Are they holding 11 & 14 to check for track damage from the quake?

[far_call]

I was on #5 going to RIC today. We held for a bit before they opened the bridge across the Carquinez strait at about 17:45 and then #6, #11, and #14 crossed within minutes of us. I also saw a few Capitol Corridor trains after we crossed, at least one of which was running with two consists concatenated together with one of the locomotives running in the middle of the train.

 

[afigg]

14's delay was a lucky break. Had it been about 30 minutes less late, it would've been rolling across the Carquinez Bridge when the 6.1 earthquake struck. Not good.

Bad day for the Starlights yesterday: 14's engine fire and motive issues up and over Cuesta Grade, and 11 suffered a "trespasser incident" fatality on approach to Salinas...said incident involving a person jumping or otherwise becoming under the baggage car, and only being discovered when the baggage and freight (SNS is currently handling freight for SJC as the freight door is inop at San Jose) were being unloaded. Crew requested and deserved relief.

I did a search for news on the #11 trespasser incident at Salinas and instead found news reports on a July 13, 2014 trespasser fatality at Salinas involving the Coast Starlight. Good grief, 2 fatal incidents at the same station less than 6 weeks apart? Add in a substantial earthquake and a engine fire and you got a couple of bad days for the Coast Starlight.

Meanwhile, #4(8/22) is over 11 hours late on its way to CHI and LSL #48(8/23) is running very late (again) on its way to NYP. Amtrak could use a couple of days without incidents, flooding, engine failures, or long track work delays just to have a good close to on-time day for the LD trains.

 

[Rick Scholz]

The sunset limited (#2) is currently estimated to leave lax around 2 hours late, awaiting coast starlight passengers that are arriving by bus, according to a metroliner lounge employee at lax. This is not yet reflected on the website, and is subject to change depending on when the bus arrives.

They are planning to board on time, however.

 

[Trainmans daughter]

What do the trains do when they're held pending inspections? Are they sitting just where they are, or do they park themselves at the nearest station?

I'm wondering that, too. #11 departed Chico 2 minutes late (roughly 30 minutes AFTER the quake), and departed Sacramento - the next station - 10 hours 23 minutes late. So was the train held in SAC for more than 10 hours and the passengers allowed to get off the train and wander around Old Sac or whatever? Or was it held in no-man's land in the middle of a rice field somewere between CIC and SAC?

 

[roadman3313]

I believe 11 was held at Chico (just after they called in departing), 14 was held at Emeryville, 6 was held in the yard in Oakland, and 5 had slight delays as the tracks were just opening up as they came into the area.

As far as I have heard, the passengers were allowed to go out into town (per say) during their extended stay.

Given the delay in Emeryville (held there just under 12 hours I believe) they probably could have had a mini-lunch trip to San Francisco! (I doubt they did but it was a nice thought!)

As for the San Joaquins I believe trains 712 and 713 were cancelled. Capitol Corridor trains 720, 723, 724, 727, 728, 733, and 734 were also cancelled. Capitol Corridor did contact local transit agencies for mutual aid. I am not sure how much was provided, however transit agencies usually, at a minimum, accept tickets on parallel bus and BART service when there are service issues if additional equipment isn't available for a bus bridge.

On the Capitol Corridor, the LSA passes out $3 Café Car vouchers from a booklet for Service Recovery on occasion. I received one last week when my train was delayed an hour due a fire in Dixon adjacent to the tracks. These are Capitol Corridor specific vouchers. It is a nice little gesture as they don't have formal meal service or extra rations to give away per say.

 

[George Harris]

BART was running normal / near normal at 9:00am, Caltrain southbound was on time out of 4th & King at 10:15, but the northbound due in at that time was right at one hour late.

 

[Blackwolf]

I can confirm that #11 held at Chico. It never left the platform and fouled four grade crossings (and caused a traffic headache) for hours here. Several incidents, including a drug overdose inside the station, were generated for us emergency personnel as a result.

I know that the passengers and crew were not the only ones happy to see the train depart in the afternoon!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

There is no status for 14(23) after Emeryville. Is it possible they tacked it onto 14(24)?

 

[roadman3313]

14(23) left Emeryville on it's own at 3:24pm on Sunday, 17 Hours and 20 Minutes late. Last reported update was at 3:45am at Chemult, OR, 18 Hours, 13 minutes late. It should be somewhere near Eugene, OR at this time. Last I heard, they were thinking of turning it at Eugene as 11(25) with passengers being bussed to/from Seattle.

