Passenger Trains > Chicago Chaos caused by 21st St bridge malfunction

Around 12 noon in Chicago: 21st St movable bridge would not lock in
the closed position, so rail movements were prohibited...Everything
to/from the south/east out of Chicago was stopped.

Chicago Train Director told everyone to wait, including incoming
trains, Amtrak consists that needed to be turned to go back to
terminal and load, and a couple of Metra Southwest District trains.
It finally took took Train 302’s crew suggesting a detour to finally
try and move anything.

The plan was to use the St. Charles Air Line.

All was repaired and clear at 155pm. Longest delays were 49, 365,
29’s turn with yard crew, and a Metra inbound (more than 1 1/2
hours). 49 had a sick passenger on board who had to be removed by
ambulance and that was delayed due to chaos. Another passenger on 49
went ballistic over the delays and police had to remove him in
handcuffs.

Another fun day on the railroad...

You seem to infer that 302's crew was the only one to suggest the move?  Any qualified crews available?  Always fun to second guess...

Sure did a lot of good for the passenger going ballistic.  None of us really like to be delayed but causing a disturbance doesn't fix anything.  I wonder how much quicker the got to his destination because of the disturbance.  I would guess it was not in his favor.  Sounds like a pretty nasty time for a lot of people.

Why do peopole have to do stupid stuff like that?  I was on a very late eastbound Empire Builder several years ago.  EVERYBODY was going to miss their connections in Chicago. Amtrak sent agents to meet the train at the Twin cities and they worked with passengers to get vouchers and make plans for their continued connections.  They set up shop in the diner and there were a few of us waiting our turn to talk with the agents.  When it was my turn I let the guy behind me go ahead of me.  All he was doing was belly-aching about everything.  It wasn't going to get him to Chicago a minute faster but he had to sound off.

John

John were you on a later Builder that got into Chicago at 04:22 in the mroning? That was the time that Amtrak derailed both enigines in Seattle and #27 went to Seattle on #7 because of track work. They turn #7 into #8 at Spokane.
Dennis

wa4umr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sure did a lot of good for the passenger going
> ballistic.  None of us really like to be delayed
> but causing a disturbance doesn't fix anything.
>  I wonder how much quicker the got to his
> destination because of the disturbance.  I would
> guess it was not in his favor.  Sounds like a
> pretty nasty time for a lot of people.
====================================

Well, it DID get him off the train first!

Hopefully the other passengers saw this passenger for what he is...a Me First societal aberration. 

Unfortunately it seems that such aberrations are becoming more common; hopefully it is only because
instant communcations are making dissemination of the news of such incidents more frequent.

The only way to bypass the bridge coming from the east is from the easternmost Norfolk a Southern (former PRR) and onto the C.N.'s Freeport Subdivision via the "New Connection" track.  From there a train can get to the 16th Street interlocking, back over the Air Line to the BNSF, and proceed on into Union Station.  It's not a difficult or particularly time consuming move (if I remember right in that Metra and Amtrak trains can cross over to the right N.S. track at CP 518) but I'm sure crew qualifications would be a big issue.

St. Louis trains would just continue past 21st Street to 16th Street and do the same maneuver.  Again, crew qualifications would be the sticking point.

Lacking a yard crew being qualified on the territories (to act as a pilot) conveniently on duty in the yard at the time, I guess I can see why such a move wouldn't be done.  Frustrating as h**l to be that close and get hung up for hours, and to get someone who could act as a pilot if nobody was on duty would take a couple of hours at least.

Crews working to or from Carbondale are qualified over all three routes; "New Connection", Air Line, and Cermack.  This would include Zone 8 extra board crews.  I don't know what other regular crews would be qualified, but I'm pretty sure Toledo and Michagan crews wouldn't be.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

About a year ago I was on a 13 hour late # 4 into Chicago and in addition to a bunch of " never againers" we had 2 who went totally ballistic when they encountered the VERY long line that immediately formed at the customer service counter. Eventually a couple of Amtrak cops showed up and hauled one of them away which caused the other one to shut up. All in all a very poor night for Amtrak.

   Ross Rowland

State of good (bridge) repair!

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