Any bad weather horror stories?

[Bill Haithcoat]

Here are some of my best bad weather stories:

1. About 1967, CHI to SF on CZ, last morning out, the Feather River Canyon(train does not go that way any more) had been washed out due to 36 hours of solid rain. We were diverted to Southern Pacific tracks(which train uses now) and that was snowed out. Then we were put on buses, tried one highway, it was shut down. Finally tried another highway and that worked. Got to SF nine hours late.

2.In 1969 was planning to spend the day in New Orleans, take train out that night to JAX. Instead, Hurricane Camille decided to spend the day with me. She decided that nothing was leaving NO period so I had to walk around with luggage(no phones---circuits overloaded--no cabs---too busy) and find a hotel(This reminds me of Amfleet's question about New Orleans a few days ago--I have had experience there in an emergency). Finally found a hotel, with ONE room left) The brute force of Camille did not really hit there, but it was still the worst I have seen before or since. Took a plane to JAX next afternoon catching up with my itinerary.

But Camille was not finished with me yet. A day or two later I was to take the Silver Meteor Jax to Miami. Seems Camille had proceded up Virginia,etc screwing everything up. The Meteor was due to leave JAX about 9 a.m. but was not expected until that afternoon. So, I took the Star, due out about 4 a.m. ,hours late also, leaving JAX about 9 or 10, about the time the Meteor would have left had it been on time.

Tha is not the end of it--- weather worries were over but on returning on the South Wind, Miami to Nashville, the train struck a car..

3.!993 I took a simple round trip frm Atl to Bhm, spending the night, to return the next day. That was the Blizzard or Winter Storm of 1993. It dumped 19-21 inches of snow in Birmingham, Ala.,(yes, that is right) so I was stranded there two or three days. Quite an experience. Hotel gradually running out of food(nobody could get in or get out for supplies).Finally I bought an extremely expensive one way plane ticket from BHM to ATL(the train was supposedly still not operating. I Found myself at the Amtrak ticket office in ATl getting a partial refund.....heard a whistle, here came the Crescent in from BHM, only about 40 minutes late!!!

I wrote to Graham Claytor personally asking for a partial refund on that needless airfare(since I had been incorrectly informed about the train being cancelled) and he wrote a personal letter back saying "no".

 

[Viewliner]

I wrote to Graham Claytor personally asking for a partial refund on that needless airfare(since I had been incorrectly informed about the train being cancelled) and he wrote a personal letter back saying "no".

Interesting part of the story Bill. :lol:

 

[seajay]

On January 3rd, 2000, I came into Mount Pleasant, Iowa from Chicago aboard the CZ to find my car buried in about a foot of snow. The train hadn't had any problem but it took me a while to dig out and finish my trip home.

On December 23rd, 2000, The Cardinal was cancelled out of Chicago due to cold weather (i.e. frozen equipment). It was a madhouse at the Union Station customer service office for a while. They started busing people but since I was going all the way to Clifton Forge, Virginia, I (politely) said NO WAY am I riding a bus all that way. Many other people were "less than polite". I felt the Amtrak people were doing a pretty decent job of handling the situation and, although I did have to wait a couple of hours before my arrangements were made, I did get put up at a nice hotel (Chicago Hilton and Towers) for the night and an air ticket from Chicago to Roanoke, Virginia (my actual final destination) for the next day. I also got a meal allowance and cab fare from the station to the hotel and from the hotel to the airport.

While I was very disappointed I didn't get that train trip, I felt I was treated very well under the circumstances and actually arrived at my final destination a good hour earlier than had I been on the train. I can only hope some of the crabbier people were still sitting on a bus somewhere! :lol:

 

[Steve4031]

In January of 98, I think, I took a winter ride across Canada on the Canadian. On the return trip, the train was delayed 4 hours in alberta because the cold weather caused the rails to break. We had an additional two or three hour delay later on because of another broken rail. By the time the train left Edmonton, we were about 8 hours late. That night, as the train entered the rockies, I sat up in the dome car. I could see the stars and some scenery through the cold, clear air. However, towns were coverfed in fog, (maybe heat from buildings/industry). The lights of the towns created an eerie atmosphere. I kind of expected Jack the Ripper to appear and give number 1 a highball wave.

