Western Railroad Discussion > Snow Bound Union Pacific Train

https://kstp.com/news/union-pacific-trains-stuck-snow-ellendale-clarks-grove/5258430/

News article has a little unrelated video.

Train stuck Sunday, crew "rescued" by National Guard Monday. Ellendale, MN on the Spine Line, a little over Iowa border.

Photos - 2/26/2019

At Mason City, IA I started to chase UP north on the Spine Line which I posted some photos a week back.  I had received an email about a snowbound train on the Spine Line but was a way up, had to look up Ellendale.  After chasing the plow train north I got behind it at Albert Lee and noticed I was now near Ellendale.  I thought I'd take a look but not know what was still there or whether it was even accessible. As it turned out I got there just as they were pulling the stuck power out and there was a convenient road for viewing, from where i took photos.

1) Two units of northbound train in cut. Other units and train were pulled back.  Hulcher had dug around and lifted up power so packed snow could be cleared out.
   The cut did not look that significant and a UP supervisor was surprised it caused the train to get stuck.
    Totally personal observation, it seemed the cut was at the top of a sag which can be fairly steep for a short time. With cold, snow on the sag the train could have lost speed when it hit cut.

2) There was a train without power in the siding north at Ellendale and guessing this was power from that southbound sent to pull train out.  This may have also been 2nd set of power that got stuck trying to pull first train out on sunday.

3)  Rescue train arrives at site

Bob Jordan



 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/19 06:13 by robj.

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4) Ready to couple to snowbound units.

5) lead unit pulled free.

Bob

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Nice coverage.  Some pretty dramatic shots that show the power of the elements. Thanks for showing these.
Brian Stevens

Very interesting.  Thanks for posting these.

First impression of Nos. 4 and 5:

What was it the Engines said,
Pilots touching,—head to head
Facing on the single track,
Half a world behind each back?
     (Francis Bret Harte. 1839–1902)

TAW       

Thanks for the pics...

Most Excellent!!!

PWM

Very interesting series!

Larry

I really don't think they had near enough company officials at the stuck engine consist.  They should have called in more to assist.

Neat shots.

Was 8394 the rescue power or was it the SD70M?

Thanks.

Randy Lundgren
Elgin, TX

8394 was part of "rescue" power.

Bob



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/19 15:55 by robj.

I think several of those "white trucks" are Hulcher.

Quite a rescue, but the Interstate had 8' drifts in Albert Lea IIRC.

NiceHandTick Wrote:
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> I really don't think they had near enough company
> officials at the stuck engine consist.  They
> should have called in more to assist.

Exactly my thought. How many suits does it take to free a stuck unit? I'm sure they were exremely helpful.

Keith in Roseburg

Did I miss something? Didn't see any "suits" 
(just asking...)

EsPee1229 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NiceHandTick Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I really don't think they had near enough
> company
> > officials at the stuck engine consist.  They
> > should have called in more to assist.
>
> Exactly my thought. How many suits does it take to
> free a stuck unit? I'm sure they were exremely
> helpful.
>
> Keith in Roseburg

When you try to plow through deep snow of that depth, always have bailing wires around every glad hand air coupling for 5 junction back.  The snow packs under the units and pushes up between units and shoves the air hoses up and break the connection and dumps the train line air.  Corfu, NY 1974.
The snow packing under the traction motors force the listing of the wheels off the rail head and they lose traction.

Glad the crew made it out, sucks things like that happens in the winter!

Third picture looks like a routine job briefing which is certainly expected.  The men's "suits" appear appropriate for the conditions.

I don't recall ever hearing that a unit stuck in snow ever had to be lifted up to clear snow under it before.   I would have thought the rescue power could have pulled the stuck power out once they cleared their way to allow them to couple together.  

Glad you were out to document. Must have been quite a day for the crews involved. Thanks for posting

PQM

With Hulcher involved, are we sure that there wasn't a slight derailment? Lifting a unit off the rails with Hulcher equipment, to remove snow, doesn't sound like anything someone would want to ever do.