CZ Detours near GSC

[RailFanLNK]

Well...now that we've been home for almost a week, I think the general consensus is that a trip to Glenwood Springs is in order for next year. We will go from a trip in 3 major urban area's and 7 trains to the CZ, a small town and a free city bus system. So my question is: It seems like every summer there's a detour and you have to be bussed from DEN through to GJT. Is this happening again this summer? And most importantly, is UP scheduling this for next summer? We are already looking at dates for next June or July and will be booking sleepers as well. If it was coach, there's not as much to worry about, but with the price of roomettes, I want to travel all the way there in a roomette, not a bus. Thanks!

Al

 

[wayman]

Well...now that we've been home for almost a week, I think the general consensus is that a trip to Glenwood Springs is in order for next year.

Well, that didn't take long :lol: Congratulations on having won them over! You really worked your tail off making that trip a success in spite of everything nature threw at you.

 

[RailFanLNK]

Wayman, we by no means had a bad trip, but you sure nailed it on the head!!!!! We was sitting around last night just Brenda and I. Our most important trip is next year to see her son in Las Vegas who returned from Iraq less than a year ago and has purchased a house. Then we said, "lets have a more simpler vacation, with Amtrak" and even her girls were saying GSC was so "easy". So me thinks thats what we are going to do. I would also like to see if my two nieces from LNK could go with us. They are going to be a sophomore in high school and the other a freshman in college in 2009. So I'm thinking about seeing if they can go along as well since they get along so well with Brenda's daughters.

 

[AlanB]

Al,

I'd almost bet that UP will once again close the Moffat route over the Rockies for some track work. But I doubt that even they've actually tentatively scheduled things yet. And as has been proven over the last two years, even once they do finally schedule things, anything can and will disrupt the schedule.

You're just going to have to roll the dice and take your best shot. That said, I don't know if your vacation schedules permit this, but you might look towards traveling in August as UP does seem to like to try to close things down in May and June, with occasional slips to July when problems occur.

 

[Rail Freak]

Al,
I'd almost bet that UP will once again close the Moffat route over the Rockies for some track work. But I doubt that even they've actually tentatively scheduled things yet. And as has been proven over the last two years, even once they do finally schedule things, anything can and will disrupt the schedule.

You're just going to have to roll the dice and take your best shot. That said, I don't know if your vacation schedules permit this, but you might look towards traveling in August as UP does seem to like to try to close things down in May and June, with occasional slips to July when problems occur.

If the off season is approximately Oct-May, is it the altitude & cold temps. the reason they schedule track work in the Peak Season,May -Sept? :unsure:

AAAHHH, & Amtrak doesn't own the Rail Line! Think I answered my own question!

 

[AlanB]

Al,
I'd almost bet that UP will once again close the Moffat route over the Rockies for some track work. But I doubt that even they've actually tentatively scheduled things yet. And as has been proven over the last two years, even once they do finally schedule things, anything can and will disrupt the schedule.

You're just going to have to roll the dice and take your best shot. That said, I don't know if your vacation schedules permit this, but you might look towards traveling in August as UP does seem to like to try to close things down in May and June, with occasional slips to July when problems occur.

If the off season is approximately Oct-May, is it the altitude & cold temps. the reason they schedule track work in the Peak Season,May -Sept? :unsure:

Yes, it's tough to do track work under 4 feet of snow.

 

[Rail Freak]

Al,
I'd almost bet that UP will once again close the Moffat route over the Rockies for some track work. But I doubt that even they've actually tentatively scheduled things yet. And as has been proven over the last two years, even once they do finally schedule things, anything can and will disrupt the schedule.

You're just going to have to roll the dice and take your best shot. That said, I don't know if your vacation schedules permit this, but you might look towards traveling in August as UP does seem to like to try to close things down in May and June, with occasional slips to July when problems occur.

If the off season is approximately Oct-May, is it the altitude & cold temps. the reason they schedule track work in the Peak Season,May -Sept? :unsure:

Yes, it's tough to do track work under 4 feet of snow.

