Passenger Trains > “Bus Bridge Over Troubled Train Tracks”

 https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/intercity/the-longest-day-amtrak-style-a-k-a-bus-bridge-over-troubled-train-tracks/
  
"...Amtrak’s eastbound trains from Chicago, 48 and 30, the Capitol Limited, made it as far as Bryan, Ohio, 53 miles west of Toledo and near the Indiana state line, a stop for the Lake Shore Limitedbut not for the Capitol Limited. Amtrak’s westbound trains heading for Chicago, 49 and 29, got as far as Toledo, where they arrived on or close to schedule. Amtrak secured buses from a local school district, but not enough to handle all the passengers, many of whom had to wait for four to six hours for buses from Bryan transporting 48’s and 30’s passengers..."

Buses come thru again, still no love.

What is Amtrak getting cheaper a School Bus come on Amtrak, can't find tour buses in cleveland or some other big city??

The owner of the abandoned vehicle should have called 911 to report it. They should be charged with a crime.

Why weren't the trains sent through Michigan? It's been done before. If the article is correct, both trains departed Chicago after the NS incident occurred. Totally agree the owner of the vehicle should be charged.  While the delays to passengers were a transportation nightmare, trying comparing them to what the troops went through on D Day is a bit over the top and disrespectful. After all,  no one died.  While clearly the Amtrak had nothing to do with the accident, their incompetence on so many levels makes any Amtrak trip at best an adventure and at worst creating many never again passengers.

None of us were there. That said:

• Michigan rerouting requires only certain locomotives to be in the lead, or else operate very slowly, and qualified crews. None of that was in Bryan or Toledo. Pontiac is quite some distance away.
• Charter bus companies don't have 20 bus drivers in the break room and 20 coach buses ready to go during the middle of the night just in case Amtrak rings. Lucky they were able to rustle up school bus drivers, who also have day jobs in early June. Toledo city transit buses have their own rush hour commitments, and could well be forbidden to be used for charters. 

The total cost of this has to be in the tens of million. Destroyed freight cars and containers, their contents, track and signal damage, damaged freight engines, delays costs to NS, Amtrak's busing. No way does this abandoned car's owner have insurance for all that. He should be thrown in the lock-up for some period of time to think it over, but that'll cost more money.  

If I were a passenger, I'd be pissed too with a trip running with 6 - 10 delays and missed connections. But after another night's catch-up sleep, I'd see there was no quickie solution. 

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/19 05:05 by joemvcnj.

Another bus bridge fiasco.. Think it's the first one? NOT

That's my Amtrak!

This bus deal was probley te best.  Amtrak in Michign requires locomotives equipd with ITCS.  Would also require crews to run the train.  Its late spring, most bus companies have travel commitments and where do you find busses in the middle of the night and drives.  City or municipal busses are prohibited from charter service if they received Federal money.  This was crafted by the bus industry.  Amtrak did the best they could given the situation.  In an e.b. Amtrak train had hit the automobile the wreck probley would have not been so serious.  No switches to get hung-up on.  The w.b. train had a lot of weight behind the locomotives, automobile got caught in the switch derailing train.  Freight car hit switch oropane heater tank which exploded and freight car hit 120KV power line that blacked out town.  Fortunally crew were un-hurt.
  Solution...elimanate alll grade crossings.  Fence the right-of-way.  We have trtd to get rid of drunk drives but so far that has not worked.  You can not fix stupid!  Yes, woman should be in jail and banded from driving for ten years after which if she wants to drive re-take drivers education.

borg Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>   Solution...elimanate alll grade crossings. 
> Fence the right-of-way.  We have trtd to get rid
> of drunk drives but so far that has not worked. 
> You can not fix stupid!  Yes, woman should be in
> jail and banded from driving for ten years after
> which if she wants to drive re-take drivers
> education.

Expensive solution, but I believed we to get started on it.

On Oct. 12, 2018, a grade crossing accident at Weedsport, NY (between Syracuse and Rochester on CSX) resulted in the cancelation of both LAKE SHORE LIMITED trains 48 and 49 that day.  Apparently CEO Anderson is not willing to arrange for detours as operating officers under previous leadership did routinely.  In the past 48/49 have detoured between Toledo/Walbridge/CP501 and Chicago via the former B&O and between Toledo/Detroit and Chicago via the Michigan Line (and ITCS leaders were provided).  Amtrak P42s are equipped for I-ETMS (PTC) operation over CSX so operation over CSX's Great Lakes Div. should be doable.
Andy

Trains underway do not get cancelled, though bussed. Next day's train is another matter, but the line usually re-opens by then. 

For the amount of days that the Lake Shore and Capitol Limited nearly follow each other's "markers" from Cleveland to Chicago, I am surprised they don't just hook the trains together and haul it as one big train all the way across. They could split it eastward at Cleveland as well. Yes, I realize Cleveland or Toledo would have to get some capital improvements to hand the splitting/combination of trainsets. If it were to operate as ONE trainset east of Toledo or Cleveland you'd be saving a head-end crew and conductor crew........I know that's the simplistic view, but just thinking of how to get this long dsitance train set's labor cost reduced. 

jjp 1822, look again at combing 29-49.   What happens when one of them is 2/3 hour late.  The other one waits?

Put your self on a train, waiting for the other section for 2-3 hours, you would not like it.  Very small savings in the total mix to 
discomfort passengers waiting.

In general I can agree with your thoughts/suggestions, but not on this one.

https://www.boringcompany.com/

Lurch_in_ABQ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> https://www.boringcompany.com/



Upgraded from his original concept where cars or "sleds" would speed along underground "guideways", safe from the surface people in their pickup trucks. Now a one-lane paved tunnel. Yay.

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For the amount of days that the Lake Shore and
> Capitol Limited nearly follow each other's
> "markers" from Cleveland to Chicago, I am
> surprised they don't just hook the trains together
> and haul it as one big train all the way across.
> They could split it eastward at Cleveland as well.
> Yes, I realize Cleveland or Toledo would have to
> get some capital improvements to hand the
> splitting/combination of trainsets. If it were to
> operate as ONE trainset east of Toledo or
> Cleveland you'd be saving a head-end crew and
> conductor crew........I know that's the simplistic
> view, but just thinking of how to get this long
> distance train set's labor cost reduced. 

The eastbounds are several hours apart. Combine these trains and they'll lose a slot on NS and they'll never, ever be able to get it back. That is playing right into NS's (and Anderson's) hands. It is also a lot of tonnage for 2 leading locos. Most Amtrak LD cars are not train-lined. 

Duna Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lurch_in_ABQ Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > https://www.boringcompany.com/
>
>
>
> Upgraded from his original concept where cars or
> "sleds" would speed along underground "guideways",
> safe from the surface people in their pickup
> trucks. Now a one-lane paved tunnel. Yay.

Lot of fan-boy mileage out of a secondhand sewer TBM. But you can buy some bricks for your bookshelf or mantel to show your love (last paragraph)

https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-boring-company-car-flinging-tunnel/

railcity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What is Amtrak getting cheaper a School Bus come
> on Amtrak, can't find tour buses in cleveland or
> some other big city??

Welcpome back Railcity, and I see you haven't changed at all, you don't look at the details!