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Re: UP bridge badly damaged -- 11 and 14 cancelled for up to 30 days
Author: SP5103
Date: 04-27-2017 - 15:43
To my knowledge, there is no "passenger service" qualification at least as far as engineers go. You do handle the train a little different (slack control is a priority), and freight engineers probably aren't real familiar with graduated release and blended braking, but it isn't that hard to figure out with some good instruction. Besides - BNSF wouldn't normally provide the crew for the train, just a qualified pilot over their territory. Aren't BNSF crews now running Keddie to Stockton under trackage rights? Or would they have to switch to a UP pilot?
Funny thing about UP's detour map - they aren't showing their WP line through the Feather River Canyon or the SP line across the Great Salt Lake as part of the detour. They are also showing the Modoc stub to Wendel (I thought that was abandoned and salvaged?) but not the line to Alturas.
Here is my armchair opinion - Obviously UP will try to reroute at least the priority trains over the Inside Gateway from K Falls to Keddie - as many as BNSF is willing to take, Z trains and loads taking priority. The empties will likely take the scenic route across Idaho and over the Blues. So into that mess you try to run an Amtrak train. It is going to require pilots which will be in short supply, and it will no doubt be running quite late. That creates a problem in trying to turn the train in time for the return trip, and Amtrak rarely can come up with a spare train set at any major terminal.
Looking at the schedule, there is a reasonable chance of bustitution between Dunsmuir and Redding, with about a two-three hour delay - but - it would be done in the dark in the early morning hours so I doubt too many passengers would be amused. So it would appear that Amtrak probably made the best choice by offering no service versus extremely poor inconvenient late service. I just checked reservations for May 1st and they do seem to be running a stub train Los Angeles to Sacramento, and there is plenty of train service between Seattle and Eugene on the Cascades - so I think Amtrak probably made the best decision under the circumstances.
Funny thing about UP's detour map - they aren't showing their WP line through the Feather River Canyon or the SP line across the Great Salt Lake as part of the detour. They are also showing the Modoc stub to Wendel (I thought that was abandoned and salvaged?) but not the line to Alturas.
Here is my armchair opinion - Obviously UP will try to reroute at least the priority trains over the Inside Gateway from K Falls to Keddie - as many as BNSF is willing to take, Z trains and loads taking priority. The empties will likely take the scenic route across Idaho and over the Blues. So into that mess you try to run an Amtrak train. It is going to require pilots which will be in short supply, and it will no doubt be running quite late. That creates a problem in trying to turn the train in time for the return trip, and Amtrak rarely can come up with a spare train set at any major terminal.
Looking at the schedule, there is a reasonable chance of bustitution between Dunsmuir and Redding, with about a two-three hour delay - but - it would be done in the dark in the early morning hours so I doubt too many passengers would be amused. So it would appear that Amtrak probably made the best choice by offering no service versus extremely poor inconvenient late service. I just checked reservations for May 1st and they do seem to be running a stub train Los Angeles to Sacramento, and there is plenty of train service between Seattle and Eugene on the Cascades - so I think Amtrak probably made the best decision under the circumstances.
