Hurricane Florence 2018

[TylerP42]

Seeing reports of 11 dead so far. Also CBS reporting 12.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

If CSX or NS removed the crossing guard arms, Amtrak has no choice not to operate a train on those tracks. Without a crossing being protected, a train either has to stop at EVERY crossing and have a crew member protect the crossing or not operate at all.

Why do they need to stop AND have a crew member out there protecting it? If the train is going through at 1 mph, what difference does it make to have a person out there?

To ensure the train doesn't hit anybody.

It's amazing to me how they use a human body to "protect" a crossing for trains and vehicles. The first time I saw that I could barely believe it.

 

[railiner]

I remember when they used to use "crossing guard's" to manually operate certain crossing gates....

And even today, certain occasionally used crossing's over busy highway's have to have a trainman "flag" the crossing, before proceeding across....one such that I am aware of, is the NYS&W crossing over NJ-17 at Lodi. That's a tough one to flag, as it is normally an "exempt crossing", meaning buses and hazmat trucks don't normally have to stop there, and the speed limit is 50 mph. I watched them once, and the cars just refuse to stop...until they start heaving lighted fusee's onto the crossing...

 

[railiner]

Anyone ever hear of a "Tenth Avenue Cowboy"?

 

[Caesar La Rock]

Weather Channel is reporting 15 dead. I also don't find it funny to be making jokes about disasters. It's a bad idea in my opinion and it's only funny until it happens to you. I have a friend, who has family in North Carolina. They had a large tree land on their house. Real life people, not a joke.

 

[chrsjrcj]

Found some photos from Dillon, SC (A-Line: Silver Meteor, AutoTrain, Palmetto). https://www.facebook.com/skyler.jennings.779/posts/957650491084287?__xts__[0]=68.ARCASD-7t8k2ElUTZomKRmbcD4_s0DZ56Q53fFXBu7ERW0jtuKuFN0wHyLrrlSq_CECI4F-IxdahL9xuWNbgNNOuBR3F5nJXLMqTYMQ7WlaoPF28btwsTuKxWV370-TJi8PooWIpQDOB4_jNCVH7NxTotW7rLNG8HyqW7E1YAw0-0mGA8OfNaA&__tn__=C-R

For those who do not Facebook- looks like the town is flooded. Maybe up to a foot of water in some places. While some may be inconvenienced by service suspensions, this is definitely a terrible situation for the Carolinas.

 

[chrsjrcj]

And for those questioning the decision to suspend service, I bring you exhibit A.

Sounds like it was not on any tracks Amtrak uses, but it wasn't too far from Hamlet (S-Line: Silver Star) either.

 

[KnightRail]

And for those questioning the decision to suspend service, I bring you exhibit A.

Sounds like it was not on any tracks Amtrak uses, but it wasn't too far from Hamlet (S-Line: Silver Star) either.

That is very compelling evidence right there why passenger trains are not running through flooded areas. Hopefully the crew is OK and the equipment and infustructure damage is unfortunate. Imagine if those were passenger cars.

 

[railiner]

Weather Channel is reporting 15 dead. I also don't find it funny to be making jokes about disasters. It's a bad idea in my opinion and it's only funny until it happens to you. I have a friend, who has family in North Carolina. They had a large tree land on their house. Real life people, not a joke.

I wholeheartedly agree...(I noticed the admins have removed some posts since I was here early this morning, and probably rightfully so)...

I too have some cousin's that live in Cedar Point, NC, and have evacuated to their sister's house up here for the duration. They stand to lose their home, and their business, but thankfully, they themselves are safe.

 

[Anderson]

Noted on that derailment. I don't think anyone is questioning the suspension of service in the Carolinas...it's the extended suspension of service in eastern VA (I'll grant Roanoke/Lynchburg given the rainfall situation) and west of Atlanta that has some of us scratching our heads (since I think two Crescents should have ended up on each end of the route).

Now that all being said, a friend's apartment complex in Newport News still had the gates removed this evening, so it is very possible that the VA stuff is the fault of CSX taking down the crossing gates (though given that CSX managed to put a hazmat train on the ground in NC, I don't see them as a prime suspect for shutting down the RF&P all weekend). That still doesn't really explain NOL-ATL.

 

[neroden]

Noted on that derailment. I don't think anyone is questioning the suspension of service in the Carolinas...it's the extended suspension of service in eastern VA (I'll grant Roanoke/Lynchburg given the rainfall situation) and west of Atlanta that has some of us scratching our heads (since I think two Crescents should have ended up on each end of the route).

Now that all being said, a friend's apartment complex in Newport News still had the gates removed this evening, so it is very possible that the VA stuff is the fault of CSX taking down the crossing gates (though given that CSX managed to put a hazmat train on the ground in NC, I don't see them as a prime suspect for shutting down the RF&P all weekend). That still doesn't really explain NOL-ATL.

I suspect VA was shut down preemptively, and I can't blame them; there was a real possibility of Florence turning and hitting VA.

I think NOL-ATL was a casualty of having no decent station or turning facilities at Atlanta, and fairly weak facilities in New Orleans, combined with traditionally low ridership on that segment anyway. Shows how weak the passenger rail network actually is in the South. A decent station at Atlanta would have made it viable.

Cincy-Chicago is probably again, a casualty of having no decent station or turning facilities in Cincy.

 

[KnightRail]

I suspect VA was shut down preemptively, and I can't blame them; there was a real possibility of Florence turning and hitting VA.

