Passenger Trains > #51 Terminated at Charleston, WV

Just over a week after terminating #51 at Hamilton, OH... We have another service interruption with a different cause, same fiasco...

#51 activated the WID (Wheel Impact Detector) Friday at MP 345 (Talcott) on the C&O Allegheny Sub. The detector indicated a Level 1 defect on E/185. The crew is required to inspect for flat wheels. Such was done and no flat wheels were found anywhere on the train after a complete inspection. The rules then require the train to operate at 30 mph until the equipment is setout.. And that means Chicago!

With the expected delays, Amtrak decided to bus out of Charleston and kill the train. And they were able to get busses. You would think they would take the consist to Huntington (or Russell) and repair and turn for an on-time (haha) #50.. Right?

No, they are deadheading the equipment to Indy at 30 mph. They have a switch crew providing a fresh engine from the Grove. After the engine swap, they are sending the equipment on to Chicago. The train is already over 6 hours late! And get this... At Indy it turns back into a revenue train.. WHY? Too close to Katrina, no busses available between Indy and Chicago...

Couldn't those Charleston busses, or at least one, have come by Indy to do the local business? Maybe Amtrak could have held the drivers to bring the busses back tonight? NOT

It gets better, the Amtrak manager at Huntington personally inspected the train for flat spots and none were found. He couldn't get CSX to release the train for track speed. And at the Russell Terminal where the train is serviced and watered, by CSX employees, Amtrak didn't have anyone there to inspect the train and give it a thumbs up or thumbs down to be released from the 30 mph speed restriction. Maybe CSX and Amtrak are giving each other a finger up after this....

In the end, the passengers are the losers, again....

Ah, that's the explanation. About 11am CDT I heard the Indianapolis Sub dispatcher telling a train (didn't hear ID of that one or exact location) to wait for two westbounds, "Amtrak and 361." Wondered why the Cardinal was so late.

Bumping_Post Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> #51 activated the WID (Wheel Impact Detector)
> Friday at MP 345 (Talcott) on the C&O
> Allegheny Sub. The detector indicated a Level 1
> defect on E/185. The crew is required to inspect
> for flat wheels. Such was done and no flat wheels
> were found anywhere on the train after a complete
> inspection. The rules then require the train to
> operate at 30 mph until the equipment is setout..
> And that means Chicago!

Whose rules state that? Looking at the CSX equipment rules, if no flat spots are found, you are to notify the train dispatcher and be governed by his instructions. I doubt that the CSX Dispatcher would want any train being restricted to 30 mph if there is no reason for that restriction.

Practice Safe CSX

To understand why #51 was reduced to 30 MPH you need the timetable special instructions for the Alleghany Sub where this happened. So before you state how it is, you need to a copy of the rules in effect. Rule 4151-1 (which is not in the CSX equipment rules) states
what was previously posted on this thread. CSX did not release the train
from the restriction. It clearly says the car has to be setout or
restricted to 30 mph, and CSX required Amtrak to live up to that standard.

Why was it terminated in Hamilton the week before?

See following thread on Hamilton, OH train termination.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,986156,986156#msg-986156

As for the Wheel Impact Detector, here is a link to page 14 of the TT supporting what EDog535 previously posted.. This rule isn't in effect at Garrett.

http://tinyurl.com/76xkp

Practice Safe C&O