Heat Slow Orders

[RampWidget]

Actually the real problem is that CSX's rules are far more restrictive to passenger service than to freight service. Apparently in their world it's OK to put a freight train on the ground at speed, potentially unleashing hazardous chemicals that could kill hundreds if not thousands, but putting a passenger train on the ground isn't OK.

That's an incredibly inflammatory, ill-informed statement to make. No railroad, be it CSX, BNSF, UP, NS, or anyone else, is going to intentionally add to (or ignore) the risk of a freight train incident occurring from heat-related track buckling while at the same time restricting passenger operations in an effort to prevent track-buckling derailments of passenger trains.

Deliberately endangering employees and the public with freight train operations is not sound management practice for a railroad or any other transportation organization, and the RRs aren't going to make a plan that does so. In addition, the FRA would have something to say about it, and fast.

 

[Ryan]

They don't call it Crash Smash eXplose for nothing.

 

[jis]

Actually the real problem is that CSX's rules are far more restrictive to passenger service than to freight service. Apparently in their world it's OK to put a freight train on the ground at speed, potentially unleashing hazardous chemicals that could kill hundreds if not thousands, but putting a passenger train on the ground isn't OK.

That's an incredibly inflammatory, ill-informed statement to make. No railroad, be it CSX, BNSF, UP, NS, or anyone else, is going to intentionally add to (or ignore) the risk of a freight train incident occurring from heat-related track buckling while at the same time restricting passenger operations in an effort to prevent track-buckling derailments of passenger trains.

Deliberately endangering employees and the public with freight train operations is not sound management practice for a railroad or any other transportation organization, and the RRs aren't going to make a plan that does so. In addition, the FRA would have something to say about it, and fast.

That is true.

However, there may be some logic based on risk mitigation considerations, however convoluted, to require passenger trains to hold to a stricter regulation, since the potential risk exposure from passenger trains is possibly perceived to be higher. However, since Amtrak has primary liability irrespective of whose fault it is for a Amtrak train mishap, I wonder why CSX cares based on that angle. Mind you this based on a strict risk mitigation consideration. Afterall the risk cannot be totally eliminated short of shutting down the railroad.

 

[Jersey Jeff]

I rode the Pennsylvanian on June 29 from NWK-PGH and we arrived 15 minutes early. So I guess either there was no heat restrictions that day or Amtrak just pads its Pennsy schedule!

 

[9900]

Heat restrictions are in effect on the UP between Chicago and St. Louis. Maximum authorized speed is 50mph.....

 

[user 683]

I suppose the same is true for the Capital Limited on CSX tracks. 29(29) was about 70 minutes late into CHI, but 29(30) was over 6 hours late. 29(30) left WAS about 40 minutes late, was 7+ hours late into Cumberland, MD (CUM). Obviously, something else going on here. Not surprisingly, 30(30) experienced significant delays between CUM and WAS.

Is anyone aware of something more dramatic than slow orders causing these delays between WAS and CUM?

 

[George Harris]

Is anyone aware of something more dramatic than slow orders causing these delays between WAS and CUM?

From the news we hear out here about what is going on in the DC area, I would suspect a lot of downed trees, possibly some signal outages due power and other issues.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

The storm that tore through the area on Friday that whecked havoc with the NEC & the Cardinal.

 

[user 683]

I was wondering about the power situation and of course downed trees, signals, etc. I was thinking about something more dramatic, like a broken rail. If I understand things correctly, the problems in the NEC were catenary related.

 

[Ryan]

There are still freaking trees down all over the place, and signals need to work as well.

This was massively bigger than a simple NEC problem.

 

[RampWidget]

Is anyone aware of something more dramatic than slow orders causing these delays between WAS and CUM?

From the news we hear out here about what is going on in the DC area, I would suspect a lot of downed trees, possibly some signal outages due power and other issues.

Correct. Many signal outages between WAS & CUM mostly due to the loss of commercial power to the signal houses. I understand that portable generators were put in place at key points last night to make the signals operational again.

 

[stlouielady]

Heat restrictions are in effect on the UP between Chicago and St. Louis. Maximum authorized speed is 50mph.....

They are in effect between St Louis and Kansas City as well. Rode west on Monday morning (limit restriction lifted for us after Jeff City, and we arrived in KC only 25 mintes late), and back east on Wednesday (restrictions in effect the entire way; an hour late arrival into Kirkwood).

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Heat slow orders were reportedly in effect for the stretch of track where a coal train derailment and subsequent bridge collapse occurred outside Chicago (thread in General Rail Discussions):

2 bodies inside car found in wreckage from train derailment

"[uP spokesman Mark] Davis confirmed that UP inspectors were on the tracks checking for possible abnormalities in track gauge or shifting before the accident. Such inspections are routinely conducted twice a day during extreme heat or cold, he said.

"Because of the 'heat order,' a 40 mph slow zone order, down from 50 mph normally on that segment of track, was in effect at the time of the accident, Davis said. An event recorder in the locomotive showed that the train was traveling at 37 mph when it derailed, he said.

"'We ruled out the bridge failing and then the train derailing, based on the discussion with the train crew' as well as viewing the images from a camera on the train, Davis said. 'The derailment occurred and then what happened was that 28 cars piled onto the bridge structure. Under all that weight, the bridge went down.'"