Passenger Trains > No. 22 have a problem north of Joliet ?

A while ago, on the scanner, I heard the CN DS talking to an amtrak, I think engine 168, with a problem.
The tracker shows No. 22 at 0 mph north of Willow Springs. Is there a problem ?

Transitdocs sez it's suffering the dreaded "locomotive assessment."

21 delayed out of Chicago due to a "disabled train on the route".

Good grief.  Every single day there seem to be multiple locomotive "assesments" that cause hours of delay.  I would think the freight rails would be tired of it.

regalstream1516 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 21 delayed out of Chicago due to a "disabled train
> on the route".

regalstream1516 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 21 delayed out of Chicago due to a "disabled train
> on the route".

Maybe they are holding 21 to give it 22's engine.  (sarcasm)

This "mechanical assessment" of the locomotives that often happens - whether Chargers or Genesis units - it speaks not necessarily to the good/bad mechanics at Beech Grove, but the lack of money and direction Beech Grove mechanics have been given from management. Yes, for the Chargers (LD or Corridor) it speaks to Amtrak/State DOT's management' inability to hold Siemen's accountable for the faults that seem to be inherent with the Chargers. And then one can see all the black soot and smoke bellowing out of the Genesis units. Jut look at some of the adjacent cars to the Genesis P42s, especially the Superliners. This is 100% indicative of maintenance/upkeep of the locomotive. And this doesn't happen overnight in a widespread way. How much money did management allocate to Beech Grove mechanics to apply the band-aids to keep these units running? I am sure it was the bare minimum while all eggs were put in one basket for the Siemens Chargers.....

It would seem to me that even a select quantity of Genesis P42s should have been completely rebuilt to extend their lives.......more so after Charger issues developed or were not brought online as quickly as they could be or more so because there are NOT enough ALC42 Chargers to replace the full fleet of of LD power!!!!! Did management pursue remedies with the Siemens locomotives quick enough let alone pivot to realize they better send some Genesis P42s to more extensive repair/maintenance/overhaul? Doesn't this all go back to accountability? Meanwhile - whether Chargers or Genesis units we are constantly seeing the regular "mechanical assessments" be it a Charger or Genesis P42.

The lead engine on 22 derailed. This was actually unforeseen. And by definition its locomotive trouble, but not because it broke down.

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This "mechanical assessment" of the locomotives
> that often happens - whether Chargers or Genesis
> units - it speaks not necessarily to the good/bad
> mechanics at Beech Grove, but the lack of money
> and direction Beech Grove mechanics have been
> given from management. Yes, for the Chargers (LD
> or Corridor) it speaks to Amtrak/State DOT's
> management' inability to hold Siemen's accountable
> for the faults that seem to be inherent with the
> Chargers. And then one can see all the black soot
> and smoke bellowing out of the Genesis units. Jut
> look at some of the adjacent cars to the Genesis
> P42s, especially the Superliners. This is 100%
> indicative of maintenance/upkeep of the
> locomotive. And this doesn't happen overnight in a
> widespread way. How much money did management
> allocate to Beech Grove mechanics to apply the
> band-aids to keep these units running? I am sure
> it was the bare minimum while all eggs were put in
> one basket for the Siemens Chargers.....
>
> It would seem to me that even a select quantity of
> Genesis P42s should have been completely rebuilt
> to extend their lives.......more so after Charger
> issues developed or were not brought online as
> quickly as they could be or more so because there
> are NOT enough ALC42 Chargers to replace the full
> fleet of of LD power!!!!! Did management pursue
> remedies with the Siemens locomotives quick enough
> let alone pivot to realize they better send some
> Genesis P42s to more extensive
> repair/maintenance/overhaul? Doesn't this all go
> back to accountability? Meanwhile - whether
> Chargers or Genesis units we are constantly seeing
> the regular "mechanical assessments" be it a
> Charger or Genesis P42.

What does any of this have to do with 22's engine's truck departing the rails? 

Some of you all should reserve judgement until the actual issue comes to light. 

Chessie1963 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good grief.  Every single day there seem to be
> multiple locomotive "assesments" that cause hours
> of delay.  I would think the freight rails would
> be tired of it.

Even freight train locomotives derail. 

sethamtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The lead engine on 22 derailed. This was actually
> unforeseen. And by definition its locomotive
> trouble, but not because it broke down.

Ice jammed flangeways, like at a grade crossing  ? 

