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Sunset Limited problems due to UP's Brazos river bridge washout

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Sunset Limited problems due to UP's Brazos river bridge washout
Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, June 6, 2016 6:08 PM

Many reports that Sunset limited is only running SAS - LAX.  Reports unconfirmed that UP's Brazos river bridge near Houston has taken major damage and may take weeks to fix.  One report says one pier bad.  Kinda expected news wire to have a report today.  May be the flooding so bad that no pictures available yet ?

 

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, June 6, 2016 7:06 PM

UP report on southern flooding.  dated jun 3 Brazos out of service at least 14 days ? ? ?

http://www.up.com/customers/announcements/customernews/generalannouncements/CN2016-14.html

 

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Posted by PJS1 on Tuesday, June 7, 2016 7:19 AM

blue streak 1

Many reports that Sunset limited is only running SAS - LAX.  Reports unconfirmed that UP's Brazos river bridge near Houston has taken major damage and may take weeks to fix.  One report says one pier bad.  Kinda expected news wire to have a report today.  May be the flooding so bad that no pictures available yet ?

Amtrak's webpage is showing that information regarding Numbers 1 and 2, which were due in San Antonio during the wee hours of Tusday, is unavailable due to a service disruption.

Amtrak had not posted a service alert as of late Monday.

Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Thursday, June 9, 2016 8:26 PM

Very unconfirmed reports the Sunset will detour somehow SAS - NOL.  Thie probably possible with the freight downturns allowing furloughed T&E to be pilots on detour routes ?

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, June 13, 2016 2:48 PM

Found video of Sunset detouring over tower 17 to avoid Brazos bridge washout.  

https://swrails.com/2016/06/12/the-tower-17-shuffle/

 

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Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Monday, June 13, 2016 6:39 PM

Thank you for this post & video, I was supprised at the track as the train came forward and there was a low joint leaving the crossing that rocked the 197 & #2 but the engineer continued to accellerate. Otherwise, looked like a good connection. Again thanks.

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Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, June 14, 2016 8:34 AM

Electroliner 1935
I was supprised at the track as the train came forward and there was a low joint leaving the crossing that rocked the 197 & #2 but the engineer continued to accelerate. Otherwise, looked like a good connection.

Is it standard operating procedure to stand so far back in the vestibule as at 2:17ff particularly at that rate of acceleration into a curve with possibly uncertain trackwork?  The first thing that came to mind was Cacy...

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Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Tuesday, June 14, 2016 9:58 PM

Overmod
stand so far back in the vestibule as at 2:17ff

I'm confused as to what you are talking about. What is meant by 2:17ff and where did the vestibule come into this string?

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Posted by schlimm on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 7:33 AM

Electroliner 1935
What is meant by 2:17ff

Maybe at the 2 min. 17 second point in the video?

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Posted by Overmod on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 9:35 AM

Electroliner 1935
I'm confused as to what you are talking about. What is meant by 2:17ff and where did the vestibule come into this string?

Electroliner 1935
I'm confused as to what you are talking about. What is meant by 2:17ff and where did the vestibule come into this string?

"2:17ff' is citation 'shorthand' for time mark 2.17 and watching (in text, it would be reading) forward an unspecified time.  (I could have specified the precise time of concern, but that wasn't as important as flagging where the issue started...)

The vestibule comes in because the conductor is standing in the very rear of it, with apparently no more safety restraint than a chain across his lower hips (where it would do little more than flip him if he were to start falling out).  That can't possibly be 'safe', can it?  It certainly distracted me from watching the train switch directions the first time I ran the video.

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 11:52 AM

Overmod
The vestibule comes in because the conductor is standing in the very rear of it, with apparently no more safety restraint than a chain across his lower hips (where it would do little more than flip him if he were to start falling out). That can't possibly be 'safe', can it? It certainly distracted me from watching the train switch directions the first time I ran the video.

    It looks more like a bar to me, and there is another one about chest high that he is resting his arms on.

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Posted by schlimm on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 12:00 PM

Paul of Covington

 

 
Overmod
The vestibule comes in because the conductor is standing in the very rear of it, with apparently no more safety restraint than a chain across his lower hips (where it would do little more than flip him if he were to start falling out). That can't possibly be 'safe', can it? It certainly distracted me from watching the train switch directions the first time I ran the video.

 

    It looks more like a bar to me, and there is another one about chest high that he is resting his arms on.

 

Correct.  Two bars, which makes it pretty safe.

 

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Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 4:37 PM

schlimm
Correct.  Two bars, which makes it pretty safe.

He's leaning on the top bar and the second is above his knees. I was a little confused as I ddn't consider the back door as a vestibule. He looks quite secure and comfortable. I normally think of the space at the top of the steps on a single level car as the vestibule. A space between two portals. 

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Posted by PJS1 on Friday, June 17, 2016 8:20 AM

blue streak 1

Found video of Sunset detouring over tower 17 to avoid Brazos bridge washout.  

https://swrails.com/2016/06/12/the-tower-17-shuffle/ 

This is a very good video.

Several aspects of the Sunset Limited caught my attention. 

Why two locomotives for a relatively light train?  The Texas Eagle, which has one more coach than the Sunset, at least as shown, gets by with just one locomotive.

The full length baggage car seems a bit much.  It is hard to imagine that the passengers on the Sunset - two coaches and one sleeper, plus some space in the transition sleeper - would have enough checked baggage to justify a full length baggage car.  For years the Texas Eagle, which now has one of the new baggage cars, got by with a coach baggage car.

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Friday, June 17, 2016 2:48 PM

JPS1

The full length baggage car seems a bit much.  It is hard to imagine that the passengers on the Sunset - two coaches and one sleeper, plus some space in the transition sleeper - would have enough checked baggage to justify a full length baggage car.  For years the Texas Eagle, which now has one of the new baggage cars, got by with a coach baggage car.

 

 
  Probably a very good route for a bag dorm ?
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Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, July 11, 2016 5:39 AM

continuing problems with bridge pier still sinking.  Sunset is still on detour.

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