CNO tracks over spillway on fire

[Train2104]

58 went via Meridian and is currently on the detour heading west to Jackson.

 

[Seaboard92]

Does anyone know if they have passengers on board for the reroute. As if they do I might save some money and make a trip down for some rare millage.

 

[caravanman]

Hi,

Someone sent me a P.M. about my use of the "cool" logo, which they found inappropriate in certain cases, so I wanted to appologise if any offence has been caused:

The original cool logo was somewhat different, and did not have a "smirk", this one came about more recently, through some forum upgrade.

I have used the cool logo for the last 12 years, from day one, but have recently tried to remember not to add it to sensitive posts.

As there were no injuries or worse in the bridge fire, I did not think to remove it.

I love NOL and have riden the train to and from CHI several times, so I am concerned by the damage, no intention to offend.

Ed.

 

[HenryK]

Caravanman, no harm no foul.

 

[offroad437]

Does anyone know if they have passengers on board for the reroute. As if they do I might save some money and make a trip down for some rare millage.

According to the news they did not. They needed to get the equipment to Chicago but bussed the passengers to meet the south bound and turned it in Jackson.

 

[C855B]

What trainset was it that I just saw in Centralia an hour ago, seven hours late? Was this train turned around in Jackson? One source I trust said it was the equipment trapped in NO.

 

[sldispatcher]

Someone will probably be able to answer, but it seems like they got an alternate route and train crew relatively quickly to get that consist out of New Orleans, a detour and on northward. Now if we could just get that sort of ability across the system..... It may have been late, but the consist was still able to go forward. Not sure how many of the agreements in place would have prevented OBS staff from working the train on an alternate route (hopefully none). Certainly not every long distance route has the network of tracks to be able to handle a re-route, but still nice to see the ability to do so.

Here are well wishes to the maintenance crews, engineering department, consultants, etc. who will now have to work around the clock to get that track back in operating shape. I would assume that Hammond to Baton Rouge and down will be used for the reroutes of freight?

 

[George K]

SCA on CONO said that they're being turned in Jackson, and bustitution until further notice. Those are CN tracks, if I recall correctly, and I imagine that CN will have a significant interest in getting it opened up ASAP.

 

[Thirdrail7]

What trainset was it that I just saw in Centralia an hour ago, seven hours late? Was this train turned around in Jackson? One source I trust said it was the equipment trapped in NO.

58(13)'s equipment. It originated in NOL and proceeded to operate as described:

<snip> they got an alternate route and train crew relatively quickly to get that consist out of New Orleans, a detour and on northward. Now if we could just get that sort of ability across the system..... It may have been late, but the consist was still able to go forward. Not sure how many of the agreements in place would have prevented OBS staff from working the train on an alternate route (hopefully none). Certainly not every long distance route has the network of tracks to be able to handle a re-route, but still nice to see the ability to do so.

After 59 (12) the trains will operated as follows:

SCA on CONO said that they're being turned in Jackson, and bustitution until further notice. Those are CN tracks, if I recall correctly, and I imagine that CN will have a significant interest in getting it opened up ASAP.

 

[C855B]

OK, as long as the turnaround in Jackson is clean enough to preserve schedules otherwise (he says, selfishly). We'll be needing 58 moderately soon - well before any trestle repairs are done - for CHI connections west.

Is that private varnish/land cruise company still operating the CHI-NOL-CHI weekend excursion? This line being out of commission certainly puts a kink in that operation.

 

[Train2104]

On the bright side, turning at JAN saves a set of equipment, which will come in handy if a blizzard hits...

 

[Seaboard92]

The Pullman Rail Journeys are not operating currently on the CONO. They are running to Louisville for the derby though

 

[peetah]

Looks like the Feb 14th northbound 58 started in JAN. But oddly nothing is posted yet on the amtrak.com service alerts page. Typically how long does it take before Amtrak "officially" announces bustitions?

 

[neroden]

OK, as long as the turnaround in Jackson is clean enough to preserve schedules otherwise (he says, selfishly). We'll be needing 58 moderately soon - well before any trestle repairs are done - for CHI connections west.

