Passenger Trains > Amtrak Cascade service problems

Amtrak 503 has not made its complete run the last three days.  On Monday and today, it was cancelled outright at Seattle, equipment isses or availablity (today).  On Tuesday it got as far as Salem, unloaded everyone there and turned north back to Portland, reportedly with power issues.

We are in serious equipment trouble in Seattle.  I think it's because of the recent loss of mechanics in Seattle, plus the big mixup in which paperwork on required maintenance for Sounder commuter train cars was apparently not done, so probably at least 20 Sounder cars had to be pulled from service immediately and redone (if it was done in the first place) and that's apparently still going on, probably taking attention away from Amtrak equipment (Amtrak has the maintenance contract for Sounder trains in Seattle).  As of now we have the bare minimum seven trainsets available for Cascades service, six Horizons and one Talgo,and that means no spares.  Also, as many as half of our Cascades Chargers are now out of service and as many as eight of our once 28 Horizon coaches are too).  With the one working Talgo also out so far this week, we are one trainset short of the minimum number of trainsets required and we have to run buses on 503 and 508.  There may be a little hope, though.  About three weeks ago when the Sounder mess started, Sound Transit said it would take "the coming weeks" to get Sounder straightened around.  I'm hoping things will be back to normal soon and Amtrak can maybe get more sidelined Horizon coaches back into service, but there's no longer any word on the tree-damaged Talgo.  At least that's my understanding of all this.  

NPRocky Wrote:

 but there's no longer
> any word on the tree-damaged Talgo.  At least
> that's my understanding of all this.  

The word on the Mt. Batchelor Series 8 is that is done, permanently, since the tree strike bent the frame to the extent, behind the cab car, that the FRA said it is not road worthy ever again. 
Drew

Drew Mitchem
Centralia, WA

Hadn't heard that.  Well, if that's true, it means that the seventh Horizon set that was recently dismantled will obviously need to be replaced.

The whole thing or just cab car? If so, that's really poor construction...

Posted from Android

The last word I had just the other day was that the Mt. Bachelor is still officially listed as part of the fleet. The whole thing is getting more and more curious.

Too bad they decided to shitcan the series 6's. They still had a lot of life left in them. Seems like that decision is coming back to bite them more and more.

Posted from Android

SPbird Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Too bad they decided to shitcan the series 6's.
> They still had a lot of life left in them. Seems
> like that decision is coming back to bite them
> more and more.
>
> Posted from Android

People died and they had to look like they were taking action. Following the NTSB's recommendation was the easiest thing to do and it cost them nothing politically.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> People died and they had to look like they were
> taking action. Following the NTSB's recommendation
> was the easiest thing to do and it cost them
> nothing politically.

Especially since they don't really care about the service in the first place. If it and their shortline networrk in eastern Washington went away, not a tear would be shed in the Transportation building, home of the Highway Department, in Olympia.

(The Cascades program progress plunged after a former Secretary of Transportatoin told the department that the future was maintaining highways and building railroads. Poof - he was gone.)

TAW