Northwest mudslide season begins

[Big Green Chauvanist]

Washington State should give serious consideration to finding a new route from Seattle to Everett. (There was actually a mudslide-free route in the 1900s, but crucial parts of it have been converted into the "Burke-Gilman Trail".)

That's wishful thinking. It will never happen. No room for any more tracks and no funding--it would cost multiple billions. Everything is built up between Seattle and Everett--the land is all taken. The only hope is to somehow get a handle on the slides on the already double-tracked water route. Short of that, these issues will continue indefinitely.

 

[fairviewroad]

Amtrak Cascades twitter feed says service between SEA and Everett will be restored "at 9:41 a.m.". Very precise of them.

That means this morning's southbound 513 from VAC should make it through w/o problem since it doesn't pass through

that area until around 10:30. (It left VAC on time this morning).

The northbound 510 is listed as a Service Disruption. Presumably if the equipment is in SEA they could still run the train

with a 90-minute delay. Not sure what they have planned. If they don't run it up to VAC then this evening's s/b train from

VAC would probably be canceled.

The 9:41 a.m. opening also means this morning's inbound Empire Builder should make it through with no more than

a slight delay.

 

[CHamilton]

That's good news. I've been hearing train horns for the last couple of hours, so the freights are already running. (I generally only hear the horns when it's raining, since I live across town from the tracks. Yes, for you folks who aren't in Seattle -- it's raining again.)

 

[CHamilton]

The northbound 510 is listed as a Service Disruption. Presumably if the equipment is in SEA they could still run the train

with a 90-minute delay

The latest tweet has good news and bad news.

Amtrak Cascades ‏@Amtrak_Cascades

Cascades service 510 to Vancouver now 38 mins late departing in Stanwood - will be delayed further due to mechanical problem.

 

[fairviewroad]

The northbound 510 is listed as a Service Disruption. Presumably if the equipment is in SEA they could still run the train

with a 90-minute delay

The latest tweet has good news and bad news.

Amtrak Cascades ‏@Amtrak_Cascades

Cascades service 510 to Vancouver now 38 mins late departing in Stanwood - will be delayed further due to mechanical problem.

Looks like 510 is being annulled in Bellingham with a bus to VAC, and this evening's 517 VAC-SEA is being replaced by buses. But mudslides

aren't the culprit this time...it's a mechanical problem. Rough week for the northern end of the Cascades line. Fortunately most of the service

from SEA-south this week seems to have run OK, except for some weather delays on Monday.

The overnight non-stop "red-eye" from SEA-to-PDX on Wednesday night departed SEA on time and arrived into PDX 37 minutes early at 3:37 A.M.

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

The northbound 510 is listed as a Service Disruption. Presumably if the equipment is in SEA they could still run the train

with a 90-minute delay

The latest tweet has good news and bad news.

Amtrak Cascades ‏@Amtrak_Cascades

Cascades service 510 to Vancouver now 38 mins late departing in Stanwood - will be delayed further due to mechanical problem.

Looks like 510 is being annulled in Bellingham with a bus to VAC, and this evening's 517 VAC-SEA is being replaced by buses. But mudslides

aren't the culprit this time...it's a mechanical problem. Rough week for the northern end of the Cascades line. Fortunately most of the service

from SEA-south this week seems to have run OK, except for some weather delays on Monday.

The overnight non-stop "red-eye" from SEA-to-PDX on Wednesday night departed SEA on time and arrived into PDX 37 minutes early at 3:37 A.M.

I wonder what train set they are using? The Mt. Hood was having break issues yesterday, apparently the brake on the bistro was sticking and you could smell burning break pad. We stopped for about 10 minutes outside of Tukwila and they seemed to have fixed it.

 

[CHamilton]

Mudslide cancels Sounder service again

EVERETT -- Another mudslide cancelled Sounder train service scheduled for Friday between Everett and Seattle.

Barring more slides, transit officials expect regular Northline Sounder service to resume Monday.

This was published today at 11:27 am, but it's unclear whether it refers to another new slide, or if it's just reiterating old news.

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

Mudslide cancels Sounder service again

EVERETT -- Another mudslide cancelled Sounder train service scheduled for Friday between Everett and Seattle.

Barring more slides, transit officials expect regular Northline Sounder service to resume Monday.

This was published today at 11:27 am, but it's unclear whether it refers to another new slide, or if it's just reiterating old news.

