And policy, privacy, and probably even union contracts would have prevented the replacement crew from saying anything about why the first crew was relieved.
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Edgefan
Service Attendant
Believe it or not, I did not misplace this post as it is not a trip report! :lol: I was on #6 Mt Pleasant to Chicago. Simple frieght delay. Immediate announcement by the conductor. Ended up being less than an hour later than advertised. That was the one train I really worry about. Then #30 Chicago to DC. Our loaded train sat for over an hour at the platform in Union Station Chicago. Several announcements made that we were waiting for a late Empire Builder. If I was on the Builder, I would have appreciated them waiting for me! Then 20 minutes out of Chicago, we lost an engine. Many announcments were made as to the progress toward getting the train moving again. (I almost had a woman signed up for AGR right prior to losing power!) Again, cold night for the conductors to have been out there in the open, wind blowing right off the lake, and still informative and in good humor. Basicly, 2 1/2 hours lost right out of the gate but kept us informed. We ended up losing more time into DC as we lost our slot. Again more information. Conductors gave permission for a Hollywood make-up artist to give demonstations in the sightseer lounge. They didn't have to do that. The interesting thing there was the panic in the DC cops when this children's church group exited the train with head gashes, black eyes, slit throats, the best one was the pastors son made up like Heath Ledger's character in the Dark knight. We were 3 and a half hours late into DC, but I made my Crescent connection just fine. On #19 I went right to the diner. Lost power. Ate a salad in the dark. Then informed that a coach had been bad ordered. Of course it was the middle one. All coach passengers, luggage had to be moved to the lounge car while we did several interesting switching moves to get rid of the bad coach. All the while being informed. In essence, we were an hour and a half late out of DC. We made ALL that up as we were five minutes early into New Orleans. City of New Orleans' yesterday's departure. Storms in the south. Info, as we received a slow order for winds. More info as we hit the heavy rain/thunderstorm wall. More info as there were powerlines across the track north of Memphis, TN due to a just passed tornado. I'm sitting in the Metro Lounge in Chicago. Yes we were late into Chicago, but informed! I was also informed at the desk when I checked in, as usual, as to when to be here to load for my #5. I guess what I'm trying to say through this maybe too long a post is, your travels are what you make of them. I do try to see the glass half full, and as my wife ALWAYS says, you catch more flies with honey. Take care all! 
had8ley
Engineer
Just to add to this the relieving crew could have been off of the extra board and weren't expecting a call out OR it was the relieving crew from the next relief point deadheaded back to where the train was stopped. The BIGGEST question I might have is; "Just what did the T&E crew do to be pulled out of service?" That might explain some of the alledged crew behavior.
George Harris
Engineer
Which I would also be interested in knowing, but which the relieving crew would probably not want to tell for several reasons, not least of which would be company policy to keep their moutn shut about such stuff due to the potential for possible legal action (I would consider that slight, but I am not a lawyer), possibility that one of their buddies was involved and they don't want to add to a friend's troubles, knowledge that most of the people would have no clue (he was speeding, or went through a "yellow light" too fast? So what I see bus drivers do it all the time and they keep on going.) etc.
ALC Rail Writer
Engineer
Except the computers in the head end and the dispatchers could notice them going overspeed, and you don't want to add salt to the wound by implicating it was their fault, not the Engineers or whatever.
In any event we don't know what the infraction was... Hypothetically it could have been very serious.
In any event we don't know what the infraction was... Hypothetically it could have been very serious.
volkris
Lead Service Attendant
Well, this triggers an all-too-recent memory:
Last year I was riding the Regional when the crew was pulled out of service for a similar rules violation. It was a horrible experience.
From my memory, the train was stopped for about ten minutes before an announcement was made that we were waiting for traffic ahead to clear up. A similar announcement came about ten minutes later. Then, silence for a long time until a crew member came through saying that nobody knew why we were still stopped, and that neither Amtrak nor the host railroad were answering the crew's calls. I think the crew member made a second pass a while later saying the same thing.
