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  • Amtrak 68 dashing through snow drifts

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #878760  by Noel Weaver
 
This is good for me to see, it reminds me of what I went through years ago. Today I am retired in Florida and no more snow and ice although it is cold here today. Going down in to the 30's tonight here in South Florida.
Noel Weaver
 #878766  by Station Aficionado
 
Jersey_Mike wrote:I think I see a photo like that posted every year.
Yeah, but it's a fun picture. If you're going to have cold, you should have snow, too. Icy winds in the DC area tonight, with windchills in the teens, but not a flake in sight.
 #878821  by HBLR
 
Beautiful.
 #878859  by Jeff Smith
 
Station Aficionado wrote:
Jersey_Mike wrote:I think I see a photo like that posted every year.
Yeah, but it's a fun picture. If you're going to have cold, you should have snow, too. Icy winds in the DC area tonight, with windchills in the teens, but not a flake in sight.
Agree with Station; this is a great photo! Thank you for posting it, and don't mind Mr. Scrooge. I mean, I still enjoy getting those solicitation Christmas cards with trains on them that can't be used each year. One year, I''m going to put them in a picture frame.
 #878876  by cobra30689
 
Station Aficionado wrote:
Jersey_Mike wrote:I think I see a photo like that posted every year.
Yeah, but it's a fun picture. If you're going to have cold, you should have snow, too. Icy winds in the DC area tonight, with windchills in the teens, but not a flake in sight.
Bringing my train into DC this morning the lower level station tracks looked like a dumpster exploded all over them. As i'm coming in I realize it was all ice from the trains coming from the north lol
 #878930  by Jtgshu
 
railfan60 wrote:Here's Montreal-NYC Adirondack racing south toward Rouses Point N.Y this morning.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=347816


Frank
Great shot!

Sends shivers to my bones :) Its coming! hahahah

But nothing beats blasting through snowdrifts and crossings :) It is a lot of fun, and any engineer who doesn't have a smile on while doing it has something wrong with them! :) (or maybe derailed on an icepacked crossing - they have an excuse to not like it hahahha)
 #879010  by Jtgshu
 
septadude wrote:Are there snow plow attachments for any locomotives for times like these?
Uh, do you mean snowplows? Yes, most locos in the country have snowplows attached to them, not just to push snow out of the way, but pretty much anything that is on the tracks.....
 #879118  by SooLineRob
 
Jtgshu wrote: It is a lot of fun, and any engineer who doesn't have a smile on while doing it has something wrong with them! :) (or maybe derailed on an icepacked crossing - they have an excuse to not like it hahahha)
Or...

Hitting drifts at 50 MPH in a -50 wind chill blizzard and having the snow:

A) Open up the front angle cock ... dumping the 6600 foot train in emergency ... then dealing with an angry and frozen Conductor after he/she walks (inspects) the entire train and resets the 7 stuck triple valves.

B) Ground out several Traction Motors in the consist, resulting in not enough power to "make the hill".

C) Clog the air filters on all locos, reducing horsepower where you're not gonna "make the hill".

D) Clog the radiator cooling fans, causing the engine to not load (overheating) and resulting in no power to move anywhere.

E) Any combination of the above; as well as other cold/snow/freezing weather related gremlins.

Sorry JT, I close my eyes and take a deep breath when the snow flies!!! LOL...
 #879139  by BigLou80
 
SooLineRob wrote:
Jtgshu wrote: It is a lot of fun, and any engineer who doesn't have a smile on while doing it has something wrong with them! :) (or maybe derailed on an icepacked crossing - they have an excuse to not like it hahahha)
SooLineRob wrote: Or...

Hitting drifts at 50 MPH in a -50 wind chill blizzard and having the snow:

A) Open up the front angle cock ... dumping the 6600 foot train in emergency ... then dealing with an angry and frozen Conductor after he/she walks (inspects) the entire train and resets the 7 stuck triple valves.
Has this ever happened ? other then a cold conductor windchill doesn't matter equipment doesn't feel windchills
SooLineRob wrote: B) Ground out several Traction Motors in the consist, resulting in not enough power to "make the hill".
has this ever happened ? how is snow going to ground anything out ? While I am not all that knowledgeable on traction motors Im willing to wager a bet they are not that easy to ground out, I mean we run trains in heavy rains.
SooLineRob wrote: C) Clog the air filters on all locos, reducing horsepower where you're not gonna "make the hill".
This one could happen
SooLineRob wrote: D) Clog the radiator cooling fans, causing the engine to not load (overheating) and resulting in no power to move anywhere.
hmmm not very likely to cause more then a minor problem. radiators radiate heat snow and heat are not a good combination
SooLineRob wrote: E) Any combination of the above; as well as other cold/snow/freezing weather related gremlins.

Sorry JT, I close my eyes and take a deep breath when the snow flies!!! LOL...
Has any of the above actually happened ? I would be scared sh!tless the first time I was blinded and couldn't see anything. After that however it would be another story.
 #879155  by Railjunkie
 
You can kill a P32ACDM going through a drift like that. The snow hits the inverters and youll coast to a nice easy stop, and wait for a rescue engine. Ive had this happen to me both as a conductor and engineer.