OlympianHiawatha
Engineer
It looks like they had to stick a FRED on it, probably because power could not run to the Marker Lights.
14/29 Lost Power North of Goleta
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Could have been them, though they left from SIM (I know that I often just say "Los Angeles" when I say where I'm going to or coming from, though- few have an idea where Simi Valley is). Haven't heard from them yet this morning; I couldn't tell from their texts how upset they were with the delay.
battalion51
Engineer
Its possible the damage was done underneath the car, and wouldn't have been apparent unless you were under the car. Good thing ole FRED was just hangin around...
oldtimer
OBS Chief
The device hanging on the baggage car is not a FRED. It is a simple portable marker light. If it were a FRED it would have a connection to the brake pipe hose. It also looks like the 480 volt cable on the left side of the photo is not looped back into the car, this could possibly indicate damage.
We got more details last night from the assistant conductor who was counting the minutes before he "died" for going over the service hour limits. He had originally thought (and announced) that the damage was due to debris on the ROW, but he told us that he didn't see any debris on the tracks while doing the backup move to Goleta. As a result, their working hypothesis was that the power cable between the loco and the baggage car came loose and was damaged by being dragged under the train. The crew was told to try bypassing the circuit [not totally clear here, oldtimer could probably explain] and plugging in a spare cable. This fried the cable and the port it plugged into, necessitating moving the baggage car to the rear of the train where power would not be needed. The remaining time lost was due to the need to move cars around and wait for other passing trains.
The crew was very helpful and communicative throughout, and deserves major kudos. And the passengers were pretty relaxed about it all, too. So it could have been a lot worse.
The crew was very helpful and communicative throughout, and deserves major kudos. And the passengers were pretty relaxed about it all, too. So it could have been a lot worse.
OlympianHiawatha
Engineer
Technically it is still known as a FRED or ETD (Flashing Rear End Device or End of Train Device, albeit a "Dumb" FRED since all it does is provide a flashing light. A Smart FRED which is commonly used on Freight Trains will monitor Brake Line Pressure and end of train speed (if that starts dropping in relation to the Engine speed then you are dealing with a busted coupler somewhere) and transmit that information to the cab; likewise the Crew can via radio signal activate the brakes via Smart FRED.
I understand Smart FREDs all transmit on a set frequency with a range of only a few miles or so and if you have a scanner you can program it into a computer and decode the chatter. Since the BNSF is only a mile or so from the house, I'm going to look into this-it will probably be better than most of what is on TV
RTOlson
Lead Service Attendant
Well, we got into Chico just before 10 a.m. Most people were still taking things pretty easy, but people heading to Seattle weren't eager for an arrival time closer to 2 a.m.
Although the Coast Starlight can be more relaxed than other long-distance cars, it seemed many people were OK with saying it was noon somewhere and having a stiff drink at 8:30 a.m.
After chatting with some pleasant people in coach, I popped into the diner for a quick breakfast and spoke with self-declared "book people" from Portland, Ore. The conversation was a lot of fun and I think they shared my enthusiasm as I pointed out the late train allowed passengers to watch the migrating birds at rest on the flooded fields of the Central Valley.
It was a rare experience and ultimately not an unpleasant one. Still, it is one I hope is rarely experienced in the days to come.
Although the Coast Starlight can be more relaxed than other long-distance cars, it seemed many people were OK with saying it was noon somewhere and having a stiff drink at 8:30 a.m.
After chatting with some pleasant people in coach, I popped into the diner for a quick breakfast and spoke with self-declared "book people" from Portland, Ore. The conversation was a lot of fun and I think they shared my enthusiasm as I pointed out the late train allowed passengers to watch the migrating birds at rest on the flooded fields of the Central Valley.
It was a rare experience and ultimately not an unpleasant one. Still, it is one I hope is rarely experienced in the days to come.
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Meanwhile, looks like *today's* 14 (14/30) has been sitting in Camarillo for the past few hours- went through Simi Valley a few minutes late and has not arrived in Oxnard (scheduled 11:44am PST, currently 2:23pm PST).
Daytime through Mt Shasta is *gorgeous*, so I'm a bit envious. But my inlaws say their car has no heat- they're under blankets in the PCC- so that's really not good.
Daytime through Mt Shasta is *gorgeous*, so I'm a bit envious. But my inlaws say their car has no heat- they're under blankets in the PCC- so that's really not good.
Not Good, Hopefully they're Warm, Arrived OK and the PPCs Problem isnt Major, these Jewels are Not Going to be Around Much Longer as Parts are Non-Existent and Maintenance Expense is a Major Problem for Amtrak!
Looks like it it got hit by a car.
Oh.
I suppose that goes into the "it could always be worse" category- I'd rather be on an 8hr overdue train that had electrical troubles than a 3hr overdue one that was involved in a person's death.
Actually, this article:
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/dec/30/1-person-trapped-after-vehicle-struck-by-train/
says it was the Pacific Surfliner 763 that was hit, so presumably the Coast Starlight was just caught behind it and had to wait.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/dec/30/1-person-trapped-after-vehicle-struck-by-train/
says it was the Pacific Surfliner 763 that was hit, so presumably the Coast Starlight was just caught behind it and had to wait.
RTOlson
Lead Service Attendant
Here's what the cables looked like on the baggage car on 14/29 as it was coupled at the end of the train in Sacramento. As I wrote earlier, the duct tape stood out.
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Duct Tape!! Imagine that!!! :lol:
Worked for the astronauts on Apollo 13, too. Saved their lives.
I'll be on 14 tomorrow (31). Sure hope this spate of bad luck clears.
Thanks for all the updates - we were able to keep on top of things and not head to the Oakland station earlier than we needed to, which meant that I hung out at my boyfriend's parents' house in Alameda and was able to sleep a bit before catching the train at 5am (7.5 hours late). I have to say that I was very unimpressed with our SCA (Roger) and the catfish dinner I had tonight was the worst meal I've ever had on Amtrak. It was great seeing the scenery that we normally miss due to darkness. We have been taking the Coast Starlight from Portland to Oakland for the holidays for several years now and this was our first major delay. I have to say that I am rethinking Amtrak for future holiday trips; however I'm sure that will pass - I'm just tired right now.
Duct tape is keeping the wires from falling out. A normal train the wires are plug in and then a zip tie is used to keep them falling out. The outlet cover has a notch that will hook in to the top of the plug, however it's common for the weight and the train motion to knock the wires out, so Amtrak use a zip tie to make a tight connection, and prevent the cord from fall out.
We trucker have the same issue with our pig tails (electrical) there a notch in the cover that comes down on to the plug. I personal use a rubber bungee type cord to apply a bit of pressure so my plug stays connect. Now I never lose my lights. The bungee cord is good for years of operations.
We trucker have the same issue with our pig tails (electrical) there a notch in the cover that comes down on to the plug. I personal use a rubber bungee type cord to apply a bit of pressure so my plug stays connect. Now I never lose my lights. The bungee cord is good for years of operations.
A side-effect of the disruptions of 12/30. Via Facebook from Carpenteria:
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