Watching Weather Channel tonight, they were showing some pix of NOL, including how police were rounding up looters, locking them up at a bus terminal (probably the one in the same building as NOL Amtrak?) and you saw them behind a chain link fenced-in enclosure, WITH AN AMTRAK ENGINE IN THE BACKGROUND!! I think it was 511 but not sure.
NOL on Weather Channel - Amtrak stuff
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jccollins
Conductor
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2002
- Messages
- 1,266
NOUPT (home of Amtrak and Greyhound) is being used as a temporary jailing facility for looters and other lawbreakers. Apparently the criminals are being kept in chain link pens out in the back, separated by gender and class of crimes they committed.
Click Here to read the full story over at NewsDay.
Click Here to read the full story over at NewsDay.
Allen Dee
Lead Service Attendant
JC,
They are using the Greyhound loading zones (fenced-in) for the temporary housing of prisoners.
They are using the Greyhound loading zones (fenced-in) for the temporary housing of prisoners.
jccollins
Conductor
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2002
- Messages
- 1,266
:lol: Now it makes more sense. I didn't think Amtrak had (or remember seeing when I was there) a bunch of people-proof pens out in the backyard (train loading area/platforms). The poor Greyhound folks have to board buses in jail-like pens even on a good day?Allen Dee said:
I guess I have just gotten spoiled with Amtrak's general lack of control over their boarding.Thanks for the info Allen. It is nice to see your posts once in a while since there are so few of us from the west coast that post regularly.
Allen Dee
Lead Service Attendant
JC,
Both Amtrak and Greyhound have temporarily suspended regularly scheduled passenger service to and from New Orleans. Ditto with the airlines.
It makes sense for the NOPD to use the bus loading zones, after being fenced in, as temporary holding pens for the remaining low-lifes that are arrested for commiting various crimes.
Below is a link to a picture of a Greyhound Scenicruiser, GM PD-4501, taken in 1973, where the temporary jail facility now exists.
http://www.angelfire.com/al4/eagle382/photo/B200.jpg
Both Amtrak and Greyhound have temporarily suspended regularly scheduled passenger service to and from New Orleans. Ditto with the airlines.
It makes sense for the NOPD to use the bus loading zones, after being fenced in, as temporary holding pens for the remaining low-lifes that are arrested for commiting various crimes.
Below is a link to a picture of a Greyhound Scenicruiser, GM PD-4501, taken in 1973, where the temporary jail facility now exists.
http://www.angelfire.com/al4/eagle382/photo/B200.jpg
Ray L. Nutz
Train Attendant
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2005
- Messages
- 31
According to Gunn's letter the 511 is used to power the station area.
Dear Co-workers,
Let me update you on the situation in Louisiana and Mississippi.
First, we are very concerned about the safety and welfare of our
employees who’ve been affected by the hurricane, and we’re reaching
out to them. If you know of any employees who have not yet called the
EAP Hotline, please have them do so. The number is (800) 327-6448. It
is imperative that we contact all employees. Second, we want to do
what we can so that if they are able to return to work, they may.
Third, we want to make it possible for Amtrak employees to help other
employees in need.
Despite great difficulty, we’ve managed to contact about
three-quarters of our 370 New Orleans area employees. Many of them
are facing very tough times right now. A number of them have lost all
they have. We are making plans so that Amtrak employees can donate
money and vacation time to these employees. When this is established,
we will let you know.
As you can imagine, as we had a T&E and OBS crew base there, many
employees have already begun to bid on vacancies and apply for
transfers elsewhere around the system. To help ease the situation, we
are allowing employees doing this to stay at crew hotels free of
charge for the next 30 days. Also, affected Mechanical employees are
being offered positions in Meridian and Jackson right now.
Engineering employees and APD officers based in New Orleans are going
to be needed there as we clean up and secure our facilities.
Last Tuesday, we faced the following conditions, as all the railroads
were hit hard by Katrina: The CSX east of New Orleans was out for
months, at least. The CN was closed south of Hammond and wasn’t going
to reopen for days. The NS suffered extensive damage over Lake
Pontchartrain, and was to be closed for several weeks. The first line
to be opened was the BNSF from Avondale at the east end of the Huey
Long Bridge in New Orleans to Lafayette. This could happen once the
railroad repaired the Bayou Boeuf Bridge, which had been hit by a
runaway barge.