Finally, forever later, a crew member came through saying that the train was caught speeding in a restricted zone (I believe), and that the evil host railroad--who were just horrible people, horrible I tell you, doing this to all of the passengers, please start writing your representatives--had called the train on it. We'd be stopped--oh those awful, smelly employees of the host railroad!--until a replacement crew could arrive.
That crew member came through two or three more times, each time trying to whip the passengers up against the evil, dirty host railroad. I kid you not, it crossed the line from inappropriate to downright uncomfortable. I swear the guy looked like he had been drinking...
Sorry I don't know the positions of the crew members that talked to us. There were a few, and the guy who talked to us from admitting the infraction on--the guy who seemed progressively more inebriated--wasn't one of the normal car attendants.
In the end I think we arrived in DC about seven hours late. Despite the magnitude of the situation here, Amtrak wouldn't issue a refund, and I'm not sure the voucher they issued even covered the costs we took on due to the delay.
And that's why my parents have vowed never to ride Amtrak again, and certainly wouldn't support it politically.
Last year I was riding the Regional when the crew was pulled out of service for a similar rules violation. It was a horrible experience.
From my memory, the train was stopped for about ten minutes before an announcement was made that we were waiting for traffic ahead to clear up. A similar announcement came about ten minutes later. Then, silence for a long time until a crew member came through saying that nobody knew why we were still stopped, and that neither Amtrak nor the host railroad were answering the crew's calls. I think the crew member made a second pass a while later saying the same thing.
Finally, forever later, a crew member came through saying that the train was caught speeding in a restricted zone (I believe), and that the evil host railroad--who were just horrible people, horrible I tell you, doing this to all of the passengers, please start writing your representatives--had called the train on it. We'd be stopped--oh those awful, smelly employees of the host railroad!--until a replacement crew could arrive.
That crew member came through two or three more times, each time trying to whip the passengers up against the evil, dirty host railroad. I kid you not, it crossed the line from inappropriate to downright uncomfortable. I swear the guy looked like he had been drinking...
Sorry I don't know the positions of the crew members that talked to us. There were a few, and the guy who talked to us from admitting the infraction on--the guy who seemed progressively more inebriated--wasn't one of the normal car attendants.
In the end I think we arrived in DC about seven hours late. Despite the magnitude of the situation here, Amtrak wouldn't issue a refund, and I'm not sure the voucher they issued even covered the costs we took on due to the delay.
And that's why my parents have vowed never to ride Amtrak again, and certainly wouldn't support it politically.
ALC Rail Writer
Engineer
Volkris, about what station were you near when this happened?
amtrakwolverine
Engineer
From experience it seams like if a train is late or it looks like they will be early they will tend to either speed a little bit and hurry allot to make-sure they either don't be any later then they are or to ensure they arrive early.
volkris
Lead Service Attendant
We were between Williamsburg, VA and Richmond.
That is absolutely not true.
Really, how would any passenger know if a train is "speeding" anyway?
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
Staff member
Administator
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Didn't you know that some passengers think they know way more about the railroad than even the railroads themselves?
had8ley
Engineer
A GPS
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
Staff member
Administator
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Gathering Team Member
Specially exciting when the cheap GPS says that Silver Star is traveling at 88 mph between Rocky Mount and Selma, giving an instant you know what to the you know whoA GPS
Give the who the what??
For us older guys a watch and milemarkers and a little math.A GPS
amtrakwolverine
Engineer
Also some railfains have a scanner so they can hear the defect detector since some give the speed also.
ALC Rail Writer
Engineer
That doesn't mean they are going to break speed limits. They may go fifty miles per hour in an area they are allowed to go seventy nine, if they are late... They will go seventy nine, if they are on time or behind a freight they may go slower.
had8ley
Engineer
Works pretty good in daylight and you're on famaliar territory and know where the MM'ers are. Tough luck at night on new territory!For us older guys a watch and milemarkers and a little math.A GPS
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