California Zephyr

[CNW]

I just rode the Zepyr from Mount Pleasant Iowa to Denver. I plan to go again in July all the way to Emeryville and back to spend a few more days in Denver. What has happened this week as I see several service disruptions on both #5 and #6.

 

[MrFSS]

I just rode the Zepyr from Mount Pleasant Iowa to Denver. I plan to go again in July all the way to Emeryville and back to spend a few more days in Denver. What has happened this week as I see several service disruptions on both #5 and #6.

Flooding

 

[RailFanLNK]

Dammit! Ok, I have Amtrak newbies onboard this week. They left LNK on Sunday night and will be attempting to board in GSC (Glenwood Springs) tomorrow. Where is the flooding at? And what "might" Amtrak be trying to do? I would like to contact them tonight because I have a feeling they don't know about the delays. Thanks!

 

[MrFSS]

Dammit! Ok, I have Amtrak newbies onboard this week. They left LNK on Sunday night and will be attempting to board in GSC (Glenwood Springs) tomorrow. Where is the flooding at? And what "might" Amtrak be trying to do? I would like to contact them tonight because I have a feeling they don't know about the delays. Thanks!

Al - I think it was a few days ago (We have had other threads on this) and may be back to as normal as it can get in the summer.

Check with Amtrak for what they know.

 

[sunchaser]

Dammit! Ok, I have Amtrak newbies onboard this week. They left LNK on Sunday night and will be attempting to board in GSC (Glenwood Springs) tomorrow. Where is the flooding at? And what "might" Amtrak be trying to do? I would like to contact them tonight because I have a feeling they don't know about the delays. Thanks!

Looks like the #5 is up & running today, but it's currently 2 hours late!!!

 

[acelafan]

Dammit! Ok, I have Amtrak newbies onboard this week. They left LNK on Sunday night and will be attempting to board in GSC (Glenwood Springs) tomorrow. Where is the flooding at? And what "might" Amtrak be trying to do? I would like to contact them tonight because I have a feeling they don't know about the delays. Thanks!

Looks like the #5 is up & running today, but it's currently 2 hours late!!!

I'm on #6 right now in Green River, WY - on the detour route between Salt Lake & Denver. The scenery isn't bad, but it's not the Colorado Rockies, unfortunately. Conductor expects us to get into Denver a little early.

I've got a question though - coming into Green River I see we have 4 engines up front. 1 Amtrak California and 2 GEs (please don't ask me model #s, I'm not that good yet!) Then there is a lead UP engine. Does Union Pacific put on their own engine during the detour and they escort Amtrak through their territory?

Also, you can read between the lines when the conductor announces "Folks, we really apologize for making you stay on the train all the way through Denver, but we were told we'd be coming into Green River on track X so passengers can get outside for a few minutes. At the last minute they put us on track Y and so unfortunately no one can get off the train. Granted this is a working freight rail yard, but sometimes this railroad does things in mysterious ways." It's too bad the relationship between UP and Amtrak is so strained, but then again, it is their track and they aren't afraid to run the show.

 

[sunchaser]

I just checked amtrak.com for status on the westbound (#5) & it does show it coming through Glenwood Springs-(2:45 pm)

Thu Jun 17, 2010

(estimated)

 

[acelafan]

I just checked amtrak.com for status on the westbound (#5) & it does show it coming through Glenwood Springs-(2:45 pm)Thu Jun 17, 2010

(estimated)

Good to hear, last night's crew were talking in Winnemucca and they indicated the bridge would be fixed for today's trains.

 

[George Harris]

I've got a question though - coming into Green River I see we have 4 engines up front. 1 Amtrak California and 2 GEs (please don't ask me model #s, I'm not that good yet!) Then there is a lead UP engine. Does Union Pacific put on their own engine during the detour and they escort Amtrak through their territory?

Any train on this line must be lead by an engine equiped to work with the Union Pacific cab signal system setup on this line. So far as I know, the Amtrak engines are not so equipped, so a UP unit must lead the train.