Is that private varnish/land cruise company still operating the CHI-NOL-CHI weekend excursion? This line being out of commission certainly puts a kink in that operation.

Iowa Pacific cut that when the CONO was severed in Mississippi for over a month earlier this year. I don't think it's coming back to the CONO for a long time.

The CONO is probably going to have seriously damaged ridership and revenue numbers for FY2015; this is two separate severings of the line amounting to what, three months at least?

 

[offroad437]

The local govt is reporting 3-5 months to repair/replace that portion of rail bridge. CN has not said anything yet so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Time to take the Superliners off the CONO and convert back to a Single Level Train once the Viewliner II Sleepers enter service sometime in this Century!

With the chef already MIA and the "Heat and Eat" Simplified Menu being the norm in tbe CCC, this Route is a good candidate for the Silver Starvation treatment, ie No Diner, just s Csfe car!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Time to take the Superliners off the CONO and convert back to a Single Level Train once the Viewliner II Sleepers enter service sometime in this Century!

With the chef already MIA and the "Heat and Eat" Simplified Menu being the norm in tbe CCC, this Route is a good candidate for the Silver Starvation treatment, ie No Diner, just s Csfe car!

What does this have to do with the bridge fire and subsequent reroute?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Time to take the Superliners off the CONO and convert back to a Single Level Train once the Viewliner II Sleepers enter service sometime in this Century!

With the chef already MIA and the "Heat and Eat" Simplified Menu being the norm in tbe CCC, this Route is a good candidate for the Silver Starvation treatment, ie No Diner, just s Csfe car!

What does this have to do with the bridge fire and subsequent reroute?

Absolutely nothing and everything!

 

[jis]

Time to take the Superliners off the CONO and convert back to a Single Level Train once the Viewliner II Sleepers enter service sometime in this Century!

With the chef already MIA and the "Heat and Eat" Simplified Menu being the norm in tbe CCC, this Route is a good candidate for the Silver Starvation treatment, ie No Diner, just s Csfe car!

What does this have to do with the bridge fire and subsequent reroute?

Absolutely nothing and everything!

Now I must say there is indeed a certain Zen to that. Could you be more vague?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Yep, I feel very strongly both ways!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

 

[Train2104]

With the chef already MIA and the "Heat and Eat" Simplified Menu being the norm in tbe CCC, this Route is a good candidate for the Silver Starvation treatment, ie No Diner, just s Csfe car!

I don't see the reasoning in cutting the food quality down so much. With heat-and-eat and only two meals per trip, if they wanted to save money, just cut the diner. It's always better to state upfront that there's no diner, than to claim full meal service is available and raise customers' expectations way beyond what's offered.

With the annulation at Jackson there's only a breakfast southbound and a dinner plus abbreviated breakfast northbound, even more incentive to get rid of the diner.

 

[neroden]

The local govt is reporting 3-5 months to repair/replace that portion of rail bridge. CN has not said anything yet so take it with a grain of salt.

Yowza. Adding the month of flooding bustitutions which we experienced already this year, this is then 4 - 6 months of the CONO not reaching New Orleans in this fiscal year. The reports are gonna look *terrible* for ridership.

I hope Amtrak figures out a way to shed operating costs temporarily during this period. At this point it would make sense to suspend the dining car service (in favor of an enhanced cafe) until the train can run to New Orleans, given how few meals the diner is actually serving and how low-quality they are already. This train is one of the ones which was still making real operating losses (before overhead) of about $6 million / year, not one of the ones which is making a profit before overhead -- it will undoubtedly do worse during this period of suspension. It's worth saving cash during this dark period to use for a relaunch once the bridge reopens.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

At this point it would make sense to suspend the dining car service (in favor of an enhanced cafe) until the train can run to New Orleans, given how few meals the diner is actually serving and how low-quality they are already.

Wouldn't it make even more sense to simply suspend the entire route during and after the bridge repair?

 

[offroad437]

CN. Just released a news release. They plan to have a temporary span built by next week. However they said that passenger rail is suspended until structure stability has been tested and can meet requirements. Considering the bridge barely meet those before, who knows how long that will be.