Fire impacts Coast Starlight (6/29/21)

[Willbridge]

Seriously doubt they'd detour over CORP's Siskiyou Line. Much of it is 10 mph. It would take a very long time.

SP ran local passenger trains over the line until the late 1950s. There were two, one ran from Black Butte junction to Medford, the other Eugene-Medford. One was named Rogue River, forget the name of the other one.

Sometime in the 1990s I think ODOT ran a demonstration train from Eugene as far as Roseburg, maybe even to Medford. It didn't go over Siskiyou Summit, though.

I was asked to study use of the Siskiyou Line in 1974 when it was still owned by the SP. It would have taken five hours longer than the Cascade Line and it's probably slower now.

The last SP passenger train over the Siskiyou Summit, running Dunsmuir<>Grants Pass, had no name. It was replaced with a Pacific Greyhound (SP) bus connection in 1952. The Rogue River, running Portland<>Ashland ran till February 1955.

In earlier years, Amtrak used the Inside Gateway line for detours but I don't know of them using the Sacramento<>Klamath Falls segment since the UP got control of the WP.

 

[nendee]

Yes, this is certainly not good for that line.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

A friend sent this to me last night. Said it’s estimated to take several months to repair.

 

[Steve4031]

Stay safe!

I will. I monitor weather forecasts.

 

[railiner]

I was asked to study use of the Siskiyou Line in 1974 when it was still owned by the SP. It would have taken five hours longer than the Cascade Line and it's probably slower now.

The last SP passenger train over the Siskiyou Summit, running Dunsmuir<>Grants Pass, had no name. It was replaced with a Pacific Greyhound (SP) bus connection in 1952. The Rogue River, running Portland<>Ashland ran till February 1955.

In earlier years, Amtrak used the Inside Gateway line for detours but I don't know of them using the Sacramento<>Klamath Falls segment since the UP got control of the WP.

If anyone hears of the Coast Starlight being sent on a detour route, such as the Inside Gateway, please tip us off here. I'd jump on a chance to ride that "rare mileage"....

 

[AmtrakBlue]

If anyone hears of the Coast Starlight being sent on a detour route, such as the Inside Gateway, please tip us off here. I'd jump on a chance to ride that "rare mileage"....

People on FB say are saying a reroute is highly unlikely. Most likely scenario will be a bus bridge between Sacramento & Klamath

 

[railiner]

People on FB say are saying a reroute is highly unlikely. Most likely scenario will be a bus bridge between Sacramento & Klamath

Yeah...that's what I figured, and what they do usually, now. The detour adds too much time to make it a viable solution.

 

[Barb Stout]

So much for my honeymoon

Where were you going to go for your honeymoon?

 

[Danib62]

We're travelling down the pacific coast from Seattle to San Diego doing a mix of train and driving. We were going to take the CS from PDX to EMY but I guess we'll have to make alternate plans now...

 

[Palmetto]

I wonder if any trains could detour up to Eugene using the Southern Pacific's [ now CORP] Siskyou Line. In its heyday, that was the only route available. It would definitely cause a sizeable delay to Amtrak trains though. Klamath Falls and Chemult would be missed stops. Probably a bus bridge will happen for Amtrak.

 

[IowaRails]

Any thoughts on when UP will get a crew out there? Are there any freight forums to monitor?

 

[IowaRails]

A friend sent this to me last night. Said it’s estimated to take several months to repair.

View attachment 23284

Is that the Hotlum Trestle?

 

[TinCan782]

I would think if UP was "detouring", Amtrak would not be part of that detour.
They would have more than enough freight traffic to handle and keep running.

 

[jis]

I wonder if any trains could detour up to Eugene using the Southern Pacific's [ now CORP] Siskyou Line. In its heyday, that was the only route available. It would definitely cause a sizeable delay to Amtrak trains though. Klamath Falls and Chemult would be missed stops. Probably a bus bridge will happen for Amtrak.

I understand that the Siskyou Line is now a 10mph line(as mentioned in a post above). It is unlikely to see any detours, specially of the Amtrak variety.

 

[Danib62]

As of now Amtrak is still just saying service disrupted through 7/1 which seems like a super optimistic outlook given the photos shared here...

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Is that the Hotlum Trestle?

Yes

 

[Asher]

A friend sent this to me last night. Said it’s estimated to take several months to repair.

Wow, that is substantial damage.
You also mentioned bus from Sacramento to Klamath Falls. That’s probably not the worst situation as it’s at night.
View attachment 23284

 

[Danib62]

Another data point is it seems that Amtrak will not sell you a ticket on the CS until July 6th at the earliest. Everything earlier returns no available service.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

This is Union Pacific Track. The bridge will be inspected once it safe to enter the area. Then repair in days, maybe a week. This company may have issues, resources to rebuild a fire damage bridges is not one.

 

[SwedeC]

https://www.mtshastanews.com/pictur...photos-see-desolation-left-behind/7800432002/
Pictures of "Lava Fire" desolation in Mt Shasta (CA) news, as of 8am 6/30/2021.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

Now that I've found a decent map of the BNSF 'Inside Gateway' line to K Falls (it's well to the east of the UP line most of the way), that's probably a better detour choice since it avoids the tortuously slow Siskiyou Summit line. It would probably still add some to trip times, but maybe not since it would miss several N Cal stops entirely. No idea how heavily used it is. But if the UP can really restore service in a couple of weeks, it's probably not worth doing the work it would take to make a rail detour work.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

We hit someone racing the train for the crossing on the Cascades a few years ago and I missed my connection to VIA in Vancouver even though I told them about it and they could've gotten my there in time so I had a hotel stay and flew to SK the next day at my own expense. They did jack for me. Thought I had trip insurance but couldn't find it. Just ate hundreds extra.

It is sad, especially if there's a passenger, but I don't know how many times or ways it can be said - don't race or otherwise mess with a train, you're going to lose in a big way.

 

[Cal]

I have reservations on 14 and 11 in mid August, personally I want it to be detoured simply so I can see scenery that very few people see. Doesn't the BNSF "Inside Gateway" go through the Keddie Wye? Oh, how it would be amazing to go over that, even at night.

Unfortunately I doubt that will happen.

 

[MikefromCrete]

I have reservations on 14 and 11 in mid August, personally I want it to be detoured simply so I can see scenery that very few people see. Doesn't the BNSF "Inside Gateway" go through the Keddie Wye? Oh, how it would be amazing to go over that, even at night.

Unfortunately I doubt that will happen.

I wouldn't count on it. That detour would take the train way out of the way and would add many hours to the trip. The former SP line which is nearby is not fit for passenger service, so a bus bridge is the most likely solution.

 

[Cal]

I wouldn't count on it. That detour would take the train way out of the way and would add many hours to the trip. The former SP line which is nearby is not fit for passenger service, so a bus bridge is the most likely solution.

Yep. I can dream.