Nothing from the Amtrak Cascades Twitter, Sound Transit website states the cancellation is due a slide Wednesday morning. The status map also doesn't show 516 as a service disruption which it usually does if it will be truncated in Seattle. The Empire Builder also departed Seattle on time this evening as well.

 

[EB_OBS]

As of right now, the moratorium, between Seattle and Everett, WA, is extended 'til 6:40PM PT, 25 Nov.

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

As of right now, the moratorium, between Seattle and Everett, WA, is extended 'til 6:40PM PT, 25 Nov.

Well that didn't take long. The forecast shows the rain tapering off, hopefully I'll get lucky and not get stuck on a bus Monday evening. Today's 516 just barely made it through tonight.

 

[CHamilton]

And...

Amtrak Cascades ‏@Amtrak_Cascades

Train 502 canceled due to engine problem. Passengers transferred to replacement bus.

There seem to have been a lot of engine problems recently.

 

[Blackwolf]

Oy, no kidding. California has been doing an extensive rebuild program with their F59's over the past year or so. It sounds like Oregon and Washington need to do the same with theirs too.

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

Interesting looks like they are doing a bus bridge between Seattle and Everette instead.

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

Interesting looks like a bus bridge for 516/513 today but a complete bustitute for 510/517.

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

Per the Cascades twitter

Amtrak Cascades ‏@Amtrak_Cascades

Amtrak Cascades trains operating normally, with no significant delays.

 

[CHamilton]

Oh, good grief. No rain today, but we get this.

Amtrak Cascades ‏@Amtrak_Cascades

Train 510, Seattle to Vancouver, BC is cancelled due to equipment problems. Alternate transportation will be provided.

 

[Blackwolf]

Oh, good grief. No rain today, but we get this.

Amtrak Cascades ‏@Amtrak_Cascades

Train 510, Seattle to Vancouver, BC is cancelled due to equipment problems. Alternate transportation will be provided.

Any idea if the "equipment problems" are due to locomotive or trainset issues? Third such trouble in a week, isn't it?

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

Oh, good grief. No rain today, but we get this.

Amtrak Cascades ‏@Amtrak_Cascades

Train 510, Seattle to Vancouver, BC is cancelled due to equipment problems. Alternate transportation will be provided.

Any idea if the "equipment problems" are due to locomotive or trainset issues? Third such trouble in a week, isn't it?

When I was the Mt.Hood trainset last week they were having brake problems. I think they said the brake on the bistro was sticking.

 

[CHamilton]

Sigh. At this rate, it will be newsworthy if they manage to run a train, although this is just the return trip of this morning's cancelled 510.

Amtrak Cascades ‏@Amtrak_Cascades

Train 517, Vancouver, BC to Seattle is cancelled. Alternate transportation will be provided.

 

[CHamilton]

This is really getting tiresome.

Amtrak Cascades ‏@Amtrak_Cascades

Train 513 equipment related disruption between Vancouver, BC & Seattle continues. Repairs underway.

 

[Blackwolf]

Out of curiosity, how much water is being forecast to fall from the sky in the PNW this week? Just wondering how many more slides are possible, considering that the string of storms coming in are causing Northern California to freak out. As much as 20 inches of rain forecast in the Feather River Canyon between today (Wednesday) and Sunday!

 

[CHamilton]

Out of curiosity, how much water is being forecast to fall from the sky in the PNW this week?

We're going to get rain, but it sounds like the major storms will be further south.

Series of Strong Storms Will Bring Prolonged Period of Rain to Parts of West Coast
Parts of the West Coast will experience a very prolonged wet period beginning on Wednesday, as a series of strong storms bring rain and mountain snow to the region, particularly northern California and southern Oregon, through the weekend. Rainfall amounts of 6-12 inches are forecast, along with wind gusts as high as 70 mph along the coast. Flooding is possible across the region.

 

[CHamilton]

Okay, finally some good news.

Amtrak Cascades ‏@Amtrak_CascadesTrain 513 service Vancouver, BC to Seattle restored after equipment problem. Train departed Vancouver 1hr, 48minutes late.

 

[winterskigirl]

Here's an article from the Everett Herald on the BNSF mudslide zone. No easy fix. Cost's $$$

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20121128/NEWS01/711289932#Mudslides-blocking-trains

 

[Jacob Goes By Jack]

@Blackwolf - I'm taking the southbound Coast Starlight from Seattle to the East Bay on Saturday night which will put me right in the thick of one of the storms in far northern CA... do mudslides cause disruptions in the mountainous parts of that route during rains like this? What do you think is the chance it'll be canceled and I'll be bussed from somewhere?