Rough Track

[Squeakz2001]

Hubby and I were on the Silver Meteor in June, 2008. I remember the trip northbound from KIS had some really rough track during the night, like somewhere in the Carolinas. I seriously thought I was going to fall out of my bunk!

My brother was on that same trip this April, and without discussing the whole topic, he brought it up. He mentioned that the track he was on during the night was very rough and that he was afraid he'd fall out of the bed.

My question is: Where is the roughest track you've been on while riding an AMTRAK train?

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Hubby and I were on the Silver Meteor in June, 2008. I remember the trip northbound from KIS had some really rough track during the night, like somewhere in the Carolinas. I seriously thought I was going to fall out of my bunk!
My brother was on that same trip this April, and without discussing the whole topic, he brought it up. He mentioned that the track he was on during the night was very rough and that he was afraid he'd fall out of the bed.

My question is: Where is the roughest track you've been on while riding an AMTRAK train?

In most recent memory, it is the first couple hundred miles south of Chicago on the City of New Orleans. I was not sure if I could walk from the diner back to my room.

But I think I have heard that there is one very specific place on the Silver Meteor and Silver Stars routes where it is really bad. I do mean one really specific switch or something, maybe closer to

Florida. If Battallion 52 is reading this, he will know what I am talking about, I do believe.

 

[MrFSS]

In most recent memory, it is the first couple hundred miles south of Chicago on the City of New Orleans. I was not sure if I could walk from the diner back to my room.

Bill - I was just on the CONO in June - I didn't experience any problems south of Chicago. They have been working on it so maybe it is fixed. South of Memphis was the bad places for me.

 

[AAARGH!]

Hubby and I were on the Silver Meteor in June, 2008. I remember the trip northbound from KIS had some really rough track during the night, like somewhere in the Carolinas. I seriously thought I was going to fall out of my bunk!
My brother was on that same trip this April, and without discussing the whole topic, he brought it up. He mentioned that the track he was on during the night was very rough and that he was afraid he'd fall out of the bed.

My question is: Where is the roughest track you've been on while riding an AMTRAK train?

Vermonter - the north section (before they switch engines and head south). SLOW and ROUGH!

 

[Guest_timetableflagman_*]

...Sounds like the "infamous" Charleston Subdivision? I think it has heavy freight traffic. It earns its keep.

We've ridden through there on the old SILVER PALM. For those interested in rail equipment characteristics, it can be "fun" watching the doorways bouncing around, in and out of alignment with each other! At 79mph, it's one ride! Porters were having to stop and wait a few seconds before catching a door to get from car to car (I've had to do that on bumpy lines and through turnouts so sharp, they pop equipment off the bulkheads).

For the PALM, back in those days, it was daylight for Train 90 over the Charleston Sub. I see it looks like night for the METEOR, 97 or 98. I wondered how that line might feel for sleeping passengers, or diners.

That's about the roughest track I can remember running over. The line between Fargo and Grand Forks, however, once felt and sounded exactly like going down a gravel road-- and that was from the upper berth of a Superliner!

We've gone down a siding in FL to meet a coal drag on the fly. The rocking was as much as I've ever had on a boat.

It usually seems worse than it really is. Trains can take a lot. I make sure I use the safety net on the upper berth, and keep a hand and foot ready when standing or walking.

...The joys (really!) of rail travel....

 

[Everydaymatters]

In April on the CL there were 2 or 3 places where it felt like the train was going to jump the tracks.

While we're on this subject, exactly what causes rough tracks?

 

[transit54]

Hubby and I were on the Silver Meteor in June, 2008. I remember the trip northbound from KIS had some really rough track during the night, like somewhere in the Carolinas. I seriously thought I was going to fall out of my bunk!
My brother was on that same trip this April, and without discussing the whole topic, he brought it up. He mentioned that the track he was on during the night was very rough and that he was afraid he'd fall out of the bed.

My question is: Where is the roughest track you've been on while riding an AMTRAK train?

Vermonter - the north section (before they switch engines and head south). SLOW and ROUGH!

