Passenger Trains > 7(4) - Bad Order Superliner

4 hours and 55 mins late was 7 out of Chicago today. A bad order coach was discovered at departure time. The train was shoved back to the yard to have the car replaced. Then sent back to Chicago for boarding. The whole ordeal took about 5 and 1/2 hours. We will see how much time the train does or does not make up and if it will be a Spokane turn.

Sounds like Chgo is trying to make a point to Amtk mgmt that they are understafed.  And, of course, mgmt doesnt care.
5:30 to switch out a car...
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/26 23:28 by pdt.

Taylor St. poltergeist strikes again.
A car in tip top condition when leaving the yard is bad order by the time it reaches the depot.
 

ALLEGEDLY in top top condition.

Car shopped at departure time at CUS , unload passengers , get permission to head back to the yard . Establish blue flag and derail protection , make cuts ,drop flags and protection give train to the Operating dept to switch out (replacement car ?) , make #7 up again , flags/protection , revise paperwork/HEP/brake test /drop flags and protection , release train to Transportation to shove to CUS . Reload passengers , offer train up when ready to depart . Leave .      Perhaps there were extra switching crews and Mech. dept. available when #7 came back to the yard , otherwise "drop what you're doing '" and head over to #7 , maybe the ONE car inspector that was there a couple weeks ago was part of the process too.    Who shopped a car at departure time , the crew , and for what reason ?

mvrr10 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Car shopped at departure time at CUS , unload
> passengers , get permission to head back to the
> yard . Establish blue flag and derail protection ,
> make cuts ,drop flags and protection give train to
> the Operating dept to switch out (replacement car
> ?) , make #7 up again , flags/protection , revise
> paperwork/HEP/brake test /drop flags and
> protection , release train to Transportation to
> shove to CUS . Reload passengers , offer train up
> when ready to depart . Leave .      Perhaps
> there were extra switching crews and Mech. dept.
> available when #7 came back to the yard ,
> otherwise "drop what you're doing '" and head over
> to #7 , maybe the ONE car inspector that was there
> a couple weeks ago was part of the process too. 
>   Who shopped a car at departure time , the crew
> , and for what reason ?

Look at previous inspection log of the cars when they come into Chicago and address issues. Clean and check train set completely before it is pulled into the station for boarding passengers for a two night, three day journey?

jp1822 Wrote:

>
> Look at previous inspection log of the cars when
> they come into Chicago and address issues. Clean
> and check train set completely before it is pulled
> into the station for boarding passengers for a two
> night, three day journey?

You forgot the "white glove inspection".
You know, done by the "responsible person", who checks that all the toilets flush, adequate supplies are on board.
HVAC performing at tip top condition, food cars meet FDA requirements, beds are properly made up, floors are clean 
under the seats, windows clean inside and out, faucets work, and the myriad of other things that make the trains worth
traveling again.  The person that signs their name to the final inspection.   Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha.

Only inspection done before the train leaves the yard is to make sure all the dozing car cleaners have been awakened and are
off the train.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/26 12:23 by Englewood.

who checks to make sure the toilet holding tanls have been pumped?  And the locomotives fueled before they go out on the road?

Very basic stuff

pdt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sounds like Chgo is trying to make a point to Amtk
> mgmt that they are understafed.  And, of course,
> mgmt doesnt care.
> 5:30 to switch out a car...
>  

So what was the excuse 30 years ago when the same things happened ?

Maybe NARP can get us figures on the staffing level at 14th St.

In the future when Amtrak moves towards fixed consist with the next generation equipment the train will just be anulled at its origin, problem solved.

 

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

instead of a 2 million dollar car sitting idle  it will be 20 million dollars of equipment  earning nothing

webmaster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the future when Amtrak moves towards fixed
> consist with the next generation equipment the
> train will just be anulled at its origin, problem solved.

Worse yet if a car bad-orders on the way. Then the whole trainload gets put up at the YMCA and hot sheets motel in God's Country, Nevada or North Dakota until the next day's train 

They will probably have a core 4 car consist plus individual cars. 

I don’t know why the fixed consist thing is ever considered Amtrak, can you imagine s B/O issue in the middle of nowhere without ability to setout a single car? What are the potential advantages? Pure folly. Ray

webmaster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the future when Amtrak moves towards fixed
> consist with the next generation equipment the
> train will just be anulled at its origin, problem
> solved.
>
>  

Posted from iPhone

webmaster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the future when Amtrak moves towards fixed
> consist with the next generation equipment the
> train will just be anulled at its origin, problem solved.

