5 and 6 that arrive and depart Emeryville today are in service disruption. 5 is sitting in Reno and 6 in San Francisco. I’ll be watching this one closely because I’m on 6 tomorrow.
Snow storms on Donner Pass
- Thread starter Steve4031
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Ziv
Conductor
Considering the equipment that they have to clear the tracks this must be a heck of a storm. If you go, please take pictures and share them here! 
Have you heard anything from Amtrak? When to you fly out?
We are here. Riding Bart to Oakland. We leave tomorrow. Amtrak app says 5 arriving emy today will leave Reno 6 hours late. 6 is being held until 2 pm. Of course we won’t know until the trains move.
A late arrival of 5 just means a possibility of late departure tomorrow.
I’ve always wanted to go over Donner pass in a snow storm.
A late arrival of 5 just means a possibility of late departure tomorrow.
I’ve always wanted to go over Donner pass in a snow storm.
Be safe and keep me posted (but remember that I am in the eastern time zone and go to sleep much earlier than KK)
I’ll keep this post going. It will ultimately become a trip report. So maybe it should be moved to the correct forum.
I can do that tomorrow.
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Train Attendant
I’m currently on 5(24) that’s stuck at Reno — conductor just announced they’re targeting a 3.30pm departure, but who knows if that’ll happen or not. Apparently we’re awaiting the snow plows to clear the tracks through the mountains and then come back and escort us west again
GAT
GAT
it looks like both trains are moving. Hope your day isn’t fouled up by the delay.
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Train Attendant
Nope still not moving at RNO — they just turned off HEP for a bit in order to let the engineers carry out inspections that otherwise would have been done in the evening at EMY as well.
And probably a good thing I don’t have any plans for the rest of the day haha
The LSA in the Diner insists we won’t run out of food (especially since we’re still at a station) — have plenty of Kind bars stashed in my bag though
I’ll be following you. Good luck.
Anything that happens on Donner pass is definitely better than what happens at the weekly grade level meetings at my elementary school. There is work place cannnabalism practiced weekly.
Anything that happens on Donner pass is definitely better than what happens at the weekly grade level meetings at my elementary school. There is work place cannnabalism practiced weekly.
west point
Engineer
Be glad you are not driving. White out conditions
Injuries reported in 20-car pileup during whiteout conditions in Nevada (msn.com)
Injuries reported in 20-car pileup during whiteout conditions in Nevada (msn.com)
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
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Administator
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Have they brought out the rotaries in Donner Pass? Or is it just big flangers and wedge plows?
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Train Attendant
I think I-80 is closed for the day (which might be why we took on 100+ passengers and the train filled up at RNO) so driving isn’t even an option
Unlike there going with the Rotaries.
Once you start with a rotaries you create a cut through the snow that will remain into the snow melts. So if the rotaries are called out they need to be used for the rest of the snow year.
That said you can plow snow onto one track and have the rotaries throw it into the woods.
Pretty sure this is not the first snow event this year, but also sure the snow depth is not yet a problem for a plow.
Once you start with a rotaries you create a cut through the snow that will remain into the snow melts. So if the rotaries are called out they need to be used for the rest of the snow year.
That said you can plow snow onto one track and have the rotaries throw it into the woods.
Pretty sure this is not the first snow event this year, but also sure the snow depth is not yet a problem for a plow.
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Train Attendant
And we’ve finally left Reno… let’s see how far we get haha
tim49424
Engineer
I find this situation absolutely amazing. When I did my round trip on the Zephyr end to end, there was very little to no snow on the entire route......none in the area that is being discussed. I left Chicago on the 6th and Emeryville on the 10th. I arrived early on both ends, with very few delays. Crazy!
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Train Attendant
There was no snow in Denver Christmas morning which was odd, and nothing on the initial stretch up into the Rockies either. And earlier in the trip we were making excellent time (probably because of limited freight traffic over the holiday) - 30 min early into Denver and 45 min early into Salt Lake, but we’re now looking at 6-7 hours late into EMY
Also now we’re stopped outside Truckee waiting for the snow plows to get ready
Also now we’re stopped outside Truckee waiting for the snow plows to get ready
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Train Attendant
So… turns out plows aren’t actually at Truckee but still stuck up on the Donner Pass trying to extricate a disabled freight train, so we’re going to spend a few more hours outside Truckee and keep waiting. And Amstew for everyone at 6pm…
I knew I should have bailed at Reno and flown haha
I knew I should have bailed at Reno and flown haha
"Amstew" huh? You know this is the Donner Pass? I would look very carefully at whatever is in that stew.
Back in the '50s the train got stuck and the rescue train got stuck trying to retrieve them. They ran out of Dinty Moore after the first week. No telling what they ate to survive."Amstew" huh? You know this is the Donner Pass? I would look very carefully at whatever is in that stew.
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Train Attendant
"Amstew" huh? You know this is the Donner Pass? I would look very carefully at whatever is in that stew.
I got a hotdog from the cafe just in case (surprised they hadn’t run out) - but looks like it’s in the process of being cleaned out of alcohol
Also if we’re stuck on one side of the Donner Pass I think that means today’s 6 is also stuck on the other side — wonder which train will be let through first
I’m assuming/hoping they can restock the train for the train back to Chicago.
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