Todays TE#22 5 Hours Late out of SAS

[Bob Dylan]

Notice that todays NB TE#22 left SAS @ 1205PM, normal Departure is 7AM!!!

No info can be found, does anyone have anything on why this Train is so late???(it's not to SMC yet, AUS agents only know there is a delay??) :help:

 

[stntylr]

I don't need that. I'm going to Chicago two weeks from today. The TE on time performance had beeen really good the last couple of days.

It arrived in Chicago 26 minutes early yesterday. Doesn't look like it will be early on Monday.

 

[City of Miami]

It's not because #21 was particularly late getting there last night. Perhaps there was a problem with the single locomotive - and there isn't a backup in San Antonio AFAIK. Better the problem be found in the station where there are alternatives to staring at the same parched cornfield from a stifling coach for 5+ hrs waiting for help to arrive.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Perhaps there was a problem with the single locomotive - and there isn't a backup in San Antonio AFAIK. Better the problem be found in the station where there are alternatives to staring at the same parched cornfield from a stifling coach for 5+ hrs waiting for help to arrive.

You are correct that there is no backup locomotive in San Antonio. If a train is delayed past the closing point of the normal station hours does Amtrak leave the station open for disrupted passengers to wait in?

 

[GlobalistPotato]

I would imagine that the problem would be a engine failure or a bad order. This would be the second time this month when the engine on the Texas Eagle pooped out and died.

Perhaps we need to tell Amtrak that there needs to be more than one engine on the TE. The P42s' reliability leaves much to be desired.

 

[Steve4031]

Is there a shortage of engines that leads to this practice?

 

[City of Miami]

I believe it was said to be a fuel economy issue a few yrs ago when they cut back on the lines where it was not essential.

 

[dart330]

On occasions like this do they hold the Heartland Flyer in FTW until the TE gets there?

 

[GlobalistPotato]

On occasions like this do they hold the Heartland Flyer in FTW until the TE gets there?

There's a four hour gap between the arrival of #22 into FTW and the departure of the NB Heartland Flyer... So I'd say yes.

 

[Mark]

I'm on it right now. It has been just one problem after another. From what the crew has reported the original unit out of SAS was a bad order. So a UP unit was added after a few hours. That unit had a problem so it was swapped at FTW for another P42. By the time it picked me and my family up it was down 6.5 hours. 304 departed ahead of us. That stung. Slightly north of Lincoln the replacement unit began to have radiator problems. The crew figured out that they could run the train from the second or 'oringinal' unit making me wonder what was wrong with it to begin with.

 

[stntylr]

The TE finally arrived in Chicago at 11:29 pm.

10 1/2 hours late.

 

[had8ley]

Years ago Amtrak had a brain storm of converting "B" units to fuel cars and run working units into the ground.Last time I saw one was in NOL and it looked awful~ another waste of big bucks. My proposal to alleviate this one engine day dream is to purchase some slugs with HEP power sources so when these GEnius units play out the pax don't do the same in 100 degree plus temps. The slugs also help with tractive effort and braking.