There was another recent post about the delays that Amtrak's Southwest Chief - trains #3 & #4 - are having but that post seems to have dissappeared (?). Per Amtrak, the main reason for delays to the Chief is on-going track work between Albuquerque and Lamy New Mexico with expected delays up to around two hours each way.
The eastbound Chief #4 that departed Los Angeles at 6:33 pm PST on Saturday, June 24th might have set, or at least come close to setting, some kind of record for delays. This edition of Chief finally limped into Chicago Union Station on Tuesday, June 27th at 5:03 am CST. Only thirteen hours and forty-eight minutes late! (Scheduled arrival time in Chicago was on Monday, June 26th at 3:15 pm CST.) I'll bet the coach passengers were a bit grumpy after trying to sleep in their seats for three nights.
Somehow, some way, this train managed to go from forty minutes late at Flagstaff, AZ to nine hours, forty-three minutes late at Lajunata, CO. Also lost another three hours between Kansas City and Galesburg, IL.
If you want to see the full score card of delays:
http://107.15.192.36/scripts/archivefinder.pl?seltrain=4&selmonth=06&selyear=2017&selday=24
CC
[quote user="Chris30"]e main reason for delays to the Chief is on-going track work between Albuquerque and Lamy New Mexico with expected delays up to around two hours each way.
Any track work between ALB and Lamy is on track owned by the State of NM.
Chris30There was another recent post about the delays that Amtrak's Southwest Chief - trains #3 & #4 - are having but that post seems to have dissappeared (?).
Is this it? (In the Passenger forum.)
http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/743/t/263705.aspx
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Looks like the Southwest Chief that departed Los Angles on 10/4 is trying to break its own record for tardiness.
Somehow, someway, the Chief managed to lose over fourteen hours between Las Vegas and Raton New Mexico yesterday / today. Yikes! Per Amtrak's schedule the Chief is suppoesed be at Las Vegas, NM at 3:03pm and Raton, NM at 4:50pm; a total run-time of one hour fourty-seven minutes. The 10/4 eastbound Chief departed Las Vegas at 7:16pm last night, only four hours off of the advertised. It arrived at Raton this morning at 7:23am! Then, it didn't depart Raton until 9:07am. Just a little over sixteen hours late! This train is now scheduled to arrive in Chicago tomorrow morning at 5:22am.
If you have a roomette or bedroom on this train you just got a bonus night. If you're riding coach all the way from LA to Chicago you probably can't wait to get there. My bad math says about a 57 hour journey.
I watch some of those LD west coast train videos on You Tube. Those folks certainly have more patience, and are better railfans than I am. A 21st Century version of the Donner Party, minus the cannibalism. Amtrak would have to pay me.
#3 and #4 are the only trains operating between Raton and Las Vegas. Presumably #3 had passed over this area earlier as scheduled. There are several hot box and dragging equip. detectors active and they may have stopped #4. Also #4 may have had locomotive problems and had to have BNSF come to the rescue as has happed before. I suspect some explanation will be found by those who post here.
Chat sez small boulder hit. Damaged engine. Replacement needed.
Maybe, maybe not....
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
The eastbound chief is now 20 hours late. This brings up a problem with Amtrak's web site for reservations. If a person checks right now for Ssturday morning to go from topeka - STL the reservation system only shows Saturday's train which is sold out. The delayed chief schedued to arrive Friday morning will not arrive at TOP until 0200 Saturday had a few seats available but anyone trying to book on Friday's train will find the web site jumps to The SAT train which is sold out. There fore cannot book by web site. The very few rail fans who understand the system will have to call or go to station.
NOTE: Amtrak's Train status does show estimated arrival time of 0206 Saturday so why cannot the reservation system show availability. Now any train that is maybe 2 or more hours late should show availability for the date instead of listing too close to departure time.
blue streak 1The eastbound chief is now 20 hours late. This brings up a problem with Amtrak's web site for reservations. If a person checks right now for Ssturday morning to go from topeka - STL the reservation system only shows Saturday's train which is sold out. The delayed chief schedued to arrive Friday morning will not arrive at TOP until 0200 Saturday had a few seats available but anyone trying to book on Friday's train will find the web site jumps to The SAT train which is sold out. There fore cannot book by web site. The very few rail fans who understand the system will have to call or go to station. NOTE: Amtrak's Train status does show estimated arrival time of 0206 Saturday so why cannot the reservation system show availability. Now any train that is maybe 2 or more hours late should show availability for the date instead of listing too close to departure time.