 

[George Harris]

What do the trains do when they're held pending inspections? Are they sitting just where they are, or do they park themselves at the nearest station?

Stay where they are. It requires some amount of inspection, at least by the crew, before any move can be made, but in cases such as "trespasser" incidents and the quake, the inspection has to be by others. In particular a tresspasser incident requires release by law enforcement before any move can be made.

 

[fairviewroad]

Another rough day for the Starlight.

#14 had a run-in with a semi shortly after leaving Albany, Oregon this afternoon.

Pic here:

https://twitter.com/MCSOInTheKnow/status/504023666544619520

In a fortunate twist, this won't affect this afternoon's #11 since those passengers are apparently being bussed around the accident site anyhow

since the previous day's earthquake-delayed 14 was being turned in Eugene (south of this crash site) to become today's 11.

 

[fairviewroad]

News release and more photos from today's Coast Starlight vs Semi crash near Salem, Oregon. The news release says the train has been cleared to continue, but as of 5 minutes ago the Track A Train website still shows it motionless. Could be a crew time issue?

http://www.flashalert.net/news.html?id=1294

 

[DesertRat]

I take it there was no damage to the engine?

 

[gmushial]

#5 on sunday (8/24) was held at Roseville for about a half-hour - we were told that the track damage inspection wasn't complete and as soon as it was done and came up thumbs up we'd continue... initially they gave us a clear to SAC and said that we'd be held there... but when we got there the train did a normal length stop and went on to DAV (where I got off - so don't know what happened after that).

 

[mjaynes288]

The #14 is still hasn't moved.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

The #14 is still hasn't moved.

It moved but apparently the times were not called in at the stations.

 

[afigg]

I take it there was no damage to the engine?

The engine on #14 was damaged. It hit a semi trailer full of grain which is a lot of mass to hit at speed. According to trainorders, the Amtrak locomotive suffered a broken ditch light and other front end damage and was unable to proceed leading #14. A UP engine was located and dispatched, but there were more delays because there was a missing tool or cable needed to connect the UP locomotive. There are no updates in the Amtrak station arrival/departure report system for #14(8/24) after the collision, so not clear when it got moving again.

A couple of bad days for the CS. From the photos in the news reports, the grade crossing only had crossbucks and a stop sign, no gates or lights. I expect the truck driver's insurance company will be hearing from Amtrak.

 

[CHamilton]

The spokesman says truck driver Lynn Simonds of Salem told officers he didn't see the train coming and began crossing at the intersection. When he did see the train, he tried to clear the tracks but couldn't do so fast enough.
Baldridge says the driver was cited for failing to obey a traffic control device.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Seattle-bound-Amtrak-train-plows-into-cattle-feed-truck-272706611.html

 

[fairviewroad]

There are no updates in the Amtrak station arrival/departure report system for #14(8/24) after the collision, so not clear when it got moving again.

The times are now available, at least on the Amtrak Iphone app. It shows #14 getting to Salem around 11:10 p.m. which matches up with

on-board reports that the train starting moving again around 11. The app shows eventual arrival in SEA at 0519 this morning, which

will probably make for a late #11 departing SEA this morning.

What made this situation even more infuriating for passengers on the ultra-late #14 is that apparently the train was backed into a siding

to let other trains go around whilst they worked out the mechanical problems. This meant that they were passed by the northbound Cascades

train #508 (albeit about 2 1/2 hours behind schedule). It sounds like the passengers on 14 were not allowed to transfer over to the (probably

empty) Cascades train. Even people destined for just a few miles up the road in Salem were not permitted to get off the train, from the sounds

of it.

 

[user 1215]

Do the freights locos have hotel power?

 

[chakk]

Don't think the freight locos have hotel power for the passenger card.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[Ryan]

No. Presumably the trail unit was able to provide HEP.

 

[fairviewroad]

Boy the Starlight just can't catch a break this week. This morning, a UP freight struck a vehicle at a crossing near Westfir, OR.

The description of the incident is currently the first press release here. While the Starlight was not directly involved, it appears

as though it got stuck in the mess. Currently Amtrak's Track-a-Train website has #14 sitting motionless just outside of Oakridge,

just a few miles shy of the accident scene.

An added shame is that the train was only 13 minutes late leaving Chemult this morning. It will be at least 3 hours late, likely more,

by the time it reaches Eugene.