Passenger Trains > Amtrak 8 Engine Failure

Amtrak 8 is coming into Chicago with a single P40 (818) today. What happened out west? No access to a BNSF GE to help out into Chicago? Maybe if downtown was thinking on their feet they tacked a loco on the back of 7 to meet and hook up with 8?

Hopefully a video and pics to follow later if I can work it around my work schedule...

Seth-



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/16 13:03 by sethamtrak.

Freight railroads typically don't have locomotives laying around just in case Amtrak "might" need one.

Besides, the last 350 miles of 8's journey is on CP.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/16 16:14 by DevalDragon.

DevalDragon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Freight railroads typically don't have locomotives
> laying around just in case Amtrak "might" need
> one.

After cresting the Rockies, perhaps the 2nd loco was not that important?  How late was its arrival into Chicago?    Yes, the host RR's don't usually have spare locos all along its system, however, in a major terminal, there should absolutely be available extra power to assist.  Where did the engine failure occur?
>
> Besides, the first 350 miles of 8's journey is on
> CP.

Do you mean the 'last' 350 miles of 8's journey?

 

Doesn't look like it is doing horribly - a couple hours late coming into Milwaukee.  OP didn't state where the failure occurred, but even if it was somewhere out west after crossing the Rockies, it probably would have lost more time adding a freight unit to the consist, then being limited to 70 mph maximum speed of the freight locomotive.  Assuming the unit that is on there continues to work all the way to Chicago, looks like not putting any other power on there is the right decision.  And yes, CP is the last 400 miles for #8.

