Snow NEC 1/2/14

[afigg]

Another reason for delays on the NEC later on Thursday was a trespasser incident for a NJ Transit train: Man struck, killed by train near Elizabeth station.

 

[NE933]

The AEM7s flew past snow like a gem, well earning their benchmark status that subsequent equipment shall be compared to, including HHP8s and the ASC64. Even the little-loved E60 fared very well in snow.

 

[the_traveler]

The AEM7s flew past snow like a gem

You mean the toasters make toast of the snow? :giggle:

 

[CHamilton]

It's toasty here in Klamath Falls. 39 degrees and sunny. Wishing everyone on the other coast warm and safe travels.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

It's toasty here in Klamath Falls. 39 degrees and sunny. Wishing everyone on the other coast warm and safe travels.

:angry:

 

[MrFSS]

It's toasty here in Klamath Falls. 39 degrees and sunny. Wishing everyone on the other coast warm and safe travels.

It is all the way up to 12 degrees here in central Kentucky. Lows in the -5 to -10 area next week. But the freight trains are running fine (we don't have Amtrak).

 

[the_traveler]

N-N-N-N-O-O-O-O-O-O-O Amtrak ?

I have to restart my heart! With these cold temperatures, it may take some doing!

 

[henryj]

Well Alan, (for some reason I can no longer reply with a quote) I wasn't around for the 1888 Great White Blizzard, nor am I the romantic fool you and others seem to think. I have followed railroading since probably the 1950's. I only recall one time the Pennsy actually broke down and that was mentioned above. The GG1's started failing due to a very fine powder snow that got into the electrics somehow. Otherwise they served faithfully for over 50 years. You obviously have missed the point anyway. The railroads did this with labor intensive equipment, steam locomotives, friction bearings, steam heated cars, etc. and did it just as good as Amtrak or better. When I went over to Germany January of 1964 courtesy of 'Uncle Sam' we went by train in the middle of a huge snow storm. The Pennsy got us from St Louis to New York just fine and only about an hour late. So here we are in the year 2014 and things are hardly any better and most of the trains are gone.

 

[Ispolkom]

... You obviously have missed the point anyway. The railroads did this with labor intensive equipment, steam locomotives, friction bearings, steam heated cars, etc. and did it just as good as Amtrak or better. When I went over to Germany January of 1964 courtesy of 'Uncle Sam' we went by train in the middle of a huge snow storm. The Pennsy got us from St Louis to New York just fine and only about an hour late. So here we are in the year 2014 and things are hardly any better and most of the trains are gone.

Isn't that the point? The railroads had a lot more employees to clear switches, downed trees, etc., etc. back in the day. And I'll see your 1964 St. Louis-NY, and raise you a 2009 Empire Builder:

On the day after Christmas 2009, I took the Empire Builder from Minot, ND, to St. Paul, MN. This was after a three-day blizzard that had:

a) closed the interstates across the entire state,

b) closed the Minot airport to any travel,

c) closed the Minot air force base, so that the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force had to ride a snowplow down to the train station to catch the train,

d) led the state highway patrol to recommend no travel anywhere in the state; and

e) forced me to walk to the depot, since there was no getting a car through the 4-5 foot snowdrifts across the streets.

The Empire Builder, led by a huge, orange BNSF freight locomotive with a plow, was only 45 minutes late into Minot, and 2 hours late into St. Paul. You could feel the train accordion as it bucked the snowdrifts.

Things weren't always so wonderful then, and they aren't always so bad now. A lot of it depends on the traveler's luck.

 

[Railroad Bill]

It was -6 this morning here in the hinterlands. Shoveled and snowblowered the drive for a third time. But the best is yet to come as Sunday looks like another snowstorm and then -15 on Tuesday morning. Batten down the hatches over there on the East Coast. We are sending you more winter weather soon.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Our current forecast for next week does NOT have snow, but we do have another bitter cold day forecast for Tuesday. Monday looks like the high (43) will be in the morning then dropping all day to 8 in the evening.

At least these snow events and bitter cold days are short lived with "normal" days in between. Much easier to bear, as far as I'm concerned.

Edit: Before any other smarta** make fun of my typo. :lol:

Hey, with those "warm" temps, I might want to bare it. h34r:

 

[jebr]

The 7:00 AM (CT) update on NPR seemed to suggest that the modified schedule was mainly due to lowered demand on the corridor, not due to equipment issues.

I wish I had a link for it, but can't find it right now.

 

[John Bobinyec]

Our current forecast for next week does NOT have snow, but we do have another bitter cold day forecast for Tuesday. Monday looks like the high (43) will be in the morning then dropping all day to 8 in the evening.

At least these snow events and bitter cold days are short lived with "normal" days in between. Much easier to bare, as far as I'm concerned.

