Amtrak #11 has been stranded in Oregon for 24 hours due to fallen tree and snow. UP has problems with their trains, too.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/26/us/oregon-train-passengers-stranded-trnd/index.html
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
The story as I read it the first time mentioned a locomotive breakdown on a UP train, and that a locomotive had been taken from another one to help push the first one, but they were stopped by snow (or something like that), but when I re-read it, that part had apparently been removed.
This reminds me of the "City of San Francisco, only this train is not snowed in.
Eugene OR got a foot of snow Sunday and Monday - something its not equipped to handle. Highway 58, which parallels the UP towards Oakridge, is closed even with over 150 trees already removed from the road. I-5 was also closed.
How bad the situation is depends a lot on how far east (railroad west) of Oakridge the train is. The line begins a long, looping climb to the summit east of Oakridge in some of the wildest territory in the west. On the other side it drops down into Chemult where it meets the BNSF's Inside Gateway line.
rcdrye Eugene OR got a foot of snow Sunday and Monday - something its not equipped to handle. Highway 58, which parallels the UP towards Oakridge, is closed even with over 150 trees already removed from the road. I-5 was also closed. How bad the situation is depends a lot on how far east (railroad west) of Oakridge the train is. The line begins a long, looping climb to the summit east of Oakridge in some of the wildest territory in the west. On the other side it drops down into Chemult where it meets the BNSF's Inside Gateway line.
The article said at Oakridge and photo looks like Oakridge to me. I suspect UP will attack from both ends and by rail.
Oregon fir trees have very shallow root system, so they are probably down by the hundreds, especially at lower elevation where they rarely get stressed by snow loads. When you cut a railroad or highway through the woods you are creating a hole for the trees to fall into.
I heard about this on The Weather Channel. There was a live interview with a passenger on board the train this morning. She seemed in pretty good spirits and said most passengers were taking it in stride but supplies were running out. As she was speaking the power went out and the train started to move. The interview ended there. One point she made that I agree with is that they are better off on the train with heat and lights rather than being stranded for 30 hours in their vehicles on the Interstate. There were makeshift diapers being made for the infants as well as feminine sanitary products. There was food enough for one more meal in the diner then it would be gone. This supposedly happened at 6:15 PM on Sunday yet there is still nothing on Trains News Wire. I have to read about it elsewhere. Trains Mag. pro-Amtrak bias maybe? If they can't get the train out they will have to fly in supplies as the roads are littered with trees and virtually impassable. Any railfans on board are probably loving it as this is extra free train time.
I first read about this while looking up my local weather on accuweather. I had to laugh as the picture of a train in snow that went with the article was a freight train.
It did mention that the passengers were better off than the local folks as the locals didn't have any power.
There are several lesson to be learned here.
1. Dispatch of a train into snow storm especially a passenger train needs thought.
2. A train into a tree lined heavy snow should not be attempted especially on routes that do not get much snow. The trees in Oregon do not have deep roots and the snow level appears to have been lower than usual. Trees will fall into open spaces.
3. does snow have potential to drift into cuts on the route?
4. Is it going to be fine snow ( or snirt ) that may short out traction motors?
5. Is there potential for freight trains to stall preventing passenger trains to continue especially on single track sections?
6. Potential of avalanches,mud slides, etc
7. any other?
If all these conditions can be avoided then you can dispatch the subject train.
But if they do cancel trains, we have people screaming (some on this site), that trains should be running all weather and it's a poor excuse if they don't!
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Too bad they didn't think to tie up at Eugene. Farther south and higher up, where trees and snow blocked the rails, the depth was up to 4 feet. Anyone who thinks the trains should be running through that is delusional.
Train made it about one siding south of Oakridge, before striking trees. The train was then slowly backed into Oakridge, where it was stopped. Lead unit was cut off (rumored to have sustained a fuel tank rupture).
According to passengers I spoke with, Amtrak decided against unloading the train to hotels in Oakridge because the town had no power and Highway 58 was closed. A UP ES44AC was attached to the rear and towed the train back towards Seattle, with an extra long stop to empty toilets in Eugene. Passengers are being unloaded where they boarded. A grocery store was located in close proximity, but was unneeded, and Amtrak was concerned about the liability of using food from a powerless store.