 

[RailFanLNK]

Well my friends are leaving GSC on a bus. They are disapointed but thats the way it goes. So if they leave GSC today by bus, won't they arrive into Denver earlier? I want to give them some heads up on what might happend. The last thing I want them doing is sitting at the station for hours. I know they have a baggage area to leave stuff. Is the light rail free inside a certain area? Thanks!

 

[AlanB]

Also, you can read between the lines when the conductor announces "Folks, we really apologize for making you stay on the train all the way through Denver, but we were told we'd be coming into Green River on track X so passengers can get outside for a few minutes. At the last minute they put us on track Y and so unfortunately no one can get off the train. Granted this is a working freight rail yard, but sometimes this railroad does things in mysterious ways." It's too bad the relationship between UP and Amtrak is so strained, but then again, it is their track and they aren't afraid to run the show.

Sadly this seems to happen almost all the time coming east, yet going west UP almost always put the train on the platform. I think that they just don't feel like switching it over and blocking the main for a while.

 

[AlanB]

I've got a question though - coming into Green River I see we have 4 engines up front. 1 Amtrak California and 2 GEs (please don't ask me model #s, I'm not that good yet!) Then there is a lead UP engine. Does Union Pacific put on their own engine during the detour and they escort Amtrak through their territory?

Any train on this line must be lead by an engine equiped to work with the Union Pacific cab signal system setup on this line. So far as I know, the Amtrak engines are not so equipped, so a UP unit must lead the train.

No, not to my knowledge. I know that when I went both ways in 2007 on the detour route, we did not have a UP engine on the front.

 

[Cristobal]

Also, you can read between the lines when the conductor announces "Folks, we really apologize for making you stay on the train all the way through Denver, but we were told we'd be coming into Green River on track X so passengers can get outside for a few minutes. At the last minute they put us on track Y and so unfortunately no one can get off the train. Granted this is a working freight rail yard, but sometimes this railroad does things in mysterious ways." It's too bad the relationship between UP and Amtrak is so strained, but then again, it is their track and they aren't afraid to run the show.

Sadly this seems to happen almost all the time coming east, yet going west UP almost always put the train on the platform. I think that they just don't feel like switching it over and blocking the main for a while.

Is there even a platform at Green River? I was on the Wyoming detour last year (e/b) and there was one place we stopped (I don't remember for sure if it was Green River or not though) where the conductor came on and said that they don't usually get to to do it there but if pax wanted they could step off the train for a few minutes but to be extremely careful getting off and back onto the train as there was no platform and also not to stray too far.

We also were never lead by a UP engine but I seemed to remember reading somewhere that a UP engineer had to be in the cab during the detour part. Yes, no, maybe???

 

[darien-l]

Well my friends are leaving GSC on a bus. They are disapointed but thats the way it goes.

It seems that whenever I try to introduce friends to Amtrak, it all goes to hell in a spectacular way. See this thread, for example: http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?showtopic=30165

Also, a couple of months ago I took a newbie friend on a short trip from DEN to GSC. The result was the longest list of delays I have ever experienced in one trip. I wrote them down as they occurred, and finally got around to posting them here:

1) Train #5 arrived 2 hours late into Union Station due to bad weather in Iowa

2) Boarding was delayed by an additional 30 minutes because of a late conductor

3) After boarding, a broken engine had to be replaced. Additional delay: 50 minutes.

4) Shortly after pulling out of Union Station, we waited at a track-track crossing for a freight train to pass. Additional delay: 10 minutes.

5) Several waits in sidings for freight trains to pass. Additional delay: 30 minutes.

6) Stuck freight train in front of us in a siding. Had to very slowly back out of the siding. Additional delay: 10 minutes.

7) Waiting before entering Moffat Tunnel for the air to recycle. Additional delay: 20 minutes

8) Speed restriction due to rock slide in Byars Canyon. Additional delay: 30 minutes.

9) Broken signals in Glenwood Canyon. 15 mph speed restriction. Additional delay: 35 minutes

Total delay into GSC: 5 hours, 35 minutes

 

[acelafan]

Well my friends are leaving GSC on a bus. They are disapointed but thats the way it goes.

