19 replies to this topic

[Linda T]

Well, if anyone's wondering about the Ohio, KY, WV area were were hit hard by the weather. I live very close to the point where the three states join. The local news had a photo that appeared to have been taken from near the HUN station (I recognize the so-called skyline from there since that's my home station) so I called to see what the status is. Someone asked a few days ago what could cause a train to run 2 hours behind, well... here's one of them. A historic outbreak of tornadoes for this area. The status on the Cardinal is a minimum of 2 hours late into CHI and probably more. The cause debris on the tracks and flooding, the line of tornadic activity ran most of the way along the Ohio River as well as the interior of the states. Amtrak will have an update after 6AM tomorrow, so if you're waiting for anyone at points west of HUN call before you go to the station. BTW, the Amtrak rep didn't say whether 51 is east or west of HUN just that it was stuck outside of HUN.

Not to get off topic, but West Liberty, KY was hit for the second time in 48 hours by a tornado, this time apparently with deadly intent. Please keep the folks there and in other areas in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks! Linda in Ohio.

Edited by Linda T, 02 March 2012 - 11:43 PM.

[jimhudson]

Hopefully All will be Found to be Better when the Sun Rises in the Morning! Thanks for Posting, Better Late than Sorry is a Good Policy when it comes to Rail Travel!!!

[Swadian Hardcore]

A tornado in March east of the Mississippi! Is this normal for the area?

The Cardinal already gets delayed too much. This will really hurt the route if it is a large tornado.

[Thunder Road]

A tornado in March east of the Mississippi! Is this normal for the area?

The Cardinal already gets delayed too much. This will really hurt the route if it is a large tornado.

Today's outbreak was very abnormal for occurring so far north and east this early in the season. Usually March severe weather is confined to TN, AR, GA, AL, MS, LA, and sometimes spreading into OK.

[The Davy Crockett]

They've got 51 arriving about 5 hours late into CHI - about 3:00 CST. Connections west are going to be a problem. But compared to how so many folks lives have been impacted by yesterday's insane weather, its nothing.

Edit for Clarification: I too appreciate Linda T's post. If I was unclear about that, my apologies, as I too wondered what impact the weather was having on Amtrak.

Edited by The Davy Crockett, 03 March 2012 - 08:21 AM.

[Ryan]

Indeed, yesterday was absolutely insane. The NWS issued around 300 Tornado Warnings, and even more Severe Thunderstorm Warnings.

This was the picture when I was woken up by thunder around 11 last night (we took two lightning strikes fairly close to the house in about a minute):



Storms from Boston all the way to Houston. Nuts.

[JackieTakestheTrain]

Linda: Thank you for posting because I kept looking on the Amtrak website for service disruptions due to the storm and hadn't seen anything. I have been watching the devasting images on TV and it is unbelievable.

[MrFSS]

I live near Lexington, KY but am staying with family in IND right now. Back home we were told they dismissed all schools at noon yesterday and asked all businesses to shut down, too.

Here in central Indiana the tornado sirens were on and off most of the day and we had hail up to 1 inch in diameter. This type weather doesn't usually start in this part of the world until late April - early May. But winter has been non-existent here this year,

One small town in southern Indiana and several in KY have almost been leveled by the storms.

[Green Maned Lion]

We were stuck AT HUN from about 11pm until 5:15 this morning. We have since hit some slow running. We are supposed to change trains in Ind.

And yeah, I'm alive and well. Thanks for remembering
Me!

[AmtrakBlue]

We were stuck AT HUN from about 11pm until 5:15 this morning. We have since hit some slow running. We are supposed to change trains in Ind.

And yeah, I'm alive and well. Thanks for remembering
Me!

Remind me never to get on a train you're on. Seems like you're always in one that runs into problems.
When I saw you had made the last post to this thread before I opened it, I thought, don't tell me he's on this train. Glad to hear you're ok and I hope you have a safe trip the rest of the way.

[Linda T]

We were stuck AT HUN from about 11pm until 5:15 this morning. We have since hit some slow running. We are supposed to change trains in Ind.

On Amtrak's page today,it gives 51 into CHI as "Estimated Arrival Time: 10 minutes late," Ha! I don't think Amtrak's gonna make up 6 hours and arrive a few minutes late. This tells me that Amtrak's website isn't always accurate. Thanks for the update!

And yeah, I'm alive and well.

Good to hear!

I'm now wondering if I'm gonna regret a trip through tornado alley in mid April [CIN to SAS] and back again! But that's a risk one takes anytime they travel through tornado alley during tornado season, but not WV, OH, KY especially this time of year. One local meterologist declared it the storm of the quarter century in the tri-state, but then that's all the longer he's been on the job.

[Linda T]

We were stuck AT HUN from about 11pm until 5:15 this morning. We have since hit some slow running. We are supposed to change trains in Ind.

On Amtrak's page today,it gives 51 into CHI as "Estimated Arrival Time: 10 minutes late," Ha! I don't think Amtrak's gonna make up 6 hours and arrive a few minutes late. This tells me that Amtrak's website isn't always accurate. Thanks for the update!

Huh, I just checked with Julie and train 51 arrived at CHI 21 minutes late today (10:26AM). How'd she do that? She could knock off a little time by leaving IND early, but if it's true that it was at HUN from 11 - 5:15, how'd she get in that early? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad all the passengers didn't get too delayed in making connections, it's just I never saw Amtrak hustle that fast.

[NY Penn]

It seems that Amtrak ran the Hoosier State from IND to CHI today and recorded its status as that of the Cardinal.

[MrFSS]

An Indiana Rail Forum has reported 51 is supposed to arrive in IND about 12:30 - 12:45 today. They wanted photographers to get out and get some photos in the daylight!

[Green Maned Lion]

We got in at 12:30 and were then bustituted.

[NY Penn]

Where did they get the consist for #50? Spares at CHI?

[Thunder Road]

50 just pulled out, so I guess they found some cars laying around somewhere.

I'm sitting on 30 waiting to pull out...

[The Davy Crockett]

We got in at 12:30 and were then bustituted.

I was wondering what became of y'all. You were going to CHI? What time did you finally get to your destination station?

[The Davy Crockett]

I was booked on the Cardinal out of Indy the day this occured. I called Amtrak at about 3:30 am and they indicated 8 hours behind schedule when I called. Rep said they would book me on the "on-time" bus to Chicago. When I got to Union Station in Indy the staff then advised they were going to run a train to Chicago anyway.

I don't know much about how they operate but the sub train was similar to what is usually discribed on the Cardinal. There was at least one sleeper, a dining car, three coaches, and maybe a cafe car. I think they refered to train as Amtrak 160 from IND - CHI if my ears heard correctly from an attendants radio as he passed by when we departed Indianapolis on time at 0600.

This was the same train I road on the return trip the next day but ran as the Hoosier State 850. Both trains ran on time and 850 actually ran early at nearly all stops.

Hope this helps?

Matt

Thanks for the information!