16 Sept Builder

[access bob]

any idea what happened with todays builder. arrived MSP 1hr 18min down. and then Amtrak gives no reports for any city to Chicago where it arrived 3hr 22min down.

any idea what the problem was??

Bob

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

any idea what happened with todays builder. arrived MSP 1hr 18min down. and then Amtrak gives no reports for any city to Chicago where it arrived 3hr 22min down.
any idea what the problem was??

Bob

It probably ran into a Metra (not literally)- they own the track around Chicago. And you know Amtrak, get behind and you through the whole system off and just get further and further behind...

 

[AlanB]

any idea what happened with todays builder. arrived MSP 1hr 18min down. and then Amtrak gives no reports for any city to Chicago where it arrived 3hr 22min down.
any idea what the problem was??

Bob

It probably ran into a Metra (not literally)- they own the track around Chicago. And you know Amtrak, get behind and you through the whole system off and just get further and further behind...

METRA doesn't run to Minneapolis/St. Paul, so it can't be delays caused by METRA if there is no status between departure from MSP and arrival at Chicago.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

METRA doesn't run to Minneapolis/St. Paul, so it can't be delays caused by METRA if there is no status between departure from MSP and arrival at Chicago.

Metra seems to make delays worse... a lot worse.

 

[AlanB]

METRA doesn't run to Minneapolis/St. Paul, so it can't be delays caused by METRA if there is no status between departure from MSP and arrival at Chicago.

Metra seems to make delays worse... a lot worse.

That may well be true, but still the Builder leaving MSP won't encounter a METRA train until after it's passed Sturtevent, which is south of Milwaukee. Therefore METRA can't be blamed for the Builder either being delayed or not having any status at Red Wing, Winona, La Crosse, Tomah, Wisconsin Dells, Portage, Columbus, and Milwaukee.

Frankly though, since there is no status for any of the normal Builder stops between MSP and CHI, I have to wonder if the train took a detour routing because of flooding on the normal route.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Frankly though, since there is no status for any of the normal Builder stops between MSP and CHI, I have to wonder if the train took a detour routing because of flooding on the normal route.

Possibly. I heard there was some non-track flooding in the Dells and all throughout the area...

 

[Everydaymatters]

I just came off the Builder last night from Seattle to Chicago. From Minneapolis, all passengers with stops between Chicago and Glenview were bussed. All passengers going through to Chicago remained on the train and were re-routed due to bridge repairs. We went south from Minneapolis and followed the Mississippi River at very slow speeds for about 6 hours until south of Savanna, Illinois. Then we swung east to Chicago. The train was scheduled to arrive at 3:55 p.m., but got into the station around 7:15 pm.

After taking the Metra to Elgin, then car to Woodstock, I got in around 11:30 last night and had to get up at 4:30 this morning. I'm exhausted now, but will write about the trip later.