Passenger Trains > Number 7 woes

7 of the 29th stopped near Morton Grove, IL. Both engines have died. Engine 42 veterans leading. 337 coming up behind with engine 500 pulling (charger quit charging earlier in the day).

Updates to follow. As of 15:30.

Departed Glenview at 16:05. They got the 75 running again but not the 42. The 42 will be flat switched around with the 75 and put the 75 in the lead. Restricted speed to Wadsworth siding where the switch move will occur. Maybe 339 will carry and extra loco north to tack on the front for added safety? Or get a BNSF leader in St. Paul?

Starting to switch the engines around at Wadsworth, IL at 17:15.

17:45: 42 cannot move and it is parked at the north end of the siding at Wadsworth. They are running the train up to the Wadsworth W signal and cutting away leaving the train on the main. Cut the 75 off and back it into the 42 on the north end of the siding. Then both units come out of the siding and back onto the train. Lace both engines up and then lace the 42 up to the train, air test and away they go.

Departed Wadsworth At 18:40 with 75 pulling a dead 42. Video footage to come later. Probably going to need a new crew in Milwaukee.



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/20 16:49 by sethamtrak.

         Pitiful .

Thanks for the info.

I saw it on Amtrak status maps and was wondering. Then thought they may have hit a trespasser. Glad that's not the case.

What scheme is the AMTK 500 in? Still in the cdtx colors?

dcfbalcoS1 Wrote:
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>          Pitiful .
Could you imagine if Amtrak ran an airline and all these engine failures were happening? There’d be planes falling out of the sky several times a week. I’ve been driving cars since 1972 and only been stranded three times (And all 3 times it was a nearly new car) Maybe it’s because I actually maintain my cars?

Posted from iPhone



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/20 14:23 by alan2955.

No money - but they need to get all the P42's and P40's that are in relatively descent shape in for a complete overhaul. I don't get it. VIA overhauled their ancient F40's, Amtrak can't figure out some manufacturing solution for the P40 and P42s?

MNNRfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the info.
>
> I saw it on Amtrak status maps and was wondering.
> Then thought they may have hit a trespasser. Glad
> that's not the case.
>
> What scheme is the AMTK 500 in? Still in the cdtx
> colors?

Phase V. The 337 ran around 7 between Morton Grove and A20 (Northbrook).

The government, society, politics and Amtrak all slowly, slowly going down.
Very, very sad. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/20 14:45 by Abqfoamer.

329 also departed Chicago late today for it's first run in several months do to engine issues with the Charger locomotive. Just another day at Amtrak.

Abqfoamer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The government, society, politics and Amtrak all
> slowly, slowly going down.
> Very, very sad. 

it sure is............

66

sethamtrak Wrote:

> Restricted speed to Wadsworth siding where
> the switch move will occur. 

Just curious. Does the BNSF have a System Special Instruction requiring restricted speed? Running from the trailing motor makes it a shoving move. GCOR permits 30mph for passenger train shoving moves. 

YoungOldHead Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> sethamtrak Wrote:
>
> > Restricted speed to Wadsworth siding where
> > the switch move will occur. 
>
> Just curious. Does the BNSF have a System Special
> Instruction requiring restricted speed? Running
> from the trailing motor makes it a shoving move.
> GCOR permits 30mph for passenger train shoving
> moves. 

Still CP here. Running from the trailing motor with the engineer guiding the “shove” northbound. I did hear on the radio they are good for 30. As luck would have it, the road foreman happened to be boarding in Glenview for the ride west. He made it to the train in a matter of minutes just south in Morton Grove. It would’ve been quite the headache to wait on the road foreman to show. Right place at the right time. Should be track speed once the engines are flipped. However they will be on only one engine. So they will probably get a BNSF motor in St Paul.

sethamtrak Wrote:

>  As luck would have it, the road foreman
> happened to be boarding in Glenview for the ride
> west.

I'd say it all depends on how one looks at it being luck or doubly un-lucky. 

YoungOldHead Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> sethamtrak Wrote:
>
> >  As luck would have it, the road foreman
> > happened to be boarding in Glenview for the
> ride
> > west.
>
> I'd say it all depends on how one looks at it
> being luck or doubly un-lucky. 

Ha!

Very true but in this case the RFE seems to be a pretty decent person if it's the guy I'm thinking of.

As of 6:50pm #7 is close to the Wisconsin/Illinois State line doing about 70mph. (Depending on which track they are on...one of the mains is 70mph the other is 79mph).

Hope they have a recrew set up somewhere. Making Winona could be cutting it a bit close.

MNNRfan Wrote:
---------------------------------
> What scheme is the AMTK 500 in? Still in the cdtx
> colors?

The 500 is NOT CalTrans. The ones that California paid for, and which went West, were the 501 and 502. They became CDTX 2051 and 2052.

The 500 is, and has always been an Amtrak unit.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/20 17:14 by GenePoon.

Sounds like Chicago struck agan, 42 crapped out a few weeks ago with no. 3!

Did the entire Chicago engine house have the weekend OFF??

The 42 is a known bad actor even after multiple trips to Beech Grove. Computer control issues, apparently; maybe that is why, when it crapped, it reportedly shut down the trail unit, too.

Did Joe Boardman jinx it?????

alan2955 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Could you imagine if Amtrak ran an airline and all
> these engine failures were happening? There’d be
> planes falling out of the sky several times a
> week.

Back in the 70s, after Amtrak 794 ran out of fuel at Ferndale and the New Westminster local towed it to Vancouver, one of the Seattle dispatchers made a sign and posted it in the office

Take Amtrak. At least when we run out of fuel you don't fall 30,000 feet.

TAW

alan2955 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dcfbalcoS1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >          Pitiful .
> Could you imagine if Amtrak ran an airline and all
> these engine failures were happening? There’d be
> planes falling out of the sky several times a
> week. I’ve been driving cars since 1972 and only
> been stranded three times (And all 3 times it was
> a nearly new car) Maybe it’s because I actually
> maintain my cars?
>
> Posted from iPhone

Wow, the hyperbole in this post is crazy. Airplanes don't fall out of the sky because an engine fails. Yes the P42's need some help, but don't overdramatize it.

Amtrak gets an annual operating budget, but very little for capitol improvements, like rolling stock.  The demands on the equipment are 7 days a week, unlike some Monday thru Friday commuter operations..