Western Railroad Discussion > Manifest parked on single track east of Sparks, NV

Sitting just east of Sparks, NV on the winding single-track along the Truckee River is a UPRR eastbound manifest.  

Been sitting there maybe 90 minutes?

Train problem or something else?

No other info but that train definitely plugs up the works!

Chuck

Most likely waiing for a crew, it's happened before.

Out 

Said train just rolled through Fernley, NV. 

It's a PSR Monster took a few minutes to go by. 

Strange they would shut down within walking distance of the Sparks yard?

Chuck

Depends on what was ahead of it. They may have pulled the crew off at the Hafed crossing if the new crew
wasn''t available and the inbound crew was close on HOS. But then no Sparks-Elko pool crew is ever close
on HOS on that run (just hurt myself laughing).

Out 

Amtrak #6 eastbound just rolled through Fernley slowly. 

Right on the tail of the big PSR. 

Not sure siding-wise how this issue will be resolved. 

Chuck

RailDawg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak #6 eastbound just rolled through Fernley
> slowly. 
>
> Right on the tail of the big PSR. 
>
> Not sure siding-wise how this issue will be
> resolved. 
>
 Is the siding at Hazen long enough to fit one of these monsters? Don't have one of my SP ETT's handy to check.  Ben

Good question about siding lengths out here. 

Seems none are long enough when these PSR's get in the way.  

Watched a fun see-saw maneuver a while back on the line up near Lovelock, NV.  Amtrak see'd into the siding and then the manifest sawed backwards. 

See-saws take time and this eastbound PSR Monster is clogging up the usual westbounders it would seem.  

Never having the big picture it's still fun to discuss how railroads handle problems.  

Chuck 

Eastbound Amtrak 6 rolled through Lovelock, NV about an hour ago and was approaching a flashing yellow signal.  

There was a westbound train at the siding near Toulon which Amtrak was slowly passing before getting to Lovelock. 

Seems the unfortunate #6 is trapped behind a very-slow-moving PSR Monster that appears to be underpowered with a 3 x 1 x 1 arrangement.  

It's a long train well over 2 miles in length it seems. 

No idea why it's still going slow but it has definitely gummed up the Overland works.  

Chuck

this train put amtrak in service disruption status, train was 27 minutes late at reno now it is 3:37 min late nice work  UP central corridor manager your a piece of work, ok amtrak does not support his family, he has probaly never even taken amtrak,,,

after stopping in winnemuca train is doing 79 again



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/23 02:23 by dan.

The Cult doesn’t care, the Feds don’t care, Amjoke kinda cares when they can blame a Class One instead of their own ineptitude.

Welcome to Modern North American Railroading.

Regards

Posted from iPhone

dan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> UP central corridor
> manager your a piece of work, ok amtrak does not
> support his family, 


And at the end of the day, unless safety is involved, that is all that will matter.  

ns2557 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RailDawg Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Amtrak #6 eastbound just rolled through Fernley
> > slowly. 
> >
> > Right on the tail of the big PSR. 
> >
> > Not sure siding-wise how this issue will be
> > resolved. 
> >
>  Is the siding at Hazen long enough to fit one of
> these monsters? Don't have one of my SP ETT's
> handy to check.  Ben

A timetable would be of little use with the information given.   I know of no timetable which the siding lengths are given in "PSR monster" lengths.  Without the train's footage, it would be nothing but guessing. 

PSR Monsters are well over 2 miles in length. 

They are much too long for the sidings out here as can be witnessed last night with Amtrak crawling along for a couple hundred miles behind one of these monsters.  

Not sure the tonnage on this manifest but 5 locos didn't seem to be enough.  

Am in no way an expert on operations out here on The Overland. Always learning from ya'll!

Chuck

Nothing will change until the FRA outlaws such monster trains, and restricts them to about 9000'.  The monsters are unsafe, operate poorly, don't fit in yards or sidings, and can block a rail line for hours.  

RailDawg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PSR Monsters are well over 2 miles in length. 


Again, not enough information.  All that tells me is the train is over 10,500 feet.  Not enough information unless EVERY siding is shorter than that.

MEKoch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nothing will change until the FRA outlaws such
> monster trains, and restricts them to about
> 9000'.  The monsters are unsafe, operate poorly,
> don't fit in yards or sidings, and can block a
> rail line for hours.  

And yet the railroads find them preferable to running shorter trains.  Profitable or a lack of crews for more train starts?

mapboy

Seems if there was a siding long enough between Sparks and Winnemucca the PSR Monster would have taken it and let Amtrak by?

Let's put the PSR at 13000 ft. 

As mentioned it requires a see-saw maneuver to get past these longer trains.  

Fun to watch although it takes some time to complete!

Chuck



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/23 09:32 by RailDawg.

Sure quiet now as to the new regulations for the industry, like restricting train sizes; guessing the carriers have been successful in stopping this stuff?

That's the US government - for sale to the highest dollar.

mapboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MEKoch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Nothing will change until the FRA outlaws such
> > monster trains, and restricts them to about
> > 9000'.  The monsters are unsafe, operate
> poorly,
> > don't fit in yards or sidings, and can block a
> > rail line for hours.  
>
> And yet the railroads find them preferable to
> running shorter trains.  Profitable or a lack of
> crews for more train starts?
>
> mapboy

I think I saw that train parked east of the sparks yard on the main yesterday while I was driving on 80.  There  was a small gap between the boxcars in the middle of the train with an railroad employee doing some work on one of  the boxcars.  The gap was small and it was just before Lockwood.  I was disappointed I couldn't get a car count because I thought I'd never seen a train that long.  Good part of  the train was still in the yard.  From an really old timetable, siding at Thisbe is 9,600, Fernley is 10,100.  

Thanks reno for that info. 

Yes right there by Lockwood next to 80. 

That was one of the longer trains seen in awhile. They were more common a year ago but not so much recently.  

It's a double main up there in Winnemucca, NV where the Feather River Route meets up with The Overland Route.  

Without a see-saw maneuver that must be the first place available for passing these long PSR's?

Again thanks didn't see the separation you mentioned.  

Chuck