Yeah, the NECR is pretty rough, but they've added a surprising amount of continuously welded rail. By surprising amount, I mean about two dozen miles, so not all that much. They've also fixed up a lot of their jointed track in the last year or so. But there's still some very rough patches. For jointed track, though, I don't think it's all that bad...either that, or I get used to it (which is probably more likely - I'm always blown away at the smoothness when I actually get to ride on well maintained CWR.

 

[pennyk]

I ride the Silver Meteor quite often from Orlando to Washington or New York (most recently in June 2009). I have never "almost fallen out of bed," but the ride seemed worse on my last trip. On that trip, the sleeper cars were in the rear of the train (when in the past there were up front). I noticed that the ride is smoother in the front of the train. (on the same trip, I took the LSL from NYP to CHI and the sleepers were in the rear and it was awful - I would much rather hear the whistle than have a really rough ride).

 

[transit54]

In April on the CL there were 2 or 3 places where it felt like the train was going to jump the tracks.
While we're on this subject, exactly what causes rough tracks?

Well, there's two types of track - jointed (or "stick") rail and continuously welded rail (CWR). I really don't know what causes roughness on CWR, other than passing over switches and such (though someone else will likely chime in with the answer). But on jointed track, you have (approx) 60 foot pieces of track that are connected with joints. You can see an image of this here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_tracks#Jointed_track

Now, what happens over time is that the track bed shifts (due to trains passing over it, the land shifting under it, freezing/thawing, etc) and the connection between the two pieces of track loosens. This creates a gap and causes the rough feeling as the wheel of the train hits it.

 

[PetalumaLoco]

In April on the CL there were 2 or 3 places where it felt like the train was going to jump the tracks.
While we're on this subject, exactly what causes rough tracks?

Well, there's two types of track - jointed (or "stick") rail and continuously welded rail (CWR). I really don't know what causes roughness on CWR, other than passing over switches and such (though someone else will likely chime in with the answer). But on jointed track, you have (approx) 60 foot pieces of track that are connected with joints. You can see an image of this here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_tracks#Jointed_track

Now, what happens over time is that the track bed shifts (due to trains passing over it, the land shifting under it, freezing/thawing, etc) and the connection between the two pieces of track loosens. This creates a gap and causes the rough feeling as the wheel of the train hits it.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

On January 20, 2005 the Silver Meteor I rode from D.C. to Jacksonville, FL was likely the roughest ride in my Amtrak experience. On the occasion of the 2nd inauguration of president George W. Bush, WAS was even more congested than usual. Then there was a derailment in the station on top of that, which put a halt to anything arriving from or departing for points north for much of the day.

The time required for clearing the backlog of arrivals and departures (there were also some cancellations) resulted in the Meteor departing WAS about 90 minutes late. The first couple hours of the trip were uneventful, and the Meteor remained behind schedule by about the same amount of time as far as Richmond, VA, where I was kinda surprised to find snow on the ground.

After RVR the train started making up time. Oh man. The Meteor was going like a bat outta hell, which of course magnified the impact of the really rough track. It was more like a wooden rollercoaster than a train ride. In addition, who knew there were so many grade crossings in the middle of nowhere in the South? With the rocking, rolling, bucking, and horn action, I seriously doubt anybody on that train got so much as a wink of sleep that night. Walking into the diner for breakfast the next morning (first one there) I remarked to the crew there that we'd made up some serious time overnight. Their responses made it pretty clear that they hadn't slept either.

The train was only 15 minutes late at JAX. No doubt some passengers were not exactly pleased with the overnight experience, but as a railfan with a serious need for speed, for me it had been one of the coolest rides of all time.

Some stretches out here might give the Silver Meteor a run for its money on the rough track front. Two Coast Starlight segments in California leap to mind: At the edge of the Salinas Valley between Salinas and Paso Robles there's some pretty bad track. The train doesn't generally run very fast there, so not much bucking, but those Superliners do some major to-and-fro swaying over some sections.

On a southbound starlight just north of Santa Barbara in 2008 the train was also making up time. Due to rough track, instead of passengers being asked to gather their belongings and be ready to detrain at SBA, everybody was told to remain in their seats until the train came to a stop. It was indeed quite a ride, though much shorter than the Silver Meteor's marathon rodeo.

