All Empire Builders suffering disruptions

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

What happened out there, im assuming to much snow in the Cascades?

 

[CHamilton]

No, a major derailment in Montana. Folks on the Facebook Empire Builder group are reporting that #8 is turning in Havre, and #7 is turning at MSP.

From the Yahoo Empire Builder group:

BNSF Railway says a freight train derailed in northeastern Montana after it struck a semi-trailer between Bainville and Culbertson. 

 

Read more: http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/train-hits-semi-on-montana-hi-line/article_455b5c32-21c5-504b-8411-ccd66fdcd565.html#ixzz1jlCHtWVA

 

 

[Anderson]

...I thought the freight lines usually left it up to Amtrak to take out the semis.

 

[Blackwolf]

Darn motorists... Bad as it is, thank the stars it was a Z-train and not the Builder!

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

Well that explains that, says it might be reopened tomorrow which is good news. Glad I didn't have a builder trip planned.

 

[EB_OBS]

BNSF's preliminary assessment is that the tracks will be reopened at 7pm Wed. 18 Jan.

Z trains move fast. Hitting the semi-truck knocked all 4 locomotives off the tracks and two over onto their sides. Tore up 3800 ft of track too.

 

[jis]

Z trains move fast.

Yup. The Z trains are one of the most impressive sights at full speed on US railroads IMHO.

 

[EB_OBS]

Z trains move fast.

Yup. The Z trains are one of the most impressive sights at full speed on US railroads IMHO.

Yup, I was waiting for #7 once at Williston when a westbound Z train came by. I was like maybe 20 ft from the tracks and that thing was flying by. I thought, man if that thing jumps the tracks I'm done.

 

[Ispolkom]

I was scheduled to take #8 tonight MOT-MSP, so this isn't the news I wanted to wake up to. I'm scheduled on tomorrow night's train, but the agent seemed a bit doubtful that it would be running.

Annoying though it is to me, I hate to imagine what those BNSF workers are enduring clearing the derailment. It's -12 in Bainville, -32 with the windchill, and it's only going to get colder. I know from experience that it hurts to work out in those temperatures, especially handling metal.