EB Mess - 2

[TraneMan]

Keep us updated on your progress, TraneMan. The wife and I will be heading west in a couple of weeks and with the on-time performance of late, it looks like our connection to Cascades 516 at SEA is risky. It is all one itinerary and I know they'll take care of us if we don't make it, but I'd rather make the connection than miss it.

We at first we going to do the connections up to Vancouver, but I just did not want to lose a day there.. So we agreed to leave a day earlier, and spend the night in SEA and then take the first train up.

We just pulled into Glasgow, and they just announced that BNSF is parking us here till about 11:30.

-Sent from my iPad using Amtrak Forum App.

 

[montana mike]

Well, at least you are doing slightly better than the #7 ahead of you in WA--they are approaching 11 hours late in arriving in SEA! Once you make it past Glasgow the major delays should be behind you!

 

[TraneMan]

We are now are moving.

-Sent from my iPad using Amtrak Forum App.

 

[JayPea]

You should make up a couple of hours into Spokane and 30-60 minutes between Spokane and Seattle.

 

[montana mike]

So far it looks like status quo--still around 9-10 hours behind. Oh, well....

 

[TraneMan]

Good Morning everyone! Been a good trip over all so far, I just woke up from a good sound sleep last night. We are about 9ish hours late, and over all most people are doing great. We are in the Glacier area and everyone is wowing the view they are seeing here, and I think this delay are making it worth it for some of them.

We sat with a couple from Ohio, and they are on the way to SEA like we are. They going to a ball game tonight, but I don't think they are going to make it since they said the game is at 7 tonight.. :-( He admitted they were aware of the delays, but thought it wouldn't happen to them.

-Sent from my iPad using Amtrak Forum App.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

On the 7, just left Red Wing for Minneapolis/St. Paul. The flooding in Red Wing is impressive, pretty close to the tracks past the little park. I think we're only 10-15 minutes behind.

Oh dear. They'll just have to give that water the boot. :ROFL:

 

[TraneMan]

They just announced the PDX passengers will be bused from SPK.

-Sent from my iPhone 5 using Amtrak Forum App,

 

[JayPea]

They just announced the PDX passengers will be bused from SPK.

-Sent from my iPhone 5 using Amtrak Forum App,

Any more it's hit and miss, mostly miss, for 27 to run due to trackwork between Spokane and Pasco. I will be on 8 out of Seattle today; I'll wave when we meet somewhere in Central Washington!

 

[nanran]

They just announced the PDX passengers will be bused from SPK.

-Sent from my iPhone 5 using Amtrak Forum App,

I think this is what worries me the most. I see my first trip on the EB as an adventure. We have altered out plans a bit to accommodate the late arrivals like adding a nights lodging at the Izaak Walton Inn and changing the location of the pick up for the rental car in Portland but we don't have specific times where we have to be and I am looking forward to listening to books on tape and looking at the wonderful scenery and just enjoying the train no matter how long it takes. However, to have to board a bus in SPK to go to PDX would definitely be a bummer so I will definitely keep my fingers crossed that this does not happen. TraneMan thank you for your posts.

 

[lyke99]

Keep us updated on your progress, TraneMan. The wife and I will be heading west in a couple of weeks and with the on-time performance of late, it looks like our connection to Cascades 516 at SEA is risky. It is all one itinerary and I know they'll take care of us if we don't make it, but I'd rather make the connection than miss it.

We at first we going to do the connections up to Vancouver, but I just did not want to lose a day there.. So we agreed to leave a day earlier, and spend the night in SEA and then take the first train up.

Yeah, we talked about staying a night in Seattle, but decided to do the same day connection since we've been to Seattle twice in the last four years. We have three days scheduled in Vancouver before heading east on The Canadian. If we miss the connection to 516, we'll just chalk it up to the "adventure."

 

[NW cannonball]

Here in Minnesota - looks like the Mississippi floods won't be stopping the EB.

Just the (now) usual delays - late departures from CHI, bad train dispatching thru Hoffman-Pigs-eye-Dunn,

Sometimes getting stuck between Fargo and Grand Forks (where the BNSF yearly plan shows a big new siding

And the infamous ND oil area -

and the random problems, like my son experienced last week SEA-MSP

- first, needing an unscheduled BNSF helper for Steven's pass (had to back down and wait for a BNSF motor and crew due to engine failure, maybe the PV contributed to the problem

- Later on that run, the crew saw a MVA (not involving the train) somewhere in ND - the train stopped and on-board pax (RN & EMT) assisted stabilizing the victims for the half-hour it takes out there for BLS to get to an accident scene. Surely this wasn't Amtrak's or BNSF's fault.

