Amtrak's westbound Cardinal stranded since Friday.

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This happens alot more than it should. Crew getting anything they can get there hands on. Pop, candy bars, pizza. It depends on what there. At least this time it's not a ice storm. Nothing like hear trees snap while your outside under a tree.

The other issue is the "dinning lite" part, limited on what you can do with raw foods.

The Bus thIng is allways a issue during a event like this. First you got to find some five busses, then you need them to get near your stuck train, and some how get the pax between the two. Good old fashion emergency management time. Problem the local guy is very busy, Amtrak guys are in Delaware. Ouch.
 
Just read a AP story, train was stopped in station. Passangers were allow on the platform and the pax were delay 20 hours, and have now left the train. One thinks most are still on buses right now, but hey there moving.
 
Just read a AP story, train was stopped in station. Passangers were allow on the platform and the pax were delay 20 hours, and have now left the train. One thinks most are still on buses right now, but hey there moving.
Good thing they were stopped at a station AND they still had head-end power for all 20 hours. Imagine the situation could be much worse had they been sitting all day in the middle of nowhere and/or if the engines ran out of fuel to supply head-end power to the cars.

Anyone know the fate of eastbound Cardinal passengers? Since the westbound is stuck for a day, I believe the eastbound would have not left Chicago at all, right? Amtrak Status Maps is just showing 'CT'. Does that mean Cancelled?
 
At least they got moving. I think it would actually be a nice adventure to go through this if you have the nerves to do it. After all, it's not too dangerous since the train still had some fuel and the train was at a station. Not the same as getting stck in a snowstorm on a mountain pass without enough food pr power tto get out of there.
 
The title of this thread gave me a slight sense of 'deja-vu'. Back in a tough winter of the late '70's, there was an item in the Amtrak Morning Report on the Arrow OMS system that was titled "No. 51 is at Nero Tower". It seems that in a blizzard, they had lost communication with that train for a long period, until it was finally reported by that point, to the relief of many......

Wish I still had access to that report or what may have succeeded it, as it would always make fascinating reading.....
 
I think it would actually be a nice adventure to go through this if you have the nerves to do it.
And nothing else to do. And nowhere else to be. And nobody to meet you or notice you were missing.

I guess if you were an unemployed hermit on his way to his next cave this would be the trip of a lifetime.

That's not to say I only enjoy train trips when I'm moving. For instance, I would love it if Amtrak allowed stopovers of your choice for award redemptions. Being able to get off the train and interact with the locals and see the locations you're passing through up close and personal would be a lot of fun to me. But sitting on a motionless train at some random location as you run out of supplies and burning fossil fuel? What exactly is fun about that? I honestly don't see the appeal.
 
From the more recent news reports, the Cardinal passengers were relatively well off compared to some of the West Virginia residents, the train passengers had air conditioning, and the rescue buses had fuel enough to get in and out again.

Still half a million homes, and some hospitals and nursing homes, without power. (Yes, hospitals and nursing homes have backup generators - but how much fuel? And how to get more?) And a heat wave building up.

Many cell phone towers down, and gas is hard to get because of no electricity to run the pumps.

When Seattle had major wind damage a few years back it was four days before power was restored in some of the suburbs. Cell phones rapidly became useless because towers were blown down, and then no way to recharge the batteries, not at home - no power, not in your car, because all the few gas stations that had backup power were commandeered by emergency services - and emergency services sometimes needed an escort with chain saws just to respond to calls.

I remember that, back then in the Seattle eastside suburbs, the one neighbor who had a propane-fired water heater was a really popular person - friends and family could take a warm shower by candle light (that was in November and cold was the problem, not heat)

Hoping and praying for the people who have to deal with this
 
Thanks - still over a million of us without power here in DC, and the lines at the gas stations that are open are epic.

Fortunately, with a baby on the way (due today, although it looks like she's taking her sweet time) the wife and I were keeping the cars topped off, so we're in good shape there. Trash man comes tomorrow, so even if the power doesn't come back, the contents of the fridge and freezer are going to the curb tonight (the fridge has been at 45-46 degrees for over 12 hours now).

Crappy situation all around.
 
Thanks - still over a million of us without power here in DC, and the lines at the gas stations that are open are epic.

Fortunately, with a baby on the way (due today, although it looks like she's taking her sweet time) the wife and I were keeping the cars topped off, so we're in good shape there. Trash man comes tomorrow, so even if the power doesn't come back, the contents of the fridge and freezer are going to the curb tonight (the fridge has been at 45-46 degrees for over 12 hours now).

Crappy situation all around.
Best of luck with the wife. Nice story to tell the kids later in life. Fridge if kept close should last a bit longer, but it's better been safe than sorry. Can we come over to your house for the epic BBQ your going to have today. Better to eat than toss.
 
Thanks - still over a million of us without power here in DC, and the lines at the gas stations that are open are epic.

