BOB2 hit the nail on the head. Amtrak and the carriers have eliminated most of the "in the field" positions to the point where there is no support once you leave a terminal area like Chicago. There is no help out there should a train become mired down in the snow or a locomotive fail. Sadly, the Chargers are not reliable and the P42s have millions of miles on them. While it is a sad commentary on the rail industry, there are some realities that must be considered. Imagine the tragedy of a train load of passenger and crew perishing in the extreme weather that is currently embracing so much of the country. At least Amtrak is cognizant that they cannot afford to endanger human life with a situation that is deadly.

I worked for Amtrak for thirty-nine years and it pains me to see what is happening but when I retired over a decade ago, you could see the trends in the industry that have lead to this situation. And many of those years were in Chicago and the Midwest and those included the terrible winters of 1976-77 and 1977-78. Society and the country have changed and generally not for the better. Most of you probably don't remember the Floridian stuck in the snow at Bainbridge, IN, in early 1978 on the old Monon. Snowmobiles and five light units that were dispatched to (unsuccessfully) pull the snow-bound train were eventually used to ferry the stranded passengers to safety, a few at a time. It could ended much differently.....