Amtrak criticized for Main Line fires

[AlanB]

Well that would depend on whether Amtrak sent out one the Road GP38H-3 units or one of the Switching GP38 units on the ballast train.

While I know the GP38H-3s are listed as road power, does Amtrak ever actually assign those dinosaurs to passenger trains anymore? Even NJT has retired those things, and I heard the GP40s are gonna go after the DMs get in.

I could well be wrong, but I don't believe that they are ever used on passenger trains anymore. I think the oldest locos still used on rare occasions by Amtrak are the Pepsi cans, the P32-8's. And even they don't see much pax service anymore.

 

[Longford]

Reading the comments which started this discussion, I sense there's a full Moon out today - though I haven't looked. Give it a rest.

 

[PRR 60]

Some comments on the article:

- Who at Amtrak did the fire department call and what did they tell them? My first-hand experience with Amtrak dispatching is that they are very responsive, and treat emergencies properly. This story is so out of character, I have to question how the message was conveyed. Does anyone else find the item at the end of the article strange? The fire department now has a direct line to Amtrak police? They did not have that before? Even I have that. Maybe that's a problem right there.

- The local fire company took it in their own hands to shut down the railroad using flares? No disrespect, but are they crazy? They put firefighters on an active, electrified four-track railroad with the only protection being flares? Unless there was a imminent risk to life from the brush fires, this was foolhardy and risked the lives of the firefighters. Most local fire companies are cautious and professional, but there are a few Rambos out there.

- When you finally get to the end of the article, it seems like all is well between the Fire Company and Amtrak. Lines of communications have been established. If so, then what's the point of the article? Maybe it is....

- The article refers to an incident that took place over six weeks ago. What makes it news now? My guess (only a guess): the people who suffered damage are preparing to file claims and legal actions against Amtrak and they are getting their story out there to set the table, so to speak. There's nothing wrong with that, I would do the same thing. But, if that's the case, the facts presented have to be considered realizing they are intentionally one-sided.

 

[Shawn]

As someone in the fire service, I applaud the dispatcher in that he did point out the overhead lines. Power lines and fires are not something you want to mix. Smoke from a fire becomes a conduit for electrical energy and can instantly become it's own lightning. So, believe it or not, the power lines are a HUGE threat. Not just if they should come down. Believe me, I can tell you from experience. We had our own brush fire with results like I talked about above.