Hurricane Irene

As of this time, PATCO plans to operate reduced service of 30 minute headways throughout the day Sunday. Trains will generally depart Lindenwold at :00 and :30 and will depart Locust at :20s and :50s.

Launcher wrote:As of this time, PATCO plans to operate reduced service of 30 minute headways throughout the day Sunday. Trains will generally depart Lindenwold at :00 and :30 and will depart Locust at :20s and :50s.

SEPTA will be shutting down at midnight on Sunday morning. Yay!

Launcher wrote:As of this time, PATCO plans to operate reduced service of 30 minute headways throughout the day Sunday. Trains will generally depart Lindenwold at :00 and :30 and will depart Locust at :20s and :50s.

That oughta be fun going over the bridge.

scotty269 wrote:

Launcher wrote:As of this time, PATCO plans to operate reduced service of 30 minute headways throughout the day Sunday. Trains will generally depart Lindenwold at :00 and :30 and will depart Locust at :20s and :50s.

SEPTA will be shutting down at midnight on Sunday morning. Yay!

Part of that decision surely was influenced by Amtrak, who allegedly informed SEPTA that the NEC going to be shut down and the catenary de-energized as a precaution. I cringe at the possibility of signifigant catenary damage all over the region. Our already rain-soaked soils mean that high winds will have a depressingly easy time knocking over trees.

The Norristown Branch is sure to be a flooded mess. Remember when they had to do that boat rescue at Conshohocken several years ago? Pumping-out the subways will also be real fun, I'm sure.

tgolanos wrote:

Launcher wrote:As of this time, PATCO plans to operate reduced service of 30 minute headways throughout the day Sunday. Trains will generally depart Lindenwold at :00 and :30 and will depart Locust at :20s and :50s.

That oughta be fun going over the bridge.

If I was still a young daredevil railfan, I'd consider making that trip during the storm, just for the bragging rights. Thank God I'm no longer that dense.

Franklin Gowen wrote:I cringe at the possibility of signifigant catenary damage all over the region. Our already rain-soaked soils mean that high winds will have a depressingly easy time knocking over trees.

Irene got me wondering, does SEPTA have plans on the book of what to do if there ever is severe, region-wide damage to the catenary? Would limited diesel service come into play in some form?

http://septa.org/service/weather.html

SEPTA Service will be suspended Saturday evening according to the above statement.

Did the PRR or Reading ever shut down completely during Hurricane Hazel or Diane. I assume SEPTA didn't shut down during Agnes.

Wimps!

tgolanos wrote:

Franklin Gowen wrote:I cringe at the possibility of signifigant catenary damage all over the region. Our already rain-soaked soils mean that high winds will have a depressingly easy time knocking over trees.

Irene got me wondering, does SEPTA have plans on the book of what to do if there ever is severe, region-wide damage to the catenary?

If there's a plan for that disaster which is any more farsighted than "Run in circles; scream and shout," I would be pleasantly surprised.

tgolanos wrote:Would limited diesel service come into play in some form?

Considering that SEPTA's railroad has something like only 5 or 6 diesel locomotives (including the underpowered Republic-built RL1s), I can't consider even a skeletal "barely there" diesel pax-service plan to be feasible.

Two more things: anything major enough to interrupt AC traction power is likely damaging enough to affect power for the signal system as well. That's going to result in a very slow train, were one to be running. I think it's best to scrub the idea. Other inputs on this subject are welcome!

I've even read that on Long Island they're preparing to temporarily dismantle the gates from the grade-crossing protection systems, lest they become wind-borne missiles during the storm. I wonder if we should be doing something similar.

Trails to Rails wrote:Did the PRR or Reading ever shut down completely during Hurricane Hazel or Diane. I assume SEPTA didn't shut down during Agnes.

Wimps!

Well, we have to keep in mind that it was [-cue the dramatic orchestra music-] a different era: a time of wooden interlocking towers and iron men.....

Franklin Gowen wrote:

Trails to Rails wrote:Did the PRR or Reading ever shut down completely during Hurricane Hazel or Diane. I assume SEPTA didn't shut down during Agnes.

Wimps!

Well, we have to keep in mind that it was [-cue the dramatic orchestra music-] a different era: a time of wooden interlocking towers and iron men.....

And a lot less lawyers looking for a target..."Have you been injured on a train in a hurricane? Call 1-800-BAD-TRAIN, that's 1-800-BAD-TRAIN!"

What a shame all we have now is rubber men.

I'm surprised they haven't delayed the opening of school yet despite it being a week or so away.

This is not a run-of-the-mill hurricane.

This one is making landfall locally while still at hurricane strength.

The last time that happened, The Reading Company was still running Camelbacks.

Clearfield wrote:This is not a run-of-the-mill hurricane.

Till it is said and done it is nothing but a prediction, here's mine: It ain't gonna come close to Agnes or Floyd.

It now appears that PATCO will suspend trains on Sunday as well, until the storm clears and until further notice. I just got a text from their e-mail weather alerts:

PATCO service will be suspended on Sunday, August 28th, 2011 until the storm has passed and the rail system has been deemed safe.
The last westbound train to depart Lindenwold will be on Sat. August 27 at 11:30PM.
The last eastbound train to depart 16th & Locust will be at 12:05AM Sun. August 28, 2011.
Updates will be made concerning service as the weather and conditions improve.

Clearfield wrote:This is not a run-of-the-mill hurricane.

This one is making landfall locally while still at hurricane strength.

The last time that happened, The Reading Company was still running Camelbacks.

Heh, you remember that far back Bob? Now you really are showing your age

Did the PRR or Reading ever shut down completely during Hurricane Hazel or Diane. I assume SEPTA didn't shut down during Agnes.

Wimps!

Not PRR or Reading, but close: In Great Storms of the Jersey Shore by Larry Savadove and Margaret Thomas Buchholz, on page 89 there's an account of a Jersey Central train from Camden to Point Pleasant running through the hurricane of 1944 (which is probably the worst hurricane to strike New Jersey in living memory). Here's a passage from it:

"At Normandy Beach, there was still light enough to see; at this point, the strip of land separating bay from ocean is only about 200 yards wide and the ocean was breaking through the dunes and rushing down the streets into the bay. We saw what appeared to be a small tidal wave break through, and sweeping a fence before it, come charging in our direction. For the next several miles, the water was level with the bottom steps of our train, and it was difficult to know whether we were on land or sea. By the time we reached Mantoloking, all lights were out of commission. We were thankful to reach Point Pleasant only 25 minutes late."

There's more to it in the book.