Landslide closes BNSF Pasco/Portland line

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EMDF9A

Lead Service Attendant
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Oct 24, 2011
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BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas reports that a large landslide has closed the BNSF Columbia Gorge line between Pasco & Portland. Holding true to BNSF's policy on passenger traffic after these incidents, there will be a bustitution between Spokane & Portland for the next 3 days.
 
So do they hold the 27/28 cars in Spokane or do they travel to Seattle? Just curious. Boarding #8 tomorrow in SEA.
 
amamba said:
So do they hold the 27/28 cars in Spokane or do they travel to Seattle? Just curious. Boarding #8 tomorrow in SEA.
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I dont know for sure, but I know there is someone here who does. I'm sure he'll pop up soon. It would only be a guess on my part, but I'd guess they stay in Spokane.
 
If 27 got thru before the slide, maybe it has deadheaded up to SEA and put on #8. Otherwise, I'd guess 27/28 stays in SPK. But then again they may go to SEA for servicing, and be returned on #8.

Either way it would not affect #8 at all!
 
Swadian Hardcore said:
For some reason #8 that departed on 14 July is having a service disruption. Last reported at EPH 3 minutes late.
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Yeah, I noticed that. There is no info on the #8 that departed on 7/14 to EPH. No notice of if it passed through spokane and onto the rest of the route....
 
amamba said:
So do they hold the 27/28 cars in Spokane or do they travel to Seattle? Just curious. Boarding #8 tomorrow in SEA.
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A poster to the EB group on Facebook says "This means that we'll likely be running full consist from SPK to SEA. They'll likely run 27/28 as busses between SPK and PDX."
 
What about letting the PDX Pax stay on the Builder in their Cars and ride to Seattle, then bus them down I5 to PDX! Would seem like an easier trip and more Train time plus a Diner and an SSL on the SEA Section! :cool:
 
TraneMan said:
NorthCoastHiawatha said:
Funny the status map shows 28 running about 33 minutes late.
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I was looking at that too, and wondering about that too.. Maybe BNSF figured the damage was as bad?
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But they have that stupid 48 hour moratorium on passenger trains after a slide. Slide occurred 7PM on 07/14. They wont restore passenger service for 48 hours after the tracks are open for freight traffic. Perhaps the status map is tracking the bustitution?
 
EMDF9A said:
TraneMan said:
NorthCoastHiawatha said:
Funny the status map shows 28 running about 33 minutes late.
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I was looking at that too, and wondering about that too.. Maybe BNSF figured the damage was as bad?
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But they have that stupid 48 hour moratorium on passenger trains after a slide. Slide occurred 7PM on 07/14. They wont restore passenger service for 48 hours after the tracks are open for freight traffic. Perhaps the status map is tracking the bustitution?
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The status map doesn't show bustitutions as far as I know. On a trip last November on the Cascades 513 they were running the train as far as Everett and bussing people to re board the train in Seattle as they dead head through the slide area. The status maps showed this has a service disruption even though the train was running most of the route. Plus the Amtrak website shows the train as running (although the arrival time in Spokane is 2 hours 44 mins late so they maybe running a bus bridge at some point) and I believe the a bustitution normally shows as a service disruption.
 
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The plan was to bus the passengers from PDX to Pasco, WA and dead-head the equipment through the slide site to PSC. BNSF estimated a 3:00 delay originally but has since moved that back twice to currently open by 2am. It's just turning into another wonderful night for the EB's passengers who'll now have to sit and wait in the PSC station for several hours 'til early in the morning. Additionally, now the train crews are going to run out or Hours of Service and need to be dog-caught, possibly before they even reach PSC.
 
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amamba said:
Will the pax on 8 have to wait in Spokane for the folks from 28?
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Yes. Now that the #28 equipment is unable to get to SPK, the #27 cars are turning back at SPK. The passengers from #27 will bus to continuing destinations and the #28 passengers will occupy this equipment on the rear of #8.
 
amamba said:
Do you think this will be the same case tomorrow?
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The moratorium should be up by the time, or close to the time, #28 is supposed to be through the slide area. We'll see. For sure we'll attempt again to dead-head the equipment if the passenger train moratorium is still in effect and bus the passengers to Pasco.

Tonight turned out better than expected albeit with significant inconvenience to passengers who had to wait for the cars off #27 to be cleaned and prepped for reboarding. In addition to the #27 passengers who had to bus to Pasco and switch buses to continue on to Portland. This being because the bus drivers in the area were short on DOT rest.
 
I hope that passenger trains will be allowed through before this Thursday, I am scheduled to take Amtrak between Pasco and Portland that morning and then head up to Seattle via the Cascades train, stay overnight, and then take the Empire Builder Friday from Seattle to Spokane, and back to Pasco, but if they have to bus us to Portland, then we are probably gonna have to cancel this trip, we are taking it specifically for the train ride, not bus.
 
#28 and #27 are expected to run tonight and tomorrow morning as regularly scheduled. The effected slide area is reopened.
 
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