can someone explain this

[RailFanNebraska]

this has left me scratching my head lol.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

If the train was detoured, probably no Amtrak engineers would have been qualified on the route and an engineer qualified on the route has to be used. Sometimes they just act as a "pilot" in the Amtrak engine, sometimes I guess they use an engine of the host road. Another time you may see another road's engine leading would be where the Amtrak engine had malfunctioned or stopped working altogether, and another road's engine was attached to pull the train to wherever a replacement Amtrak engine could be delivered. I saw that happen once around Haines City, Florida (between Kissimmee and Winter Haven). We were driving through the area and on the scanner I heard a CSX engine identify with an Amtrak train number, which got my curiosity aroused, and since the location he gave was near where we were, we drove over to the road next to the tracks and waited. Sure enough, a four-axle CSX GP(don't remember which actual engine type it was) came by shortly after that, pulling either Amtrak's train 98 or 92. It was already several hours late (it was probably 98). Another time we were on 98 leaving Miami, got almost to Boynton Beach when the engine blew it's rectifier stack, leaving us with lights and A/C but no motive power, and we were pushed into a siding by a Tri-Rail commuter train that was following us, and stayed there for several hours until 92 came up from Miami carrying an extra engine, which they attached to the front of our train to carry us on our way. Since we weren't stuck on the main and were only a couple hours north of Miami, where they had spare equipment available, they didn't try to get another road's engine to pull us. Cost us about 3 - 4 hours that time.

 

[AlanB]

This was thanks to the detour of the Zephyr this summer due to track work closing the normal route.

 

[Boxcar]

Was this last month Allen? While we were in Chicago last June 20th, the CZ was late due to a freight derail and a large chemical spill. I know it had to take time to clean up and repair the rails.

 

[AlanB]

According to the person who shot the video, he/she shot that back in April of 2005. The last two years have seen periods of track work on the Zephyr's normal route, and there have been regularly scheduled diversions around the closed sections of track.

 

[AmtrakFan]

It is always possible the Amtrak P42 broken down and they needed a unit to get up the Mountains.

 

[RailFanNebraska]

Thank you for the explaination.

 

[Guest]

That locomotive sure is pulling that train pretty fast. Cool!

 

[AlanB]

Again, since the person who posted the video stated that he shot that during a diversion of the Zephyr from its normal route, I'm pretty sure that UP engine was a pilot engine, not a rescue/replacement engine.

 

[jccollins]

From the site you linked to:

The UP engine is leading because cab signals are required on the UP (former C&NW) mainline. Amtrak engines do not have CNW cab signal equipment.

 

[battalion51]

I seem to recall seeing detoured Zephyrs running without UP Engines on the head end in the past, as evidenced in this photo. Now from what I could hear on that video it sounded like the Amtrak leader (middle unit of the UP-AMTK-AMTK set) wasn't online, while the trailer was. This would explain the UP SD70M on the train, since it does not appear necessary for UP to run their power for these detours. The Amtrak Boxes are setup to read Cab Signals pretty much anywhere in the country with the exception of ITCS and PTC.

 

[battalion51]

Also, I believe by now with as many detours a UP has done, both Conductors and Engineers alike from Amtrak have been qualified on this route and do not require a Pilot from UP.

 

[Chi_Train_Fan]

I think there is more mystery to this video then revealed at first. If you click to read the entire description you get:

"Amtrak California Zephyr detouring over the UP through Sterling,IL in April 2005."

Sterling, ILLINOIS. The detours have involved detouring over UP's Overland route from Denver to Salt Lake City. So what is this train doing on UP tracks in ILLINOIS? The California Zephyr is supposed to be on BNSF tracks.

Does anyone have any ideas that explain this additional anomoly?

Cheers,

David Z

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

I thought I remembered I was on The California Zephyr when a UP motor was on the point.

This was in September, October 2004 (if my memory is Ok, Year befor Katrina).

The Amtrak motor right behind it was Amtrak 500 and had delayed the Coast Starlight into Emeryvile the night before. Why she was on the next morning of the Zephyr I can't figure. She up and quit totaly just before the ? Raton Tunnel. Someone said that If we hadn't been lucky for the UP motor the delay would have been 10 hours.

 

[Trogdor]

Okay, folks, I think I'll try and decipher the confusion here. The scheduled Amtrak detours due to UP's work on the Moffat Tunnel (or that route, anyway) are through Wyoming, and do not require any pilot engines.

However, there are occasions when Amtrak detours over the UP between Omaha and Chicago, often due to a derailment on the BNSF line that Amtrak uses between those two points. I understand that this *does* require a pilot engine, because Amtrak engines aren't equipped for cab signals on that line.

This would explain the UP engine, the detour, and the fact that it was in Illinois.