LOL :lol:

Send a bunch of us Florida Boys, we'll go thru that stuff like it was sand!!!

 

[JimInVa]

Al,
I'd almost bet that UP will once again close the Moffat route over the Rockies for some track work. But I doubt that even they've actually tentatively scheduled things yet. And as has been proven over the last two years, even once they do finally schedule things, anything can and will disrupt the schedule.

You're just going to have to roll the dice and take your best shot. That said, I don't know if your vacation schedules permit this, but you might look towards traveling in August as UP does seem to like to try to close things down in May and June, with occasional slips to July when problems occur.

If the off season is approximately Oct-May, is it the altitude & cold temps. the reason they schedule track work in the Peak Season,May -Sept? :unsure:

Yes, it's tough to do track work under 4 feet of snow.

LOL :lol:

Send a bunch of us Florida Boys, we'll go thru that stuff like it was sand!!!

FWIW, my wife and I (and three of my four boys!) just came through the tunnels on Tuesday, and we didn't detour. We also passed over the flooded parts of Iowa, which was really sobering. They restored CZ service on Saturday, and we departed CHI on Monday, so it was pretty touch and go...but we went, and for awhile were running about 20 mins. AHEAD of schedule. Wound up in Emeryville only 24 minutes late, which was pretty remarkable given the state of the tracks in Iowa.

 

[AlanB]

FWIW, my wife and I (and three of my four boys!) just came through the tunnels on Tuesday, and we didn't detour. We also passed over the flooded parts of Iowa, which was really sobering. They restored CZ service on Saturday, and we departed CHI on Monday, so it was pretty touch and go...but we went, and for awhile were running about 20 mins. AHEAD of schedule. Wound up in Emeryville only 24 minutes late, which was pretty remarkable given the state of the tracks in Iowa.

Glad to hear that you made it through Jim and that things were largely on time.

Considering the damage wrought it's almost a miracle that they got things back running as quickly as they did, once the water receded enough for the BNSF crews to work.

 

[JimInVa]

FWIW, my wife and I (and three of my four boys!) just came through the tunnels on Tuesday, and we didn't detour. We also passed over the flooded parts of Iowa, which was really sobering. They restored CZ service on Saturday, and we departed CHI on Monday, so it was pretty touch and go...but we went, and for awhile were running about 20 mins. AHEAD of schedule. Wound up in Emeryville only 24 minutes late, which was pretty remarkable given the state of the tracks in Iowa.

Glad to hear that you made it through Jim and that things were largely on time.

Considering the damage wrought it's almost a miracle that they got things back running as quickly as they did, once the water receded enough for the BNSF crews to work.

I was amazed. We passed MOW crews on the way to Ottumwa, still working on shoring things up. There were also a bunch of used sandbags piled up in front of the doors. And, sadly, we passed farm after farm that had been turned into lakes and ponds.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

FWIW, my wife and I (and three of my four boys!) just came through the tunnels on Tuesday, and we didn't detour. We also passed over the flooded parts of Iowa, which was really sobering. They restored CZ service on Saturday, and we departed CHI on Monday, so it was pretty touch and go...but we went, and for awhile were running about 20 mins. AHEAD of schedule. Wound up in Emeryville only 24 minutes late, which was pretty remarkable given the state of the tracks in Iowa.

Glad to hear that you made it through Jim and that things were largely on time.

Considering the damage wrought it's almost a miracle that they got things back running as quickly as they did, once the water receded enough for the BNSF crews to work.

BNSF really does run the tightest ship of the class 1s, don't they?

 

[AlanB]

BNSF really does run the tightest ship of the class 1s, don't they?

Yes they do a pretty darn good job with things.

But I have to say that I was very impressed with the speed with which UP rebuilt the bridge in Sacramento over the American River last year. That was a far larger project that they handled very well. And quite frankly I don't think that they did a terrible job this past winter either in dealing with that slide in Oregon. Yes, that took a whole lot longer, but that was major damage and they were working under some pretty extreme conditions.