 

[had8ley]

In April on the CL there were 2 or 3 places where it felt like the train was going to jump the tracks.
While we're on this subject, exactly what causes rough tracks?

Well, there's two types of track - jointed (or "stick") rail and continuously welded rail (CWR). I really don't know what causes roughness on CWR, other than passing over switches and such (though someone else will likely chime in with the answer). But on jointed track, you have (approx) 60 foot pieces of track that are connected with joints. You can see an image of this here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_tracks#Jointed_track

Now, what happens over time is that the track bed shifts (due to trains passing over it, the land shifting under it, freezing/thawing, etc) and the connection between the two pieces of track loosens. This creates a gap and causes the rough feeling as the wheel of the train hits it.

Jointed rail and wooden cross ties are becoming less common that in the good ole days. Heat and water are two major factors in track alignment in addition to the tonnage run over them. Heat will kink rail and water will mis-align the track.

 

[Grandma B]

Hubby and I were on the Silver Meteor in June, 2008. I remember the trip northbound from KIS had some really rough track during the night, like somewhere in the Carolinas. I seriously thought I was going to fall out of my bunk!
My brother was on that same trip this April, and without discussing the whole topic, he brought it up. He mentioned that the track he was on during the night was very rough and that he was afraid he'd fall out of the bed.

My question is: Where is the roughest track you've been on while riding an AMTRAK train?

We were on the Silver Meteor in 2007 and yes, there is some really rough track in the Carolinas. But, coming back from Florida, there was a stretch of track that was as smooth as silk. Leaving today on the Meteor and will be prepared for the rough track in the middle of the night! :lol:

 

[Grandma B]

I ride the Silver Meteor quite often from Orlando to Washington or New York (most recently in June 2009). I have never "almost fallen out of bed," but the ride seemed worse on my last trip. On that trip, the sleeper cars were in the rear of the train (when in the past there were up front). I noticed that the ride is smoother in the front of the train. (on the same trip, I took the LSL from NYP to CHI and the sleepers were in the rear and it was awful - I would much rather hear the whistle than have a really rough ride).

Guess I'm in for a real experience with the sleepers now in the rear (NYP-WPB)! In 2007 they were up front. I too, love hearing the train whistle. I never knew there were that many country crossings down south.

 

[Ispolkom]

When I first rode the Empire Builder in the early 1980s, sections between St. Paul and Chicago were remarkably rough, the result, I suppose of years (decades?) of deferred maintenance by the Milwaukee Road.

 

[sky12065]

I ride the Silver Meteor quite often from Orlando to Washington or New York (most recently in June 2009). I have never "almost fallen out of bed," but the ride seemed worse on my last trip. On that trip, the sleeper cars were in the rear of the train (when in the past there were up front). I noticed that the ride is smoother in the front of the train. (on the same trip, I took the LSL from NYP to CHI and the sleepers were in the rear and it was awful - I would much rather hear the whistle than have a really rough ride).

Guess I'm in for a real experience with the sleepers now in the rear (NYP-WPB)! In 2007 they were up front. I too, love hearing the train whistle. I never knew there were that many country crossings down south.

The sleepers have been moved up from the rear of the LSL. When I boarded west bound on June 26th the first sleeper was right off the elevator that takes you down to the platform. In a few more days I'll be boarding east bound out of CHI and will check in that direction... if I remember that is! :unsure:

 

[printman2000]

Southwest Chief between La Junta and Newton. Very bad.

 

[creddick]

Western Minnesota/eastern North Dakota on the EB.

 

[George Harris]

Standard rail lengths for many years was 39 feet. Now most is rolled in either 78 feet or longer lengths and then welded up. Roughness in welded rail has many causes. Sun kinks are not one of them if the line is still in service. They will derail a train. that is what derailed the autotrain a few years back.

Why 39 feet? Because they would fit in a 40 feet long freight car. Why 78 feet? Becuase a lot of the plants that were set up to weld up rail when it was still produced in 39 ft lengths could work 78 ft rail without having to rearrange the various shearing and grinding points in the layout.

