Empire Builder Summer Blues Started Early this year

[CHamilton]

8(15) approaching Glenview. The final indignity was that we got stuck behind a Metra train with a 'police situation'. Good thing that the AU group is going to Chicago! The crew did an excellent job of keeping everyone informed, though.

 

[montana mike]

When it rains it pours! :-(

Look like a little over 5 hours late into CHI.

 

[CHamilton]

Yes, 8(15) got in around 9 PM.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Things are getting better so far, 7 (16) is only 2:11 late now. Might get to its destinations only 1 hour late.

 

[montana mike]

Currently on #8 in ND. Around 1 hour behind-all due to heavy freight traffic. Other than that an uneventful trip so far. Beautiful ride thru GNP--snow capped peaks, brilliant yellow and gold aspens and tamaracks!

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Currently on #8 in ND. Around 1 hour behind-all due to heavy freight traffic. Other than that an uneventful trip so far. Beautiful ride thru GNP--snow capped peaks, brilliant yellow and gold aspens and tamaracks!

Not bad, not bad for the EB! The Summer Blues are over now, but wait, it's already October! :excl: Winter storms are gonna come through and really bog down the EB again.

 

[Steve Manfred]

About how often does the Empire Builder westbound miss the connection in Portland to the Coast Starlight? And if it does miss it, you're stuck in sport land for a day waiting for the next Coast Starlight, yes?

 

[ScottRu]

According to this site, EB westbound to PDX averaging only 14 minutes late for the past week.

http://www.amtrakdelays.onlineschedulingsoftware.com/cgi-bin/train.cgi

 

[montana mike]

Currently on #8 in ND. Around 1 hour behind-all due to heavy freight traffic. Other than that an uneventful trip so far. Beautiful ride thru GNP--snow capped peaks, brilliant yellow and gold aspens and tamaracks!

Not bad, not bad for the EB! The Summer Blues are over now, but wait, it's already October! :excl: Winter storms are gonna come through and really bog down the EB again.

Just left St. Cloud-now over 3 hours behind. They had to fix a mechanical issue in MOT, then we stopped for more freight traffic several times--arrgh. Of the 3+ hours of delays it would appear freight traffic has caused all but 40 minutes of the delay. Hoping to make up a little time in MSP, but likely about 2 1/2 hours late into CHI today.

:-(((

 

[NW cannonball]

About how often does the Empire Builder westbound miss the connection in Portland to the Coast Starlight? And if it does miss it, you're stuck in sport land for a day waiting for the next Coast Starlight, yes?

That's a connection that is rarely missed. A day in Portland at Amtrak's expense is well worth it -- IF -- you have the time.

 

[Steve Manfred]

About how often does the Empire Builder westbound miss the connection in Portland to the Coast Starlight? And if it does miss it, you're stuck in sport land for a day waiting for the next Coast Starlight, yes?

That's a connection that is rarely missed. A day in Portland at Amtrak's expense is well worth it -- IF -- you have the time.

The time's the issue, of course. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Currently on #8 in ND. Around 1 hour behind-all due to heavy freight traffic. Other than that an uneventful trip so far. Beautiful ride thru GNP--snow capped peaks, brilliant yellow and gold aspens and tamaracks!

Not bad, not bad for the EB! The Summer Blues are over now, but wait, it's already October! :excl: Winter storms are gonna come through and really bog down the EB again.

Just left St. Cloud-now over 3 hours behind. They had to fix a mechanical issue in MOT, then we stopped for more freight traffic several times--arrgh. Of the 3+ hours of delays it would appear freight traffic has caused all but 40 minutes of the delay. Hoping to make up a little time in MSP, but likely about 2 1/2 hours late into CHI today.

:-(((

I spoke too soon! Westbound 7 is doing pretty good these days, but eastbound 8 is bad and bad again.

About how often does the Empire Builder westbound miss the connection in Portland to the Coast Starlight? And if it does miss it, you're stuck in sport land for a day waiting for the next Coast Starlight, yes?

That's a connection that is rarely missed. A day in Portland at Amtrak's expense is well worth it -- IF -- you have the time.

Portland is a nice city, the constant rain is the only issue.

 

[TraneMan]

What happend to 7 yesterday? Between CBS/POG it last over 3 hours!

 

[montana mike]

And #8 in eastern ND--it lost several hours there too! When I went thru there yesterday there was no construction, just heavy freight traffic. It would be hard to believe that freight delays caused that much of an issue for both, but then they amounted to almost all of my 2 1/2 hour delay in arriving in CHI last evening.

 

[montana mike]

Update on today's #8-now just under 4 hours behind in WI. My son is on that train and he said the delays appeared to be almost entirely to wait for freights from ND thru MN.

Going west bound #7 in MT is almost 5 1/2 hours late!!! Looks like freight issues there too.

Wow, the BNSF freight trains really came out of the woodwork this weekend.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

What freight are those BNSF trains pulling? Oil? Grain?

 

[the_traveler]

I'm on 7/27 right now and we are actually EARLY in La Cross, WI!

 

[Fan_Trains]

8(20) departed SEA on time, arrived EDM 4 min early, departed on time, arrived EVA on time, departed 2 min late.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I'm on 7/27 right now and we are actually EARLY in La Cross, WI!

That's not in the danger zone yet, let's see if the 8 gets into La Crosse on time!

 

[NW cannonball]

What freight are those BNSF trains pulling? Oil? Grain?

OIl, yes, grain, yes, transcon containers from China via port of Seattle and Chicago to east coast yes. And coal on part of the route. And a few mixed manifest trains with this and that. Oh, lumber products too. And potash from Saskatchewan.

Lots of profitable traffic on the Hi-Line. Warren B was no dummy to buy the line and improve it. The few billion dollars of improvements has been slowing the "Empire Builder" and the BNSF freight on the line -- but - long term - like ten years out. Hey moneymaker cool fast freight tracks - the EB looks good for a decade or two.

Edit - oh, and agricultural inputs going west -- phosphoric acid and anhydrous ammonia. - and I see a unit train of sulfur at least weekly, and another unit train of sodium chlorate for paper bleaching (glad to see that replace the chlorine tankers)

Hey Montana Mike -- you know what freight traffic on that line..

J J Hill and Warren Buffet no fools. That hi-line is a freight winner,

So the "EB" - with more or less delay - will have busy rails to run on for the near future,

 

[yarrow]

J J Hill and Warren Buffet no fools. That hi-line is a freight winner,

we know what jj thought of passenger rail(useless as mammary glands on a boar). would have liked to hear him discourse on amtrak. wonder what warren thinks of passenger rail?

 

[Fan_Trains]

8(20) left LWA11 min late, arrived into WEN 9 min late, left at 7 min late, arrive into EPH at 4 min late, left at 5 min late, arrived into SPK at 53 min early, left at 7 min late, arrived in SPT at 13 min late, left 16 min late, arrive into LIB at 7 min late, left 10 min late, arrive into WFH 22 min late, left 14 min late, arrive into WGL 20 min late, left at 22 min late.

 

[Ispolkom]

It's not too early to start worrying about next year's flood in Minot.

 

[Fan_Trains]

8(20) left BRO 12 min late, arrived in CUT 23 min late, left at 25 min Late, arrived in SBY 1 min late, left 9 min late, arrived in HAV at 37 min late, left 28 min late, arrived in MAL 21 min late, left 22 min late.

 

[Nathanael]

It's not too early to start worrying about next year's flood in Minot.

I'd suggest building the floodwalls now.