Here comes Dennis

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A

AMTRAK-P42

Conductor
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Messages
1,181
Location
Redlands, CA
Well it looks like Dennis could make my early next week train trip quite interesting. Here’s how it looks:

Tuesday, July 12th, 2005:

Depart Atlanta, GA on #20 in sleeper for New York Penn.

Saturday, July 16th, 2005:

Depart New York, NY on #19 in sleeper for Atlanta, GA

The first part of the trip is going to get interesting. When Cindy came through earlier this week, a much tamer storm by all standards, #19 was terminated in Meridian, MS (instead of New Orleans). #20 also originated from Meridian, MS. My worry is about Tuesday. The brunt of the storm will most likely hit Monday for the area. My guess is they wont be able to get as far as Meridian this time however, since the eye of the hurricane is currently predicted to pass not more then 100-200 miles from Meridian. My guess is that Amtrak might have to do something they have not done since 1996. They might have to start #19/20 from Atlanta. This would require storage in a small yard called Armor about a mile down from the Amtrak station (Bill you know what I’m talking about). I’m curious though, we probably won’t know anything until Sunday at the earliest. I have my fingers crossed they do not cancel it.
 
For the record, AmtrakP42, I was actually on the northbound one night a few years ago when it originated in ATL for some kind of storm reasons. And would you believe there was not a word said on board or any hint of what had happened. It did not pull into the station until about the correct time, guess they needed to keep the tracks open for freights.

By the way, I am traveling the following week July 20 ATL to WAS and July 21 WAS to ATL so keep your fingers crossed for me, also. Just made my reservations last night.
 
Here's how the terminations are lining up right now:

Sunnyset at SAS

Crescent at BHM

CONO at JAN
 
Looks that way, Amtrak just posted this on their website:

Service Alert: Sunset Limited, Crescent, City of New Orleans - Amtrak Service to be Temporarily Suspended at New Orleans
4:00 p.m., CT; July 8, 2005

The forecast path of Hurricane Dennis - and resulting railroad closures - are leading Amtrak to temporarily suspend all service to and from New Orleans.  The service patterns identified below will continue until further notice, pending the landfall of the hurricane.

Starting July 7, Amtrak reservationists began notifying passengers of the weather-related service disruption and offering alternate routings or days of travel and refunds.  For more information, passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL for updates or visit Amtrak.com.

Sunset Limited, trains 1 & 2

The Sunset Limited normally operates three-days-weekly in both directions between Los Angeles and Orlando, via San Antonio, Texas.  Starting with the eastbound Sunset Limited that departs Los Angeles on July 8, the train will terminate in San Antonio, with no alternate transportation available between San Antonio and Orlando.   Starting with the westbound Sunset Limited that was scheduled to depart Orlando on July 10, the train will instead originate in San Antonio, with no alternate transportation available between Orlando and San Antonio.

Crescent, trains 19 & 20

The Crescent normally operates daily in both directions between New York City and New Orleans, via Birmingham, Ala.  Starting with the southbound Crescent that departs New York on July 8, the train will terminate in Birmingham instead of New Orleans.  Starting with the northbound Crescent that was scheduled to depart New Orleans on July 10, the train will instead originate in Birmingham, with no alternate transportation available between Birmingham and New Orleans.

City of New Orleans, trains 58 & 59

The City of New Orleans operates daily between New Orleans and Chicago, via Jackson, Miss.  Starting with the southbound City of New Orleans that departs Chicago on July 8, the train will terminate in Jackson.  Starting with the northbound City of New Orleans that was scheduled to depart New Orleans on July 10, the train will instead originate in Jackson, with no alternate transportation available between Jackson and New Orleans.
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Original text can be found here
 
Well Amtrak is not doing to well keeping their website updated. I had some free time this morning so I decided to head over to the Amtrak station and see what was up. And what did I find? #19 was pulled over on the side track. Well to make a long story short, Amtrak has decided to cancel #19/20 at Atlanta and turn them North from there. They will no longer go as far as Birmingham, AL. Interestingly enough though, not only has Amtrak not updated their website, but they also have not told their sales representatives (or "Agents") of anything like this (I called to inquire about #19's arrival into BHM and they stated that it was due into BHM ontime).

***Side Note: ok so things are not so clear now. Today’s #20 appears to have departed from Birmingham, AL (as originally scheduled) NOT from Atlanta, GA. But then why is the trainset sitting in ATL? My only guess would be that this will be tomorrow's #20 and that tomorrow's #19 will terminate in Atlanta and become the following days #20. The only problem is that this idea would leave 2 trainsets in ATL for an extended period of time. The area around the ATL station does not have the space to hold 2 trainsets. So I am officially confused. B-51....have you heard anything?
 
