Coast Starlight gets stormed out

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I don't understand why the cafe is out of snacks, though, since the train is not yet due at the southern terminus LA. But I am glad I did not have a ticket to get on that train in Chemult last night!
My experience on Amtrak LD trains was that they don't stock food for the entire LD trip, but take on food at per-designated stops. IOW, Amtrak, (in the past) used to take advantage of local food available, IE in Ft. Worth Texas, on the way to San Antonio, we picked up steaks.
 
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I don’t think that is the case anymore. Are there any en route commissaries in the system?
In the case of the Coast Starlight, it passes through EMY, which is the endpoint of the CZ, and the crew there would certainly be capable of loading food items onto the Starlight during its station stop. Whether that's actually done, I have no idea. But it's a bit different than having a commissary at some non-terminal station midway along a route.
 
In the case of the Coast Starlight, it passes through EMY, which is the endpoint of the CZ, and the crew there would certainly be capable of loading food items onto the Starlight during its station stop. Whether that's actually done, I have no idea. But it's a bit different than having a commissary at some non-terminal station midway along a route.
Isn't the Commissary actually located in the Oakland Amtrak maintenance facility, and not at Emeryville station?
 
Ah, good point. I guess they probably can't be bothered to drive items over to the EMY station or Jack London Square in order to stock up a mid-route Starlight.
 
My experience on Amtrak LD trains was that they don't stock food for the entire LD trip, but take on food at per-designated stops. IOW, Amtrak, (in the past) used to take advantage of local food available, IE in Ft. Worth Texas, on the way to San Antonio, we picked up steaks.
Every LD route with full meal service has the same menu, and all the food is prepared by Aramark. The days of serving regional offerings are long gone. :(
 
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I know that after we sat for nearly 24 hours, the train finally started to move again (yea!).  After about another 1/2 hour, we stopped again, this time in the middle of a swamp. The reason was that the crew (engineer? conductor?) hit their max allowed hours.  This is also my biggest pet peeve.  If there was actually someone in charge of Amtrak, they should have had at least one relief crew already on their way to our stranded train, six hours earlier. 
We had the same exact experience on our derailed Silver Meteor (which I won’t shut up about) last year. The crew kept on timing out, we kept on having to wait hours for new crews to arrive, and we kept on getting more and more out of sync with the freights in the process. It did seem like they just weren’t planning ahead, and it kept on feeding this endless cycle of accumulating delays.
 
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I'm sure they were many uncomfortable situations on the train and I'm happy it's over for all onboard. I'm wondering how long it will be before the number of passengers on board 183 is outweighed by the number claiming to have survived the trip.
 
Just from my personal experience in the past ...

  1. I know that after we sat for nearly 24 hours, the train finally started to move again (yea!).  After about another 1/2 hour, we stopped again, this time in the middle of a swamp. The reason was that the crew (engineer? conductor?) hit their max allowed hours.  This is also my biggest pet peeve.  If there was actually someone in charge of Amtrak, they should have had at least one relief crew already on their way to our stranded train, six hours earlier. 
  2.  


We had the same exact experience on our derailed Silver Meteor (which I won’t shut up about) last year. The crew kept on timing out, we kept on having to wait hours for new crews to arrive, and we kept on getting more and more out of sync with the freights in the process. It did seem like they just weren’t planning ahead, and it kept on feeding this endless cycle of accumulating delays.
Do you two realize the moment you call the relief crew and tell the to report to the scene, you've started their hours of service, right?  So, if it takes them six hours to get to the scene, due to weather or the fact that you need to find a crew from another crew base, by the time the crew arrives, they only have 6 hours left to perform service.

This means, if the train isn't ready to move and it takes time to get to the next crew, you've burnt a crew and now may need to dig deeper to find another crew. This is particularly true in areas with one train, where you may not have multiple crews available and a new crew may be HOURS away even in the best of conditions.

Deadheading to the train counts as hours of service under federal law.
 
I believed they will do restocking at OKJ or EMY under unusual circumstances, but not on a regular basis. The total run time of that train simply is not long enough to require restocking. Unusual circumstance would include short stocking at the starting point because of Commissary stock issues. They do happen from time to time.
 
This is particularly true in areas with one train, where you may not have multiple crews available and a new crew may be HOURS away even in the best of conditions.

Deadheading to the train counts as hours of service under federal law.
Does the clock run, if the relief crew are themselves not working (simply are passengers on the helicopter heading to the stranded train)?

Also, if Amtrak offered $1M cash bonus to any qualified crew to step up and help, you are saying there would be no takers?
 
Does the clock run, if the relief crew are themselves not working (simply are passengers on the helicopter heading to the stranded train)?
Yes. Deadheading to the train counts as hours of service under federal law.  When they arrive at the train, the clock ticks even if they aren't performing service since they are subject to duty and not in place of respite.  Even if they are in limbo time, (not resting, not performing service), the clock pauses...but will commingle with any future or past service since it is not rest. In the case of future service, the limbo time actual goes towards service.

