NEC Service Restored 6/10/12

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The Davy Crockett

The Davy Crockett

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From WTOP:

WASHINGTON - Amtrak trains between Washington and Philadelphia are expected to experience delays following a bridge problem in Maryland earlier in the day.
Service was restored shortly before 2 p.m. Sunday.

Earlier, a cable broke on Bush Bridge in Maryland.

Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham says the broken overhead power line near Aberdeen, Md. says diesel trains are being used while the repair is underway.
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DMUs???? :lol:

From Amtrak's website:

Amtrak Northeast Corridor Service Restored between Washington, DC and Philadelphia, PA

June 10, 2012

1:30 p.m. EDT

Amtrak Northeast Corridor Service has been restored between Washington, DC and Philadelphia, PA, due to an earlier problem with a bridge near Aberdeen, MD. Residual delays between Washington, DC and Philadelphia, PA are anticipated for the next two hours.
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A diesel bridge? :giggle: Anybody know more?

#98 left WAS 5 Hrs., 16 Min. late. :eek:hboy:
 
At least one Regional arrived in Philly behind a MARC MP36. I am headed towards WAS on 2253 which managed to get through Philly just 10 min late. We had to wait outside for a platform to free up. It should be interesting to see what happens as we get closer to Bush River Bridge where there was catenary failure causing the trouble, earlier in the day.
 
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jis said:
At least one Regional arrived in Philly behInd a MARC MP36. I am headed towards WAS on 2253 which managed to get through Philly just 10 min late. We had to wait outside for a platform to free up. It should be interesting to see what happens as we get closer to Bush River Bridge where there was catenary failure causing the trouble, earlier in the day.
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I don't think the cable failure was related to the catenary. I believe it was related to the operating mechanism of the bascule span.
 
its still out. i'm on a train right now in dc. it wont b fixed for 5 hrs they say
 
jis said:
PRR Thanks for the clarification.

Departing WIL 10 mins down watching a parade of trains headed north as the floodgates have opened. :)
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And, clarifying my clarification, the problem occurred in conjunction with a bridge opening. According to a Fred Frailey posting at Trainorders, he witnessed the bridge operation (for an upcoming Trains feature). The operation seemed routine, the track was reopened, but after a decent period with no trains, the crew tested the catenary and it was dead. How, why? No clue.
 
Interesting. My parents had some problems on the NEC in KIN on Friday, 6/8. Apparently something happened to the HEP on their train and they rode without any lights or a/c from KIN to PVD. It was getting rather warm by the time they arrived!
 
Our train from Washington, DC to Wilmington, DE, due to leave at 2:20 was 'Delayed". Waiting in line until 3:30 and after being told "It's waiting on an engine." and "It's waiting for a crew.", we changed the ticket to tomorrow and left.

Felt sorry for everyone left waiting in line.
 
I just saw the barrage in NJ from a Trenton-bound NJT and at the station. Strange sightings: Northbound Acela was slow through Trenton apparently for SEPTA switching over to track 5 and southbound NJT switching over to 2. Then 97 arrived 1h 25 min late with no baggage car. Amfleet II 25110 was where the baggage usually is.
 
I arrived WAS 2 min ahead of schedule. It is a veritable zoo out here. The 5:20pm and 6:20 pm Regionals are both delayed due to unavailability of equipment. They should be clearing soon. Fortunately my 8pm Acela already has equipment at platform and is expected to leave on time. All Southbound LDs are delayed.
 
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Boy, even the Club Acela is SRO at WAS, what with all the LDs with all those Sleepers delayed! Anyway I found me a seat by chance!

Just heard the Conductor of 19 say that it is coming with diesels already on from Philly, so it will have a very short stop in WAS. Wonder if the Meteor is coming in with diesels too. Apparently these are diesels that were used earlier in the day to get Regionals through the dead zone heading north. Interesting!
 
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Keeshan said:
its still out. i'm on a train right now in dc. it wont b fixed for 5 hrs they say
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It has been fixed for while. I just came through there. Now they have problems with equipment availability for the Regeonals..... Shortage of engines which are now slowly arriving from the north.
 
Trains from Baltimore going North are still delayed. My 8:04pm is now scheduled for 9:50pm. It keeps getting later so who know if it will ever leave...
 
KYW 1060AM was reporting trains being delayed between 1 to 3 hours around noon without reason. I later got an alert from Fox 29 that the bridge cable broke and everything was diesel hauled. With no article provided. I came on here on my phone while I was at lunch and was stunned to see nothing on here about it around 1PM.
 
