Amtrak #8 (3/8) Stuck in Snow near Rugby

[RalphCT]

Here's the link to the story on the train that left Minot Wednesday morning.

http://www.minotdailynews.com/news/local-news/2017/03/amtrak-passenger-train-stuck-in-snow-near-rugby/

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

Wow, 11.5 hrs late into Chicago 8 (5), and now this with 8 (6)! Casually mentions that it left on Wednesday morning, when it was scheduled to leave on Tuesday evening . . .

Also, what's with 7 (7)? It's supposed to be past Havre by now, but it's still stuck in North Dakota . . .

 

[KnightRail]

Also, what's with 7 (7)? It's supposed to be past Havre by now, but it's still stuck in North Dakota . . .

7(7) waiting for an open track after the snow is cleared.

 

[blackpup]

what are the numbers in parenthesis.

 

[KmH]

The date the train left it's originating point.

There may be as may as 3 train #7's en route between Chicago and Portland/Seattle and 3 train #8's.

One that's close to the end of it's route that left on the 6th, one that left the next day (7th) and is about at the middle of the route, and the one that left Chicago today, the 8th.

 

[JayPea]

The numbers in parentheses represent the originating date of that particular train.

 

[blackpup]

ok thanks

 

[jis]

Several attempts to dig 8 out of what is described as a 25' snow bank had not succeeded so far ...

http://www.inforum.com/news/4231373-three-attempts-fail-free-amtrak-train-stuck-25-foot-snowbank-near-rugby-nd

 

[PaulM]

Several attempts to dig 8 out of what is described as a 25' snow bank had not succeeded so far ...

http://www.inforum.com/news/4231373-three-attempts-fail-free-amtrak-train-stuck-25-foot-snowbank-near-rugby-nd

The link had more details than we've come to expect from the media. But it didn't explain how the EB could get stuck like that. If freight traffic is as heavy on that line as every one says, then a freight couldn't be very far ahead it. Either that train plowed its way through the snow bank allowing the EB to get through fairly easy, or it got stuck and hopefully the signals or dispatcher would hold it before it crashed into the stalled freight.

The report made it sound like the EB was out there all by itself, and the poor engineer couldn't stop in time when he saw the 25 foot wall, sort of like it was a trespasser or gate runner.

 

[PRR 60]

The photo in the link shows freight cars next to the stuck Builder. That is either a stopped train or stored cars. If those cars have been there for a while, and given the winds in North Dakota the last few days (first-hand experience), I wonder of those cars, combined with cold temperatures and dry snow, resulted drifting that caught the Builder. According to ND DOT, adjacent US 2 and other area highways are open with scattered snow and ice patches.

 

[Rover]

12 Hours and counting...

Two Amtrak trains are stuck in deep snow near Devils Lake and Rugby.

The conductor of the train in Rugby told passengers the snowbank was about 25 feet high and 200 feet long.

An official with Amtrak tells us one train became stuck this morning around 6 a.m. and the other was stalled around 7:30.

There are around 200 passengers on the trains.

They say all system functions on the trains are up and running and everyone is being served dinner.

Crews are working to clear the snow from the tracks.

http://www.kvrr.com/2017/03/08/north-dakota-amtrak-passengers-stranded-nearly-12-hours-and-counting/

 

[niemi24s]

For those that have never had the pleasure of living in that area, wind-driven snow becomes quite hard. You don't drive through the finger drifts (as we called them) that form across the road. They simply launch your car if you're going too fast! They would support the weight of my stationary full-sized Ford station wagon. What I'm saying is the train probably wasn't trying to go through 25 feet of nice fluffy stuff, but something closer to the consistency of styrofoam! God, I miss that place!

 

[wxmeddler]

Looks like they are finally free! The feature picture shows that it looks like the snowbank formed along some grain cars along a siding. Article says BNSF workers had to dig out the train by hand!

http://www.inforum.com/news/4231373-amtrak-train-freed-after-being-stuck-almost-13-hours-25-foot-nd-snowbank

It's clear here in Fargo but winds were gusting above 60 mph up there yesterday. The 2-4" of powder up north along US 2 just gets blown around into a sort of paste then turns squeaky solid "styrofoam" like in below 0F temperatures.

 

[niemi24s]

And then after it quit snowing the wind usually continued. Then after a while it would blow snirt!

 

[Rover]

As cold as it was this evening, when the workers dug out the train, if the train had gotten stuck Thursday overnight, the predicted wind chill values are -40!

And, that extra 24 hours "on train", for the long journey, will make the Chicago bound passengers really ready for that shower!! hboy:

 

[lo2e]

The amtrak status map speaks for itself:

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

WB 7(7) is 15 hrs late, and 8(7) is, as a minor sidenote, 8 hours late.

 

[AmtrakLKL]

Today's Empire Builders, 7(9) & 8(9), have been canceled. Alternate transportation provided CHI-MSP. Tomorrow's trains have been zeroed out to re-accommodate today's passengers.

 

[KmH]

A 25 foot snow bank?

A Superliner rail car is only 16 feet 2 inches tall.

 

[jis]

A 25 foot snow bank?

A Superliner rail car is only 16 feet 2 inches tall.

I have been on the EB passing through snowbanks that were considerably taller than the Superliners on track that was cleared using rotary snow plows. I don't know if they were 25', but certainly something in the vicinity of 20' or so since the tops were way above the roof line of the train.

I don't know what the exact situation was in this most recent event though.

 

[A Voice]

A 25 foot snow bank?

A Superliner rail car is only 16 feet 2 inches tall.

Mother nature doesn't use Wikipedia as a source.