#7 vs tree

[B&Ofan]

I was on #7 heading through Stephens pass early on the 21st having an early breakfast in the diner when there was a bang and we slowed down to stop. It was announced that we hit a downed tree and the windshild of the engine was shattered and it was too dangerious to continue. The enginer was OK.

Well it turns out we had 2 engines running back to back and a couple of miles ahead was a Y track buried in snow.(I thnk the only one for quite a distance). There was a MOW crew nearby that dug it out for us and they wefre able to turn the engines so we could continue with a relitivally minimual delay.

We crept along and stopped again. They announced they had good news and bad news. The bad news was another tree was down and the good news was the MOW crew that helped us out before would help us one more time. We happened to be by a passing siding and I saw the truck hi-rail ahead of us. Soon it went buzzinng back and we were on the way.

All in all the minimal delay was more then made up by going through Stephens pass in daylight after a snowstorm. Between the view and our wonderful SCA King Louie, I didn't even mind the short bus ride past Everret.

 

[CHamilton]

Wow, you were lucky. Highway 2 through Stevens Pass is closed indefinitely after 2 separate tree falling on car incidents. 2 people were killed and 5 injured.

 

[TrackWalker]

That may have been the case again for #7 today. It stopped between Merrit and Berne, and had to back down to Merrit. (where the "Y" is located) It's now heading west again and in the Cascade Tunnel after the Skykomish MOW forces cleared the track.

 

[EB_OBS]

#7 has hit or been stopped by downed trees, or both, for 3 days in a row.

 

[NW cannonball]

#7 has hit or been stopped by downed trees, or both, for 3 days in a row.

So happy not driving on US 2.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Oh god, NWT must be in trouble!

 

[JayPea]

Oh god, NWT must be in trouble!

Not really. I have a buddy who is a bus driver for NWT and while it isn't exactly fun, he is doing all right. They are detouring around the affected area.

 

[JayPea]

Looks as if Highway 2 over Stevens Pass is open again.