The next morning, I was treated to a daylight run up the Fraser Canyon. As we neared Vancouver, there was a snowstorm. While there were no additonal delays, it would be an adventure getting to the airport to catch my 3 pm flight back to Chicago. I was ( and still am) a teacher and this was sunday and classes started Monday. I did not think the principal would be amused at me missing a day's work because of a bad day on the RR.

I explained the situation to the onboard service chief, and he used his cell phone to arrange a cab pick up at a flag stop 2 scheduled hours east of Vancouver. The cab would make better time to the airport. I was served a quick lunch in the diner, and at the flag stop, (cant remeber the name) I got off. The snow was up about 3/4 the way to my knees, and still falling. No cab in sight. The conductor looked at me, and started to give the highball. I said wait, and climbed back on. We arranged for another cab to meet at the next stop, a suburb of Vancouver. I knew that a tedious, time consuming switching move at the point where the Canadian crosses the Fraser would make or break the situation. We negotiated this move in what seemed like half of the time. At the next stop, a cab driver was waiting for me.

The adventure continued on the way to the airport. We saw a drunk guy drive his piece of crap truck into the ditch by the freeway entrance ramp. When we saw that he was safe, I urged the cab to call for help, but keep going. (We stopped to check first) I did make the flight, and got home about midnight.

The next day I told my principal that I deserved a superior rating for the hard effort that I made to get to work on time.

The urban high school environment was definitely a slap in the face. Not twenty-four hours after my third cup of coffee in the Park car, I was writing a discipline referral for a student who had just called me a dumb ass in Spanish. Ahhhhh, wished the train had been 24 hours late.

 

[battalion51]

Worst bad weather story? Read my thread about my trip yesterday.

 

[rail sale]

it seems like most of the horror stories I've heard of relate to a lack of information. People seem willing to put up with a lot of harrassment when they know it is out of Amtrak's control.

I wonder if there is any rules or protocals for when pax need to be updated on delays or service faults.

 

[battalion51]

People seem willing to put up with a lot of harrassment when they know it is out of Amtrak's control.

Are you sure about that one? If anything it seems to fuel the fire more when it's out of Amtrak's control. The most common response is "Well doesn't Amtrak own the tracks?" No. "Well they should build their own." OK, you have $100 billion we can borrow? People don't realize A: we don't do our own dispatching, and B: tracks are very expensive, in excess of $1 million/mile.

 

[AlanB]

People seem willing to put up with a lot of harrassment when they know it is out of Amtrak's control.

Are you sure about that one? If anything it seems to fuel the fire more when it's out of Amtrak's control. The most common response is "Well doesn't Amtrak own the tracks?" No. "Well they should build their own." OK, you have $100 billion we can borrow? People don't realize A: we don't do our own dispatching, and B: tracks are very expensive, in excess of $1 million/mile.

Actually that's often been my own experience too Rail Sale. If the crew or even myself takes the time to explain the facts, most people do seem more reasonable and understanding. Yes they may not understand why Amtrak doesn't own the tracks and stuff, but they tend to be less critical of Amtrak if things are properly explained.

On the other hand, if the crew does not keep them informed and lets their anger build up and boil over, then it's too late. The passengers now are just mad at the lack of information and their treatment by the crew.

Yes there may always be someone who gets mad no matter what, however the best way to placate the bulk of the passengers is to keep them informed. The crew needs to explain what happened and why, along with how the situation is beyond Amtrak's control.

 

[battalion51]

the best way to placate the bulk of the passengers is to keep them informed. The crew needs to explain what happened and why, along with how the situation is beyond Amtrak's control.

I definitely agree with you on that front Alan.

 

[Steve4031]

the best way to placate the bulk of the passengers is to keep them informed. The crew needs to explain what happened and why, along with how the situation is beyond Amtrak's control.

I definitely agree with you on that front Alan.

In the cases where the crew did inform passengers, people may have been mad, but they understood. Usually, they are stressed about connections and other arrangements.

Rudeness by the crew usually just makes the situation worse.

 

[battalion51]

Usually, they are stressed about connections and other arrangements.

The worst "arrangement" I heard was, "Well I have an appointment for a manicure, so you guys better speed this thing up."

 

[Viewliner]

I got in about 4 hours late to florida on #97 due in part to speed restrictions with flooding between Washington and Richmond.