Amtrak is not doing very well today. The trains are running, but a lot of very late LD and corridor trains in the east and Midwest. The cold blast that is coming on Sunday and Monday may cause some route shutdowns and cancellations.
Right now the Weather Channel says -15 but some of the local TV forecasters are now predicting -20 or less. Some say that the all time low of -27 is in danger. Yes I do remember the -27 as I was given the task to rewire the heat control system on an Amfleet I, out in the yard with no shelter or wind break. For those of you that don't know the temperature control panel is under the car body, and it is wired with 20 gauge wires, not much thicker than telephone wire and must be done with bare hands. Needless to say a 2 hour job took 6 hours to complete allowing time to put your hands into your pockets to warm them and a couple of trips back to the shop for coffee.
Superliners don't do too well with extreme cold. Toilets start to freeze around -15. Other plumbing is vulnerable at lower temperatures, and any loss-of-HEP troubles can quickly become uncomfortable. Tension increases in the rails, and freights slow down - to 40 mph in the case of very heavy or hazardous materials trains. Speed restrictions apply to Amtrak as well (usually 60 or 65 mph), but it is the freight slowdown that really gums up the system.
I remember the Dec '83 cold snap. I left DE with highs around 10 to go the FL for Christams week. FL's highs were cold enough to need at least a sweatshirt, which we bought while down there. NYE at the Magic Kingdom I had on my full winter gear. But it was still warmer than DE.
Greetings fellow Nordakotan! I was born and raised there, and being a Norwegian of average intelligence, I moved South to South Dakota where I thought it would be warmer...uff-da....have a son in Florida and now enjoying the 70-80 degree days for a few months during the Winter.... but I do remember the Winters during the 40's and 50's as being extremely cold and being blocked in by snow for just about a complete Winter....the train was the only way in and out of our small town....except for the farmers with horse and sled.......I think the lowest I seen was actual temp of -42.... :help:
So true Dan, but the forecast is for a bone-chilling, below average temp. of 68° by the end of next week!
I blame the people who watch it.
There's nothing wrong with watching it to get the forecast. What's ridiculous is their insistence upon naming every single snow system that occurs during the winter. If they start naming thunderstorms in the summer, then I'll know they've officially gone full derp.
I gave up on The Weather Channel, DirecTV just added WeatherNation to the line up, so now it's 24/7 weather, and no names for storms!
Funny!
