Heartland Flyer - Late?

OK, kinda half-heartedly listening to the news today, i thought I heard some story about a local college (basketball?) team heading to Oklahoma to play a game there. I guess that the train was delayed by mechanical issues (locomotive may have dies on the track I guess) and they finally ended up busing the passengers to their destination, where they apparently arrived only hours before their scheduled game.

Anyone else hear anything about this? Stories like that certainly are not going to help get the HF extended all the way up to Topeka like in my dreams. Wouldn't that make an excellent connection to the SWC for a trip to Denver from CBR?

ETA - here's a LINK to the story.

TCU Horned Frogs on their way to Normal OK. Sure wish that it had worked out better for them.

I was at the game and lowly TCU played fresh and vigorously, pressing the Sooners to the very end. Despite the delay, they were much more relaxed being on the train than trapped on a bus or worse yet an airliner (AA had a flight on the ground at OKC with pax held hostage on board for 9 hours Friday). The delays were likely a result of Winter Storm Sparta which demolished both the DFW Metroplex and OKC with snow and ice and that would have delayed ops for sure on the BNSF.

The story you linked to spoke of freight train problems not Amtrak mechanical issues.

I did notice that the Heartland Flyer was again using a cabbage instead of a second locomotive. i have read recently of locomotive shortages and was wondering of this was another sign of it. Pretty sure BNSF was now requiring Amtrak to use two locomotives on the Heartland Flyer.

printman2000 said:

The story you linked to spoke of freight train problems not Amtrak mechanical issues.

I did notice that the Heartland Flyer was again using a cabbage instead of a second locomotive. i have read recently of locomotive shortages and was wondering of this was another sign of it. Pretty sure BNSF was now requiring Amtrak to use two locomotives on the Heartland Flyer.

Click to expand...

The Flyer uses 2 locomotives because it is a Push-Pull train that does not get turned. The stalled freight was only part of the problem as weather has caused significant delays for the train the past few days (last night's 822 was running about 90 minutes late into Norman).

An article in this morning's OKC paper explained the FTW Agent was a bit amazed when the TCU AD showed up to buy 27 tickets and the AD explained to the Team to imagine they were headed to Grand Central Tournament to play in the NIT (what has now become the Nobody's Interested Tournament as it picks up the remains that did not earn an NCAA Berth).

OlympianHiawatha said:

The Flyer uses 2 locomotives because it is a Push-Pull train that does not get turned.

Click to expand...

Actually, it usually uses two locomotives because BNSF required it. To run, all it needs is one locomotive and one unpowered cabbage.

As seen in the pictures, they were back to using a cabbage...

http://twitter.com/tcutrentjohnson/status/571445838238461952/photo/1

printman2000 said:

OlympianHiawatha said:

The Flyer uses 2 locomotives because it is a Push-Pull train that does not get turned.

Click to expand...

Actually, it usually uses two locomotives because BNSF required it. To run, all it needs is one locomotive and one unpowered cabbage.

As seen in the pictures, they were back to using a cabbage...

http://twitter.com/tcutrentjohnson/status/571445838238461952/photo/1

Click to expand...

But still since the train does not get turned and no Cab Cars are available here, it needs something with a cab on either end, be it powered or not.

OlympianHiawatha said:

printman2000 said:

Actually, it usually uses two locomotives because BNSF required it. To run, all it needs is one locomotive and one unpowered cabbage.

As seen in the pictures, they were back to using a cabbage...

http://twitter.com/tcutrentjohnson/status/571445838238461952/photo/1

Click to expand...

But still since the train does not get turned and no Cab Cars are available here, it needs something with a cab on either end, be it powered or not.

Click to expand...

I am sorry, did I ever say differently? All I did was comment that a cabbage was on instead of a second P42.

Well, I agree that they were probably far better off being on the train rather than stuck on the tarmac at DFW, or in a bus that would have probably slid off the highway. I was just not bemoaning the fact that there is seldom any positive news about Amtrak. They're pretty much ignored unless there is a major delay.

They weren't clear as to the real nature of the delay - they should have been more specific that the delays were caused by a freight issue.

DryCreek said:

Well, I agree that they were probably far better off being on the train rather than stuck on the tarmac at DFW, or in a bus that would have probably slid off the highway. I was just not bemoaning the fact that there is seldom any positive news about Amtrak. They're pretty much ignored unless there is a major delay.

They weren't clear as to the real nature of the delay - they should have been more specific that the delays were caused by a freight issue.

Click to expand...

The way they played hard and aggressively Saturday means they were little worse for the wear despite the late arrival and based on the pics and comments they had an enjoyable trip despite the delay. I imagine for most of them it was their first time on Amtrak. Obviously when the weather goes down the toilet Amtrak can not be blamed.