Western Railroad Discussion > Biggest snow of the winter so far for Donner

Looks like Thursday and all day Friday it's going to be 6 ft of new snow and some serious wind to 60 mph up at Donner Pass. 

I-80 is going to be (as usual) a total disaster.  

The UPRR doesn't seem to have the gumption anymore to get trains through the pass when heavy blowing snow falls.  

Seems it's a manpower thing just like most other things around us.  

Takes a large number of hard-core railroaders to be out in the coming conditions clearing track. 

Seems those numbers are dwindling and it shows up at Donner when things simply shut down until the snow stops.

Chuck 

I guess #5 will turn at Reno and they won't even bother with #6 out of EMY. 

With all the rain coming to the Feather River Canyon. Seems like a good bet nothing is going to move east out of central California for a few days.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

If this occurs, it will be interesting to see what will be used to clear the accumulated snow off the tracks once the storms pass.
Boiling Man would normally be in the middle of it but is currently on his way to warmer climates!
Regards, Jim Evans

The FRC has preemptively closed to vehicle traffic for this upcoming storm. I would imagine that the RR is going to have serious problems as they are looking at 3 inches of rain tomorrow at Tobin and an unknown amount of rain and snow on Friday which is expected to be the worst day.

When railroads were run by railroaders, heavy snows would detour traffic to the lower Feather River Canyon.  Heavy rains would detour traffic to Donner Pass.

Now railroads are run by Wall Street, and are run like any other corporation.  Anything to shave a penny here and there.  That's their mission.

Stan Praisewater

sagehen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When railroads were run by railroaders, heavy
> snows would detour traffic to the lower Feather
> River Canyon.  Heavy rains would detour traffic
> to Donner Pass.
>
> Now railroads are run by Wall Street, and are run
> like any other corporation.  Anything to shave a
> penny here and there.  That's their mission.
>
> Stan Praisewater

What about this current weather "event", where the Feather River Canyon will be getting large quantities of rain (there have already been rock slides there), and the Donner Pass route might get large quantities of heavy, wet snow? How would such traffic detours work then?

The Camp Fire in 2018 and the Greenville Fire in 2022 striped away a large portion of the vegetation above Hwy 70 and the UP ROW in the FRC.

They will continue to have Rock/Mud Slides until new vegetation grows and helps to stablize the slopes. 

They probably needs some below average Rainfall years as well. 

One of the good things about this Monster Storm is the lowering of the Snow level to 2000-2500 feet so you won't have as much rainfall rolling down the hills in the upper part of the Canyon, 

Quite likely the UP will route Roseville-Mojave-Barstow-Las Vegas-Ogden.
So what if it adds a few days to the "trip plans" of their customer's cargo.
If they had any sense of urgency they wouldn't be on the RRs any more anyway.

The UP will continue to run over the mountain, with the exception of spreader windows and stalled trains.

Regarding Sierra Nevada forecasts, keep in mind what elevation the forecast is for. Much of the market is for the Ski Resorts at higher elevations.

Here's a WunderGround Forecast for Norden, or within sight of it, for the next 10 days. Interesting to note the forecast winds, sometimes they are much higher velocity, but there will be winds and they do cause greif on the RR snow removal. Gusting winds also leads to snow avalanches, doesn't take much of an avalanch to block the tracks, especially if it contains rocks. Also there's danger of an avalanche whiel the train is passing, which often causes a derailment by lifting the cars upward, or simly knocking them over.

+ should also note that the RR traditionally is concerned with amount of snow above the rail. So the beginning of the storm is less of a concern.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/28/24 10:54 by TCnR.

---

portlander Wrote:
------------------------

> The UP will continue to run over the mountain

A minority of one. Keep an eye on the Truckee cam --
like to see if he's right.

If the storm pans out, Maybe 6-8 feet at Norden. All this 20-30 foot stuff in the media will be across the crest of the Sierra. Reno casinos have a line on everything, perhaps see what the odds are for the rotaries coming out

RailDawg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Seems it's a manpower thing just like most other
> things around us.  

At least in Sparks, we don't have manpower issues at the moment. Experienced manpower, perhaps, but not manpower in general. I hired out in late 22, with almost 30 now below me in the terminal seniority-wise, and more in class waiting to mark up. 

Brody Wyrick
Reno, NV

The little town of Lovelock, NV is really at the end of the supply chain.  

This storm hitting the Sierra broadside tomorrow ensures there will be some bare shelves at the local Safeway grocery store.  

Nothing will be getting over Donner for a couple or few days one could reckon.  

Fully expecting a railroad ghost town out these parts starting pretty quick.  

Tree rings were right again.  Another big precip winter up on Donner.  

Chuck 

RailDawg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The little town of Lovelock, NV is really at the
> end of the supply chain.  
>
> This storm hitting the Sierra broadside tomorrow
> ensures there will be some bare shelves at the
> local Safeway grocery store.  
>
> Nothing will be getting over Donner for a couple
> or few days one could reckon.  
>
> Fully expecting a railroad ghost town out these
> parts starting pretty quick.  
>
> Tree rings were right again.  Another big precip
> winter up on Donner.  
>
> Chuck 

Where have you been getting your information? On the other hand, maybe you have been smoking the "good stuff", or drinking better stuff.

Only speaking from experience and living within earshot of The Overland.  

There are no trains out here during big Donner snow these days.  

Hwy 80 closing (and it will) limits the ability of the railroad to get crews and equipment where needed it seems.  

This is a big snow coming! Exciting it's been awhile.  

Chuck 

 

There may be 8 feet of snow that falls on Donner? And 60 mph gusts?

Curious how deep the drifts will get... 20 feet? Must be a nightmare keeping the rails clear in those conditions.  

What depth of snow requires the rotary?

Chuck 

 

Get the rotaries!

Have fun, be safe,

Bruce "Doc" Jones
Sierra Madre CA

DocJones Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Get the rotaries!
>
> Have fun, be safe,
>
> Bruce "Doc" Jones
> Sierra Madre CA

Probably not, it doesn't look that bad compared to last year!