Passenger Trains > 28/22nd

I see on Amtrak Dixieland that 28/22nd was cancelled. Any reason? Will the passenger be bus bridged to Spokane and will 8 have enough seating for all.

Ed Burns

Steel Bridge at Portland is out of service for some emergency maintenance.

They couldn't simply arrive & depart across the river?

28 needed to be turned and it uses the wye on the east end of the Steel Bridge to do it.  There's a loop in the BNSF yard not far away and a wye about 5 miles away at Wilbridge.  I don't know why they couldn't use either of them.

28 left Portland 7 hours late and has lost a few more hours since then.  It left Pasco a few minutes ago nealry 11 hours late.  Meanwhile, 8 has been waiting in Spokane for the back half of its train so it could be on its way.

Stan Praisewater

Was the delay solely due to trying to get the train turned?

Amtrak couldn't even have just backed the train up the tracks to find another wye or turning point for the three cars and locomotive. Or at least turn the locomotive, or attach one that could take the train east, even if it meant running the consist in reverse and a bit out of order - rather than a near 7 hour delay.......Just seems odd that it was solely a 7 hour delay to try and figure out how to turn the consist when there's a BIG freight yard facility north of Portland Station, let alone a wye up at the bridges before heading into Washington State and Vancover, WA.

Or why such a long delay???

That's my big question.  I would have loaded the backwards facing train and backed it up from Portland to Willbridge Junction, about 5 miles, past the north leg of the wye.  Then moved the switch and I'd be 
facing the right direction.  It would have added some time because they probably couldn't back more than 10 mph, but not 7 hours.

Of course, I've never operated a railroad and there must be all sorts of rules and regulations that keep the simple solutions away.

Stan Praisewater


jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Was the delay solely due to trying to get the
> train turned?
>
> Amtrak couldn't even have just backed the train up
> the tracks to find another wye or turning point
> for the three cars and locomotive. Or at least
> turn the locomotive, or attach one that could take
> the train east, even if it meant running the
> consist in reverse and a bit out of order - rather
> than a near 7 hour delay.......Just seems odd that
> it was solely a 7 hour delay to try and figure out
> how to turn the consist when there's a BIG freight
> yard facility north of Portland Station, let alone
> a wye up at the bridges before heading into
> Washington State and Vancover, WA.
>
> Or why such a long delay???

Could they have just switched the sightsee and sleeper so they simply swap places, then get a freight unit to lead the backwards Amtrak loco ? Bound to take less than 7 extra hours.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/22 17:47 by joemvcnj.

I'm way wrong-footed on this, I should have brought it up a couple of day ago, but nothing ventured, nothing won. So, my question is, what did Amtrak do about the passengers expecting to board 28? Some of them would have come from some distance, you couldn't very well tell them to go away. But did they board the train, and treat it as a sort of hotel on wheels? Or make the passengers stay in the station for six hours, on the far-from-comfortable "pews" there?

Presume you are talking about the passengers that were in the Portland Train Station, who eventually boarded and departed over 7 hours late on train #28 for its trip east. Not sure what time passengers boarded in Portland.........I am sure they could have boarded and "went for the ride" to have the four cars turned. At the same time, till Amtrak sort of "comes up with a solution" anything is possible.....  

widowsihler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm way wrong-footed on this, I should have
> brought it up a couple of day ago, but nothing
> ventured, nothing won. So, my question is, what
> did Amtrak do about the passengers expecting to
> board 28? Some of them would have come from some
> distance, you couldn't very well tell them to go
> away. But did they board the train, and treat it
> as a sort of hotel on wheels? Or make the
> passengers stay in the station for six hours, on
> the far-from-comfortable "pews" there?

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Presume you are talking about the passengers that
> were in the Portland Train Station, who eventually
> boarded and departed over 7 hours late on train
> #28 for its trip east. Not sure what time
> passengers boarded in Portland.........I am sure
> they could have boarded and "went for the ride" to
> have the four cars turned. At the same time, till
> Amtrak sort of "comes up with a solution" anything
> is possible.....  
>
Yes, I was thinking about the passengers for 28 who showed up in Portland expeciting a 4:45 pm departure for a train that eventually left around 11. Passengers in Vancouver would have had some advance notice. There frankly aren''t many passengers on along the line in Oregon. There some passenger loadings in Pasco. and nothing from there to Spokane. So Portland and Vancouver are basically the concern.