Anyhow, the Hi-Line won't ever be the NEC,

But -- it can get better (I hope)

 

[Old MM]

Saw this story this morning and figured there would be an EB discussion ongoing here:

http://www.aol.com/article/2014/06/26/north-dakota-discloses-oil-train-shipment-details/20920322/?icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl7%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D493674

"track work" ....hmmm okay..... the oil companies rule more than ever.

 

[montana mike]

It appears it is Seattle's turn in the ditch over the past week. Delays into SEA averaged over 400 minutes!! Ouch. Not much better going east, but this trend-really late trains into SEA-is not a good one.

:-(

 

[andersone]

Well they are still trying to OPEN GTSR, both plow teams working towards the big drift,,, they have five weeks to finish,,, looking to be one of the latest openings in history

 

[montana mike]

My local GNP friends say early July is a likely opening date. The latest ever was 7/13 btw.

)

 

[JayPea]

I won't be able to drive the whole route this time around but will be back in August. Beautiful scenery today at Many Glacier despite the rain.

 

[andersone]

Thanks Mike for the history ,,, I searched for a bit but couldn't find it,,,, seems like I will be safe on August 9th,,,, now I only have to worry about the EB,,,,,,,

 

[montana mike]

Hopefully by then enough of the new track will have been installed to give the EB some relief. August is usually one of best months to see GNP--warm temps and sunny skies are the norm. Enjoy!!!!

 

[andersone]

I intend to MM - I am reliving the trips of my youth,,, and I have a Libby story I cant' share here,,, but I am sure that will not re-occur

 

[montana mike]

Just touched base with a couple of my BNSF folks locally. They say another stretch of new track should open up shortly in MT, with a third segment scheduled to be ready by the end of July. They say that the days of 12+ hour delays caused by BNSF freight issues should be winding down over the next 30 days, with average delays running closer to 4-6 hours, perhaps even less by the Fall if all goes well in their construction plans.

The one caveat is that BNSF is now running over 100 trains per day more system wide than they did last winter. So even though new tracks, sidings, switches, locomotives, etc... are coming on line, the amount of traffic is also increasing, and expected to do so for the foreseeable future. The one BNSF guy reminded me that they are just beginning to take delivery of all of those new tanker cars and they are not just replacing the old ones yet (the older ones will stay in service for up to another year until the next batch of tanker cars arrives some time in the Spring of 2015).

So at least there is some good news.

 

[neroden]

Well, that is good news. As long as the situation on CP doesn't deteriorate any further...

 

[JayPea]

Spent today traversing the eastern part of Going-to-the-Sun Road. Even though we couldn't go all the way through, what scenery I did see was spectacular. Tomorrow will be the west side. Making do with the hand Mother Nature dealt us.

 

[mwmnp]

Just touched base with a couple of my BNSF folks locally. They say another stretch of new track should open up shortly in MT, with a third segment scheduled to be ready by the end of July.

Where are the double track segments that have been opened/will be opened in Montana? I know two segments, consisting of a bit more than 20 miles in total, have opened so far in North Dakota, but I have not heard of anything opening in Montana.

The one caveat is that BNSF is now running over 100 trains per day more system wide than they did last winter.

Here is a graph of the weekly intermodal and carload unit handled by BNSF since the start of 2013. The data come from the weekly carload counts BNSF publishes on its website.

 

[montana mike]

Just touched base with a couple of my BNSF folks locally. They say another stretch of new track should open up shortly in MT, with a third segment scheduled to be ready by the end of July.

Where are the double track segments that have been opened/will be opened in Montana? I know two segments, consisting of a bit more than 20 miles in total, have opened so far in North Dakota, but I have not heard of anything opening in Montana.

The one caveat is that BNSF is now running over 100 trains per day more system wide than they did last winter.

Here is a graph of the weekly intermodal and carload unit handled by BNSF since the start of 2013. The data come from the weekly carload counts BNSF publishes on its website.

bnsfcarloads.png

Glasgow sub--right on the MT border into ND.