Passenger Trains > Empire Builder can't catch a break

Westbound Empire Builder 7(22) was doing pretty well up to its departure from Wenatchee, WA, 13 minutes late. Then a BNSF train broke in two climbing to the Cascade tunnel. By the time 7(22) straggled into Seattle, it was seven hours late.

Eastbound 8(24) has not yet departed Seattle, three hours after its schedule says it's supposed to.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/20 19:30 by GenePoon.

Just had a great run on 7 from Chicago to Essex. On time all the way, 30 early at Minot.
A tad better than last year when it was 16 hours down......

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Now relaxing in the marvelous Isaak Walton Inn

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How much snow is around out there? I think they are still hurting for snow!

Looked a fair bit although I’ll see better in the light 2moro. Much warmer though than this time last year. When refueling this morning at Minot it was a balmy -7 degrees.

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jp1822 Wrote:
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> How much snow is around out there? I think they
> are still hurting for snow!

We got a TON in a short amount of time... the throttle restrictions and such are making it a pain to run the train without snapping crap in half or stalling stuff out. It is one thing or another right now...

Normally a turn of a normal-length long distance train takes about five hours if no cars have to be drilled out, and if the engines don't need any unusual repairs.

The Empire Builder is split into Portland and Seattle sections at Spokane; and at this time of year, the Seattle section of the Empire Builder is short: 2 or 2 1/2 revenue cars (one sleeper, one coach...I don't know if the Transition Sleeper is sold as revenue space in this season), and a diner.

7(22) arrived Seattle 530pm.  8(24) departed Seattle 841pm...slightly over three hours to unload passengers and bags, go from King St. Station to the yard, inspect, clean, water and reprovision the train, inspect and fuel the engines, go back from the yard to King St., and load passengers and bags.  Somebody was hustling.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/20 22:14 by GenePoon.

At this juncture in Amtrak's history and the general downgrading of passenger trains to a non-priorty status (with some exceptions) I would be surprised if very few I say that with a profound sadness! folks riding LD trains would be shocked at late trains! I say that with profound sadness!

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Normally a turn of a normal-length long distance
> train takes about five hours if no cars have to be
> drilled out, and if the engines don't need any
> unusual repairs.
>
> The Empire Builder is split into Portland and
> Seattle sections at Spokane; and at this time of
> year, the Seattle section of the Empire Builder is
> short: 2 or 2 1/2 revenue cars (one sleeper, one
> coach...I don't know if the Transition Sleeper is
> sold as revenue space in this season), and a
> diner.
>
> 7(22) arrived Seattle 530pm.  8(24) departed
> Seattle 841pm...slightly over three hours to
> unload passengers and bags, go from King St.
> Station to the yard, inspect, clean, water and
> reprovision the train, inspect and fuel the
> engines, go back from the yard to King St., and
> load passengers and bags.  Somebody was
> hustling.
>  

The Portland and Seattle sections are VERY small this time of season. Turning the equipment in three hours seems reasonable, as long as cars don't have to be repaired or drilled. I've even see the Seattle crew begin to bring the Empire Builder to the station for loading, when finding out the Diner had to be taken out of the consist. They switched it out with a replacement diner - including food, supplies, china (back then in 2013), and all other items - within 45 minutes..... It was pretty impressive. I hope they still sell roomettes in the Tran/Dorm Sleeper as overnight traffic could still be pretty strong between the Seattle/Portland area and Whitefish, MT.....It's a nice overnight trip for weekenders!!!! 

Passengers who are "sent" to the transition/dorm car age getting short changed. Little or no service yet they are paying the same rates. The crews get short changed as well.  Nothing is worse than seeing a half naked passenger walking down into the can or having a passenger playing a guitar while the crew members are trying to get an hour's catnap on one of the 16 hour days.  This is aking to putting passengers in an LD3 container and putting them in the belly of a 777.

Nobody wins..