Empire Builder Summer Blues Started Early this year

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Swadian Hardcore said:
aurbo said:
Does anybody in the Seattle area know if engine 156 left on the eastbound EB this evening (9-4)?
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No it didn't. Accroding to Status Maps, the train left with a regular Phase V Genesis. If the 156 was used, Status Maps would show a special ticker.

Edited to add: I'm glad Amtrak say two hours or more. The 7 (3) is only running 2:06 late right now, but it's getting gradually worse and worse. Must be stuck behind a freight again. It actually only lost 21 minutes on the terrible stretch FAR-GFK. Talk about train congestion!

Meanwhile, disaster seems to have struck the 6 (3) and 21 (3) instead of the EB.
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Status Maps is not always accurate when it comes to the Heritage Units. It misses some of them. 8 (31) had a regular symbol on Status Maps not a special one. https://www.heritageunits.com/ showed 8 (31) as having P40 #822 but not in the leading position. On Monday I was on a Metra train stopped at the Western Ave station at 6:51 PM when a 3 hour late Empire Builder came by. The 2nd unit had Phase 3 paint. So it seems https://www.heritageunits.com/ was correct. https://www.heritageunits.com/ now says #822 is now on 5 (3). Status Maps show a standard symbol.

Stan
 
Am I correct in sensing that there is more trouble (i.e., long delays) on the Eastbound leg than the Westbound? [i'm going Westbound to Portland in Nov.]

And if this is correct... why? Thanks.
 
Yes, more trouble eastbound. Partially due to padding (more padding west of the construction than east) and partially due to built up delays (if a westbound train is late it may be delayed in leaving Seattle and already have trouble before hitting construction.)

FYI, so far a better than average day for the eastbound Builder. Under three hour delay, and it still has MSP to make up some time (it can make up an hour there on the best of days.)
 
Something notable is that right now, both 8 (4) and 8 (5) are apparenlty running with Heritage units! Very rare for a route to have back-to-back Heritage units.

For once the EB is not longer the most delayed Amtrak train, the 6 (3) has taken it with over 9 hours of delays! ETA into CHI is Midnight for that one! Missed connections everywhere!
 
I'm at the Spokane station now awaiting the arrival of #7 which should be here any time now, little over an hour late. My destination is Portland and current estimates have it all of one minute late into Portland.
 
The EB Summer Blues seem to be approaching its end. Currently the only EB still "yellow" is 7 (6), 34 minutes late. It should make it into SEA/PDX right on time.
 
Just checked the status on all four EB's-Is everyone sitting down??? For the first time in many months--all four are showing green--either on time or within a few minutes of being one time!!!

It is a weekend, and that is helping, with less construction. Let's hope my BNSF contact's recent comment that they are wrapping up several (not all) of their MT/ND projects over the next couple weeks holds true and the EB gets back to something that at least resembles sanity!!!

Bravo, bravo....
 
montana mike said:
Just checked the status on all four EB's-Is everyone sitting down??? For the first time in many months--all four are showing green--either on time or within a few minutes of being one time!!!It is a weekend, and that is helping, with less construction. Let's hope my BNSF contact's recent comment that they are wrapping up several (not all) of their MT/ND projects over the next couple weeks holds true and the EB gets back to something that at least resembles sanity!!!

Bravo, bravo....
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We're all hoping with you! :)
 
Is the disaster almost over? 8 left St. Paul just a little over 30 minutes late! A huge improvement!
 
Keep in mind--it was the weekend, and some of the track work is suspended during this time period, so that helps weekend EBs. Also, a few of the segments have been finished (at least that portion that was scheduled for this year) and they won't be restarting certain areas until April/May 2014. My BNSF guy did say things should get somewhat better as we head into the Fall, with the delays being more like 1-2 hours vs the 4-7 hours often experienced in the summer. He did caution though that NEXT summer looks like it will be very busy, both concerning track work (biggest effort in almost 50 years on the hi-line) and the increases in freight traffic will be clearly apparent. Let's just hope things are managed somewhat better next summer!
 
Does the fact that the days are getting shorter have anything to do with it, or do they work through evening?
 
According to BNSF their work schedules revolve closely around the train schedules and often that means they work 24/7. Not a traditional 9 AM to 5 PM workday for some of the track efforts. I have been on the EB this summer several times already and saw BNSF crews, with lights blaring away, working at all hours of the night. Clearly the daytime is the ideal time, but the number and timing of trains passing through a certain area often outweigh the convenience of working during those hours. Being on a track crew is dirty, dangerous and just downright hard work.

I think we are just seeing the modest winding down of planned efforts in certain areas, which is allowing the EBs to get thru with fewer delays--today's EB into CHi-town was a "mere" 45 minutes late--hurrah!!
 
Well, guess what? 7 (7) and 8 (7) are both dipping into the yellow again. Things might get worse come the work days.

Now major problems are besieging the 5, which has been late a lot lately, and the SWC and SL are not doing great either. At least the EB dosen't have the worst delays anymore, and that's an improvement.
 
#8 in MN only lost 2 1/2 hours last night. In line with what was estimated. Hopefully we will be looking at 2+ hour delays now into CHI vs the much longer ones experienced earlier
 
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