Ok finally....updated

Service Alert: Sunset Limited, Crescent, City of New Orleans - Amtrak Service to be Temporarily Suspended at New Orleans
2:30 p.m., EDT; July 10, 2005

The forecast path of Hurricane Dennis - and resulting railroad closures - are leading Amtrak to temporarily suspend all service to and from New Orleans.

Sunset Limited, trains 1 & 2

The Sunset Limited normally operates three-days-weekly in both directions between Los Angeles and Orlando, via San Antonio, Texas.

The eastbound Sunset Limited that departs Los Angeles on July 8 will terminate in San Antonio, with no alternate transportation available between San Antonio and Orlando.

The westbound Sunset Limited that was scheduled to depart Orlando on July 10 will instead originate in San Antonio, with no alternate transportation available between Orlando and San Antonio.

The westbound Sunset Limited scheduled to depart Orlando on July 12 is cancelled for travel between Orlando and New Orleans. Operation of this train from other points is pending upon assessment of storm damage.

Crescent, trains 19 & 20

The Crescent normally operates daily in both directions between New York City and New Orleans.

The southbound Crescent that departs New York on July 10 will terminate in Atlanta instead of New Orleans. No alternate transportation will be available between Atlanta and New Orleans.

The northbound Crescent that was scheduled to depart New Orleans on July 10 will instead originate in Birmingham, with no alternate transportation available between Birmingham and New Orleans.

The northbound Crescent that is scheduled to depart New Orleans on July 11 and 12 will instead originate in Atlanta with no alternate transportation between New Orleans and Atlanta.

City of New Orleans, trains 58 & 59

The City of New Orleans operates daily between New Orleans and Chicago, via Jackson, Miss.

The southbound City of New Orleans that departs Chicago on July 10 will terminate in Memphis with no alternate transportation between Memphis and New Orleans.

The northbound City of New Orleans that is scheduled to depart New Orleans on July 10 and 11 will instead originate in Memphis. For these trains:

On July 10 there will be busses available between Jackson, Miss. and Memphis but no alternate transportation between New Orleans and Jackson.

On July 11 there will be no alternate transportation available between Memphis and New Orleans.

Amtrak reservation agents are notifying passengers of the weather-related service disruption and offering alternate routings or days of travel and refunds. For more information, passengers may call 800-USA-RAIL for updates or visit Amtrak.com.
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You should be ok for your trip tomorrow out of ATL, right?

Hope all goes well.

Hope my trip the following week goes well (i.e., from any new hurricane). After all, hurricanes and their remnants CAN go into Virginia , etc and shut things down. This one is obviously going northwest, so far.

So, again, seems you will be ok. Of course, as you well know, whatever part of town you live in, we are are getting "plenty deluged" around here.
 
The reason for what appears to be slow updates is the wait for the host railroad to determine where they will operate a railroaed and for Amtrak to get mechanical and crews in place geograhpically. As you may know, there are no mechanical crews in ATL........or in BHM for that matter. They had to come from NOL or from FL bases.
 
I guess they will send the caretaker down from the Gainesville Ga station who used to clean the coaches that laid over in Atlanta all day back in the 80s and 90s to clean the sets stuck in Atlanta.Remember they used to leave a slumbercoach sleeper,10-6 sleepers and 3 or 4 coaches from train 19 in atlanta all day instead of sending them on to New Orleans.They would send them north on train 20 that evening.The crescent used Heritage equipment back then instead of viewliners and amfleet 2 coaches.Now the entire set goes to New orleans everyday so they gave her the caretakers job in Gainesville Ga after amtrak stopped staffing that station.
 
railfangns said:
I guess they will send the caretaker down from the Gainesville Ga station who used to clean the coaches that laid over in Atlanta all day back in the 80s and 90s to clean the sets stuck in Atlanta.Remember they used to leave a slumbercoach sleeper,10-6 sleepers and 3 or 4  coaches from train 19 in atlanta all day instead  of sending them on to New Orleans.They would send them north on train 20 that evening.The crescent used Heritage equipment back then instead of viewliners and amfleet 2 coaches.Now the entire set goes to New orleans everyday so they gave her the caretakers job in Gainesville Ga after amtrak stopped staffing that station.
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Thanks, railfangs for this bit of info . I remember the set-out equipment as you describe it. That is a long tradition going back way before Amtrak.

