johnny.menhennet
Conductor
Rocky tells them to derail.
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Or headbutts them. :giggle:
fairviewroad
Engineer
- Joined
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- 3,389
Well, as a place to go for actual information and updates about the EB's lateness problems this summer,
this thread has become pretty much useless.
this thread has become pretty much useless.
Ispolkom
Engineer
Look upon him, and despair!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hunter1828/2418177402/
Unbeliever!fairviewroad said:
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johnny.menhennet
Conductor
Good one
johnny.menhennet
Conductor
I beg to differ. Rocky is critical to understanding the history of the EB, and the first letters of the thread are EB.
yarrow
Engineer
just like the eb itself
Swadian Hardcore
Engineer
If the tracks are bent, they are probably caused by high heat, so the heat restrictions are not without reason. Debris mght be caused by falling rock or trees. Accidents remain a big problem, don't know how to solve it.
Derailments happen so often with freight trains that something seems very wrong with them.
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johnny.menhennet
Conductor
I want to make more Rocky jokes, and I have a few clever ones to add to this, but I feel that they would outlast their welcome. There is not much more we can do to a situation like this. ^^^
anir dendroica
OBS Chief
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2009
- Messages
- 507
If you look at the pattern of freight derailments in eastern Montana in recent years, they tend to happen November-February or June-August. Thus extreme cold or extreme heat.
In the mountains there can be washouts, rockslides, avalanches, etc. leading to derailments, but in the plains there are mainly just collisions (very uncommon) and track defects.
Eastern Montana has some of the widest temperature swings in the US, from around -40F (and rail temperature close to that) in the winter to over 100F (and rail temperature around 140F) in the summer. That is really testing the limits of expansion and contraction of continuous welded rail. In winter the rails are in extreme tension and can pull apart. In summer they are in compression and can kink. Both can occur as a train is passing over (due to added stress and vibration), meaning that more inspections won't necessarily solve the problem. The (somewhat) good news for passenger trains is that their lighter weight and shorter length make them less likely to trigger these defects.
For those asking why trains in the desert Southwest don't have heat restrictions: Since the coldest temperature expected is around 10-20F, rail can be laid at a higher temperature and therefore experiences less compression at 100 degrees than rail in Montana. Temperature (at least within the range experienced on Earth) has almost no effect on the strength of steel. It's the seasonal change in temperatures that matters.
In the mountains there can be washouts, rockslides, avalanches, etc. leading to derailments, but in the plains there are mainly just collisions (very uncommon) and track defects.
Eastern Montana has some of the widest temperature swings in the US, from around -40F (and rail temperature close to that) in the winter to over 100F (and rail temperature around 140F) in the summer. That is really testing the limits of expansion and contraction of continuous welded rail. In winter the rails are in extreme tension and can pull apart. In summer they are in compression and can kink. Both can occur as a train is passing over (due to added stress and vibration), meaning that more inspections won't necessarily solve the problem. The (somewhat) good news for passenger trains is that their lighter weight and shorter length make them less likely to trigger these defects.
For those asking why trains in the desert Southwest don't have heat restrictions: Since the coldest temperature expected is around 10-20F, rail can be laid at a higher temperature and therefore experiences less compression at 100 degrees than rail in Montana. Temperature (at least within the range experienced on Earth) has almost no effect on the strength of steel. It's the seasonal change in temperatures that matters.
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Dude, you should totally join the NTSB.
EB_OBS
Conductor
Well it's been mudslides, landslides, fires, derailments, floods, heat restrictions, track work and track closures, broken down freight trains, cars on track, grade-crossing strikes, high winds, suicidal trespassers and trespasser strikes, broken bolster springs and B/O diner cars, now there was the Grizzly bear in Shelby, MT that caused a delay to #7 and now the Empire Builder itself has derailed both locomotives in the Seattle yard.
What could be next?
What could be next?
h34r:montana mike
Conductor
OK--some up to date info on the westbound EB, now in Havre--3 1/2 hours late-again!! Why are we late today--an all of the above answer. We left Chicago 40 minutes late to accommodate late arriving passengers, then got stuck behind commuter trains for another hour-going about 30 mph until halfway to Milwaukee. Lost additional time in MSP due to some minor mechanical issues, then really lost tons of time from east of Williston to Havre due to heavy freight traffic and that now infamous "heat restrictions"--even though it was raining part of the way and the temps were in the 80's-which is actually slightly below normal for this area. Using my GPS we have averaged less than 40 mph the entire PM today-bummer
montana mike
Conductor
Hopefully my final EB status update before we arrive in Whitefish Just departing Shelby, now 4 1/2 hours late and between Havre and Shelby we never got above 60 mph, despite temps in the low 70's. This has been a frustrating trip.
:-(
:-(
I missed the grizzly bear story! What happened? Apologies if I've missed it here but I thought I'd read the whole thread.
EB_OBS
Conductor
Yeah it's not in the thread. I guess nobody else picked up on the story. Train 7 a couple days back was further delayed attempting to depart from Shelby, MT because of police activity. Turns out a Grizzly bear made it into town and the search area was west of the station and covered the BNSF yard there and the mainline. He caused another 40 minutes delay to an already 2 1/2 hours late train.
EB_OBS
Conductor
Just a heads up, today's train #8, has now turned into bustitution to SPK, with the already busing #28 from PDX. Unfortunately the equipment it stuck in the yard due to both locomotives derailed and the cars are behind the locos on the pit tracks which are stubb tracks. They don't go thru so even replacing the locos is impossible.
Train 7(31) will now have to be bused and serviced and flipped back east as 8/28(01).
Train 7(31) will now have to be bused and serviced and flipped back east as 8/28(01).
EB_OBS
Conductor
Montana Mike,
have you guys all already heard that the train you are on is terminating in SPK?
have you guys all already heard that the train you are on is terminating in SPK?
L
lyke99
Guest
I am currently on the 7/31 number 27 (PDX) sleeper. We were informed of the bus substitution about 30 minutes ago. We are currently just east of East Glacier.
amtrakwolverine
Engineer
Chuck Norris was crossing the tracks
EB_OBS, so does this mean that the equipment you're talking about might turn into 8(02) tomorrow (Thursday), assuming they can get it fixed? I have friends who are scheduled to leave from SEA tomorrow, returning home to MSP.
Thanks for getting back to me so quick, I'd been googling without much success! Shame about the delay but the reason is pretty awesome. I confess to spending a lot of time staring at the forest in the hope of seeing a bear. I've zero desire to meet one in the woods, but I'd feel brave if I were on a train.
EB_OBS
Conductor
Yes the intent is to now use that equipment as 8/28(02). I just got word the engines had been rerailed at 12:05am.
montana mike
Conductor
Yup--They announced the entire situation around East Glacier and told the SEA and PDX passengers what to expect. I arrived in WFH about 4 hours late.
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