What happens if one of the east bound EB trains is late or can't make it to SPK?

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spinnaker

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Mar 23, 2018
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Say the east bound Portland EB train is very late leaving Portland or simply can't leave at all due to mechanical or track issues?   What happens to the Seattle train?   Does it still leave Spokane without a SSL?
 
It would have to but those trains rarely run away from each other. They'll hold it for hours if necessary.
 
That’s the one thing that makes me a little nervous taking the eastbound train.  You have double the odds of a delay leaving Spokane.  
 
Say the east bound Portland EB train is very late leaving Portland or simply can't leave at all due to mechanical or track issues?   What happens to the Seattle train?   Does it still leave Spokane without a SSL?
Remember that if the the Seattle section leaves Spokane without the Portland section, not only will it lack an SSL and any passengers who boarded between PDX and SPK, but it also will have nearly half the capacity, and therefore won’t be able to accommodate any passengers boarding east of SPK ticketed on the Portland section.

The Seattle section typically consists of a Trans-Dorm, two sleepers, and two coaches, while the Portland section is typically one coach, one coach-baggage, and one sleeper. So if at any point between SPK and CHI, the coaches are supposed to be much more than half full, or pretty much any rooms in the Portland sleeper are sold,  they would be totally screwed.
 
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The Seattle section typically consists of a Trans-Dorm, two sleepers, and two coaches, while the Portland section is typically one coach, one coach-baggage, and one sleeper. So if at any point between SPK and CHI, the coaches are supposed to be much more than half full, or pretty much any rooms in the Portland sleeper are sold,  they would be totally screwed.
I guess you missed another winterized consist. The SEA is operating with one coach while the PDX is operating with two.  It terms of coach, the SPK section has the capacity.
 
I guess you missed another winterized consist. The SEA is operating with one coach while the PDX is operating with two.  It terms of coach, the SPK section has the capacity.
You mean the PDX section has the capacity?

So if the Portland section were running really late, how long would they hold the Seattle section, considering two out of three coaches are from Portland?
 
So if the Portland section were running really late, how long would they hold the Seattle section, considering two out of three coaches are from Portland?
As previously indicated, they'd likely wait until the section arrives. 3 years worth off data shows the trains would hold for hours, awaiting their connections. I'm struggling to remember an en route disruption causing them to run away from each other.  Same goes for the LSL.
 
I did not check the SEA section but between Christmas and New Year the PDX section was lounge/coach/coach-bag/sleeper. And both directions to ESM were ON TIME!

Its pretty rare for the PDX section to have delays for track issues, usually if it is late it is due to being held for Coast Starlight connections, and after the meltdown of a few years ago Amtrak tends to bus passengers from a late CS from Klamath Falls to Pasco, and not hold the EB(PDX). The occasional section delays tend to be the SEA section (mudslides between SEA and Everett). Amtrak then tends to bustitute the SEA and PDX sections to SPK, then flip the westbound train at SPK.
 
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As previously indicated, they'd likely wait until the section arrives. 3 years worth off data shows the trains would hold for hours, awaiting their connections. I'm struggling to remember an en route disruption causing them to run away from each other.  Same goes for the LSL.
I realize this is only anecdotal, but in October, we (8) left SPK 5 hours or more late because the PDX section got stuck behind a freight derailment.

On the positive side, we got to see Idaho in daylight and it was beautiful.
 
I realize this is only anecdotal, but in October, we (8) left SPK 5 hours or more late because the PDX section got stuck behind a freight derailment.

On the positive side, we got to see Idaho in daylight and it was beautiful.
And I guess you still made Glacier in the day?    If so that would be a bonus (except for getting to the destination late).     You would be stuck in SPK at night and likely sleeping anyway.  The people I feel sorry for in those long delays are the ones in coach.
 
As previously indicated, they'd likely wait until the section arrives. 3 years worth off data shows the trains would hold for hours, awaiting their connections. I'm struggling to remember an en route disruption causing them to run away from each other. Same goes for the LSL.
Spoke too soon. 49 ran away from 449 last night. Things were so bad, they finally canceled it.
 
And I guess you still made Glacier in the day?    If so that would be a bonus (except for getting to the destination late).     You would be stuck in SPK at night and likely sleeping anyway.  The people I feel sorry for in those long delays are the ones in coach.
That was me in coach once! The SEA section got stuck behind a freight train and didn’t make it to Spokane until after sunrise. Idaho in daylight was beutiful. I went out for a walk and 3am breakfast on the streets of Spokane but didn’t really sleep much (and forced myself awake to see Idaho in daylight).
 
I can't think of any time when the Portland Baby Builder and the Seattle Builder have run separately
"Portland Baby Builder"???? On the several round trips PDX-ESM in the last several years I have not noted any actively procreative actions!
 
"Portland Baby Builder"???? On the several round trips PDX-ESM in the last several years I have not noted any actively procreative actions!
If you do, please be sure that the protagonists end up in their proper section of the train before the westbound splits in Spokane....
 
And I guess you still made Glacier in the day?    If so that would be a bonus (except for getting to the destination late).     You would be stuck in SPK at night and likely sleeping anyway.  The people I feel sorry for in those long delays are the ones in coach.
Yes, Glacier in the daylight. In fact, the sun was even a better as it wa higher in the sky.

They ended up serving an extra meal onboard before we got to Chicago. The sleeper passengers had “full” menu service (what was still left in stock), and the coach got free AmStew.
 
I did not check the SEA section but between Christmas and New Year the PDX section was lounge/coach/coach-bag/sleeper. And both directions to ESM were ON TIME!


The Portland section *has* to have both a coach (handicapped seating) and a coach-baggage (checked baggage.) The Seattle section has a baggage car and a transdorm, so can run with only one coach and one sleeper (and one unit pulling it), and often does during the offseason.

I also have never seen half of a Builder leave Spokane. Moderately rare that it suffers a delay in WA but a few times a year it is late enough to see Sandpoint to Libby in daylight. I wish I knew in advance when that was going to happen! Serious contender for most beautiful part of the trip. Half the reason I get a roomette on the Builder is so I can close my curtains, turn out the lights, and watch that stretch along the Kootenai River by moonlight westbound.

*Turning* the train at Spokane, if it's 12 hours late, and bussing passengers across Washington, that has happened a time or two. 

If they knew in advance that 28 was stranded in Portland and couldn't get to Spokane, I almost wonder if they would shift the equipment from Portland to Seattle on one of the Cascades and leave Seattle with a full consist a couple hours late, rather than run half a train, or use the one or two spare Superliners that always seem to be sitting in Seattle. Never heard of it happening. Just idle speculation.
 
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