Rock slide on California Zephyr route.

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Steve4031

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I am traveling on 6 from emy to Chicago. The Train stopped about 1:30 pm. Heard on scanner that track had been knocked out of alignment. Conductor announced that we were going to back up. This was about 5 miles north of dotsero, before the 1st tunnel after dotsero. The plan is to wait for a track gang to look at it. The track gang will give clearance. The is Boulder estimated at 10 tons. I think 5 is on the other side of this Boulder.
 
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I'm not upset in the least. I don't need to be in Chicago until Monday for the start of school. I have 36 hours before I'm really messed up. As long as I can stay off of a bus I'm happy.
 
I remember a cafe car attendant on the Zephyr while I was on it who wore a clown nose and played some funny cartoon music before announcing the cafe car. I think his name was Marvin? He might be able to try to entertain you although if he's on this train he will probably be as frustrated as the passengers are.
 
We are still sitting here. The conductor announced that they were still working on the tracks. Must be worse than initially thought.

5 is stuck on the other side and is probably going to get priority because it's crew is closer to hours of service. My crew will have to be replaced too. They started at 10:20 am in grand junction. I suspect that they were on duty before that so they are going to need a replacement crew too. Can Freight crews do this, or does amtrak have to provide relief crews? Where would these crews come from?
 
They'd have to come out of Denver for #6 Steve! Are y'all close to Interstate 70 where you're stopped? The replacement crew could meetvthevtrain @ a conviement stopping place if its close to a Road!

Either have to come via Van or float down the Colorado with the Moonies!!!

IINM they could also haul #6 to Denver with a helper UP Engine while the Amtrak crew deadheads!( with UP T&E) but there wouldn't be a Amtrak Conductor in service on the train either. I rode on #6 across Nebraska behind a UP Helper with No Amtrak Conductor from McCook( where we hit a hurd of cows @ 79) to Lincoln where we stopped and picked up #5's Conductor that had just come out of Omaha!
 
There will be a relief crew for 6 at Granby. Overall crew has done an excellent job of keeping us updated.

They also did an excellent job of keeping us safe. If I understand correctly they were proceeding slowly from red light to red light and saw the damaged track. A little less vigilant and we could have derailed.
 
Glad to hear that! Guess the relief crew came out of Denver since I'm not aware of Granby being a crew change spot or base????

Don't order the roadrunner for dinner, but the trout for dinner might be fresh! LOL
 
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We are starting the back up move in Denver at 11:30 pm. Conductor had predicted a 11:50 pm arrival. If we can get out of Denver by 12:10 we would be 5 hours late. We departed Granby 6 hour 7 minutes late so UP did its part to make up time.
 
Once upon a time, No. 6 could have detoured over the Tennessee Pass / Royal Gorge route from Dotsero....now that would have been somethin'! :)
 
Do the meal cars board extra food and drink for issues like this? This could be a while. Not many KFCs in the area. I aways think about the train stuck in the High Mountains in the snow years ago. Even water could be an issue. I suppose there is only so much room for food in the galleys.
 
When we had our 12 Hour Delay on the Zephyr outside of McCook after hitting a hurd of cows, the Sleeper Pax were served what was left in the Diner for Breakfast and Lunch and the Coach Pax had Water,Snak Packs and Amstew served later. The Cafe Car ran out of everything!

When we finally reached Omaha, "Subway" sandwiches, Cookies and Drinks were brought aboard for everyone. When I returned home after a night in CHI on Amtrak's Dime ( really First Class Everything!) I received a $1,000 Voucher from CR! It was a PAID Trip)
 
I remember my 10 hour delay last month on the CZ. I'm glad everything worked out for you.Wish we got the sandwiches though :)
 
And I was upset over a TWO hour delay? Then again, had it been a ten hour delay I would have gotten into SLC the next morning rather than at 1am ish. So unless there was a major inconvenience, I might rather have a longer delay if getting off at SLC (would be totally different if I were getting off in California or Chicago, especially if connecting to another train).
 
I just heard from a friend who was in a PV on the back of #6 last month who said they were (as he put it) "20, yes, that was T-W-E-N-T-Y hours late into CHI... ...but that was twenty hours more to enjoy that fabulous car, and they didn't run out of drinks!"
 
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