Passenger Trains > Sims snafu snarls Starlight

Union Pacific MRVPWV-24 is derailed near Sims, CA on the Cascade Route. It had OSd at 1100.

This is likely to foul uo the Amtrak Coast Starlights which will have to be bustituted in the wee hours.

It may last a while.

UP is already rerouting its freight trains via other routes: the Columbia River line, Oregon Trunk and
Inside Gateway to Keddie and Canyon Sub to Sacramento; Columbia River and Blue Mountains to
Pocatello, Ogden and the LA&SL to Colton;, or the ex-WP or Donner Pass to Sacramento.

Not sure why UP would be re-rerouting over the Oregon Trunk, once they hit Klamath Falls they can go back to their on rails.

ActionMike Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not sure why UP would be re-rerouting over the
> Oregon Trunk, once they hit Klamath Falls they can
> go back to their on rails.

Exactly.

Don't know, and anything can change, but right now they have trains planned
to run on both the Natron Cutoff and the Oregon Trunk.

UP had to have SOME reason why they got trackage rights over BNSF between
Bend and Chemult.

So what happens once they get to Bend? seems they go north from there on the same rails. Only other way for the UP to go south is on there own rails like they always do to Klamath Falls.

From UP's line on the Columbia River they can only access the Oregon Trunk from the west. 

If they want to go east to Hinkle they will have to come off Oregon Trunk and proceed west, change ends of the train and then proceed east.
If they are coming from Hinkle they will have to run past the Oregon trunk, change ends of the train and then proceed south.

That and UP has no crews stationed on the OT and the BNSF crews are at or below bare minumum to run just BNSF trains...
 

Incident is reported as a ten-car derailment of empties...but if
intermodal cars are involved, "one car" could be multiple tables
connected by drawbars.

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Incident is reported as a ten-car derailment of
> empties...but if
> intermodal cars are involved, "one car" could be
> multiple tables
> connected by drawbars.

They are empty wood chip gons and empty center beams.

Copy19 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ...and empty center beams.

There's a shocker. Not.

ActionMike Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not sure why UP would be re-rerouting over the
> Oregon Trunk, once they hit Klamath Falls they can
> go back to their on rails.


They won't be. . .

Was scheduled to go SAC-PDX on #14 on Sunday.
Not any more.

Posted from iPhone

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Union Pacific MRVPWV-24 is derailed near Sims, CA
> on the Cascade Route. It had OSd at 1100.
>
> This is likely to foul uo the Amtrak Coast
> Starlights which will have to be bustituted in the
> wee hours.
>
> It may last a while.

> Latest information from Amtrak is that the Coast Starlight will be annulled between Portland and Sacramento for the duration of the outage, which could last 2 weeks or longer. There will be no substitute service offered between Eugene and Sacramento. Cascades trains and related Thruway buses will provide alternate service between Portland and Eugene. Amtrak is working on an interim plan for the Coast Starlight between Portland and Seattle, but no details are available yet.

> UP is already rerouting its freight trains via
> other routes: the Columbia River line, Oregon
> Trunk and
> Inside Gateway to Keddie and Canyon Sub to
> Sacramento; Columbia River and Blue Mountains to
> Pocatello, Ogden and the LA&SL to Colton;, or the
> ex-WP or Donner Pass to Sacramento.

MarionLinn Wrote:

> > Latest information from Amtrak is that the Coast
> Starlight will be annulled between Portland and
> Sacramento for the duration of the outage, which
> could last 2 weeks or longer. There will be no
> substitute service offered between Eugene and
> Sacramento. Cascades trains and related Thruway
> buses will provide alternate service between
> Portland and Eugene. Amtrak is working on an
> interim plan for the Coast Starlight between
> Portland and Seattle, but no details are available
> yet.

Don't know where you are getting you information from. They will run the Starlight Seattle to Eugene and turn it there. If they can secure a charter, tour, or thruway bus company for Chemult and Klamath Falls they will operate to KFS and turn the train there for the KFS to SEA run.

Found this on the AMTRAK Web site - Now I am really confused...


Amtrak Service Disruption between Seattle, Wash., and Portland, Ore.
Train service suspended due to landslide

April 25, 2017
11:00 a.m. PT

Amtrak Cascades and Amtrak Coast Starlight service between Seattle, Wash. and Portland, Ore., is suspended due to a landslide between Vancouver and Kelso, Wash. BNSF Railway, which own the tracks, has placed a 48-hour moratorium, suspending all rail traffic in the area until Thursday, April 27. Amtrak is seeking alternate transportation. Normal rail operations continue north of Seattle and south of Portland to Eugene, Ore.

