Passenger Trains > Interesting observations from yesterday's NEC wire fail

On MARC's Daily Digest,the culprit that took the wires down on all three tracks was identified as Amtrak train #181, which shows leaving BWI at 9:14 am. Somehow train #184, which left WAS at 9:20 am was able to sneak thru Bowie, incurring a delay of about 11 min. and MARC train #414 was scheduled to leave WAS at 9:30 am (MARC's daily digest shows it arriving BAL 49" LT due to "operating at restricted speed on account of downed catenary wires south of Bowie).
According to amtrak.com all southbound trains following #181 were cancelled until SILVER STAR #91, which left PHI at 4:57 pm (sat there 4'24") so it will be interesting to learn how #184 and MARC #414 were able to get thru, with the next several trains having been cancelled.

Andy

I've been wondering what happened to the mid-day trains. I left Union Station in DC by bus once it looked like things were getting worse, and trains I might have taken - 95 and 125 - don't have statuses available, at least that I have found. If so, I wonder how they dealt with all of the passengers who were without trains...

> will be interesting to learn how #184 and MARC #414 were able to get thru, with the next several trains having been cancelled.

Most of the MARC mid day trains operate with diesel power. As for 184, it's possible not all three tracks at Bowie had catenary damage. It's also possible it got through on a "drop pantograph order" and was able to coast through the damaged area.

Right now the catenary is going through the transition period from cold weather tight wire to warm/hot weather loose wire. The ET department can adjust the catenary somewhat but the system really needs to be replaced with a constant tension system ... that and the fact that most of the stuff hanging up there dates from the 1930's ....

Ah, remembering my early Amtrak daze ... Bowie tower 1979 ... GG1's, E44's and Metroliners .....

3rd_Raton Wrote:
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> Ah, remembering my early Amtrak daze ... Bowie
> tower 1979 ... GG1's, E44's and Metroliners .....

And diesel power race trains to Bowie Race track.

Tominde Wrote:
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> 3rd_Raton Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > Ah, remembering my early Amtrak daze ... Bowie
> > tower 1979 ... GG1's, E44's and Metroliners
> .....
>
> And diesel power race trains to Bowie Race track.

That ended before I started in 1977, however I think the switch was still there for some time after that. Amtrak used the spur to dump spoils from the undercutter IIRC