* SPK 2 1240A 2 125A 1210A 125A Arrived: 30 minutes early. | Departed: On time. * SPT * * 2 230A * 240A Departed: 10 minutes late. * LIB * * 2 521A * 547A Departed: 26 minutes late. * WFH 2 721A 2 741A 750A 806A Arrived: 29 minutes late. | Departed: 25 minutes late. * WGL * * 2 811A * 838A Departed: 27 minutes late. * ESM * * 2 850A * 916A Departed: 26 minutes late. * GPK * * 2 949A * 1013A Departed: 24 minutes late. * CUT * * 2 1040A * 1101A Departed: 21 minutes late. * SBY 2 1128A 2 1133A 1129A 1143A Arrived: 1 minute late. | Departed: 10 minutes late. * HAV 2 102P 2 122P 121P 147P Arrived: 19 minutes late. | Departed: 25 minutes late. * MAL * * 2 242P * 258P Departed: 16 minutes late. * GGW * * 2 337P * 400P Departed: 23 minutes late. * WPT * * 2 423P * 447P Departed: 24 minutes late. * WTN * * 2 659P * 758P Departed: 59 minutes late. STN * * 2 801P CT * MOT 2 927P 2 947P 949P 1130P Arrived: 22 minutes late. | Departed: 1 hour, 43 minutes late. * RUG * * 2 1043P * 1227A Departed: 1 hour, 44 minutes late. * DVL * * 2 1137P * 118A Departed: 1 hour, 41 minutes late. * GFK * * 3 102A * 243A Departed: 1 hour, 41 minutes late. * FAR * * 3 218A * 406A Departed: 1 hour, 48 minutes late. * DLK * * 3 315A * 506A Departed: 1 hour, 51 minutes late. * SPL * * 3 414A * 629A Departed: 2 hours, 15 minutes late. * SCD * * 3 519A * 754A Departed: 2 hours, 35 minutes late. * MSP 3 743A 3 800A 932A 951A Arrived: 1 hour, 49 minutes late. | Departed: 1 hour, 51 minutes late. * RDW * * 3 854A * 1045A Departed: 1 hour, 51 minutes late. * WIN 3 1004A 3 1011A 1146A 1154A Arrived: 1 hour, 42 minutes late. | Departed: 1 hour, 43 minutes late. * LSE * * 3 1047A * 1230P Departed: 1 hour, 43 minutes late. * TOH * * 3 1126A * 115P Departed: 1 hour, 49 minutes late. * WDL * * 3 1208P * 157P Departed: 1 hour, 49 minutes late. * POG * * 3 1227P * 218P Departed: 1 hour, 51 minutes late. * CBS * * 3 1257P * 252P Departed: 1 hour, 55 minutes late. * MKE 3 207P 3 215P 401P 402P Arrived: 1 hour, 54 minutes late. | Departed: 1 hour, 47 minutes late. * GLN * * 3 312P * 508P Departed: 1 hour, 56 minutes late. CHI 3 355P * * CTTrain 8 of 08/27/2016                 http://dixielandsoftware.net/Amtrak/status/pics/tracker.gif                 http://dixielandsoftware.net/Amtrak/status/pics/arrow.gif Unformatted Data
Empire BuilderStationScheduledActualSeattle, WA (SEA)Dp  440PDp  440P On time.Edmonds, WA (EDM)Dp  512PDp  512P On time.Everett, WA (EVR)Dp  539PDp  539P On time.Leavenworth, WA (LWA)Dp  800PDp  813P 13 minutes late.Wenatchee, WA (WEN)Ar  832P
Dp  842PAr  846P 14 minutes late.
Dp  855P 13 minutes late.Ephrata, WA (EPH)Dp  942PDp  957P 15 minutes late.Spokane, WA (SPK)Ar 1240A
Dp  125AAr 1210A 30 minutes early.
Dp  125A On time.Sandpoint, ID (SPT)Dp  230ADp  240A 10 minutes late.Libby, MT (LIB)Dp  521ADp  547A 26 minutes late.Whitefish, MT (WFH)Ar  721A
Dp  741AAr  750A 29 minutes late.
Dp  806A 25 minutes late.West Glacier, MT (WGL)Dp  811ADp  838A 27 minutes late.Essex, MT (ESM)Dp  850ADp  916A 26 minutes late.East Glacier Park, MT (GPK)Dp  949ADp 1013A 24 minutes late.Cut Bank, MT (CUT)Dp 1040ADp 1101A 21 minutes late.Shelby, MT (SBY)Ar 1128A
Dp 1133AAr 1129A 1 minute late.
Dp 1143A 10 minutes late.Havre, MT (HAV)Ar  102P
Dp  122PAr  121P 19 minutes late.
Dp  147P 25 minutes late.Malta, MT (MAL)Dp  242PDp  258P 16 minutes late.Glasgow, MT (GGW)Dp  337PDp  400P 23 minutes late.Wolf Point, MT (WPT)Dp  423PDp  447P 24 minutes late.Williston, ND (WTN)Dp  659PDp  758P 59 minutes late.Stanley, ND (STN)Dp  801PDpMinot, ND (MOT)Ar  927P
Dp  947PAr  949P 22 minutes late.
Dp 1130P 1 hour, 43 minutes late.Rugby, ND (RUG)Dp 1043PDp 1227A 1 hour, 44 minutes late.Devils Lake, ND (DVL)Dp 1137PDp  118A 1 hour, 41 minutes late.Grand Forks, ND (GFK)Dp  102ADp  243A 1 hour, 41 minutes late.Fargo, ND (FAR)Dp  218ADp  406A 1 hour, 48 minutes late.Detroit Lakes, MN (DLK)Dp  315ADp  506A 1 hour, 51 minutes late.Staples, MN (SPL)Dp  414ADp  629A 2 hours, 15 minutes late.St. Cloud, MN (SCD)Dp  519ADp  754A 2 hours, 35 minutes late.St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN (MSP)Ar  743A
Dp  800AAr  932A 1 hour, 49 minutes late.
Dp  951A 1 hour, 51 minutes late.Red Wing, MN (RDW)Dp  854ADp 1045A 1 hour, 51 minutes late.Winona, MN (WIN)Ar 1004A
Dp 1011AAr 1146A 1 hour, 42 minutes late.
Dp 1154A 1 hour, 43 minutes late.La Crosse, WI (LSE)Dp 1047ADp 1230P 1 hour, 43 minutes late.Tomah, WI (TOH)Dp 1126ADp  115P 1 hour, 49 minutes late.Wisconsin Dells, WI (WDL)Dp 1208PDp  157P 1 hour, 49 minutes late.Portage, WI (POG)Dp 1227PDp  218P 1 hour, 51 minutes late.Columbus, WI (CBS)Dp 1257PDp  252P 1 hour, 55 minutes late.Milwaukee, WI (MKE)Ar  207P
Dp  215PAr  401P 1 hour, 54 minutes late.
Dp  402P 1 hour, 47 minutes late.Glenview, IL (GLN)Dp  312PDp  508P 1 hour, 56 minutes late.Chicago, IL (CHI)Ar  355PAr

The first 350 miles of 8 are NOT on CP. They are on BNSF. You must be confusing 8 with 7.

Posted from iPhone

Arrived CHI 1 hr 39 min late.

However, it was virtually on time when SOMETHING happened
to one of the two engines, the AMTK 157. It became disabled
and was set out at Surrey, ND. At that point the train
lost its two hours but then was able to maintain scheduled
speed, more or less, with single engine AMTK 818. It's
level or slightly downhill for most of the way to Chicago
from there.

I don't have any details yet on what, exactly, went wrong
with the AMTK 157.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/16 23:07 by GenePoon.

P40 = gets the job done!

An hour 39 down for a train that lost an engine en route?  That's better than average in my book, don't think you would have gained anything with a freight unit, which could have come with a speed restriction of its own.

I was on 7 a couple years ago when the lead unit's computer went down at Minneapolis in the middle of the night.  We lost better than two hours just turning the engines so the trailing unit could lead.