delays 4 hrs +

5906 views
16 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Serious Amtrak delays 4 hrs +
Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, September 26, 2011 4:27 PM

This is a thread for all to post whenever Amtrak takes a 4 hour or more delay between 2 stations.

1. Palmetto took a 6 hour delay today from Savannah - Yemassee.

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Serious Amtrak delays 4 hrs +
Posted by blue streak 1 on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 7:39 PM

2. #14 Coast Starlight of Monday departure from Sacremento north cancelled somewhere north of Dunsmuir.

3. Seems that trains between Seattle and Portland have issues today.  

EDIT:   ---  Found the following about a mudslide between Tacoma and Vancouver Wa.

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/oct/04/mudslide-disrupts-nw-amtrak-service/

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Serious Amtrak delays 4 hrs +
Posted by blue streak 1 on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 8:57 PM

4. Cardinal--Todays Cardinal east bound took a major delay from STA - CVS (Charlottesville ). West bound left CVS about on time but has not made it any farther west. 

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Serious Amtrak delays 4 hrs +
Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, November 21, 2011 11:09 PM

6. Sunset  --   Sunset that left LAX on 11/20 left El Paso today 15 min late and left Alpine 6:15 late and lost another :45mminutes to Sanderson

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Serious Amtrak delays 4 hrs +
Posted by blue streak 1 on Thursday, November 24, 2011 12:59 PM

7. Cal Z / 23 #5 CHI  ---  Left Creston 1:15 late arrived Omaha   7:30 Late.

8.  Silver Star / 23 #92  --  Left JAX 4 hours late.,

 

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Serious Amtrak delays 4 hrs +
Posted by blue streak 1 on Friday, November 25, 2011 7:07 PM

blue streak 1

7. Cal Z / 23 #5 CHI  ---  Left Creston 1:15 late arrived Omaha   7:30 Late.

8.  Silver Star / 23 #92  --  Left JAX 4 hours late.,

item 7  Cal Z ended up 10:21 late at Glenwood springs  (GSC ) and now at Winnwmucca  ( WNN ) is 8:42 late.

9.  Coast Starlight  14/24  Martinez   ( MAR )  :44 late  Davis  ( DAV ) 4:11 late

As of 1930 all east coast trains today ( Friday ) are less than :45 late.  This includes all SD out of Chicago. Most Western LD except all Cal Zs are mostly on time.

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Serious Amtrak delays 4 hrs +
Posted by blue streak 1 on Sunday, November 27, 2011 10:27 AM

10.  Silver Star  92/26   -  !0 minutes late leaving West Palm Beach 6:40 late leaving Winter Haven.

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Serious Amtrak delays 4 hrs +
Posted by blue streak 1 on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 4:07 PM

blue streak 1

10.  Silver Star  92/26   -  !0 minutes late leaving West Palm Beach 6:40 late leaving Winter Haven.

Found out that this delay was probably caused by a CSX signal failure that caused train to operate under dispatchers orders at restricted speed at 15 MPH from WPB to Lakeland.  The only signal failure I can think of was the CTC not able to send clearing orders to the signal system ?? I have often wondered why if signals do not receive any command orders in a certain time they would go to ABS ??  Mudchicken ?? 

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 2,593 posts
Posted by PNWRMNM on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 8:13 AM

Streak,

In typical CTC set up only the signals at control points, generally both ends of a controlled siding, are controlled by the dispatcher.  Controlled signals are often called "Absolute Signals", meaning that you absolutely can not go past one displaying STOP without verbal permissiion of the dispatcher. The approach signals and intermediate signals are, in fact, block signals. Block signals displaying STOP may usually be passed after stopping for them. Movement beyond either type of stop signal must be at restricted speed, which is able to stop within half the range of vision, not exceeding 15 or 20 MPH, the not excceding varies among railroads.

If control of absolute signals is lost they go to their most restrictive indication, which is stop and in many installations that will set all the intermediate block signals to stop as well. Under those conditions a train being talked by all the absolute signals would probably be exceeding restricted speed to average 15 MPH over any distance.