Freudian slip?

I personally would find it easier to bear.

jb

 

[the_traveler]

Much easier to bare, as far as I'm concerned.

The only one who "bare" this cold are those guys you see at football games who have letters painted on their "bare" chests in 0° weather!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Much easier to bare, as far as I'm concerned.

The only one who "bare" this cold are those guys you see at football games who have letters painted on their "bare" chests in 0° weather!

Or the Polar Bear plungers.

 

[fairviewroad]

The 7:00 AM (CT) update on NPR seemed to suggest that the modified schedule was mainly due to lowered demand on the corridor, not due to equipment issues.

I wish I had a link for it, but can't find it right now.

That makes a lot of sense, especially considering most of the cancellations seem to have been Acelas. Bear in mind it's still "the holidays" so lots of folks are off work, or probably would have cancelled trips based on the forecast.

OTOH, keeping most of the regionals running probably helps with the post-New Year's leisure travelers, as well as people who chose to take the train rather than risk sitting in an airport for most of the day.

 

[SarahZ]

We're supposed to get another six inches or more this weekend, and the windchill is going to hover around -20 to -30 Monday and Tuesday.

Blargh. I don't remember moving back to the upper peninsula. I blame Minnesota.

 

[pennyk]

Not that I am complaining (in comparison to the rest of the country), but we had a windchill temperature of 39 degrees this morning in Orlando. Our high today is expected to be 48.

For those of you that know me, I will tell you that I wore 2 pairs of yoga pants, 3 shirts, a down jacket, hat, gloves and boots to yoga class this morning. Of course, for class, I was down to 1 pair of yoga pants and one shirt.

I hope all my friends in New England, the Northeast and the midwest stay warm and safe.

Sarah, I think the weather forecasters are blaming Minnesota also. :lol:

 

[SarahZ]

I'd be ticked too if it were 39 in Orlando. It has to feel downright awful to people who aren't used to it. No teasing here. I feel bad for you. Orlando is supposed to be warm and awesome.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Maybe it's just certain Minnesotans with first names beginning with J.

 

[AlanB]

Well Alan, (for some reason I can no longer reply with a quote) I wasn't around for the 1888 Great White Blizzard, nor am I the romantic fool you and others seem to think.

Henry,

I never used the word "fool", nor did I even think or imply it! I simply feel that, as is human nature, you weren't quite remembering the bad.

I have followed railroading since probably the 1950's. I only recall one time the Pennsy actually broke down and that was mentioned above. The GG1's started failing due to a very fine powder snow that got into the electrics somehow. Otherwise they served faithfully for over 50 years. You obviously have missed the point anyway. The railroads did this with labor intensive equipment, steam locomotives, friction bearings, steam heated cars, etc. and did it just as good as Amtrak or better. When I went over to Germany January of 1964 courtesy of 'Uncle Sam' we went by train in the middle of a huge snow storm. The Pennsy got us from St Louis to New York just fine and only about an hour late. So here we are in the year 2014 and things are hardly any better and most of the trains are gone.

And Amtrak didn't shut down the NEC. Trains are running, albeit with some delays; generally under 1 hour late although there are some encroaching on 2 hours late. People are getting up and down the corridor if they need to do so. All Amtrak did was cut back on the number of trains being run, most likely because many people cancelled their trips due to the snow.

 

[jebr]

Blargh. I don't remember moving back to the upper peninsula. I blame Minnesota.

Sarah, I think the weather forecasters are blaming Minnesota also. :lol:

Maybe it's just certain Minnesotans with first names beginning with J.

Hey now! What did I do? h34r: :giggle:

Here they're blaming a Canadian air mass moving out of the Hudson Bay into Minnesota, bringing their cold temperatures with it.

See, not our fault! ^_^

 

[the_traveler]

I'm not going to blame you for the cold temperatures!

Just for the snow! (MN is the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" and all that water has to go somewhere, right? :giggle: )

 

[Bob Dylan]

Up along the Northern Border they Blame Canada and in Canada they Blame Siberia! :lol: (The Dreaded Siberian High! :angry: )

All Kidding aside, That's Cold for Florida so I Won't Tease Penny! It was 43 Here Today in Austin but Sunny with a Low Tonight in the 20s Forecast which is COLD for Here!

:hi: All the Best to our Northern and NE AUers, Stay Warm and Safe and be Thankful you're Not Stuck @ an Airport this Weekend!! :help: I'd Rather Be on a Train!!!!!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I'm not going to blame you for the cold temperatures!

Just for the snow! (MN is the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" and all that water has to go somewhere, right? :giggle: )

I don't know about Rhode Island, but, generally the snow we get in DE, from Nor'easters, gets it's moisture from the gulf.