Amtrak regrets any inconvenience. This information is correct as of the above time and date. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant.

Passengers with travel plans can confirm their train's status, change their plans or review refund information using a range of tools – including Amtrak.com, smartphone apps or by calling 800-USA-RAIL. Service Alerts, Passenger Notices and other announcements are posted at Amtrak.com/alerts.

PacNWZ12 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MarionLinn Wrote:
>
> > > Latest information from Amtrak is that the
> Coast
> > Starlight will be annulled between Portland and
> > Sacramento for the duration of the outage,
> which
> > could last 2 weeks or longer. There will be no
> > substitute service offered between Eugene and
> > Sacramento. Cascades trains and related
> Thruway
> > buses will provide alternate service between
> > Portland and Eugene. Amtrak is working on an
> > interim plan for the Coast Starlight between
> > Portland and Seattle, but no details are
> available
> > yet.
>
> Don't know where you are getting you information
> from. They will run the Starlight Seattle to
> Eugene and turn it there. If they can secure a
> charter, tour, or thruway bus company for Chemult
> and Klamath Falls they will operate to KFS and
> turn the train there for the KFS to SEA run.

MarionLinn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GenePoon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Union Pacific MRVPWV-24 is derailed near Sims,
> CA
> > on the Cascade Route. It had OSd at 1100.
> >
> > This is likely to foul uo the Amtrak Coast
> > Starlights which will have to be bustituted in
> the
> > wee hours.
> >
> > It may last a while.
>
> > Latest information from Amtrak is that the Coast
> Starlight will be annulled between Portland and
> Sacramento for the duration of the outage, which
> could last 2 weeks or longer. There will be no
> substitute service offered between Eugene and
> Sacramento. Cascades trains and related Thruway
> buses will provide alternate service between
> Portland and Eugene. Amtrak is working on an
> interim plan for the Coast Starlight between
> Portland and Seattle, but no details are available
> yet.
>

The UP UPRR OFFICIAL notice says 30 days approx closure to REPAIR this SImms bridge.

> > UP is already rerouting its freight trains via
> > other routes: the Columbia River line, Oregon
> > Trunk and
> > Inside Gateway to Keddie and Canyon Sub to
> > Sacramento; Columbia River and Blue Mountains to
>
> > Pocatello, Ogden and the LA&SL to Colton;, or
> the
> > ex-WP or Donner Pass to Sacramento.

From UPRR -OFFICIAL web page as of weds 4-26-17:

https://www.up.com/customers/announcements/customernews/allcustomernews/CN2017-28.html

Northern California Rail Outage Update
Announcement Number: CN2017-28
Categories: General Announcements
Posted Date: April 26, 2017

To Our Customers,

Our engineering and bridge teams have been able to further assess our main line outage between Redding and Dunsmuir, California. Extensive repairs will be required and initial estimates indicate this outage will last up to 30 days.

We have identified three routes to detour shipments that are indicated on the map below. Customers may see their shipments diverted over one of these routes and delays will range from three to four days on average.

Thank you for your patience as we work to restore service to this segment of our network.

I guess Amtrak is not a "customer." Amtrak needs to get off its duff, organize a bus bridge, and not default to "no alternate transportation."

daniel3197 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> From UPRR -OFFICIAL web page as of weds 4-26-17:
>
> https://www.up.com/customers/announcements/custome
> rnews/allcustomernews/CN2017-28.html
>
> Northern California Rail Outage Update
> Announcement Number: CN2017-28
> Categories: General Announcements
> Posted Date: April 26, 2017
>
> To Our Customers,
>
> Our engineering and bridge teams have been able to
> further assess our main line outage between
> Redding and Dunsmuir, California. Extensive
> repairs will be required and initial estimates
> indicate this outage will last up to 30 days.
>
> We have identified three routes to detour
> shipments that are indicated on the map below.
> Customers may see their shipments diverted over
> one of these routes and delays will range from
> three to four days on average.
>
> Thank you for your patience as we work to restore
> service to this segment of our network.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/17 12:51 by Dcmcrider.

They used to run Atk from K Falls to Sacto via Keddie (BNSF) when the canyon was blocked. I caught it a couple of times. We would stop at BNs freight office, pick up a pilot and go to Beiber. Then an Oakland crew would take the train on over to Keddie (still with pilot) and down the canyon to Sacto and on to Oakland.

