Bad weather in Tuscaloosa, AL

[LucyTwo]

Since the bad weather in AL last night, does anyone know if the Crescent is still running from NYP to NOL?

Our first train trip is scheduled for Monday AM on the Crescent. I have been looking on the Amtrak website and have not found any info about the condition of the tracks. If a train route is cancelled, does Amtrak contact you?

 

[me_little_me]

Bad weather is rain and or snow. Tuscaloosa did not have bad weather. It had instant urban renewal!

Hope the Crescent wasn't going through at the time or it would now be called the Kansas Flyer!

 

[Trogdor]

If it is known in advance that service is going to be impacted, they will contact passengers, provided that correct contact info is provided in the reservation.

If you provided a phone number when making a reservation (preferably a cell phone), then you will be called. If you're not sure if Amtrak has your phone number, call 1-800-USA-RAIL and provide the agent with your reservation number and verify the contact info. If you booked online, you should have had to enter your phone number as part of the reservation process.

As for your first question, the Crescent terminated in Birmingham, AL today.

 

[humming bird]

Since the bad weather in AL last night, does anyone know if the Crescent is still running from NYP to NOL?

Our first train trip is scheduled for Monday AM on the Crescent. I have been looking on the Amtrak website and have not found any info about the condition of the tracks. If a train route is cancelled, does Amtrak contact you?

Titling a post about what may possibly be the worst, most destructive, and deadliest tornado outbreak in the south in history (or at least right up there with the 1974 super outbreak) "Bad weather in Tuscaloosa, AL" makes me think had you been writing for a Chicago paper way back when you would have chosen a headline like "Mrs. O'Leary's cow starts small fire." But seriously, as noted by the others, Amtrak would let you know if the Crescent is not running for the entirety of your trip. However, given as it runs on busy NS trackage, I'd assume that the line would be back open by Monday, in spite of the horrible enormity of this tragedy.

Does anyone know if any of the stations (obviously including the one in Tuscaloosa) were damaged or destroyed by the tornadoes? I'm guessing that at least Birmingham and Anniston (and the trackage to them) must both have fared well though, or the Crescent would have terminated at Atlanta instead of Birmingham today?

 

[Guest]

Bad weather is rain and or snow. Tuscaloosa did not have bad weather. It had instant urban renewal!

Hope the Crescent wasn't going through at the time or it would now be called the Kansas Flyer!

292 is the current death toll from last night. Not a time for even the smallest of jokes.

 

[LucyTwo]

If it is known in advance that service is going to be impacted, they will contact passengers, provided that correct contact info is provided in the reservation.

If you provided a phone number when making a reservation (preferably a cell phone), then you will be called. If you're not sure if Amtrak has your phone number, call 1-800-USA-RAIL and provide the agent with your reservation number and verify the contact info. If you booked online, you should have had to enter your phone number as part of the reservation process.

As for your first question, the Crescent terminated in Birmingham, AL today.

Thank you for the info. Much appreciated.

 

[battalion51]

I saw 20 last night, it was sitting at the station in ATL around 10:30 or so. Not sure which set of equipment it was, but it was definitely a bit tardy.

 

[George Harris]

Bad weather is rain and or snow. Tuscaloosa did not have bad weather. It had instant urban renewal!

Those that live in or have relatives in the southeast are not laughing.

 

[battalion51]

My fraternity brother that had his house flattened and the one with a tree in his car would agree with your sentiments George.

 

[TraneMan]

Bad weather is rain and or snow. Tuscaloosa did not have bad weather. It had instant urban renewal!

Those that live in or have relatives in the southeast are not laughing.

I agree, it's no laughing matter...

My thoughts are out there for these people who lost their homes or family/friends.

 

[LucyTwo]

I saw 20 last night, it was sitting at the station in ATL around 10:30 or so. Not sure which set of equipment it was, but it was definitely a bit tardy.

I'm not surprised.

Tonight we just saw more pics from Tuscaloosa and those images bring tears to your eyes. Prayers to those who live there. Makes missing our train ride so small in comparison.

 

[tp49]

Bad weather is rain and or snow. Tuscaloosa did not have bad weather. It had instant urban renewal!

Those that live in or have relatives in the southeast are not laughing.

I agree, it's no laughing matter...

My thoughts are out there for these people who lost their homes or family/friends.

Add me to the list as a proud UA graduate and having lived in Tuscaloosa for close to five years. My old neighborhood is pretty much rubble. The worst of it went through one of the main off campus housing areas.

That said considering the route of the tornado which was a few miles south of the path of the storm the station shouldn't be in too bad a shape. Can't say the same for the 15th Street corridor though.

 

[TacoMan]

As an Alabama resident, and as a relative of some who lost everything the jokes are in very bad taste and completely uncalled for.

 

[JakeRTR]

19 was detoured from birmingham, on CSX through montgomery, mobile, and on to new orleans last night.

 

[George Harris]

For a look at some of the railroad damage: The following was posted on the Alabama Southern's web site:

http://www.watcocompanies.com/

At the bottom of the page there is a statement about an Alabama Southern Railroad Service Advisory. At the bottom of this statement is a like to pictures of a destroyed bridge. I tried to put in the direct link, but it would not work from the AU web post.

http://www.watcocompanies.com/Railroads/ABS%20(Alabama)/ABS_Tornado_4-27-11.htm

The picture show views of a large steel trestle that was destroyed by the tornado. The bridge looks to have been something like about 600 to 800 feet long and 80 to 100 feet high. It is almost completely gone. This was a substantial structure across a relatively narrow and deep valley. Its exposure to tornado damage would have been thought to have been relatively minor, as tornados normally do not dip down into low places. (The advice we had as kids were, if caught outside in the area of a tornado, get in a ditch or the lowest spot you can get to, and do not get under trees.)

The location is about 5 miles east of Tuscaloosa and about 3/4 mile southeast of Holt.

For those interested, the Alabama Southern line is the former L&N between Brookwood and Tuscaloosa and the former GM&O line between there and Columbus MS.

 

[had8ley]

19 was detoured from birmingham, on CSX through montgomery, mobile, and on to new orleans last night.

My info said four busses left B'ham, where #19 was terminated; the busses left two hours late; three were going straight thru to NOL and one local bus which was to by pass TCL because of road closures close to the station. Maybe there was an equipment move to get #20 out today ???

 

[Trogdor]

19 and 20 were *not* detoured. I don't know where such a crazy suggestion came from.

19 terminated in BHM and turned for 20. The set of equipment that was in NOL that didn't leave on yesterday's 20 instead left this morning on #20.