Passenger Trains > No. 6 and Winter Park Ski Train being held above Denver

No, 6 and the ski train have both been at 0 mph for over an hour, #6 at Pinecliffe, the ski train (#1006) at Rollinsville (apparently). There a freight problem ahead, or is it wind? I looked through the NWS so-called "pin-point" forecasts, the closest to the affected areas being Wondervu, where the weather station is on a pinnacle high above the Pinecliffe siding, and Rocky Flats, just east of the mountain front and one of the most wind-prone areas along the Front Range, and neither predicts gusts over 65. I realize both areas do get gusts over 100 mph on occasion, and in fact we lived not far from both, on a flat area known as Douglas Mountain Ranch at 8,200 ft, and suffered through such winds far more frequently than I like to remember. In any case passenger trains have been running up and down the Front Range for over a hundred years, including 35 yrs with Superliner cars, with no chinook-related problems I can recall (yes, I'm fully aware of the Big 10 Loop freight blowover that resulted in 'construction' of the windbreak that exists there now). So I'm wondering, wind or something else?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/20 18:19 by lowwater.

The delay is due to high winds at Big 10.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/20 18:12 by ccn511.

ccn511 Wrote:
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> The delay is due to high winds at Big 10.

Thanks, but my question then becomes why? 65 mph gusts are nuttin' -- if UP, Amtrak, or both are 'freezing' traffic at winds that low they'll never run a passenger train through Colorado, or Wyoming, or a lot of other places again. Or are UP's private forecasters predicting much higher? We had winds in the 50-75 mph range dozens of times a year, mostly but not entirely between October and May, and over 75 several times a year. We hated it, one of the main reasons we jumped at the chance to relocate to the Western Slope when it came along!

Back in the day, they put out a 10 MPH slow order around the curve. Such sissies

They'll be sitting there all night. Winds end by dawn

Policy needs tweaking yay they are moving  they have held the CZ  for hours in the last year with this b/s policy  all over colo and nebraska



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/20 19:25 by dan.

BEtween UP and Amtrak what would one expect.

Planes are taking off in these winds at DIA.. rough rides, but people are getting to their destinations

Big 10?  Can someone identify the spot I should be looking for on the map?  Or is that the big turn after Denver before heading into the mountains proper?

Never mind, Google came to the rescue and the "Big 10" is indeed that big curve in the foothills West of Denver before the train proceeds into the mountains.  Been through there a few times on the CZ, it is quite the ride.

Wind did affect operations at DIA a little

Where do they have in relation to this those balasted down hopper cars ? 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/20 16:19 by joemvcnj.

right in middle of big 10
 

When I was riding my bicycle across America in 1994, I came over the Rockies on US 40.  East of Steamboat Springs, descending a hill while heading towards Craig, an enormous gust of wind hit me.  I was coasting on a slight downhill, holding my speed to about 20-25 mph due to my fully loaded bike of pannier bags, tent, sleeping bag, food, etc. (I had a bike computer speedometer...).  But that wind gust felt like the hand of God on my back, and EVEN WHILE GOING TO FULL BRAKING, the wind accelerated me to 50 mph!!!!!!!!!  I was freaking out.  My brakes were on full stop, and I kept accelerating!!!  It went on for about 30 seconds, which felt like forever!  

Then I remembered these kinds of winds exist on the Rio Grande........

Then I said a prayer of thanks that the wind hit me DIRECTLY from behind, vs. sideways, which would have been a mechanical and medical disaster.

It still is fresh in my mind.  I learned alot about America on that trip!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/20 10:57 by coach.

That's one Hell of a bike ride, anyone know if no. 6 and the Ski Train finally were able to head into Denver?

Posted from Android

4 hours late. Recrew both trains

The big Superliner cars are nice and tall and are like big sails.
I'm sure they would get worse press if some cars ended up on their sides then they're getting in stopping because of the winds.

has the overturning calculations ever been done?  

PHall Wrote:
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> The big Superliner cars are nice and tall and are
> like big sails.
> I'm sure they would get worse press if some cars
> ended up on their sides then they're getting in
> stopping because of the winds.

Amtrak never had any problems before for all the years the cars were in service on the CZ on the DRGW. High winds was a 10 MPH around the Big Ten. UP created the problem for Amtrak