I think NOL-ATL was a casualty of having no decent station or turning facilities at Atlanta, and fairly weak facilities in New Orleans, combined with traditionally low ridership on that segment anyway. Shows how weak the passenger rail network actually is in the South. A decent station at Atlanta would have made it viable.

Cincy-Chicago is probably again, a casualty of having no decent station or turning facilities in Cincy.

Agree. Running stub trains isnt alaways as easy or common sense as it may sound. There are many factors such as those already stated including ridership, turning facilities, crews ability to report to work etc. Generally when running stub trains a bus bridge is attempted to accommodate and maintain ridership. Bustitution is certainly not smart or feasible here. Employees are also significantly affected going unpaid during this extended disruption.

 

[looshi]

 

Cincy-Chicago is probably again, a casualty of having no decent station or turning facilities in Cincy.

The Cardinal has been turned in both Cincinnati and Huntington in years past. It seems to have been something that Amtrak's organizational memory has forgot how to do over the last couple of years. Obviously there is some level of CSX cooperation that is required, but I find it very hard to believe there is nowhere to store a trainset between Indianapolis and DC. To me it speaks more to the low priority Amtrak places on its long-distance riders, and its neglect of the Cardinal in particular.

 

[RebelRider]

While not canceled yet, sales have been closed for 9/19 and 9/20 of the Auto Train, Cardinal, Crescent, Silver Meteor and Silver Star north of Jacksonville. This is a precursor to cancellation. Latest A-Line news is CSX has restored service as far south as Rocky Mount and as far north as Charleston. No word on conditions between Charleston and Rocky Mount, yet, but I expect there will be significant issues seeing all the flooding around Dillon, SC and Lumberton, NC.

 

[cpotisch]

Found some photos from Dillon, SC (A-Line: Silver Meteor, AutoTrain, Palmetto). https://www.facebook.com/skyler.jennings.779/posts/957650491084287?__xts__[0]=68.ARCASD-7t8k2ElUTZomKRmbcD4_s0DZ56Q53fFXBu7ERW0jtuKuFN0wHyLrrlSq_CECI4F-IxdahL9xuWNbgNNOuBR3F5nJXLMqTYMQ7WlaoPF28btwsTuKxWV370-TJi8PooWIpQDOB4_jNCVH7NxTotW7rLNG8HyqW7E1YAw0-0mGA8OfNaA&__tn__=C-R

For those who do not Facebook- looks like the town is flooded. Maybe up to a foot of water in some places. While some may be inconvenienced by service suspensions, this is definitely a terrible situation for the Carolinas.

Yikes. That's basically a river.

 

[cpotisch]

While not canceled yet, sales have been closed for 9/19 and 9/20 of the Auto Train, Cardinal, Crescent, Silver Meteor and Silver Star north of Jacksonville. This is a precursor to cancellation. Latest A-Line news is CSX has restored service as far south as Rocky Mount and as far north as Charleston. No word on conditions between Charleston and Rocky Mount, yet, but I expect there will be significant issues seeing all the flooding around Dillon, SC and Lumberton, NC.

Yep. The Silvers (I don't know about the Crescent) are currently stub trains without sleepers. I wonder why they did that, though. Why screw up any sleeper passengers south of JAX? If they're running the train I don't see the point in ditching the sleepers and messing with those passengers. JMO.

 

[jis]

Because there aren’t really that many Sleeper passengers south of JAX who did not come from or is going to north of JAX.

 

[cpotisch]

True, but getting rid of all the sleepers on every train messes up literally anybody who might have one south of JAX. I can't imagine that there's not at least a few people over this time period that were booked in a sleeper south of Jacksonville.

 

[jis]

What every train? We are only talking of the Silver Star running south of JAX. I can’t imagine any reason to run two Sleepers with its staff south of JAX. You asked why no Sleepers under those circumstances and the explanation I gave is what it is. If you wish to argue about it to effect change write to Anderson [emoji57]

 

[cpotisch]

What every train? We are only talking of the Silver Star running south of JAX. I can’t imagine any reason to run two Sleepers with its staff south of JAX. You asked why no Sleepers under those circumstances and the explanation I gave is what it is. If you wish to argue about it to effect change write to Anderson [emoji57]

I thought both Silvers are running without sleepers?

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

What every train? We are only talking of the Silver Star running south of JAX. I cant imagine any reason to run two Sleepers with its staff south of JAX. You asked why no Sleepers under those circumstances and the explanation I gave is what it is. If you wish to argue about it to effect change write to Anderson [emoji57]

I thought both Silvers are running without sleepers?

The SM is not running at all.

 

[cpotisch]

What every train? We are only talking of the Silver Star running south of JAX. I cant imagine any reason to run two Sleepers with its staff south of JAX. You asked why no Sleepers under those circumstances and the explanation I gave is what it is. If you wish to argue about it to effect change write to Anderson [emoji57]

I thought both Silvers are running without sleepers?

The SM is not running at all.

Oh.

Well in that case, disregard everything I just said.

 

[twropr]

If Virginia Railway Express ran on both Manassas and Fredericksburg Lines Sept. 13-14, why did Amtrak not run ANY service to Richmond?

Andy

 

[Seaboard92]

The CSX derailment was on the Monroe Sub. But close enough still in NC. CSX did not send an inspection vehicle out ahead of the train from what I heard. Now what I'm hearing from the railfan grapevine might be false. I'm in ORD going to Germany and have been on PVs for a week before.

 

[cpotisch]

Have a fun trip!