When we knew that the BNSF would be the first line to open, we got in
touch with the federal authorities to let them know that we could
move a trainset from McComb on the CN through Hammond, then across o
the UP to Baton Rouge and on to Avondale in New Orleans (via freight tracks). Knowing this, the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA
asked that we prepare a service shuttling evacuees out of New
Orleans.
Working quickly with the freights, we made up the train and had it
depart Baton Rouge late Friday night for New Orleans. Saturday
morning our train evacuated 97 passengers to Lafayette, where they
then transferred to buses for Texas.
During this time, we worked with Houston Metro Transit to arrange bus
transportation to various Texas destinations and prepared to make
twice-a-day departures from New Orleans to Lafayette, with each train
carrying up to 600 passengers. However, Saturday afternoon we were
asked by the federal authorities to suspend the operation because
Texas was no longer accepting evacuees. Since then, we have told FEMA
and the FRA that we have two trainsets now positioned in Lafayette –
one of Horizon equipment (moved east from Los Angeles) and the other
Superliner (from McComb). This equipment could be used for evacuees,
law enforcement, military, clean-up workers or anyone else as may be
needed. We are standing ready to assist as necessary.
We are going to make every effort to restore regular passenger
service to New Orleans as soon as possible. Right now, the Crescent
is turning at Atlanta. That will be extended to Meridian in less than
a week. The City of New Orleans is running to Memphis and will be
extended to Jackson and Hammond. The Sunset Limited is turning at San
Antonio. We’ll make an assessment of how soon it can go to New
Orleans, but it will be a very long time before it goes east of
there, given the damage to the rail line through Biloxi and Gulfport.
At this time, we know that the station and the shops in New Orleans
sustained a lot of flooding and hurricane damage. The coach shop lost
75 percent of its roof. Fortunately, all of the equipment that could
move (seven locomotives and 20 cars) was dispatched to McComb before
the hurricane struck, except for a single locomotive that’s been
powering the station. (That locomotive has been refueled and
continues to operate.) Today, we had 15 employees from track, B&B and
signal making assessments, preparing lists of needed materials and
beginning the planning of repairs. As soon as we can, we are going to
re-establish service north and west out of New Orleans.
Let me add that the station is being temporarily used by the state
Department of Corrections to hold prisoners, but we are working
closely with the department and their presence won’t impede restoring
our operations. They will be there only temporarily.
Many employees have asked how they can help. We are encouraging
donations to the American Red Cross and other relief organizations.
Donations are more effective than actual supplies right now, as
moving things to New Orleans and the other communities along the Gulf
Coast is very difficult. We are also going to set up some kind of
fund for our own employees that will include vacation time. Finally,
if you are in need of assistance, do not hesitate to call the Hotline
and ask for help – that’s what we are all here for.
Many employees have been working around the clock in the aftermath of
the hurricane and I want to personally thank them for their efforts.
They have again demonstrated this railroad’s competence under some
very trying circumstances. There are simply too many people to
mention in this space who have put in a 110 percent effort, but they
will be recognized at the appropriate time.
I am sure I will have more updates soon.
Sincerely,
/s/ David L. Gunn
Dear Co-workers,
Let me update you on the situation in Louisiana and Mississippi.
First, we are very concerned about the safety and welfare of our
employees who’ve been affected by the hurricane, and we’re reaching
out to them. If you know of any employees who have not yet called the
EAP Hotline, please have them do so. The number is (800) 327-6448. It
is imperative that we contact all employees. Second, we want to do
what we can so that if they are able to return to work, they may.
Third, we want to make it possible for Amtrak employees to help other
employees in need.
Despite great difficulty, we’ve managed to contact about
three-quarters of our 370 New Orleans area employees. Many of them
are facing very tough times right now. A number of them have lost all
they have. We are making plans so that Amtrak employees can donate
money and vacation time to these employees. When this is established,
we will let you know.
As you can imagine, as we had a T&E and OBS crew base there, many
employees have already begun to bid on vacancies and apply for
transfers elsewhere around the system. To help ease the situation, we
are allowing employees doing this to stay at crew hotels free of
charge for the next 30 days. Also, affected Mechanical employees are
being offered positions in Meridian and Jackson right now.