It seems that whenever I try to introduce friends to Amtrak, it all goes to hell in a spectacular way. See this thread, for example: http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?showtopic=30165

Also, a couple of months ago I took a newbie friend on a short trip from DEN to GSC. The result was the longest list of delays I have ever experienced in one trip. I wrote them down as they occurred, and finally got around to posting them here:

1) Train #5 arrived 2 hours late into Union Station due to bad weather in Iowa

2) Boarding was delayed by an additional 30 minutes because of a late conductor

3) After boarding, a broken engine had to be replaced. Additional delay: 50 minutes.

4) Shortly after pulling out of Union Station, we waited at a track-track crossing for a freight train to pass. Additional delay: 10 minutes.

5) Several waits in sidings for freight trains to pass. Additional delay: 30 minutes.

6) Stuck freight train in front of us in a siding. Had to very slowly back out of the siding. Additional delay: 10 minutes.

7) Waiting before entering Moffat Tunnel for the air to recycle. Additional delay: 20 minutes

8) Speed restriction due to rock slide in Byars Canyon. Additional delay: 30 minutes.

9) Broken signals in Glenwood Canyon. 15 mph speed restriction. Additional delay: 35 minutes

Total delay into GSC: 5 hours, 35 minutes

But you both enjoyed the views, right?!

I know, all hell breaks loose whenever you want to show friends how enjoyable rail travel can be.

 

[AlanB]

Is there even a platform at Green River? I was on the Wyoming detour last year (e/b) and there was one place we stopped (I don't remember for sure if it was Green River or not though) where the conductor came on and said that they don't usually get to to do it there but if pax wanted they could step off the train for a few minutes but to be extremely careful getting off and back onto the train as there was no platform and also not to stray too far.

Yes, the northern most track has a platform still in usable shape from way back when passenger trains still served this route and the stop in Green River.

We also were never lead by a UP engine but I seemed to remember reading somewhere that a UP engineer had to be in the cab during the detour part. Yes, no, maybe???

Yes, a UP pilot is required on all detour runs since the Amtrak crews are not qualified on this detour route.

 

[deafrailfan]

I've noticed there is service disruptions in the past week involving the CZ. There was a storm in that area that caused flooding, they should have the area cleared soon and be back to normal hopefully. I will be going on CZ next month and should be normal by then.

 

[PRR 60]

There are a number of Amtrak P42's that are equipped to run on the UP Wyoming detour. When a detour is planned, one of those units is assigned to the trip and a UP unit is not required. If a detour is operated with no advance notice and the lead unit is not set-up for the UP, then a freight unit is added.

 

[acelafan]

There are a number of Amtrak P42's that are equipped to run on the UP Wyoming detour. When a detour is planned, one of those units is assigned to the trip and a UP unit is not required. If a detour is operated with no advance notice and the lead unit is not set-up for the UP, then a freight unit is added.

Interesting, are UP freight units limited to ~69 MPH? That was our max speed yesterday through the detour route, which ended up being a pretty good ride in the end.

 

[kt1i]

I was on the CZ westbound Wed. and Thur. this week. We were diverted to the Northern route after Denver. Also, we were late from the very start with a couple of extra long station stops. They swapped out the lead engine at Denver and said that a bridge was damaged by flooding near Provo, UT. I felt sorry for the people that wanted to see the scenery, luclily for me I had do ne it before. In the end, we arrived in SAC early.

 

[George Harris]

I've got a question though - coming into Green River I see we have 4 engines up front. 1 Amtrak California and 2 GEs (please don't ask me model #s, I'm not that good yet!) Then there is a lead UP engine. Does Union Pacific put on their own engine during the detour and they escort Amtrak through their territory?

Any train on this line must be lead by an engine equiped to work with the Union Pacific cab signal system setup on this line. So far as I know, the Amtrak engines are not so equipped, so a UP unit must lead the train.

No, not to my knowledge. I know that when I went both ways in 2007 on the detour route, we did not have a UP engine on the front.

Thanks, Alan. Stated what I had heard. Maybe not true for all engines. At one time this was the route of the CZ, but that does not mean that any engines from that time frame are still in operation. Next question: Does Amtrak have any engines equipped to run on the former C&NW line between Omaha adn Chicago?