Coast Starlight..#14(19) and #11(20)?

Anybody know what's happening with these two trains in the Cascades between Chemult and Eugene?

Freight train problems are causing interference.

Thirdrail7 said:

Freight train problems are causing interference.

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I thought they might be stopping there, in the darkness of night, uncoupling a PPC, and pushing it over the edge!!! . I know, bad humor!

"And, folks... If you look to the left as we come out of the next tunnel, you'll get a glimpse of a former member of our train in the ravine below. The famed but ill-fated Pacific Parlor Car. Now, folks. The good news is its still a fixture of the Coast Starlight route! Even if only as a shiny steel reminder of our better years."

Just read a report by someone who was on the #14(19)....arrived Eugene just shy of 14 hours down. Yesterday's #11(20) just now approaching Sacramento approximately 5 hours down. I guess a bunch of people got in some extra train time, appreciated or not!!

If any PPC on either train, I hope that they were well taken advantage of!

Both trains had PPCs. For awhile they were side by side at Cruzatte siding when #11 finally got through and #14 was getting ready to move. There were some rumors onboard of maybe adding an extra sleeper or two for the last PPC runs, not sure if substantiated. I will miss the cars, but they are showing their age and - with the theater below already shuttered - they do serve relatively few passengers at a time.

That was my report you read; reposting it here with some additions.

Just arrived Eugene on #14, just shy of 14 hours behind schedule. Can't fault Amtrak on this one, as the ETA for track opening was never more than 2-4 hrs. Based on scanner traffic, can fault UP somewhat for poor contingency planning and lack of information carryover between three dispatcher shifts. The dispatchers never came up with a complete plan with time estimates and seemingly didn't know which locations were accessible by road and which were not. The best plans were developed by the train crews on the fly and approved by the dispatchers; the whole incident could have benefited greatly from a dedicated response coordinator familiar with the area.

M-HKRV-19 with 96 cars went into emergency climbing the grade with rear portion of train in tunnel. Broken knuckle and damaged drawbar. Unknown whether pull apart led to emergency or vice versa. Dispatcher held us at Crescent Lake for emergency road access to our train until a plan was developed. Conductor fell and broke nose during assessment and attempted repair, hi rail sent down from summit to take in new crew and remove conductor. Train tied down. Car service arrived to repair broken knuckle. New crew cut first 54 cars to haul up the hill. Sent lead units from following train with dogcatch crew to pull the rear 42 cars downhill. We were cleared to proceed, passed front portion at Abernathy, at this point only 4-5 hours down, held on the main at Cruzatte to await movement of the lower half of the train, expected to happen soon.

Then more trouble. Rescue engines won't load air. Fixed. Train was tied down with two cars separated from the rear of the train, standard procedure on the main? Engines tied on to rear two cars but unable to make next joint due to no radio distance in tunnel. (Surprised it is not permissible to make a blind joint at some very low speed.) Decision to send lead units from a train at the summit down to attempt top rescue. Delays to tie down that train and move the units up to the problem. Rear units set out the two cars at Wicopee - two sidings down since next siding has a train - then return to assist. Switch at Cruzatte will not throw. Dispatcher wants us to back out of the main to allow units through, but we die on hours first. Switch changed to manual operation.

Trouble with getting the right train symbol, length, tonnage into PTC. Current dispatcher now two shifts after the problem doesn't know, refers crews to "help desk." Air charges slowly, major air leak discovered on car ten deep, may have been original cause of problems... Decision whether to proceed or attempt repair. Need duct tape and zip ties which apparently are not standard issue in UP engines. Pulled clear of tunnel, light engines at rear add Fred.

Pulled up next to us where our crew lends duct tape for temporary leak fix. Pulled past us up to Abernathy. #11 brings our dogcatch. On our way. May have missed something.

Can't say I'm too upset, home a bit late with a story to tell.

Parlor car attendant CJ says he will be working last run on 2/2. Says he will try to do something special to mark the occasion. Tried to spend as much time as possible in the parlor but unfortunately the most annoying passenger was riding first class. Talked a loud blue streak to no one in particular about politics, train facts, Amtrak fares, making fun of attendant's announcements, etc. So the regular lounge was usually more peaceful...

Kudos to UP at least for lining up #14 and #11 as the first trains through the affected area.

Thanks for the summary, including "what can go wrong will go wrong...."

Leave it to Amtrak to have the duct tape and zip ties on hand!

Blackwolf said:

Leave it to Amtrak to have the duct tape and zip ties on hand!

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I guess nobody told them not to use duct tape but to use gaffer tape instead.

A mess in the mountains...Concerning, as I routinely travel CS out of KFS, mainly to Sacramento, and I plan on doing so again next month, and I always have an important meeting at North Sacramento area whenever I travel to SAC, within 3 hours of scheduled arrival of 11. Should this be of a concern?

bmjhagen9426 said:

A mess in the mountains...Concerning, as I routinely travel CS out of KFS, mainly to Sacramento, and I plan on doing so again next month, and I always have an important meeting at North Sacramento area whenever I travel to SAC, within 3 hours of scheduled arrival of 11. Should this be of a concern?

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It was a fright train breakdown. Those can happen anytime & anywhere.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

Pleasant surprise: Amtrak just called to give us a $400 voucher on account of the delay, despite the fact that we weren't actually upset and didn't complain to anyone. This for a points trip that cost us nothing, so essentially we spent two days in a roomette and one of the last parlor car trips, enjoyed the scenery, and earned enough in the process to do it again. If only this happened every time...

(I should note that this happened on our last leg of a six-ticket vacation, a few hours from home, with nothing planned for the time after our scheduled arrival. Had it happened earlier, or with a connection to make, I might feel differently.)

Record ridership numbers, but not record revenue. Shocking. Oh well. There is only detail missing from your story. I want to know if this come into play:



That alone is worth $400 smackers in vouchers.

They did offer the beef stew to all coach passengers, after serving regular dinner options to sleeper folks. Train was at less than 25% of capacity during the delay, seems most folks ride LAX to the bay and EUG to Seattle, with not that many riding overnight in between.

Yum

The one time I have been on the Coast Starlight SAC - EUG (early May 2014), and back to SAC a week later, coach was packed going both ways.