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Ice jammed flangeways, like at a grade crossing 
> ? 

I don't think it is cold enough yet for that.
 

sethamtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jp1822 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This "mechanical assessment" of the locomotives
> > that often happens - whether Chargers or
> Genesis
> > units - it speaks not necessarily to the
> good/bad
> > mechanics at Beech Grove, but the lack of money
> > and direction Beech Grove mechanics have been
> > given from management. Yes, for the Chargers
> (LD
> > or Corridor) it speaks to Amtrak/State DOT's
> > management' inability to hold Siemen's
> accountable
> > for the faults that seem to be inherent with
> the
> > Chargers. And then one can see all the black
> soot
> > and smoke bellowing out of the Genesis units.
> Jut
> > look at some of the adjacent cars to the
> Genesis
> > P42s, especially the Superliners. This is 100%
> > indicative of maintenance/upkeep of the
> > locomotive. And this doesn't happen overnight in
> a
> > widespread way. How much money did management
> > allocate to Beech Grove mechanics to apply the
> > band-aids to keep these units running? I am
> sure
> > it was the bare minimum while all eggs were put
> in
> > one basket for the Siemens Chargers.....
> >
> > It would seem to me that even a select quantity
> of
> > Genesis P42s should have been completely
> rebuilt
> > to extend their lives.......more so after
> Charger
> > issues developed or were not brought online as
> > quickly as they could be or more so because
> there
> > are NOT enough ALC42 Chargers to replace the
> full
> > fleet of of LD power!!!!! Did management pursue
> > remedies with the Siemens locomotives quick
> enough
> > let alone pivot to realize they better send
> some
> > Genesis P42s to more extensive
> > repair/maintenance/overhaul? Doesn't this all
> go
> > back to accountability? Meanwhile - whether
> > Chargers or Genesis units we are constantly
> seeing
> > the regular "mechanical assessments" be it a
> > Charger or Genesis P42.
>
> What does any of this have to do with 22's
> engine's truck departing the rails? 
>
> Some of you all should reserve judgement until the
> actual issue comes to light. 

Absolutely nothing! I posted on the wrong thread! Ooops! Sorry!!!!

So there are presently four trains stranded, the offending train, and three others.  Man, this is not going to be a fun evening for a few hundred folks, many of whom likely have to be at work tomorrow morning.

I am hoping that passengers from train #22 were taken to the city by motor coach.  Head-end power could be an issue with a locomotive derailment.  The situation occurred around 1:10 pm or so CST.  

Chessie1963 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So there are presently four trains stranded, the
> offending train, and three others.  Man, this is
> not going to be a fun evening for a few hundred
> folks, many of whom likely have to be at work
> tomorrow morning.

Get pilots. At least two alternate routes Joliet to Chicago

Yea, I wondered about that.  It used to be that would happen more frequently.  Heck, I remember the Cardinal using the Shenandoah route at some point in the late 70s.  I was pretty young, so it is a vague memory.

Englewood Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Get pilots. At least two alternate routes Joliet
> to Chicago

Yes, Seth, but at the time I typed my post, Amtrak was saying it was a locomotive asessment.  Forgive me, but given recent history with locomotive assessments, a derailment was not something I considered, naturally.  Did you?

sethamtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chessie1963 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Good grief.  Every single day there seem to be
> > multiple locomotive "assesments" that cause
> hours
> > of delay.  I would think the freight rails
> would
> > be tired of it.
>
> Even freight train locomotives derail. 

Chessie1963 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yea, I wondered about that.  It used to be that
> would happen more frequently.  Heck, I remember
> the Cardinal using the Shenandoah route at some
> point in the late 70s.  I was pretty young, so it
> is a vague memory.

Cardinal was always on theC&O.
Shenandoah was B&O to CInci. 
Hilltopper was N&W to Catletsburg. 

Englewood Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chessie1963 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > So there are presently four trains stranded,
> the
> > offending train, and three others.  Man, this
> is
> > not going to be a fun evening for a few hundred
> > folks, many of whom likely have to be at work
> > tomorrow morning.
>
> Get pilots. At least two alternate routes Joliet
> to Chicago

Holiday weekend, the freight railroads are not just sitting on crews waiting on Amtrak to call.

sethamtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The lead engine on 22 derailed.

Thanks for the update Seth.

In the future however, please use the proper Amtrak terminology for this. The locomotive "lost contact with the rail".

<j u s t  k i d d i n g>