Empire Builder delayed due to extreme cold?

[acelafan]

And -40 works both ways.

(-40) degrees Fahrenheit =
-40 degrees Celsius

I've never understood this.

Zero degrees F is -18 C, so why would 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit be 40 degrees below zero Celsius?

How do they magically equal out when the value for zero is different in each system?

Ah, it's all in the math. 1 degree C is 1.8 degrees F. So they are only equal at that point given where each scale has their 0 value. I am sure a teacher can explain this concept better than me.

In other news I see today's #7 left CHI 25 minutes late. And now it's almost an hour late into Tomah, WI.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

And -40 works both ways.

(-40) degrees Fahrenheit =

-40 degrees Celsius

I've never understood this.

Zero degrees F is -18 C, so why would 40 degrees below zero Fahrenheit be 40 degrees below zero Celsius?

How do they magically equal out when the value for zero is different in each system?

I'm guessing it has to do with the () around the -40 for F

 

[JayPea]

It's just how it happens to work. The Fahrenheit/Celsius temperature system was set up so that the boiling point of water, 212F, would equal 100C. And the formula for conversion is (F-32)*(5/9). And to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit it's (C*9/5) + 32. So, in this case: (-40-32) equals -72. Multiply that by 5/9 (or its decimal equivalent of .55555.....) and you get -40 C. Conversely, (-40C*9/5) or again its decimal equivalent of 1.8) you get -72. Add 32 to that and you get -40F. So there is my exceedingly incoherent answer to a simple question. :lol:

 

[SarahZ]

It's just how it happens to work. The Fahrenheit/Celsius temperature system was set up so that the boiling point of water, 212F, would equal 100C. And the formula for conversion is (F-32)*(5/9). And to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit it's (C*9/5) + 32. So, in this case: (-40-32) equals -72. Multiply that by 5/9 (or its decimal equivalent of .55555.....) and you get -40 C. Conversely, (-40C*9/5) or again its decimal equivalent of 1.8) you get -72. Add 32 to that and you get -40F. So there is my exceedingly incoherent answer to a simple question. :lol:

Thanks, JayPea!

That makes sense. It's weird, and it throws me off, but at least it makes sense.

 

[NW cannonball]

In either the obsolete USA "Fahrenheit" (does that literally translate to "travellingness") or in the SI units that all the world uses --

-40 means "stay indoors" please. Or carry your insulation with you.

-40 means "you will die in much less than 40 minutes" -40 means "find shelter and heat within 10 minutes, or die"

-40 hurts, even for minutes.

living in a very mild -something just now (-5 or -18, who cares, it's evil freezing) here in Minnesota. Doors have gaffer tape, 2 layers of long johns, etc.

Keep safe, keep indoors.

 

[CHamilton]

The extreme conditions, even for that part of the world, are reinforced by this fascinating story from National Geographic in 2012 of life along the Hi-Line.

Northern Montana's Hi-Line

 

[TraneMan]

I have a feeling they are going to be a late start on trains out of CUS today.. They closed public school there as it's "Too Cold" there... I checked this am. and it's -2º there.. Here it was -15˚.

 

[ZaneTrain11]

I was on the Empire Builder this week with wind chills in parts of ND dipping to nearly -40. The service disruption on #7 and #8 today had to do with a freight train that lost air and killed all other rail traffic.

 

[keelhauled]

Looking at today's Status Maps and the current temps courtesy of The Weather Channel....the Empire Builder is doing remarkably well. Who says Amtrak can't run trains in very cold weather?

Everyone in the eastern half of the country, probably.

 

[NW cannonball]

The extreme conditions, even for that part of the world, are reinforced by this fascinating story from National Geographic in 2012 of life along the Hi-Line.

Northern Montana's Hi-Line

Thanks Charles, for giving all EB pax something to think about when riding through the "boring" scenery in NorthEastern Montana.

Whether 30 below zero or 90 above, the train brings you closer, but still isolated from the truth on the ground.

 

[Steve Manfred]

I'm at MKE waiting for today's Empire Builder 7 to get me home, and we're told it hasn't left Chicago yet and will be at least 90 minutes late due to engine trouble. And then of course we'll be out of slot, so I'm expecting a very late arrival in Red Wing.

 

[kilcummerviaduct]

Think this graph explains it best.

http://mathfour.com/linear-algebra/fahrenheit-celsius-graphically

 

[CHamilton]

Think this graph explains it best.

http://mathfour.com/linear-algebra/fahrenheit-celsius-graphically

Very cool Love the gratuitous flowers!

And, of course, if you take the Celsius scale and add 273, you're on the Kelvin scale, where 0 degrees K is absolute zero. As the joke goes, that's a lot of Kelvin coolage!

 

[CCC1007]

Don't you mean add 273?

 

[CHamilton]

Don't you mean add 273?

Yes, you're right, of course. 0 K = -273 C.

 

[chakk]

The Canadian does get some freeze up problems in very cold weather. My trip on the eastound train last winter had no showers from Saskatoon to Winnipeg, where car knockers were able to unthaw the drainpipes.

 

[TraneMan]

posted on a friend who's a crew on the EB, will be late leaving CUS today, short on engine. He didn't know how long it will be,.

 

[Bill]

On the EB had the HEP go out for an hour but that was fixed and the next morning had a fuel filter freeze and we struggled into a station stop where they replaced it.That's been about it on the Builder.

 

[Phil S]

I just arrived CHI on 28. On time. No problems other than a snowy vestibule. #7 though still hasn't left (5:15). Word is "shortly" .

 

[acelafan]

Thanks for all the reports...at least there are no epic delays at this point...