Engineering employees and APD officers based in New Orleans are going
to be needed there as we clean up and secure our facilities.
Last Tuesday, we faced the following conditions, as all the railroads
were hit hard by Katrina: The CSX east of New Orleans was out for
months, at least. The CN was closed south of Hammond and wasn’t going
to reopen for days. The NS suffered extensive damage over Lake
Pontchartrain, and was to be closed for several weeks. The first line
to be opened was the BNSF from Avondale at the east end of the Huey
Long Bridge in New Orleans to Lafayette. This could happen once the
railroad repaired the Bayou Boeuf Bridge, which had been hit by a
runaway barge.
When we knew that the BNSF would be the first line to open, we got in
touch with the federal authorities to let them know that we could
move a trainset from McComb on the CN through Hammond, then across o
the UP to Baton Rouge and on to Avondale in New Orleans (via freight tracks). Knowing this, the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA
asked that we prepare a service shuttling evacuees out of New
Orleans.
Working quickly with the freights, we made up the train and had it
depart Baton Rouge late Friday night for New Orleans. Saturday
morning our train evacuated 97 passengers to Lafayette, where they
then transferred to buses for Texas.
During this time, we worked with Houston Metro Transit to arrange bus
transportation to various Texas destinations and prepared to make
twice-a-day departures from New Orleans to Lafayette, with each train
carrying up to 600 passengers. However, Saturday afternoon we were
asked by the federal authorities to suspend the operation because
Texas was no longer accepting evacuees. Since then, we have told FEMA
and the FRA that we have two trainsets now positioned in Lafayette –
one of Horizon equipment (moved east from Los Angeles) and the other
Superliner (from McComb). This equipment could be used for evacuees,
law enforcement, military, clean-up workers or anyone else as may be
needed. We are standing ready to assist as necessary.
We are going to make every effort to restore regular passenger
service to New Orleans as soon as possible. Right now, the Crescent
is turning at Atlanta. That will be extended to Meridian in less than
a week. The City of New Orleans is running to Memphis and will be
extended to Jackson and Hammond. The Sunset Limited is turning at San
Antonio. We’ll make an assessment of how soon it can go to New
Orleans, but it will be a very long time before it goes east of
there, given the damage to the rail line through Biloxi and Gulfport.
At this time, we know that the station and the shops in New Orleans
sustained a lot of flooding and hurricane damage. The coach shop lost
75 percent of its roof. Fortunately, all of the equipment that could
move (seven locomotives and 20 cars) was dispatched to McComb before
the hurricane struck, except for a single locomotive that’s been
powering the station. (That locomotive has been refueled and
continues to operate.) Today, we had 15 employees from track, B&B and
signal making assessments, preparing lists of needed materials and
beginning the planning of repairs. As soon as we can, we are going to
re-establish service north and west out of New Orleans.
Let me add that the station is being temporarily used by the state
Department of Corrections to hold prisoners, but we are working
closely with the department and their presence won’t impede restoring
our operations. They will be there only temporarily.
Many employees have asked how they can help. We are encouraging
donations to the American Red Cross and other relief organizations.
Donations are more effective than actual supplies right now, as
moving things to New Orleans and the other communities along the Gulf
Coast is very difficult. We are also going to set up some kind of
fund for our own employees that will include vacation time. Finally,
if you are in need of assistance, do not hesitate to call the Hotline
and ask for help – that’s what we are all here for.
Many employees have been working around the clock in the aftermath of
the hurricane and I want to personally thank them for their efforts.
They have again demonstrated this railroad’s competence under some
very trying circumstances. There are simply too many people to
mention in this space who have put in a 110 percent effort, but they
will be recognized at the appropriate time.
I am sure I will have more updates soon.
Sincerely,
/s/ David L. Gunn
jccollins
Conductor
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2002
- Messages
- 1,266
Oops, sorry if my last post made it seem like I was out of tune with what's going on in NOL. I know it will be several weeks before any passenger service is restored to NOUPT; it will be several months before the Sunset Limited pulls into the station again.Allen Dee said:
In my earlier post I was trying to make fun of Greyhound's usual operating facilities by saying they were "ready to go jails", which is what they are being used for in this case. I know Greyhound hasn't been using the station and won't for some time, so I agree that their "jail cells" (bus loading areas) would function well as temporary holding facilities.