My wife and I encountered this when we were on the Canadian on CPR in the Rocky Mountains years ago. We probably averaged 10 MPH and ended up hours late into Vancouver BC.  

Mac

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Serious Amtrak delays 4 hrs +
Posted by blue streak 1 on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 10:54 AM

Cardinal 50/ 13 left Crawford 35 late and arrived IND 0625 and left IND 0635         6:45 late. Did it hit something on way to IND ??

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: South Dakota
  • 1,592 posts
Posted by Dakguy201 on Thursday, December 22, 2011 6:49 AM

A little off topic, but yesterday the Texas Eagle was 1:29 late in leaving Chicago and the SW Chief departed 2:44 late.  Is it possible the current turmoil among the managers is already showing up in the Chicago yard?   

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: Atlanta
  • 11,971 posts
Posted by oltmannd on Thursday, December 22, 2011 4:48 PM

PNWRMNM

If control of absolute signals is lost they go to their most restrictive indication, which is stop and in many installations that will set all the intermediate block signals to stop as well. Under those conditions a train being talked by all the absolute signals would probably be exceeding restricted speed to average 15 MPH over any distance.

Going out on a limb, here, I think if the track between the interlockings is "current of traffic" then it's possible to get clear intermediate block signals, but if it's bi-directional, then the signals tumble down to stop in both directions between the interlockings until a route set and the home signal is cleared.  I think CTC by definition includes bi-directional operation.  (for sure on single track!).

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Serious Amtrak delays 4 hrs +
Posted by blue streak 1 on Friday, December 23, 2011 4:11 AM

Empire Builder   -- 8 / 22 hit predestrian between Everette - Leavenworth  Wa at Monroe. Lost 4:04 hours waiting for replacement engineer.

http://today.seattletimes.com/2011/12/person-hit-by-amtrak-train-in-monroe/

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 23, 2011 6:58 AM

Dakguy201

A little off topic, but yesterday the Texas Eagle was 1:29 late in leaving Chicago and the SW Chief departed 2:44 late.  Is it possible the current turmoil among the managers is already showing up in the Chicago yard? 

What does the turmoil among the managers in the Chicago refer to?

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,919 posts
Serious Amtrak delays 4 hrs +
Posted by blue streak 1 on Friday, December 23, 2011 6:50 PM

blue streak 1

Empire Builder   -- 8 / 22 hit predestrian between Everette - Leavenworth  Wa at Monroe. Lost 4:04 hours waiting for replacement engineer.

http://today.seattletimes.com/2011/12/person-hit-by-amtrak-train-in-monroe/

Well it made up time and left West Glacier 2:31 late then left Browning 5:24 late. Train just can't win !!

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 25,292 posts
Posted by BaltACD on Friday, December 23, 2011 11:29 PM

The worst thing that has ever happened to railroad incident investigation by local authorities has been the popularity of the the CSI television franchise - every local yokel wants to be the next Gil Grissom and spend endless hours with the trespasser that committed suicide by train.  Today's rule of thumb is if a trespasser is struck - 4 hours delay MINIMUM - if it is a fatality it will take longer until traffic can move again.

blue streak 1
 

Empire Builder   -- 8 / 22 hit predestrian between Everette - Leavenworth  Wa at Monroe. Lost 4:04 hours waiting for replacement engineer.

http://today.seattletimes.com/2011/12/person-hit-by-amtrak-train-in-monroe/

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Southern Iowa, near BNSF double track mainline
  • 111 posts
Posted by william6 on Saturday, February 4, 2012 7:51 PM

Feb 04, 2012. The California Zephyr that was due into Chicago this afternoon at 2:50PM is running about 14 hours late and will be in Chicago tomorrow. A snowstorm in Colorado and Nebraska is probably the reason it is so late.

1st train ride was at 18 months old...and still riding the rails!

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy