Crescent discussion

[ascii42]

Twitter has locked non members out to access Amtrak alerts national and Amtrak north east alerts. Well Both 19 and 20 did not show on tracking from NOL to ATL today. any idea what happened and does anyone have a shortcut to getting this info in the future? Yes, refuse to rejoin twitter due to previous very bad incident.

Looks like both feeds still work on this page: Service Alerts & Notices | Amtrak

 

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Twitter has locked non members out to access Amtrak alerts national and Amtrak north east alerts. Well Both 19 and 20 did not show on tracking from NOL to ATL today. any idea what happened and does anyone have a shortcut to getting this info in the future? Yes, refuse to rejoin twitter due to previous very bad incident.

There are many like me that refuse to use twitter due to the current ownership. I assume the Amtrak App can work just as well is notifications are set correctly.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

There are many like me that refuse to use twitter due to the current ownership. I assume the Amtrak App can work just as well is notifications are set correctly.

The website works but the app is only showing passenger advisories. I emailed Amtrak yesterday to let them know. This particular issue may have existed before Twitter (temporarily) restricted access to non-users.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Twitter has locked non members out to access Amtrak alerts national and Amtrak north east alerts. Well Both 19 and 20 did not show on tracking from NOL to ATL today. any idea what happened and does anyone have a shortcut to getting this info in the future? Yes, refuse to rejoin twitter due to previous very bad incident.

Sunkinks/heat restrictions cations is what I heard for running only to/from ATL.

 

[GaSteve]

Twitter has locked non members out to access Amtrak alerts national and Amtrak north east alerts. Well Both 19 and 20 did not show on tracking from NOL to ATL today. any idea what happened and does anyone have a shortcut to getting this info in the future? Yes, refuse to rejoin twitter due to previous very bad incident.

NS heat related speed restrictions south of ATL.

 

[west point]

NS heat related speed restrictions south of ATL.

hey since CN is doing it we might as will do it also.
Now is Amtrak had a 12 hour opposite train then no excuse. Maybe make the meridian - FTW train be on that 12 hour opposite schedule?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

hey since CN is doing it we might as will do it also.
Now is Amtrak had a 12 hour opposite train then no excuse. Maybe make the meridian - FTW train be on that 12 hour opposite schedule?

Hey, I’ve heard that track has buckled south of Atlanta, so yeah, it’s legit down there.

 

[John Bobinyec]

Why are 19 and 20 not currently running between New Orleans and Atlanta? (8/15/2023).

jb

 

[jis]

All that is known is the following:



The rest is a closely held secret AFAWK (As Far As We Know)

 

[TheVig]

All that is known is the following:

View attachment 33606

The rest is a closely held secret AFAWK (As Far As We Know)

Heat restrictions?

 

[dadonatrain]

Word at Austell vrf cam is track work by NS possibly around Irondale, wherever that is.

 

[Jim Dexter]

Why are 19 and 20 not currently running between New Orleans and Atlanta? (8/15/2023).

jb

Heat restrictions again.

 

[John Bobinyec]

"Heat restrictions again."

Again? I don't remember 19 and 20 not running south of Atlanta because of heat restrictions before.

jb

 

[Hytec]

The high air temps between Meridian and NOL have been averaging 100*F for the past 3+/- weeks with no clouds, let alone rain to cool things. The low temp rarely got below 80*F. That's a challenge for CWR (Continuously Welded Rail) that also must sustain lows near zero in winter. That's 100*F of temperature difference that a 1/4 mile of shrinking and expanding that steel must absorb without popping spikes out of ties or kinking/breaking.

CSX mainline between NOL/MOB was directly behind my house. Early on a February morning with the temp 20*F, I heard a loud BANG. A CWR had snapped with a gap about 5" between the gap ends. Fortunately, all signals immediately went RED for three blocks either side of the break.

This is why there must be extreme caution during extreme weather temperatures, especially with passengers trains. Passengers will sue deep-pocket railroads trying to get lots of money. More importantly, when a pax train derails, injuries, possibly death are guaranteed.

 

[trimetbusfan]

"Heat restrictions again."

Again? I don't remember 19 and 20 not running south of Atlanta because of heat restrictions before.

jb

Not the first time it’s happened this summer

 

[John Bobinyec]

Okay, so it's like the Adirondack going from New York to Montreal. Amtrak doesn't have enough resources (crews, trainsets, ...) to run the train at a slower speed.

jb

 

[daybeers]

Passengers will sue deep-pocket railroads trying to get lots of money

Lol they can't, it's binding arbitration.

 

[joelkfla]

Is Continuously Welded Rail worth the risks, particularly with increasingly extreme weather due to climate change?

 

[tgstubbs1]

Is Continuously Welded Rail worth the risks, particularly with increasingly extreme weather due to climate change?

It seems like the welded rail needs some kind of expansion joints at certain intervals.

 

[jis]

It seems like the welded rail needs some kind of expansion joints at certain intervals.

That is standard practice in many places. I posted examples of such used in India elsewhere.

 

[JamesWhitcombRiley]

That is standard practice in many places. I posted examples of such used in India elsewhere.

How common is it? Seems in the US a specialized crew de-stresses the rail to accommodate a certain temperature range before welding. But I only know that from Roaming Railfan videos. There were also two types of welding, but that's irrelevant.

I don't think anyone's mentioned the tremendous other kind of stress the railroads are under since the Norfolk Southern derailment. At least in my area temperatures are not historically high, it's the storms and flooding that have increased, as well as warmer winters. (Afternoon thunderstorms are actually a return to what farmers and gardeners expected before summer droughts began in the late 1970s, but they are lots more intense now.)

When the chief of NS is dragged before Congress and grilled on labor practices and safety, with big financial hits at stake, there are going to be slow orders at 90 degrees all over. I'm sympathetic to NS biased towards NS compared to other freights, even if it moved HQ from Norfolk to Atlanta (better airport!). The run between NFK and PTB is excellent rail, then it gets progressively jumpier from RVR to NYP.

Someone mentioned welded rail is better for the equipment. The NYC subway's rebuilding is partly to allow less heavy duty equipment and track, de-escalating the fight between them, with the rider suffering.

(Also, mainline rail may be in getting worse? Edit: and Congress should raise standards for staffing etc. that all the freights have to follow.)

 

[jis]

How common is it? Seems in the US a specialized crew de-stresses the rail to accommodate a certain temperature range before welding. But I only know that from Roaming Railfan videos. There were also two types of welding, but that's irrelevant.

In India it is standard practice on all CWR trackage. The process includes monitoring stress on at least monthly basis augmented by monitoring under unusual temperature conditions and if necessary adjusting stress at the switch expansion joints. All CWR segments are terminated at both ends with switch expansion joints, of which there are several varieties as has been posted before.

I have no idea what the standard practices are in the US.

 

[west point]

Does anyone know if rail anchors on every tie would be a help?

 

[jis]

Does anyone know if rail anchors on every tie would be a help?

Yes. It helps, and is used in many track segments laid on wooden ties. Concrete ties are self anchoring and do not need additional anchoring.

 

[daybeers]

When the chief of NS is dragged before Congress and grilled on labor practices and safety, with big financial hits at stake, there are going to be slow orders at 90 degrees all over.

I truly weep for the serious consequences that have severely beset these gigantic corporations.