But I had no idea about the intricacies of the cleaning detail. That is neat info to learn. The things we take for granted!!
 
It is not only the cleaning, but restocking, dumping the toilets, fueling, servicing al the mechanical needs and checking all the necessary safety issues - brakes, hoses, etc, etc.

The former coach cleaner - who is now in Gainesville - will probably not come down, since that can be done with someone from the ATL staff.
 
If you live in ATL and want to see something that is not often there, get over to the Brookwood station this afternoon. There are two train sets on the old Steel Mill track adjacent to the station. It is my understanding that one will represent train #20 tonight and the other will go to NOL as a hospital train to represent #20 on Wednesday. Train #19 tomorrow will turn and become train #20 tomorrow. Train #19 (12) will go through to NOL as normally scheduled. Got that??
 
haolerider said:
If you live in ATL and want to see something that is not often there, get over to the Brookwood station this afternoon.  There are two train sets on the old Steel Mill track adjacent to the station.  It is my understanding that one will represent train #20 tonight and the other will go to NOL as a hospital train to represent #20 on Wednesday.  Train #19 tomorrow will turn and become train #20 tomorrow.  Train #19 (12) will go through to NOL as normally scheduled.  Got that??
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Yea I just came back from the station, that makes sense. But it appears that the hospital train is currently blocking the full train that would be tonights #20. The hospital train only has one P42 (#51) on the wrong end of the train, while the full train has 2 P42's.

In order to do what you speak of, they would have to back the hospital train out on the main, far enough to then pull #20 out and back it into the station. So then tomorrows #19 will terminate in ATL and become that same day's #20, correct? My only other question is when do they plan to send the hospital train down to NOL?
 
Ok well I just got back from the Amtrak station. The hospital train is gone. Tonights #20 is heavily delayed for some reason and is not going to depart before 9:00pm (over an hour late already). We will see what happens I guess.
 
MrFSS said:
Explain more about what a "hospital train" is.  Thanks!!!
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OK, I will try but this is easier to understand than to explain. The term is jargon, of course. It kinda, sorta means something like this: things are in disarray due to the weather. Train sets were not sitting around where they are supposed to be.

A "hospital l train" is meant as a bandage to cover the "wound". The "wound" being trains sets located at the wrong places.

Equipment being moved around in order to get the "ducks lined up in a row" again could be described as a "hospital train" because it is making things "well" and normal again.

It means, in this case, all train sets eventually both terminating and originating only at NYC and NOL again, and not in ATL, which was a temporary "bandage " due to the weather conditions.

I recall the term"hospital " train used if a trainset had a wreck or is stalled in a blizzard or something. It is meant to rescue the people or the cars or both from such a situation.

Sometimes a "hospital train" would be composed of miscellaneous equipment joined together at random, esp. if there had been a wreck, rather than a complete trainset as is the case here.

Going way out in left field here (how unusual for me !!!) the word "hospital car" was used in wartime conditons when military personnel needed to be treated while traveling.
 
Going way out in left field here (how unusual for me !!!) the word "hospital car" was used in wartime conditons when military personnel needed to be treated while traveling.
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Thanks, Bill - I was assuming it could have been one or both of the things you mentioned. Only thing I could keep thinking of was they needed to transport storm injured folks away from the coast area.

But it makes sense about needing to get all the sets back where they belong.

Thanks - I learn again from the group!
 
Last, but not least, Amtrak P42 have a good trip tonight.

Oh yes, I did get a glimpse of one set of equipment from the #23 bus last night, it was too late to look the other side....the bus was crowded, etc. I was looking "north" or east, of the station.

I remember one proud moment some years ago when there were three (or so it seemed) passenger trains sitting in the tiny ATL facility at one time.

One was the NY-NO section of #19, preparing for departure. Another was the set off NY-ATL cars from #19(making it look like two trains). Thirdly was a long 17 or 18 car steam engine excursion train, composed of both lightweight and heavyweight cars. I think it was going to Toccoa.
 
the "hospital train" did not leave ATL until 11:30 pm last night, so when you went to the station it probably had been moved out of the way to make room for #20 to leave the steel mill track and back onto track #1 to go north. The locomotives from each train were nose-to-nose most of the day.

Today's #19 was also terminated in ATL and then whyed and placed on the steel mill track for servicing prior to tonight's departure. It is currenly facing north and will pull forward later tonight and then back onto track #1.
 
Well I went down to the station this morning while running some errands. Looks like the normal consist. P42's #18, #11 will lead my train north tonight.
 

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