YUP!!!

With "sincere apologies" of course.
 

PE-717 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don’t know why the fixed consist thing is ever
> considered Amtrak, can you imagine s B/O issue in
> the middle of nowhere without ability to setout a
> single car? What are the potential advantages?
> Pure folly. Ray
>
> webmaster Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > In the future when Amtrak moves towards fixed
> > consist with the next generation equipment the
> > train will just be anulled at its origin,
> problem
> > solved.
> >
> >  
>
> Posted from iPhone

You have to put yourself into the mindset of Amtrak's planners. They've never been west of Harrisburg, PA, if they have even gotten that far. Fixed consist train sets should be no problem, since the NEC is all they know. There are big cities and maintenance bases all close by. It all looks good on paper.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Worse yet if a car bad-orders on the way. Then the
> whole trainload gets put up at the YMCA and hot
> sheets motel in God's Country, Nevada or North
> Dakota until the next day's train 

Exactly, complete with free cockroach dinner and 'decorative' stained sheets...

JG
 

irhoghead Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PE-717 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I don’t know why the fixed consist thing is
> ever
> > considered Amtrak, can you imagine s B/O issue
> in
> > the middle of nowhere without ability to setout
> a
> > single car? What are the potential advantages?
> > Pure folly. Ray
> >
> > webmaster Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > In the future when Amtrak moves towards fixed
> > > consist with the next generation equipment
> the
> > > train will just be anulled at its origin,
> > problem
> > > solved.
> > >
> > >  
> >
> > Posted from iPhone
>
> You have to put yourself into the mindset of
> Amtrak's planners. They've never been west of
> Harrisburg, PA, if they have even gotten that far.
> Fixed consist train sets should be no problem,
> since the NEC is all they know. There are big
> cities and maintenance bases all close by. It all
> looks good on paper.

How are overseas high speed rail consists put together?  How often is this a problem there?  

sf1010 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> irhoghead Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > PE-717 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I don’t know why the fixed consist thing is
> > ever
> > > considered Amtrak, can you imagine s B/O
> issue
> > in
> > > the middle of nowhere without ability to
> setout
> > a
> > > single car? What are the potential
> advantages?
> > > Pure folly. Ray
> > >
> > > webmaster Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > In the future when Amtrak moves towards
> fixed
> > > > consist with the next generation equipment
> > the
> > > > train will just be anulled at its origin,
> > > problem
> > > > solved.
> > > >
> > > >  
> > >
> > > Posted from iPhone
> >
> > You have to put yourself into the mindset of
> > Amtrak's planners. They've never been west of
> > Harrisburg, PA, if they have even gotten that
> far.
> > Fixed consist train sets should be no problem,
> > since the NEC is all they know. There are big
> > cities and maintenance bases all close by. It
> all
> > looks good on paper.
>
> How are overseas high speed rail consists put
> together?  How often is this a problem there?  

Typically not a problem because they can sub a train set due to overseas high speed rail being better capitalized than anything in the United States. It's kinda of an apples and oranges comparative since the US does not have the rail infrastructure or capital investment in passenger rail that Europe or Asia does. Looking at the spectrum, the United States' decline in being a passenger railroad leader has been quite sad to say the least.  

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> who checks to make sure the toilet holding tanls
> have been pumped?  And the locomotives fueled
> before they go out on the road?
>
> Very basic stuff

The fact that I can count on more than one hand the many times that the Portland section of the Empire Builder (heading back east) has had toilets "out of service" during its return journey to Chicago from the West Coast is pathetic. At least four times, septic tank trucks were called at Browning, MT to pump out what they could for the "Portland section" of the train (e.g. two coaches and the sleeper). Been there done that. And that's also when the Empire Builder was cancelled for a day or two PRIOR to heading back east from the West Coast terminals. If the train had been turned at Spokane, WA, I'd perhaps have a bit more compassion. Not sure how that gets missed - but it does!!! I do applaud Amtrak onboard staff for coordinating with the ops department to call and get a septic tanker to meet the train at the Browning, MT Amtrak train station. Must be a nice contract for some company in Browning, MT that is on "stand-by?"  

Hope I live long enough to see Amtrak Management totally fail and be kicked out of the building on 6pm tv news. The next day new equipment put on trains with single level cars pulled by horsed up E and F units.
Always hope.......

Posted from Android