No big deal.


Nudge

PacNWZ12 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MarionLinn Wrote:
>
> > > Latest information from Amtrak is that the
> Coast
> > Starlight will be annulled between Portland and
> > Sacramento for the duration of the outage,
> which
> > could last 2 weeks or longer. There will be no
> > substitute service offered between Eugene and
> > Sacramento. Cascades trains and related
> Thruway
> > buses will provide alternate service between
> > Portland and Eugene. Amtrak is working on an
> > interim plan for the Coast Starlight between
> > Portland and Seattle, but no details are
> available
> > yet.
>
> Don't know where you are getting you information
> from. They will run the Starlight Seattle to
> Eugene and turn it there. If they can secure a
> charter, tour, or thruway bus company for Chemult
> and Klamath Falls they will operate to KFS and
> turn the train there for the KFS to SEA run.

Information I provided about the Coast Starlight was in an email received at 9:20 a.m. today (April 26) from Amtrak's Seattle operations HQ.

casavoye Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Found this on the AMTRAK Web site - Now I am
> really confused...
>
>
> Amtrak Service Disruption between Seattle, Wash.,
> and Portland, Ore.
> Train service suspended due to landslide
>
> April 25, 2017
> 11:00 a.m. PT
>
> Amtrak Cascades and Amtrak Coast Starlight service
> between Seattle, Wash. and Portland, Ore., is
> suspended due to a landslide between Vancouver and
> Kelso, Wash. BNSF Railway, which own the tracks,
> has placed a 48-hour moratorium, suspending all
> rail traffic in the area until Thursday, April 27.
> Amtrak is seeking alternate transportation. Normal
> rail operations continue north of Seattle and
> south of Portland to Eugene, Ore.
>
> Amtrak regrets any inconvenience. This information
> is correct as of the above time and date.
> Information is subject to change as conditions
> warrant.
>
> Passengers with travel plans can confirm their
> train's status, change their plans or review
> refund information using a range of tools –
> including Amtrak.com, smartphone apps or by
> calling 800-USA-RAIL. Service Alerts, Passenger
> Notices and other announcements are posted at
> Amtrak.com/alerts.
>
> PacNWZ12 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > MarionLinn Wrote:
> >
> > > > Latest information from Amtrak is that the
> > Coast
> > > Starlight will be annulled between Portland
> and
> > > Sacramento for the duration of the outage,
> > which
> > > could last 2 weeks or longer. There will be
> no
> > > substitute service offered between Eugene and
> > > Sacramento. Cascades trains and related
> > Thruway
> > > buses will provide alternate service between
> > > Portland and Eugene. Amtrak is working on an
> > > interim plan for the Coast Starlight between
> > > Portland and Seattle, but no details are
> > available
> > > yet.
> >
> > Don't know where you are getting you
> information
> > from. They will run the Starlight Seattle to
> > Eugene and turn it there. If they can secure a
> > charter, tour, or thruway bus company for
> Chemult
> > and Klamath Falls they will operate to KFS and
> > turn the train there for the KFS to SEA run.

There were two events yesterday (April 25) affecting Pacific Northwest service. First there was a morning mudslide 10 miles north of Vancouver, Washington that halted operations. It happened shortly before Train 500 was scheduled to depart from Portland (8:20 a.m.), so 500 never left. BNSF imposed its usual 48-hour moratorium on passenger service. Tuesday afternoon a few minutes after 3, while BNSF personnel were working the slide, a second slide occurred. That extended the expiration of the moratorium to 3:06 p.m. Thursday, April 27th. The mudslide effectively eliminated Amtrak train service between Seattle and Portland, but not between Vancouver, B.C. and Seattle, nor between Portland and Eugene. Amtrak did secure enough buses to protect almost all of the Portland-Eugene train schedules yesterday and today, and part of tomorrow. Trains that ordinarily would be in the Vancouver, WA area after 3 p.m. will operate normally tomorrow.
Meanwhile, in California yesterday, the derailment at Sims occurred and now that the resulting outage is going to be measured in weeks rather than days, Amtrak has decided to suspend service between Eugene and Sacramento. There is sufficient existing Amtrak train and Thruway bus capacity (8 roundtrips daily excluding the Starlights) between Eugene and Portland to compensate for the Starlight's absence between those points. We're still waiting for Amtrak to decide what it will do with respect to 11 and 14 between Portland and Seattle. It appears their intent is to operate those schedules between those two cities.
Hope this clears up the confusion.