60 feet was and so far as I know is the standard length of a rail stick in the UK.

 

[cpamtfan]

I ride the Silver Meteor quite often from Orlando to Washington or New York (most recently in June 2009). I have never "almost fallen out of bed," but the ride seemed worse on my last trip. On that trip, the sleeper cars were in the rear of the train (when in the past there were up front). I noticed that the ride is smoother in the front of the train. (on the same trip, I took the LSL from NYP to CHI and the sleepers were in the rear and it was awful - I would much rather hear the whistle than have a really rough ride).

Guess I'm in for a real experience with the sleepers now in the rear (NYP-WPB)! In 2007 they were up front. I too, love hearing the train whistle. I never knew there were that many country crossings down south.

The sleepers have been moved up from the rear of the LSL. When I boarded west bound on June 26th the first sleeper was right off the elevator that takes you down to the platform. In a few more days I'll be boarding east bound out of CHI and will check in that direction... if I remember that is! :unsure:

You might have been in the Boston sleeper, or the trains hadn't been connected 49/449 yet, so the sleeper was right by the elevator. As long as you're not in the xx20 car, it'll be a short walk.

I think there are so many privately owned crossings in the South (for the farms, cotton fields, etc.). I guess CSX is lacking in the trackwork department of the South if they aren't trying to fix the problem, and hopefully there won't be another Auto Train type disaster (which by the way was on the same decrepid tracks in that region!).

cpamtfan-Peter

 

[transit54]

60 feet was and so far as I know is the standard length of a rail stick in the UK.

You know, I seemed to recall it was about 40 feet, and then Wikipedied it and subsequently edited my post to 60, figuring I was confused. Most have been written by someone over in the UK. Thanks for the clarification, George.

 

[EB_OBS]

Western Minnesota/eastern North Dakota on the EB.

Yep, that's a very rough area. Between about 11pm and 1am on train #8 and around 6am in the morning on train #7.

One of the worst track I've been on was through White Rock, in Canada. The really bad track combined with the pendulum action of the Talgo trainsets made for a crazy rocking back and forth motion that was extreme.

 

[JayPea]

Granted, I haven't had much basis for comparison but the worst I recall was in March, in a stretch between Grand Junction and Green River on the CZ. There were a couple of places I was half expecting the train to derail. And on that same trip, I took the CONO from Champaign to Chicago. At one point I was walking back to my seat in coach with a hot cup of coffee and we hit a particularly rough spot on the tracks. I don't know yet how I managed to not spill coffee all over the poor unsuspecting young man I was walking past at the time. :blink:

 

[creddick]

Western Minnesota/eastern North Dakota on the EB.

Yep, that's a very rough area. Between about 11pm and 1am on train #8 and around 6am in the morning on train #7.

One of the worst track I've been on was through White Rock, in Canada. The really bad track combined with the pendulum action of the Talgo trainsets made for a crazy rocking back and forth motion that was extreme.

Oh yes, a very bad stretch.

 

[had8ley]

Standard rail lengths for many years was 39 feet. Now most is rolled in either 78 feet or longer lengths and then welded up. Roughness in welded rail has many causes. Sun kinks are not one of them if the line is still in service. They will derail a train. that is what derailed the autotrain a few years back.
Why 39 feet? Because they would fit in a 40 feet long freight car. Why 78 feet? Becuase a lot of the plants that were set up to weld up rail when it was still produced in 39 ft lengths could work 78 ft rail without having to rearrange the various shearing and grinding points in the layout.

60 feet was and so far as I know is the standard length of a rail stick in the UK.

George;

I'm not in this for an argument but I've drug a train over a sun kink at night and never realized how bad it really was. The roadmaster said he didn't see how we stayed on the track. Sure most trains derail but I have had fellow engineers pull light power and a caboose over them and stay on the rail. Naturally, the track is pulled out of service once the defect is detected but sometimes that only happens when a train discovers it running down the rails. Most do NOT set red blocks unless they break a bonding wire.