Empire Builder Summer Blues Started Early this year

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Good Point. Every time they appear to getting back to a reasonable schedule something like this happens. I would expect #7 departing tomorrow may be delayed in its departure.

:-(
 
7 that departed Chicago is doing ok with me on it. About 15 minutes late. Been looking for 8 for past hour. Did not see it but out may have been on other side.

The sca in 730 car is also working as a server in the diner. He's gonna be tired by the end of the trip.
 
We are about 15 mikes east of Minot. Pretty close to on time. Iirc the construction zone is between Minot and havre.

The scoop not the missing dining car waiter: a trainee was on the 10 hr late 8. He got iff of 8 in msp and boarded 7. This morning the sca in 730 car was on task. Car was in order, and my room made up after breakfast.
 
Just arrived havre. Taking on fuel. A busy railroad today. From Minot to havre most sidings had a waiting eastbound freight. We over took one eb freight too. A great way to spend Saturday.
 
I don't know. I'm curios myself. I saw 2 in one spot and 1 at another. So 3 cars. One was a sleeper. Did not get a good look at others.
That sure is not good with Amtrak's fleet shortages, not as chronic as the shortages of another transport company but still pretty bad. I heard that they were able to spare a pair of extra Superliners for the HF.
 
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#7 arrived in WFH tonight--ON TIME!!! First time in many weeks. Yea!!! #8 did arrive in CHI 3 1/2 hours late today--better than yesterday-10 1/2 hrs late and the day before- 5+ hours late....The WFH Stationmaster said BNSF told them they will be wrapping up several of their projects in MT by the end of October, so things should improve a little more at that time. The Superliners on the sidings enroute are a concern...........
 
Glad the see the EB doing better, now to see if it hold up, which it rarely does. Winter delays might be htting soon, and that won't be good.
 
I was on board 7 and it arrived in Seattle this morning 30 minutes early! Just like old times when its on-time performance was pretty stellar. Don't know about 27. Only slight delays around Williston--nothing major. Longest delay was actually on the single track east of Monroe, Washington, waiting for a freight for about ten minutes.

I also took the Capitol Limited Sunday evening, which arrived Monday into Chicago--also thirty minutes early.
 
EB is still in the red but not that bad. 7(15) has been holding a reletively constant delay, 8 (15) is getting slightly worse at every station, possibly stuck behind a freight.
 
I just got off the 6 hour late#8 less than two hours ago. You can read about it in my post which was not meant as a Travelogue, but it was moved there. 48 was held for us and it was on the adjacent track for those transferring. While this lateness isn't great, overall it was a good trip from Seattle. We all agreed the crews were great
 
8 (15) lost time at the beginning of the run due to loco problems, but stayed around 1:40 late until Minot, where it lost another hour (not sure why, as I fell asleep). Now approaching Devils Lake around 3 hours down.
 
Wow. Thanks for the detailed assessment. Gee, one would think that Amtrak could have done a better job planning that trip. 5 Private cars and barely enough power to get over Marias Pass, plus running out of food sounds like someone did a poor job of provisioning. Having been on quite a few late LD trains, once you lose your "slot" things just seem to snowball.......
An announcement one of the conductors made about having just the two engines suggested that the problem was simply that another loco just wasn't available in Seattle. I hope Amtrak was paid sufficiently to haul those private cars for it to help pay current bills. We had seen the same cars on my CS [30] from CA to Seattle:

Mid-America Mohave MRLX 800651

Wisconsin Valley Lounge 800787

The Milwaukee River 800195

MIlwaukee Road Superdome 800862

Lamberts Point 800702

Overheard an employee on board one of these otherwise empty cars that there had been a Levi Strauss private conference that used these cars in California.

Re: provisioning. This is only gossip I overheard, but it seemed that Amtrak is REALLY REALLY trying to be conservative with ANY outgo of money or supplies right now and for the past month or so.
There were 13 of us that rode these private cars from EMY to SEA on the CS, overnight there, then on to MSP on the EB. Our sleeper was the Minnesota River. The first two cars on your list were empty. We had the run of the Lamberts Point and the Superdome and told to make ourselves at home with the bar. Their chef prepared all our meals and provided snacks.

Arriving at MSP, I continued on on the EB. Because we arrived in Milwaukee so late, I missed the last Hiawatha to the airport. Amtrak used their heads and saved some money. Rather than giving me a taxi voucher to the airport, the EB did a rare stop at the airport station to let me off.
 
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