Passenger Trains > BNSF Amtrak delays in Nebraska

Rough night on the Route of the Zephrys; A5 was stuck behind several westbounds waiting for several eastbounds near Plattsmouth, NE, and train crew went HOS. Delay was compounded when relief crew went to Ashland rather than Plattsmouth to get the train. Train movement congested due to several miles of 10mph slow track as a result of torn up ties due to a derailed car dragged a few nights ago. As a result of congestion, eastbound AOE deadhead move A98 was tied down on the Omaha sub west of Pacific Junction; haven't heard an ETA on when this train will be recrewed.

A5 followed several westbounds across the Omaha sub, and trouble with a frozen switch at Chalco; as a result of this delay, A5's engine crew went HOS (train crews change at Omaha; engine crews at Lincoln). A6 was delayed over an hour as a result at Chalco.

Currently, expired crew on A5 awaiting relief to arrive from Omaha.

#5 didn't leave Lincoln until 8:58 this morning.So all you guys that want daylight shots of 5 in western Nebraska and eastern Colorado get your cameras.
Steve

That is a bizarre error. Were the new conductors sent out from Omaha? And is Omaha where they normally would board the train? It seems really strange that the westbound train had not yet reached Omaha, yet the new crew went to Ashland, which is about 30 miles beyond Omaha, rather than to Plattsmouth, which is about 20 miles before Omaha. Assuming this was the crew that normally would have taken the train west from Omaha, wouldn't they find it strange to be taken to Ashland, as if their train had gone through Omaha without picking them up?

The only slightly logical explanation I can think of is that with the westbound running so late, someone thought that at that hour it must be the eastbound train needing a new crew to make it the last few miles from Ashland to Omaha. But even that really doesn't make sense. If the westbound conductors who worked the train from Chicago were hitting their 12-hour limit short of Omaha, then it was probably something like 2 am, which is too early for the eastbound to be between Lincoln and Omaha. And wouldn't they be told the name of a town or railroad location to meet the train rather than just "we're 30 miles short of Omaha"? And wouldn't a given crew normally work either east or west of Omaha, not both? (Or are there Omaha-based conductors qualified for both OMA-DEN and OMA-CHI?)

jackpot Wrote:
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> Delay was compounded when relief crew went to Ashland
> rather than Plattsmouth to get the train.

I've probably seen the definition of HOS before, but can't remember it. Could somebody please give me the meaning?

TIA,

Fritz in HSV, AL

Hours of Service

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

There was a short discussion on the AOE deadhead thread about the limited number of Amtrak engineers qualified to run on the #5 route, ad the likely choke point of needing two people on 5/6 this weekend depleting the pool. Add the need for relief in this horrendous weather and you're at zero rested crews.

wpjones Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> #5 didn't leave Lincoln until 8:58 this morning.So
> all you guys that want daylight shots of 5 in
> western Nebraska and eastern Colorado get your
> cameras.
> Steve


Man I wish last night wasn't so late, could have made a reverse Lincoln-Hastings take 2!

Traingeek087

Well,

Waited at Barr Lake until sundown (17:00) for No. 5. The dispatcher had trains waiting for him at Tonville and Barr, but no show as of that time. Perfect light up until sundown, such a pity!!

RC Farewell

I did wait and caught it just west of Hudson... See- http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2374822 Did one of the Amtrak units go belly up? #5 had BNSF 4783 0n the point. Mr Farewell was right, the light was really nice until the sun went down.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/23/11 20:45 by mojaveflyer.

It actually got better:

A5 died at Plattsmouth when 0001 on duty relief engine crew from Lincoln went to Ashland instead of Plattsmouth. Crew was instructed to violate their HOS to move their train to where the relief from Lincoln could finally get to them. Then, A5 was to go to Bellevue (first siding west of PacJct on Omaha line?) where the crew on the tied-down A98 deadhead AOE special was to get on the train and the conductor/brakeman work their remaining hours to Lincoln. However, because of the delay waiting for the first relief at Plattsmouth, A5 died just short of where A98 was and crew was instructed to violate their HOS to get to A98. Then, the train died a third time (due to the 0430 hos of the conductor/brakeman crew off the A98) at Chalco digging out switches into siding to meet A6. They were instructed to violate their hours to clear for Amtrak 6. This must've been some sort of record: three HOS violations on the same train within an 8 hour period. Train still hadn't left Chalco by 0700. As the icing on the cake, train was relieved a fourth time between Lincoln and McCook by an Amtrak relief crew out of Denver. Understand train finally arrived Denver around 1930 M.

when did BNSF power get tacked on