Reservation systems are tied to the scheduled times, not the actual times.
In the Reservation System, the 20+ hour late train is considered to have already completed it's run.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I don't think I'd want anything to do with a long distance train that is 20 hours late. Food and possibly water supplies would be exhausted, the equipment badly in need of some housekeeping and the bathrooms, well...
It's an experience I don't need!
Not uncommon to see #3 or #4 replenished with additional foodstuffs and water at LJ on the platform along with fuel (although not refueling as often anymore, AQ performs a similar function)
Mookie Chat sez small boulder hit. Damaged engine. Replacement needed. Maybe, maybe not.... Only possibility for a boulder would be in Shoemaker Canyon just north from Watrous.
and Apache Canyon (either side of the spider leg bridge) and/or Glorietta Hill ....was it already falling down on schedule at Lost Wages? ....otherwise dc nailed it.
(My first day on the railroad was a trip to a derailment in Shoemaker Canyon, more like a big rock cut... jack-knifed railcars from a merchandise freight stacked like cordwood in there)
I understand the major delay was between Las Vegas and Raton, is that correct?
Are there slide fences in the areas where the boulder may have fallen? Of course, if the boulder fell after the engine passed the last signal before the spot there would have been no warning.
Johnny
FYI... The #4 Chief that departed Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 4 at @8:30 pm pst finally made it to Chicago yesterday, October 7 at @1:35 pm cst. Just a little over twenty-two hours late! Or, about a sixty-seven hour journey.
Also, I found it a bit ironic that the #4 Chief that departed Los Angeles on Thursday, October 5 arrived in Chicago yesterday (10/7) fifteen minutes early at @ 3:00 pm cst. So, the #4 Chief that departed LA on 10/5 arrived in Chicago about an hour and twenty-five minutes later than the #4 Chief that departed LA on 10/4.
Chris30FYI... The #4 Chief that departed Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 4 at @8:30 pm pst finally made it to Chicago yesterday, October 7 at @1:35 pm cst. Just a little over twenty-two hours late! Or, about a sixty-seven hour journey. Also, I found it a bit ironic that the #4 Chief that departed Los Angeles on Thursday, October 5 arrived in Chicago yesterday (10/7) fifteen minutes early at @ 3:00 pm cst. So, the #4 Chief that departed LA on 10/5 arrived in Chicago about an hour and twenty-five minutes later than the #4 Chief that departed LA on 10/4. CC
It is called RAILROADING, and in railroading - doo doo happens. Despite everyone's best efforts and intentions things happen and have to be dealt with - dealing with those things takes time.
BaltACD This train was late because AMTK 200 hit a 5 foot boulder north of Las Vegas, NM and the engine derailed. It was rerailed and set out and proceeded north with a BNSF engine that was removed from the train in La Junta, CO. Chris30 FYI... The #4 Chief that departed Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 4 at @8:30 pm pst finally made it to Chicago yesterday, October 7 at @1:35 pm cst. Just a little over twenty-two hours late! Or, about a sixty-seven hour journey. Also, I found it a bit ironic that the #4 Chief that departed Los Angeles on Thursday, October 5 arrived in Chicago yesterday (10/7) fifteen minutes early at @ 3:00 pm cst. So, the #4 Chief that departed LA on 10/5 arrived in Chicago about an hour and twenty-five minutes later than the #4 Chief that departed LA on 10/4. CC It is called RAILROADING, and in railroading - doo doo happens. Despite everyone's best efforts and intentions things happen and have to be dealt with - dealing with those things takes time.
This train was late because AMTK 200 hit a 5 foot boulder north of Las Vegas, NM and the engine derailed. It was rerailed and set out and proceeded north with a BNSF engine that was removed from the train in La Junta, CO.
Chris30 FYI... The #4 Chief that departed Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 4 at @8:30 pm pst finally made it to Chicago yesterday, October 7 at @1:35 pm cst. Just a little over twenty-two hours late! Or, about a sixty-seven hour journey. Also, I found it a bit ironic that the #4 Chief that departed Los Angeles on Thursday, October 5 arrived in Chicago yesterday (10/7) fifteen minutes early at @ 3:00 pm cst. So, the #4 Chief that departed LA on 10/5 arrived in Chicago about an hour and twenty-five minutes later than the #4 Chief that departed LA on 10/4. CC
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