Passengers were frustrated but in good spirits. They often didn't know much about what was going on, but the crew didn't know much, either.
blue streak 1There are several lesson to be learned here. 1. Dispatch of a train into snow storm especially a passenger train needs thought. 2. A train into a tree lined heavy snow should not be attempted especially on routes that do not get much snow. The trees in Oregon do not have deep roots and the snow level appears to have been lower than usual. Trees will fall into open spaces. 3. does snow have potential to drift into cuts on the route? 4. Is it going to be fine snow ( or snirt ) that may short out traction motors? 5. Is there potential for freight trains to stall preventing passenger trains to continue especially on single track sections? 6. Potential of avalanches,mud slides, etc 7. any other? If all these conditions can be avoided then you can dispatch the subject train.
Your hindsight is 20/20. So don't operate the Coast Starlight 13 months of the year.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
It sounds like the train's passengers were in better shape than the folks in Oakridge, who were equally cut off from "civilization". There is a wye in Oakridge but it only has a short tail track, making turning the train impossible and moving the engine to the other end risky at best. Keep in mind that getting back to Eugene would not have made things that much better - power was out and trees were down there, too.
In all likelihood if the train had not struck a tree it would have made it all the way to LA. UP and SP have been running trains in similar conditions for a long time.
Those of us who live where winter occurs know that conditions can change very quickly. I'm sure that when the train was cleared to leave Portland it didn't seem like the weather was impossible. While I'm sure it was unpleasant for the passengers, the crew (and UP) made reasonable decisions considering their options, and nobody got hurt.
I seem to recall reading a few years ago about an Amtrak (Vista)dome car, after a summer storm, running into a fallen tree with the predictable awful results for those passengers upstairs.
Trees falling across railroad tracks can happen at any time of the year; it's one of the risks, however small, for people who travel by train. Every mode of travel has risks.
Thank goodness no one was injured in this incident on the Coast Starlight.
As it says of such passengers in the Bible, "Many are cold, but few are frozen."
blue streak 14. Is it going to be fine snow ( or snirt ) that may short out traction motors?
Is this still the case with AC motors? They have no commutator or brushes to short out.
BaltACD blue streak 1 There are several lesson to be learned here. 1. Dispatch of a train into snow storm especially a passenger train needs thought. 2. A train into a tree lined heavy snow should not be attempted especially on routes that do not get much snow. The trees in Oregon do not have deep roots and the snow level appears to have been lower than usual. Trees will fall into open spaces. 3. does snow have potential to drift into cuts on the route? 4. Is it going to be fine snow ( or snirt ) that may short out traction motors? 5. Is there potential for freight trains to stall preventing passenger trains to continue especially on single track sections? 6. Potential of avalanches,mud slides, etc 7. any other? If all these conditions can be avoided then you can dispatch the subject train. Your hindsight is 20/20. So don't operate the Coast Starlight 13 months of the year.
blue streak 1 There are several lesson to be learned here. 1. Dispatch of a train into snow storm especially a passenger train needs thought. 2. A train into a tree lined heavy snow should not be attempted especially on routes that do not get much snow. The trees in Oregon do not have deep roots and the snow level appears to have been lower than usual. Trees will fall into open spaces. 3. does snow have potential to drift into cuts on the route? 4. Is it going to be fine snow ( or snirt ) that may short out traction motors? 5. Is there potential for freight trains to stall preventing passenger trains to continue especially on single track sections? 6. Potential of avalanches,mud slides, etc 7. any other? If all these conditions can be avoided then you can dispatch the subject train.
This in no way is looking back. Instead it is more looking forward to the whole USA. The present CAL Z cancellations over Donner and not using the feather river route would seem one of the items makes using feather River not advisable for maybe one of the above reasons.
Electroliner 1935 blue streak 1 4. Is it going to be fine snow ( or snirt ) that may short out traction motors? Is this still the case with AC motors? They have no commutator or brushes to short out.
blue streak 1 4. Is it going to be fine snow ( or snirt ) that may short out traction motors?
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