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greatcats

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Feb 27, 2006
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Location
Flagstaff, Arizona
#8 due Chicago today show Status Not Available. It showed at Minot only an hour or so last night and then disappeared for Rugby and Grand Forks. Am I correct in surmising that the Amtrak might have been annulled due to the freight wreck west of Fargo and heavy freight is being sent by way of Grand Forks? What a mess!
 
greatcats said:
#8 due Chicago today show Status Not Available. It showed at Minot only an hour or so last night and then disappeared for Rugby and Grand Forks. Am I correct in surmising that the Amtrak might have been annulled due to the freight wreck west of Fargo and heavy freight is being sent by way of Grand Forks? What a mess!
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Eric; I agree, the Hi-Line is becoming more of a Mess all the Time! I'm not a Member of trainorders.com but I read it Daily since their is usually some Good Info from Railroaders and Railfans both about Passenger and Freight RRs in the US!! There is a discussion going on now about this topic as well as the one on this Forum about the Derailment/ Fire in ND!! Sorry I cant Post the Links!
 
greatcats said:
#8 due Chicago today show Status Not Available. It showed at Minot only an hour or so last night and then disappeared for Rugby and Grand Forks. Am I correct in surmising that the Amtrak might have been annulled due to the freight wreck west of Fargo and heavy freight is being sent by way of Grand Forks? What a mess!
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The Empire Builder (#8) due into Chicago today had to use a detour route between Minot and Fargo due to the BNSF accident at Casselton ND.

In order to handle the traffic diversions caused by the accident, BNSF went to directional operation. Westbound trains, including Amtrak #7, operated via Grand Fork (the normal Empire Builder route). Eastbound trains, including Amtrak #8, used the Surrey Cut Off route (KO Sub plus the Prosper Sub) directly from Minot to Fargo. The Prosper Sub has no signals, so this requires manual handling and greatly limits capacity. This also means the EB skipped all scheduled stops between Minot and Fargo. Once a train is detoured and skips a normal stop, Amtrak puts it in the "Service Disruption" category. It is running, but at last report, about 12 hours late.

Update: it is now just east of Fargo and about 13 hours late. If you go to Amtrak.com, click on "routes", then open the Train Tracking map, you can follow the #8 as it makes its way to Chicago.
 
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No. 8 departed Fargo 11 hours 43 minutes late, at 1:30 or so p.m., but isn't yet into St. Paul (as of 3:50 pm CST) today. The line where the oil train derailed is due west of Fargo, while the Builder heads north from Fargo. Probably heavy traffic eastbound into Fargo is being rerouted around the north and is affecting the Builder. So it seems to me.
 
greatcats said:
Thank you. At least it wasn't annulled in Minot. Riding a bus from there would not be too exciting.
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In the Winter of 1982 after Riding the Train from Vancouver to Winnipeg, I rode a Greyhound from Winnipeg to Dallas, Texas! :eek:

3 Days and Nights of exciting Prarie Scenery and World Class Bus Station Greasy Spoon Cuisine! :rolleyes: (Why is Another Story??? :lol: )
 
A New years wish for the Empire Builder would be a better year in 2014 with fewer delays and keeping to schedule than in 2013. May be to much to ask though.
 
I'm scheduled to take the builder tomorrow from MSP to CHI as part of the opening leg of a trans-continental voyage. With all the problems going on, I am likely to be bussed, aren't I?
 
CollegeAgeTrainFanatic said:
I'm scheduled to take the builder tomorrow from MSP to CHI as part of the opening leg of a trans-continental voyage. With all the problems going on, I am likely to be bussed, aren't I?
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Not to sound like an Insurance Company Lawyer, But it Depends! :giggle: If you are making a Same day Connection in Chicago and the Builder is Very Late you Will Probably be Bused with the MSP Passengers to Union Station to Catch your Train!(the Exception Might Be the Lake Shore Limited which Leaves @ 9:30PM) If spending a Night in CHI you Would wait on the Builder for the Ride to CHI! The East Bound #8/#28 seems to be having the Worst of it for Lateness! I'm not sure if they are Running the #808 MSP-CHI Coach during the Holidays or Not??

Be sure and Check the Train Status Regularly/ you do have Phone/e-mail/Text Notification with Amtrak Right? Good Luck, Keep us Posted!
 
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CollegeAgeTrainFanatic said:
Thanks for the info! Yeah, next leg is the LSL out to Boston, so I kind of figured it would be a game time desiscion on Amtrak's part
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Did you see the Notice from Davey Crockett about the Delays for the Builders from North Dakota to MSP until Jan. 3 Due to the Derailment and Fire resulting in Heavy Freight Traffic on the Hi-Line! Look for a Bus Ride from MSP-CHI :( and if so, let Customer Relations (NOT Service) know when you get home since you wont get your Meals or Be in Your Room on a Train from MSP-CHI
 
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