Passenger Trains > Eagle Fiasco

Train #21 had locomotive issues yesterday south of Fort Worth.  Train finally stalled out in central Texas near Meridian, TX.  The Texas Eagle operates with only one locomotive.  The train sat there for about five hours before reversing to the siding back north at Meridian.  The train sat there most of the night waiting on the Fort Worth Protect until to arrive.  An extra crew from Fort Worth was required to shuttle the locomotive to the site.  An additional set of conductors were needed as well.   Note that Amtrak operates a conductor staff from San Antonio to Fort Worth, with locomotive crews operating San Antonio to Austin and back, and from Fort Worth to Austin. and back.  Finally crewed with an operational locomotive the train moved again south some twelve and one-half hours late.  The train either has the Fort Worth locomotive on it, or a railroad unit.  Train # 1 has been sitting in San Antonio for hours waiting on the connection of passengers and equipment for the westbound pull.  Train has now been sitting at Round Rock, TX now for additional time waiting on another relief crew to arrive.  I wonder if a San Antonio Amtrak engineer with require a UP pilot for the 25 mile run on into Austin?  One can only wonder how all this will turn out.  The train was due to depart back north this morning before 7:00 am, but will not get to San Antonio until mid-day, at least.  This fiasco fouls up at least three trains, 21, 22, and #1.  With short extra boards there may be more challenges.

Does Amtrak intend to convert this line to Chargers soon?

With all the Chargers (60?) on the property, there should be enough P40/42 units to provide two locomotives on most trains

AMEN!   Amtrak are you listening??   TWO locos needed on ALL trains.  

And rescus locos needed at strategic locations across the country.  

Does the Eagle have a P42 or a Siemens ALC ?

GE P 42's.

MEKoch Wrote:
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> AMEN!   Amtrak are you listening??   TWO locos
> needed on ALL trains.  
>
> And rescue locos needed at strategic locations
> across the country.  
I hate to tell you this, even though you are correct in your thinking, remember that there is a real Jerk in charge of Amtrak operations and he is only concerned about minimum service and his bonus he will receive at the end of the year for saving money.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

MEKoch Wrote:
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> AMEN!   Amtrak are you listening??   TWO locos
> needed on ALL trains.  
>
> And rescus locos needed at strategic locations
> across the country.  


Do they have enough locomotives to do this?

Let’s see; UPRR doesn’t seem to want to run their E’s anymore, that’s 3. The IRM must have some E’s and F’s; figure in some other museums and odds and ends, you should be able too come up with something like 30-40 locomotives to rebuild into protection power…

At this point only half joking 🙃

Rome burns.

Regards

Posted from iPhone

PHall Wrote:
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> MEKoch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > AMEN!   Amtrak are you listening??   TWO
> locos
> > needed on ALL trains.  
> >
> > And rescus locos needed at strategic locations
> > across the country.  
>
>
> Do they have enough locomotives to do this?

If 56 new Chargers have entered the fleet, and 19 more are expected, that's a start.  If half the 14 locomotives at Beech Grove are repaired, that's another increment.

Maybe not a protect engine at every station, but enough to make all LD trains have at least two locomotives.

In what has to be one of the latest, (or at least top 10) southbound Texas Eagles arriving 16:04 minutes late.  BNSF 8761 pulls the tardy train ahead of ATK 57.  As of this writing the train is over 17 hours late at San Marcos TX.

Damage to the front end can be seem on the 57.  Passengers who were booked beyond San Antonio on 421 were transferred to a bus.  Which I fear was not big enough to handle all the delayed transferring passengers.  About 10 souls did not make it on the bus.

Those persons waiting for the late train in Austin as well as those who got off the tardy train seemed resigned to the situation.  The few passengers I spoke with were not mad or agitated but did seem very fatigued and dazed.  

A common comment and theme from travelers I talked to was their disappointment that one delay seemed to lead to another.

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/24 11:32 by Hou74-76.

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Same thing happened to the eastbound Capital limited. It’s limping into DC today with a Norfolk Southern freight engine pulling a wounded and lone P42

Posted from iPhone

Here are two more shots of AMTK 57.  Plenty of wear & tear to the rear and noticeable damage to the nose after the encounter with the tractor. I am curious why the engine was OK to be towed but not continue alone.  

Padding into San Antonio will have 21/09 arrive about 16 hours late.  Train #1 has yet to depart.  I don't understand why they put passengers on a bus when #21 continued on southbound to San Antonio only to meet Train #1.  It's not easy keeping track of Amtrak when one is a bystander.

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Hou74-76 Wrote:
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> I am curious why the engine was OK to be towed but
> not continue alone.  
>

The mangled plow on the front of the P42 may have something to do with it.
 

Hou74-76 Wrote:
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> I
> am curious why the engine was OK to be towed but
> not continue alone.  

Mangled plow.
Damaged step on the ladder
Lights may not work.

I would think all of those would be dis-qualifiers for a leader under either FRA or Amtrak rules.

This is a bit confusing..... Train #1 held in San Antonio for connecting cars from Train #21. So why were buses involved at all? Train #1 didn't leave San Antonio till around 2:40 pm, right after Train #21 arrived. 

I presume that Train #22 (11) is cancelled, as it doesn't appear on the train status map......as of nearly 6 pm central time....Same day turn of equipment at San Antonio. A 16 hour late Train #21 arriving into San Antonio doesn't make that happen. 

Hopefully Train #22 of 4/11 is combined to train #22 of 4/12?

End results and aftermath, aside some "never again passengers." 

ClubCar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MEKoch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > AMEN!   Amtrak are you listening??   TWO
> locos
> > needed on ALL trains.  
> >
> > And rescue locos needed at strategic locations
> > across the country.  
> I hate to tell you this, even though you are
> correct in your thinking, remember that there is a
> real Jerk in charge of Amtrak operations and he is
> only concerned about minimum service and his bonus
> he will receive at the end of the year for saving
> money.
> John in White Marsh, Maryland

I agree, and that also results in cutting corners to get the train out!

Nice to see the Eagle roll into the Austin depot on your video . I was an Austin depot regular in the 1980's. Thanks. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/24 19:40 by UP951West.

They will run a double Eagle back North on Friday morning!  That will be quite the sight!

Busses, airlines, personal vehicles, all have failures as well. You arm chair railroaders sure know how to preach!

PNWDivision10 Wrote:
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> Busses, airlines, personal vehicles, all have
> failures as well. You arm chair railroaders sure
> know how to preach!

Stop justifying and protecting mediocrity, PNWDivision10.  AMTRAK's service these days is horrible, and I've ridden many routes over many years.  If you ever have the time, do some research and see how good things used to be.  That's why we're all upset.