# Southwest Limited (Southwest Chief) 15 hours late why?



## John H (Oct 6, 2018)

Why was the Southwest Limited late 15+ hours into Chicago?


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## ParanoidAndroid (Oct 6, 2018)

https://asm.transitdocs.com/train/2018/10/3/4

By analyzing the train tracker data I linked above, it stopped for 8 hours just past a crossing west of Kingman, and that's also where a siding is located, so I'm speculating that (1) it ran someone over there (and possibly a fatality, because it was delayed for so long), or (2) a freight train broke down there. It had the same issue in Seligman, where it got delayed 4 more hours. It then sat in Gallup, NM for an hour and a half, then got delayed another 2 hours (minus some padding) into Albuquerque.

Go figure, probably a crossing incident or a broken down freight train, possibly multiple, and regular train traffic of course. Another member will probably have the real cause of the delay. I doubt it's inclement weather, it only rained a little bit that week in the area.

Also, if you didn't know this already, note that this is just a forum for Amtrak riders and enthusiasts, and isn't affiliated or endorsed or supported or whatever by Amtrak itself.


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## AmtrakBlue (Oct 7, 2018)

I heard flooding of Kingman


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## the_traveler (Oct 7, 2018)

Just remember that in the desert (which those sections of tracks are) even as little as a 1/2 inch of rain can cause flooding!


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## Ronbo (Oct 7, 2018)

By the way, the train is known as the Southwest Chief.


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## cpotisch (Oct 7, 2018)

the_traveler said:


> Just remember that in the desert (which those sections of tracks are) even as little as a 1/2 inch of rain can cause flooding!


Yes, 1/2 inch of rain might cause flooding but would that be enough to directly affect the train or tracks?


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## AmtrakBlue (Oct 7, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > Just remember that in the desert (which those sections of tracks are) even as little as a 1/2 inch of rain can cause flooding!
> ...


I’d say so.https://www.azfamily.com/news/mcso-one-dead-in-kingman-after-flash-flood/article_d7d44e64-c8d9-11e8-b50b-57e2cd67189f.html

The rain was from Hurricane Rosa.


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## cpotisch (Oct 7, 2018)

AmtrakBlue said:


> cpotisch said:
> 
> 
> > the_traveler said:
> ...


Yikes.


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## TinCan782 (Oct 7, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> AmtrakBlue said:
> 
> 
> > cpotisch said:
> ...


Its the "1/2 inch" that drops over a LARGE AREA and overwhelms the washes/canyons it feeds. As the runoff travels down-slope more and more runoff accumulates in the washes and is added from the area. That 1/2 inch can easily and quickly become a raging torrent.

Not too clear but the attached link is to a video looking out our bedroom window on the SWC several years ago. A lot of water in a normally dry wash ...

https://flic.kr/p/CsA9qB

Several more videos in my Flickr album linked here ...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/frensicpic/albums/72157662166698189/with/23929734691/


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## the_traveler (Oct 7, 2018)

I used to live in the area of NDL (Actually 20 miles north), and even though I lived near the Colorado River, it was the Mohave Desert. We dreaded the rainfall. The amount of rain that you call a heavy downpour is 1/2 as much as the Mohave Desert receives in A YEAR (12 months)!

The washes can become raging rivers with 1/4 inch of rain or less! The ground is hard packed which does not allow much to soak in. Thus it must go, along with the rain that fell over the many miles, downhill. That is why the small amount of rain caused the flood water to be 10-20 feet deep!


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## ParanoidAndroid (Oct 7, 2018)

Wow. I did not think a 1/2 inch of rain from a dying hurricane could flood a place or kill anyone!


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## gswager (Oct 17, 2018)

I've seen it before with heavy downpour where I used to live in NM. We got about 3" of rain in half hour. I've heard one place got 9" in 3 hours. One trucker had to walk on standing water over road to make sure it's not too deep for his truck to drive over.


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