Amtrak Locomotive Catches Fire in Iowa

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MrFSS

MrFSS

Engineer
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Mar 13, 2004
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LOCKRIDGE, Iowa (AP) - An Amtrak locomotive caught fire Saturday, delaying the Chicago-bound train carrying 164 passengers but causing no serious injuries, authorities said.
The crew separated the burning engine from the passenger cars in southeast Iowa, and officials planned to use the train's remaining locomotive to pull the eastbound California Zephyr later Saturday.

"We will be severely delayed," Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said. "But we need to get the people to their destinations."

The diesel engine, one of two, caught fire shortly before 5 p.m. in an apparent fuel-related blaze, he said.

"We don't know what ignited it, perhaps a leak," Black said.

Lockridge firefighters extinguished the blaze, officials said.

The train left Emeryville, Calif., near Oakland, on Thursday and was to arrive in Chicago on Saturday.
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News Story Here
 
This article was blown clear out of proportion. It was already running six hours late after it made its way through the end of Wyoming due to Freight congestion from. I don't think 4 more hours would have made any difference for passengers with connection trains. :D
 
If its that bad it may get scrapped.Did they add a freight engine in Iowa to help get the Zephyr into Chicago?It would be hard for 1 engine to pull that many cars into Chicago.I remember they used to add a freight engine onto the crescent when they had problems with the old f40ph units.In fact i seen them pull one out of the yard here in Gainesville one night and hook it on the front of train 20 after an f40 failed shortly after leaving Atlanta.
 
Well they were over the mountainous part of the trip when the Engine died. It's pretty much flat plains from the point where it died into Chicago, easily handled by one engine. It's the portion of the Zephyr's trip west of Denver that requires that extra horsepower. As far as the Crescent goes its the northern end of the trip that has the hard grades requring two engines.
 
battalion51 said:
Well they were over the mountainous part of the trip when the Engine died. It's pretty much flat plains from the point where it died into Chicago, easily handled by one engine. It's the portion of the Zephyr's trip west of Denver that requires that extra horsepower. As far as the Crescent goes its the northern end of the trip that has the hard grades requring two engines.
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That’s not entirely true. Between Atlanta and Birmingham the Crescent has quite a few grades to climb as it winds through the "mountains". The northern end has grades, but so does the southern.
 
I happen to be one of the lucky passengers on this train. It was already six hours late so no one was going to make their connection. It was a interesting trip to say the least.

When it caught fire they backed us back into the small town and disconnected both engines as the one on fire was the second. The fire department put the fire out with water. Does anyone here know if they should of used foam instead? As we heard the water totaled out the engine. We sat out there for three hours with no power. Thank goodness it was not 90 degrees out. they reconnected both engines and continued on our way with one engine.

In my opinion amtrak did the best they could by putting us in a hotel for the night and giving us money to buy supper and breakfast the next day.

The worst part of the trip and this is really sad was not the fact that the train was already late nor the engine caught on fire. It was the passengers reaction to it all. All we heard was amtrak this and amtrak that as if they set the engine on fire on purpose. And the yelling and screaming matches between the crew and passengers. The crew handled the abuse they received from some of the passengers very well.

P.S. This was my first train trip and if I was asked to do it again Iwould do it in a heartbeat minus the rude passengers :D
 
putting us in a hotel for the night and giving us money to buy supper and breakfast the next day.
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Just out of curiosity - did they make the hotel arrangement and pay it direct or give you money and you had to "find" a hotel? I know airlines have an agreement with hotels where you just show up and check in and no money changes hands between you and the hotel.

Same for meals? Do they actually give you money or a voucher good at the hotel?

Thanks!!
 
If indeed the FD used water to put the fire out, it probably means all the electrical bits on #95 are FUBAR.
 
MrFSS said:
Just out of curiosity - did they make the hotel arrangement and pay it direct or give you money and you had to "find" a hotel? I know airlines have an agreement with hotels where you just show up and check in and no money changes hands between you and the hotel.
Same for meals? Do they actually give you money or a voucher good at the hotel?

Thanks!!
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Amtrak works out the hotel deals ahead of time. For taxis and food, they usually give you cash.
 
The hotel was worked out by amtrak. They bussed us to a holiday inn 20 minutes away due to the world series being in town. But it was a nice hotel. and cash was given to us for the meals.
 
Amtrak putting people up in a hotel and paying for meals is exemplary service (especially when it comes to Amtrak!). It's unfortunate the passengers got so upset over a freak incident. It could have been worse, that's for sure.
 
Sam Damon said:
If indeed the FD used water to put the fire out, it probably means all the electrical bits on #95 are FUBAR.
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From what it sounds like to me, it seems like foam might not have been an option. Foam units are usually located in large cities where industrial accidents are more common. From what Kim said the train was in a small town (in Iowa), so they probably did not have a Foam Unit on hand. Rather than waiting for a Foam Unit (if one was nearby) they probably made the decision to use water so the fuel tank didn't explode, which would've created some major issues. Amtrak does carry insurance on all the equipment so they can just get the insurance money to replace it (if a replacement is needed, which it doesn't seem like one is given the current power situation).
 
I'm a volunteer firefighter for rural area. It's very expensive to purchase foam unit. We use foam detergent to mix with water for stubborn grassfires, about a gallon of foam detergent for 500 gallons of water, depending on how thick the grass is. Foam is used to cut off the air supply that feeds the fire.
 
I thought Amtrak was self-insured. If they actually did have "insurance on all the equipment," then a wreck-repair budget wouldn't be an issue at all.
 
My neck of the woods -- comparatively rural -- has some large industrial sites nearby, and the industries have chipped in to purchase some foam units for the local FDs.

Helps lower their insurance costs, you see.

Anyway, it could well have been that foam might not have been an option for reasons that others have pointed out. Diesel doesn't catch fire the way gasoline does, but it still can produce one whacking big blaze.
 
rmadisonwi said:
I thought Amtrak was self-insured. If they actually did have "insurance on all the equipment," then a wreck-repair budget wouldn't be an issue at all.
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Well I seem to recall something about Insurance Money purchasing the 121 & 122 (which were not part of the original P-42 orders) after the 819, 807, and 829 were wrecked. It might be the case that with some units Amtrak just wreck repairs them rather than paying the deductible which could be high depending on the policy. I'm not 100% on this, but it seems likely.
 
rmadisonwi said:
I thought Amtrak was self-insured.  If they actually did have "insurance on all the equipment," then a wreck-repair budget wouldn't be an issue at all.
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But then their insurance budget would be higher than today's wreck repair tab.
 
Of course, if Mr. Warrington had them under a leaseback deal... the lenders would require insurance.
 

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