#8 of 2/16

[Tumbleweed]

Anyone know what's going on with #8?? It's overdue at Essex...

Ooops...never mind...just departed BRO....

 

[fairviewroad]

For some reason Essex is sometimes skipped on the Amtrak status maps. Maybe due to its remoteness or that its a flag stop?

 

[CHamilton]

I think it's both. If someone at the Izaak Walton Inn forgets to report when the train left, there's no data in the system.

 

[dlagrua]

With all the late Empire Builder trains of late the big concern should be getting the route back on schedule. In January arrivals overall were about 30%. That is a terrible on-time performance record. The excuse mostly used is a BNSF freight logjam but what happened to the agreement that passengers trains must take priority over freight? IIRC correctly the freight railroads can be fined if they do not free up the tracks for a passenger train.

 

[montana mike]

For the first time in many days an Empire Builder left Union Station in CHI on time today!

 

[greatcats]

But the Southwest Chief yesterday left 5+ hours late.

 

[tim49424]

For the first time in many days an Empire Builder left Union Station in CHI on time today!

Awesome! I wonder, however, how much time will be lost as there is a winter storm headed towards the midwest. Also, #7 did leave CHI on time once last week.

Also, today's #8 left MKE 1 1/2 hours late. It may make it to CUS by 6 PM. That's the first time in a long time.

 

[TraneMan]

EB made it into CHI at 5:36

 

[tim49424]

That's the earliest in a long, long time!

 

[montana mike]

Won't happen the next couple days at least. #8 in ND is over 5 hours behind this AM and #8, still in WA is almost 6 hours behind, having lost all of the time in WA sat night. So both of these suckers will likely be very late when they finally arrive in CHI. Between the winter weather, freight traffic, et. al they may both be more than 8 hours behind when they get to CHI. Bummer.......

 

[tim49424]

Between the winter weather

Blizzard Warning tomorrow and tomorrow night for Red Wing and up to 14 inches of snow in Winona. Definitely slow going in MN, and it doesn't get any better in WI as 6-10 inches forecasted for Tomah with 40 mph wind gusts tomorrow night.