Fortunately, with a baby on the way (due today, although it looks like she's taking her sweet time) the wife and I were keeping the cars topped off, so we're in good shape there. Trash man comes tomorrow, so even if the power doesn't come back, the contents of the fridge and freezer are going to the curb tonight (the fridge has been at 45-46 degrees for over 12 hours now).

Crappy situation all around.
You ween't able to convince her to have the baby on a Train??? :lol: Seriusly, hope all of yall have your Power back ASAP and things go fine with the New Family Member! :)
 
Still half a million homes, and some hospitals and nursing homes, without power. (Yes, hospitals and nursing homes have backup generators - but how much fuel? And how to get more?)
After Katrina there should be no nursing home or hospital with a plan. Heck if Dollar General got a plan to supply generators to there stores, and fuel for there employees, there should be no hospital or nursing home with a solid plan for a long term power outages.

all the few gas stations that had backup power were commandeered by emergency services
Well someone plan is a bit cheap, Seattle public works does not have there own fuel pumps?

and emergency services sometimes needed an escort with chain saws just to respond to calls.
Done this a few times, sometimes with a snow plow leading, sometime a pu truck with chain saws. I would say more than half the time it was a abused of 911, to get there roads open so they could get out of the house.

Multi edits due to rough track. That my story and I am stick to it.
 
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Good luck on the baby. I hope all goes well for your wife and the baby.

I hope you get your electricity back soon.
 
The title of this thread gave me a slight sense of 'deja-vu'. Back in a tough winter of the late '70's, there was an item in the Amtrak Morning Report on the Arrow OMS system that was titled "No. 51 is at Nero Tower". It seems that in a blizzard, they had lost communication with that train for a long period, until it was finally reported by that point, to the relief of many......
Sounds like an episode of "The Twilight Zone," complete with a great title.
 
Good luck with the baby, Ryan. When I was last at work, our hospital's L&D nurses were getting psyched up for extra deliveries due to the heat. That was Friday when heat was all the we were expecting. When your girl decides to make her appearance - I bet she'll have lots of company.
 
Trash man comes tomorrow, so even if the power doesn't come back, the contents of the fridge and freezer are going to the curb tonight (the fridge has been at 45-46 degrees for over 12 hours now).
45-46 degrees C or F? For C that would be really hot!
 
Trash man comes tomorrow, so even if the power doesn't come back, the contents of the fridge and freezer are going to the curb tonight (the fridge has been at 45-46 degrees for over 12 hours now).
45-46 degrees C or F? For C that would be really hot!
Application of common sense would suggest that it is Fahrenheit.
 
Trash man comes tomorrow, so even if the power doesn't come back, the contents of the fridge and freezer are going to the curb tonight (the fridge has been at 45-46 degrees for over 12 hours now).
45-46 degrees C or F? For C that would be really hot!
Application of common sense would suggest that it is Fahrenheit.
Perhaps K? The frozen stuff would be really, really frozen. :p
 
The nrusing homes I have done work for typically have fuel for 24 hours of fuel for their emergency generators. Now different communities have different amount of stuff on the generator. By code, you really only need to have emergency egress lighting on emergency power. After that is all an owner descion. Most have additional but some are better than others. It is difficult to plan for catostrophes because it is a balance between how likely are you to have a multi-day outage and the cost you need to incur to plan for that outage.
 
So apparently folks were only stranded for 20 hours. I say only - that can be a lifetime. But apparently the communication was pretty good, the service crew was pretty good, there was ample food and water. I guess this is the difference if you're stuck in a station rather than in BFE where they won't let you do ANYTHING.

At least the new reports aren't blasting Amtrak. That's almost a first. Besides, 20 hours late on the Cardinal? Who'd notice? :D
 
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Thanks for all the well wishes - power came back last night, life is slowly returning to normal (or what passes for it in my household).

Glad to see that the Cardinal passengers were taken care of and it looks like service is in pretty decent shape today.
 
Thanks - still over a million of us without power here in DC, and the lines at the gas stations that are open are epic.

Fortunately, with a baby on the way (due today, although it looks like she's taking her sweet time) the wife and I were keeping the cars topped off, so we're in good shape there. Trash man comes tomorrow, so even if the power doesn't come back, the contents of the fridge and freezer are going to the curb tonight (the fridge has been at 45-46 degrees for over 12 hours now).

Crappy situation all around.
Your poor wife. I can remember being very pregnant in the summer and living in Richmond and we could not afford to run the air conditioning (my husband was a student and not working at the time). Being very pregnant in very hot, humid conditions is the very definition of miserable. I survived on slurpees from the nearby 7-11. Bless her and best wishes on your new arrival.
 
Trash man comes tomorrow, so even if the power doesn't come back, the contents of the fridge and freezer are going to the curb tonight (the fridge has been at 45-46 degrees for over 12 hours now).
45-46 degrees C or F? For C that would be really hot!
Application of common sense would suggest that it is Fahrenheit.
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, no kidding!
 
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