Derailment (5/27) on the BNSF Ottumwa Sub. CZ likely to be affected.

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Surely regret the derailment that caused the issues for Amtrak, but the posts have been informative. I'm learning things about Amtrak operations that I never knew or would have guessed.
 
Main 1 on the bridge is now fixed. Main 2 on the other hand:

Word has it Main 2 is OOS for several weeks due to structural damage to that side of the bridge. They have to have new steel supports manufactured.
Here's some photos of the cleanup work done yesterday.
 
Running the freights via Salt Lake City? That is some huge detour! Isn't their Siskiyou Line able to handle freight trains? I realize its a lot tougher to negotiate than the regular route, but can it be that bad, that they wouldn't use it?

And why not take the cutoff over the Lake from Ogden? Has that line deteriorated also?
 
The Siskiyou line doesn't belong to UP anymore. It's owned by CORP. That doesn't mean, though that detours couldn't take place, but the grades over the mountains are brutal: the reason they built the current route [Natron Cutoff]. The other problem is that it's unsignalled now, so the number of trains on the line would necessarily be quite limited.
 
And don't forget the Sis line has a ten mph speed limit for most of its length. So it would be incredibly slow. And don't forget you need pilots and I'm sure CORP doesn't have a large amount of engine crews.
 
The Siskiyou line doesn't belong to UP anymore. It's owned by CORP. That doesn't mean, though that detours couldn't take place, but the grades over the mountains are brutal: the reason they built the current route [Natron Cutoff]. The other problem is that it's unsignalled now, so the number of trains on the line would necessarily be quite limited.

And don't forget the Sis line has a ten mph speed limit for most of its length. So it would be incredibly slow. And don't forget you need pilots and I'm sure CORP doesn't have a large amount of engine crews.
I wasn't aware of all of that...thanks for that info...

I suppose the O.T. would be too busy to handle all that additional traffic?

And what about the Cutoff over the Salt Lake, west from Ogden?
 
Here's Amtrak #6(28) passing the site of the derailment yesterday. In addition to only Main 1 being only open, there's also a slow order for that track at this spot. Mentioned over the radio in the second clip is that #6 was following a coal train through here.

 
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