Also, if Amtrak offered $1M cash bonus to any qualified crew to step up and help, you are saying there would be no takers?
I can't speak for everyone but one would have to wonder if the potential of $1m cash bonus is worth it if you violate the hours of service law and heaven forbid, something goes wrong.
 
While I understand the reasoning  for the Rules, common sense exceptions should be allowed on a case by case basis such as pulling the train into the Closest Station( with a defined time frame,say no more than 2 hours additional time for the T&E Crew) instead of letting it sit out in the boonies for Hours awaiting a relief crew that may or may nor show up in a reasonable amount of time.

My personal "worsts"  in this area include a crapped out P-42 on #21 sitting in 100+ degree heat for 12 hours between McGregor and Temple,( it's not that far to Ft Worth or San Antonio where crews layover ) and a 12 hour delay in McCook ,Nebraska on #6 due to hitting a herd of cattle @70mph awaiting a relief crew brought via a Van  from Omaha !!
 
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While I understand the reasoning  for the Rules, common sense exceptions should be allowed on a case by case basis such as pulling the train into the Closest Station( with a defined time frame,say no more than 2 hours additional time for the T&E Crew) instead of letting it sit out in the boonies for Hours awaiting a relief crew that may or may nor show up in a reasonable amount of time.
The law is enforced with safety in mind. There are certain exceptions and the railroad  can willingly violate it if  they wish (and pay the fines) ...but again, if your "common sense" solution ends up causing  another Spuyten Duyvil or Hoboken, would you still say it was a good idea? Are you willing to take that chance?

This is why I'm willing to bet, the next time there is even the POTENTIAL for another storm, you'll see a cancellation.
 
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I assume the Rules (with a capital "R") are in place because tired workers make mistakes.  But someone dozing in a passenger car (or the back of a minivan) while being transported to a stranded train should not be counted as in service time.  The Rule should be changed.  (This has NOTHING to do with paying the crew for the time, which they should be.  Don't conflate labor pay and overtime issues with safety issues.)
 
But someone dozing in a passenger car (or the back of a minivan) while being transported to a stranded train should not be counted as in service time
Actually, it doesn't count as service time. It counts as limbo time. However, without rest, limbo time commingles with service.There are definitions for places of rest and what counts and they were put in place because railroads were basically using shortcuts like that to bypass the regulations. (Well, we've had you deadheading for 5 hours, standing by for 4 hours but you technically weren't controlling the movement, so now you can work 12 hours.) This naturally assumes that you are actually being driven by some else. You quite often deadhead to disruptions in via your own personal automobile, which is another layer.

  A memorable one was a freight carrier utilizing a crew that exceeded hours of service to stay on the train (in case it rolled) and claiming that since they weren't actually doing something, it wasn't service. Indeed, they were saying it was rest.

The laws have become far more restrictive in recent years (with protect service without commingled service now counting towards hours of service). Again, this is because the railroad were playing fast and loose with the regulations.

Railroads are actually receiving fines for their employees utilizing electronic devices to submit hours of service logs....while they are off duty. Since it is a federal requirement, it commingles with past and future service. Most people didn't realize it.
 
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Those duty rules are very similar to aviation, if your doing something for the company once you’ve “showed up” then yes you are not resting, and resting time is all that counts. One question, what if the replaced crew were issued rooms in a dorm or sleeper car (similar to a hotel room), where they are allowed to be off duty and  sleep and rest? Would this be able to be counted as “rest time”? 
 
Railroads are actually receiving fines for their employees utilizing electronic devices to submit hours of service logs....while they are off duty. Since it is a federal requirement, it commingles with past and future service. Most people didn't realize it.
A telemarketing company that I worked for in the 1980's required us to log into several screens and a telephone keypad, to be able to take calls from multiple clients, all to be completed before our shift started. This literally took 5-10 minutes. Eventually someone filed a Class Action lawsuit for the lost wages.
 
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Do you two realize the moment you call the relief crew and tell the to report to the scene, you've started their hours of service, right?  So, if it takes them six hours to get to the scene, due to weather or the fact that you need to find a crew from another crew base, by the time the crew arrives, they only have 6 hours left to perform service.
I did not realize that. :blush:  How come the entire crew's hours start at that point (genuinely asking)? It's not like they're doing "crew work" in a van on their way to the train...
 
I did not realize that. :blush:  How come the entire crew's hours start at that point (genuinely asking)? It's not like they're doing "crew work" in a van on their way to the train...
It’s because while your not “working” you’re also not “resting”. Nearly all federal duty regulations (aviation included) are really only based around “rest” time. There can be other classifications for say deadheading, on duty time, etc. but you have to have the correct number of consecutive hours of off duty or rest time in the previous 24 hours. 

It really comes down to you don’t want an engineer (or pilot) to be traveling to a train (or plane) for said 6 hours and then operating it for another 12. That makes your awake time very long and heavily affects decision making abilities. In fact at 18 hours of awake time your decision making capability is similar to if you are leagally drunk. This condition also gets worse with age, as it gets more difficult to get good sleep.
 