My Acela to BOS was delayed about 30 min just due to the backup of trains once everything reopened. We also had a brief delayed right outside of PVD as a Regional ahead of us struck a deer, which disconnected an air hose. It didn't take long for the crew to reconnect it, and we were soon on our way. Arrived in BOS around 40 min late.
 
To Amtrak's credit, the NEC twitter feed did have a message about the problem early on.
 
Is there any additional information on what happened at the Bush River moveable bridge on Sunday morning? How often is the bridge at Bush River opened for boat traffic?
 
afigg said:
Is there any additional information on what happened at the Bush River moveable bridge on Sunday morning? How often is the bridge at Bush River opened for boat traffic?
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My understanding is that one must make an appointment with Amtrak to have the bridge opened, as the bridge is not normally staffed and Amtrak must send a crew out there to open the bridge. Apparently the agreement between Amtrak & the Coast Guard also states that Sunday is the only day for which one can make a request to have the bridge opened. Amtrak does not have to grant any opening requests for an opening that would occur between Monday and Saturday.

Seems the crew opened the bridge, let several boats go through, closed it and left. For reasons as yet unknown, at least publicly, the catenary didn't re-energize after they closed the bridge. So once they figured out why the signals weren't coming back up, they had to send out a power crew to fix things.
 
lea said:
Trains from Baltimore going North are still delayed. My 8:04pm is now scheduled for 9:50pm. It keeps getting later so who know if it will ever leave...
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Yup Regionals were backed up by an hour or more. Acelas were running on time by 5pm. Some Regional passengers from down line stations were accommodated on Acelas. We picked up a whole bunch of Regional passengers from New Carrolton on an Acela making a special stop just to do that. Then we stopped at Trenton to drop off a few passengers who were originally ticketed for Regionals. In spite of all that we got into Metropark less than 5 mins late.
 
For the record, this is the second catenary issue this weekend. On Saturday, trains stacked up in Trenton, NJ after the wires went either down or otherwise out, somewhere between Princeton Jct and Trenton.

I don't think Amtrak can afford to wait another second on replacing catenary that is failing with such regular occurrence.
 
AlanB said:
afigg said:
Is there any additional information on what happened at the Bush River moveable bridge on Sunday morning? How often is the bridge at Bush River opened for boat traffic?
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My understanding is that one must make an appointment with Amtrak to have the bridge opened, as the bridge is not normally staffed and Amtrak must send a crew out there to open the bridge. Apparently the agreement between Amtrak & the Coast Guard also states that Sunday is the only day for which one can make a request to have the bridge opened. Amtrak does not have to grant any opening requests for an opening that would occur between Monday and Saturday.
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The reason that it is allowed to be opened only on weekends with prior notification is that it takes a track gang to go out there to open the bridge. Normally the bridge is bolted shut with continuous track bolted in place so that Miter Rail related speed limits do not need to be in place. Trains are cleared across the bridge at full speed. To open it, first they have to disconnect the track panels, then open the bridge, and after shutting the bridge re-assemble the track.

I suspect that they must have to turn OHE off to do all this, and then for some reason the OHE did not get turned on when everyone thought it had. It is also curious that OHE status for some reason was not visible in CETC, or it was and the folks there missed it. I have a strong suspicion that there are a few red faces if that is the case.
 
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Here are the official regulations for operation of the Bush River Bridge:

Title 33: Navigation and Navigable Waters

PART 117—DRAWBRIDGE OPERATION REGULATIONS

Subpart B—Specific Requirements

Maryland

§ 117.547 Bush River.

The draw of the Amtrak bridge, mile 6.8 at Perryman, operates as follows:

(a) When notice under paragraph (b) of this section is given, the draw shall open twice a day—

(1) From May 1 through September 30, on each Saturday, Sunday, and Federal holiday falling on a Friday or a Monday; and

(2) In October, on the Saturday and Sunday of one weekend.

(b) Notice of the need for an opening is given to the Amtrak Assistant Transportation Superintendent at 301–291–4278 by an authorized representative of the Bush River Yacht Club by noon on the Friday just preceding the day of opening or, if that Friday is a Federal holiday, by noon on the preceding Thursday.

( c) Amtrak determines the times for openings and shall schedule the times—

(1) During daylight hours;

(2) Six to ten hours apart; and

(3) One opening before noon and one after noon.

(d) Amtrak shall notify a representative of the Yacht Club of the times of all openings for the weekend (or extended weekend) in question by 6 p.m. on the Friday just preceding the weekend or, if that Friday is a Federal holiday, by 6 p.m. on the preceding Thursday.

(e) Each opening shall be of sufficient duration to pass waiting vessels.

[CGD 5–85–01, 50 FR 18480, May 1, 1985]
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