Noticed/Questioned Major Delays, Annulments, Reroutes

R36 Combine Coach wrote:80 (25) late after hitting truck

About 3 1/2 hours behind at this point, about to reach Baltimore. Getting live updates from someone on board.

Only 160 people on board... that seems low

Some days when 30 arrives PGH between 730 and 745, they hold 42 from its normal 730 departure. Other days they don't.
Would it be reasonable to guess that when 42 isn't held, there are no pax transferring from 30 to 42??

Today, Sat. the 1st, Auto Train #53 arrived Sanford 2'13" LT with ENG 148 leading. SILVER STAR #91 was about 25" behind #53 with one engine. Me thinks that #91 had set off a unit in Richmond for #53 since #91 was there for almost two hours. If anyone around Richmond saw what actually happened, I'd be interested.
Too bad they didn't have a protect engine there since Richmond gets about the same number of trains as Harrisburg, where they do have a protect.
Andy

I had a fairly long conversation with an NS engineer during the weekend. He said they'd installed a new computer dispatch system...resulting in a system-wide meltdown similar to the one when NS took over operations from CR a while back. He commented that trains were sitting for extended periods of time because the system they'd purchased was inadequate to handle the number of trains operated.

Anybody hear anything of a similar nature?

ohioriverrailway wrote:I had a fairly long conversation with an NS engineer during the weekend. He said they'd installed a new computer dispatch system...resulting in a system-wide meltdown similar to the one when NS took over operations from CR a while back. He commented that trains were sitting for extended periods of time because the system they'd purchased was inadequate to handle the number of trains operated.

Anybody hear anything of a similar nature?

This complaint from the American Train Dispatchers Association, which I pulled up through Google, will fill you in on some of the background and examples of what is happening.
http://www.updispatchers.com/ATDAFormal ... NSUTCS.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Andy

twropr wrote:Today, Sat. the 1st, Auto Train #53 arrived Sanford 2'13" LT with ENG 148 leading. SILVER STAR #91 was about 25" behind #53 with one engine. Me thinks that #91 had set off a unit in Richmond for #53 since #91 was there for almost two hours. If anyone around Richmond saw what actually happened, I'd be interested.
Too bad they didn't have a protect engine there since Richmond gets about the same number of trains as Harrisburg, where they do have a protect.
Andy

Was this the incident which resulted in a CSX engine (GP40-2) pulling an Amtrak train for some distance because one of the axles on the P42 seized up? I came across a photo/article on facebook but can't find it now (buried somewhere in the feed).

ohioriverrailway wrote:I had a fairly long conversation with an NS engineer during the weekend. He said they'd installed a new computer dispatch system...resulting in a system-wide meltdown similar to the one when NS took over operations from CR a while back. He commented that trains were sitting for extended periods of time because the system they'd purchased was inadequate to handle the number of trains operated.

Anybody hear anything of a similar nature?

He is 100% correct. When I worked for VRE I dealt with that mess on the Washington District. Some of the "decisions" it made were borderline SCARY....and it was nearly on a daily basis. I will not be even slightly surprised if some kind of disaster occurs in the near future.

F40 wrote:

twropr wrote:Today, Sat. the 1st, Auto Train #53 arrived Sanford 2'13" LT with ENG 148 leading. SILVER STAR #91 was about 25" behind #53 with one engine. Me thinks that #91 had set off a unit in Richmond for #53 since #91 was there for almost two hours. If anyone around Richmond saw what actually happened, I'd be interested.
Too bad they didn't have a protect engine there since Richmond gets about the same number of trains as Harrisburg, where they do have a protect.
Andy

Was this the incident which resulted in a CSX engine (GP40-2) pulling an Amtrak train for some distance because one of the axles on the P42 seized up? I came across a photo/article on facebook but can't find it now (buried somewhere in the feed).

Ive seen that exact post. 148 was trailing in the pic I saw. #4450 was the Geep leading. That particular auto train had many more issues than just the motive power, apparently someone passed away on board too.

ACeInTheHole wrote:

F40 wrote:

twropr wrote:Today, Sat. the 1st, Auto Train #53 arrived Sanford 2'13" LT with ENG 148 leading. SILVER STAR #91 was about 25" behind #53 with one engine. Me thinks that #91 had set off a unit in Richmond for #53 since #91 was there for almost two hours. If anyone around Richmond saw what actually happened, I'd be interested.
Too bad they didn't have a protect engine there since Richmond gets about the same number of trains as Harrisburg, where they do have a protect.
Andy

Was this the incident which resulted in a CSX engine (GP40-2) pulling an Amtrak train for some distance because one of the axles on the P42 seized up? I came across a photo/article on facebook but can't find it now (buried somewhere in the feed).

Ive seen that exact post. 148 was trailing in the pic I saw. #4450 was the Geep leading. That particular auto train had many more issues than just the motive power, apparently someone passed away on board too.

That is terrible news.

Does anybody know why #59 (7th) southbound City of New Orleans Dp'd. CHI 3' 35" late?

Coast starlight 11 got hit hard from the Union Pacific track work last night. We then had conductors and engineers get toward their hours had a plan in place being 4 hours late bit then we hit a broken signal which then a little bit later made the conductors go "dead" and we sat another 2 hours. We missed our connection to 6 California Zephyr so instead of amtrak hosting us for the night they instead gave us a uncomfortable 3 hour bus ride to Reno. On 6 now hopefully on time for Chicago on Thursday

Problems with the diner lite and a coach delayed #59's CUS departure on 11/7.

Andy

On Nov. 11 TEXAS EAGLE #22 arrived ST Louis over two hrs late due to ENG 817 shutting down. Was there a protect engine at STL that came and got him or was power from one of the LINCOLN SERVICE trains robbed?

Andy

theozno wrote:Coast starlight 11 got hit hard from the Union Pacific track work last night. We then had conductors and engineers get toward their hours had a plan in place being 4 hours late bit then we hit a broken signal which then a little bit later made the conductors go "dead" and we sat another 2 hours. We missed our connection to 6 California Zephyr so instead of amtrak hosting us for the night they instead gave us a uncomfortable 3 hour bus ride to Reno. On 6 now hopefully on time for Chicago on Thursday

Man. Even in the middle of nowhere you still cant make your connections.

Does anybody know why #50 (13th) eastbound Cardinal lost 6'00" between Rensselaer and IND?