Passenger Trains > Problems with Auto-Train 52(11)?

Auto-Train is now clocked for a 5 hour late arrival into Lorton on Monday morning, what's happening?

Yesterday's 53 into Sanford was 2 hours late, the departing 52 was also 2 hours late.  They kept that through Florence SC last night.  This morning's train has varied between zero and 15-20 mph over the past few hours through northern NC and into southern SC.  Currently at zero

Anyone have info?   My sister has tickets, and may take it south tonight, or she might just decide to bag it and drive through.

I’d guess it’s weather related. There’s been a lot of rain in Georgia and South Carolina the past 24-36 hours.

Posted from iPhone

Thanks

I understand that #52 hit a tree just south of Weldon, NC.
Andy

Thanks!

Posted from Android

I hit trees with my trains fairly regularly....it can do either no damage or all kinds of damage....total toss of the coin...but emergency stopping won't usually prevent you hitting one, so you hope the snow plow pushes it aside...usually it works...but not always.  And if you have a fiberglass nose cap, it can get beat to pieces with little effort. 

I'm sure that's got to be a scary experience.

For a while, CSX was clearing adjacent trees btw Lorton and F'burg. Keeping the risks down.

Posted from Android

The train arrived just before 3 pm, expected departure after 6 pm.

Unloading of cars began right away.

If I had reservations on the auto train, it would take a lot more than a 2 hour delay for me to say 'screw it, I'm driving '.

Posted from Android

P Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If I had reservations on the auto train, it would
> take a lot more than a 2 hour delay for me to say
> 'screw it, I'm driving '.
>
> Posted from Android

Perfect knowledge after the fact is an admirable quality.

At the time I posted, the Auto-Train had been sitting at zero mph for about an hour.  Later it was blasting the ballast at 15 mph for a while.  To its credit, the company sent out a text blast telling southbound passengers the check in would be pushed back to 4 pm. Never a good sign.

My other sister was caught in a fiasco two years ago when the Auto-Train finally departed Sanford at 11 pm, seven hours late.  It arrived Lorton about 12 hours late, and Amtrak cancelled the next day's trips. She became a "never again".   I probably wrote about it here.

 

It's just a tunnel of trees on many mainline railroad lines.  Although I like the beautiful canopy, it really creates hazards, especially with straight line winds.
If you have 100 foot trees, you would probably have to go onto private land, to make a wide enough ROW to ensure trees aren't falling on the tracks.
The power companies have really taken a proactive approach in this regard, much to the chagrin of homeowners near power lines.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/13/20 04:19 by mp51w.