This is the same for commercial drivers.  The new electronic logs keep drivers from “fudging the numbers” like their employers used to ask them to do. 
 
 One question, what if the replaced crew were issued rooms in a dorm or sleeper car (similar to a hotel room), where they are allowed to be off duty and  sleep and rest? Would this be able to be counted as “rest time”? 
There is a very fine line that comes into play.  In an emergency, a crew that hasn't reached their designated terminal can receive a 4 hour respite providing there is suitable food and lodging. Suitable lodging typically means providing sleeping quarters. Otherwise, the railroads could tell a freight crew to sleep on the engine on a siding and that would count as rest.  The problem is sleeping quarters typically must be free from interruptions caused by noise under the control of the railroad. Typically, a train in transit wouldn't fit that bill.

How does this compute with the UP dispatcher allowing crews on Donner to exceed HOS?

I've already mentioned it:

. There are certain exceptions and the railroad  can willingly violate it if  they wish (and pay the fines)
If you want to have some fun, head spinning reading that you can misquote later, have at the Cliff Notes of the 300+ page (and growing) manual the rest of us have to deal with. Emphasis is mine.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/appendix-A_to_part_228

Here are a few brief fair use quotes:

Duty time and effective periods of release. On-duty time commences when an employee reports at the time and place specified by the railroad and terminates when the employee is finally released of all responsibilities. (Time spent in deadhead transportation to a duty assignment is also counted as time on duty. See discussion below.) Any period available for rest that is of four or more hours and is at a designated terminal is off-duty time. All other periods available for rest must be counted as time on duty under the law, regardless of their duration.
Deadheading. Under the Act time spent in deadhead transportation receives special treatment. Time spent in deadhead transportation to a duty assignment by a train or engine service employee is considered on-duty time. Time spent in deadhead transportation from the final duty assignment of the work tour to the point of final release is not computed as either time on duty or time off duty. Thus, the period of deadhead transportation to point of final release may not be included in the required 8- or 10-hour off-duty period. Time spent in deadhead transportation to a duty assignment is calculated from the time the employee reports for deadhead until he reaches his duty assignment.

All time spent awaiting the arrival of a deadhead vehicle for transportation from the final duty assignment of the work tour to the point of final release is considered limbo time, i.e., neither time on duty nor time off duty, provided that the employee is given no specific responsibilities to perform during this time. However, if an employee is required to perform service of any kind during that period (e.g., protecting the train against vandalism, observing passing trains for any defects or unsafe conditions, flagging, shutting down locomotives, checking fluid levels, or communicating train consist information via radio), he or she will be considered as on duty until all such service is completed. Of course, where a railroad carrier's operating rules clearly relieve the employee of all duties during the waiting period and no duties are specifically assigned, the waiting time is not computed as either time on duty or time off duty.

Transit time from the employee's residence to his regular reporting point is not considered deadhead time.

If an employee utilizes personal automobile transportation to a point of duty assignment other than the regular reporting point in lieu of deadhead transportation provided by the carrier, such actual travel time is considered as deadheading time. However, if the actual travel time from his home to the point of duty assignment exceeds a reasonable travel time from the regular reporting point to the point of duty assignment, then only the latter period is counted. Of course, actual travel time must be reasonable and must not include diversions for personal reasons.
Casualties, Unavoidable Accidents, Acts of God. Section 5(d) of the Act states the following: “The provisions of this Act shall not apply in any case of casualty or unavoidable accident or the Act of God; nor where the delay was the result of a cause not known to the carrier or its officer or agent in charge of the employee at the time said employee left a terminal, and which could not have been foreseen.” This passage is commonly referred to as the “emergency provision”. Judicial construction of this sentence has limited the relief which it grants to situations which are truly unusual and exceptional. The courts have recognized that delays and operational difficulties are common in the industry and must be regarded as entirely foreseeable; otherwise, the Act will provide no protection whatsoever. Common operational difficulties which do not provide relief from the Act include, but are not limited to, broken draw bars, locomotive malfunctions, equipment failures, brake system failures, hot boxes, unexpected switching, doubling hills and meeting trains. Nor does the need to clear a main line or cut a crossing justify disregard of the limitations of the Act. Such contingencies must normally be anticipated and met within the 12 hours. Even where an extraordinary event or combination of events occurs which, by itself, would be sufficient to permit excess service, the carrier must still employ due diligence to avoid or limit such excess service. The burden of proof rests with the carrier to establish that excess service could not have been avoided.
Sleeping Quarters. Under the 1976 amendments to the Act it is unlawful for any common carrier to provide sleeping quarters for persons covered by the Hours of Service Act which do not afford such persons an opportunity for rest, free from interruptions caused by noise under the control of the railroad, in clean, safe, and sanitary quarters. Such sleeping quarters include crew quarters, camp or bunk cars, and trailers.





Sleeping quarters
are not considered to be “free from interruptions caused by noise under the control of the railroad” if noise levels attributable to noise sources under the control of the railroad exceed an Leq(8) value of 55dB(A).
 
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