EMPIRE BUILDER

[varnish]

Hi,

I know EB trackage west of GrandForks is , without a doubt, quite rough. It was when I rode it 3 years ago, and some recent posters confirmed it's still the same.

We're riding again 22 oct westbound...and I'd like to know from which point to which point is/are the subdivision(s) with the rough trackage, since it's at night. Sort of ''proactive'' question.....DW needs to be ''prepared''.

Any word on BNSF's stand on this part of the EB route ? I know thay won't maintain it to class #1 79MPH , for very much the same reason they won't the old Kansa sections on SWC : secondary trackage at best, little used..Amtrak has to pay up ( they won't ) or tolerate the ride ( until BNSF slaps a permanent slow order on the EB like they just did for SWC....)

Thanks for your informed advice

Cheers

Claude

 

[Ispolkom]

I was on #8 last Sunday night, and it seemed to me that the worst bumps were between Grand Forks and Fargo. I might be wrong, as it was the middle of the night and I couldn't really tell where we were.

 

[guest]

I was on #8 last Sunday night, and it seemed to me that the worst bumps were between Grand Forks and Fargo. I might be wrong, as it was the middle of the night and I couldn't really tell where we were.

Last rode the EB in April. The roughest ride, and I mean rough, was between Fargo and Minneapolis-St. Paul. All during late night and while we were going in and out of sleep in the beds, it sometimes seemed we were bouncing straight up in the air!

But when you're in a sleeper, you just make up for it by sleeping later in the morning!

 

[EB_OBS]

I was on #8 last Sunday night, and it seemed to me that the worst bumps were between Grand Forks and Fargo. I might be wrong, as it was the middle of the night and I couldn't really tell where we were.

Last rode the EB in April. The roughest ride, and I mean rough, was between Fargo and Minneapolis-St. Paul. All during late night and while we were going in and out of sleep in the beds, it sometimes seemed we were bouncing straight up in the air!

But when you're in a sleeper, you just make up for it by sleeping later in the morning!

The roughest track is west of Fargo, ND, between there and Grand Forks. The BNSF mainline west of Fargo, ND to Minot is the KO subdivision. The route the Empire Builder takes is a BNSF alternate that is rarely if ever used by freights. I talked to an employee of Herzog once who told me the BNSF has spent millions the last few years upgrading the KO sub. I highly doubt they'll put a single penny into the section of the Empire Builder route that serves Grand Forks, Devils Lake and Rugby.

Now this is just hearsay and gossip, but I've heard that if and when it floods up there again that the EB route may move onto the KO sub and those 3 cities will lose service. Like I said, I've never heard anything official from an Amtrak or BNSF source about this. It's just the talk on the train I've heard.

 

[varnish]

Thanks all for your informative replies.

I will time my ''sleeping pills'' consumption with a view to be severely knocked out by the time we stop at StCloud and sufficiently sedated to '' last '' until departure from GrandForks..... -_- That ought to do it , right ??

Then, I should be able to ''sail '' merrily until Minot !!

Cheers

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

You know, I think its come to the point where I don't even notice anymore. I was the Empire Builder June of this year and didn't notice any difference. Then again my sea legs errr train legs have gotten to the point where I look in aww at the people staggering from side to side.

 

[Guest]

While the track between Fargo and Minot is rougher than average compared to the conditions along the rest of the EB's route, I'd say the very worst of the track is along the BNSF Devils Lake Subdivision between Grand Forks and Minot. Specifically, there is a roughly 90 mile stretch between Larimore and Leeds where the track is old, jointed, and considerably bumpy. Churchs Ferry, where the rising Lake Alice (receiving water from Devils Lake) threatens to close down the line as a through route, is located within this 90 mile stretch. The only significant portions of newer, welded rail that you'll find are between Doyon and Crary, within the city of Michigan, and around some of the more significant curves.

To say that the route the EB takes between Fargo and Minot "is a BNSF alternate that is rarely if ever used by freights" is a bit misleading. While far from the high-speed, well-maintained transcontinental BNSF trackage that the EB uses elsewhere, the track between Fargo and Grand Forks (the Hillsboro Subdivision) is still an important corridor for merchandise, grain, and coal trains in the region. Not including the EB, roughly 6-10 trains travel this trackage daily.

Although a host of different factors have caused the Devils Lake Subdivision to no longer host any through trains other than the EB, freight trains still do use the portions of the track. Local trains that serve industries located along the track run between Grand Forks and Devils Lake on the east end and Minot and Rugby on the west end. Furthermore, there are several branch lines and shuttle grain elevators that can only be reached by travel along the subdivision.

 

[rd]

I always feel the worse part is Devils Lake to Grand Forks