Questions re: “Service Disruptions” on Long Distance Trains

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Eric in East County

Eric in East County

OBS Chief
AU Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2016
Messages
963
Location
East San Diego County
We have some questions as to what passengers on long-distance trains can expect when their train is delayed 7-9 hours or more due to “service disruptions.” An earlier thread answered our questions re: “guaranteed connections,” but we have some additional questions. It is our understanding that a long-distance train’s dining car is stocked at its point of departure and is not replenished while inroute. If that train is delayed 7-9 hours, obviously some additional meals will have to be served. In this situation, what can sleeping car passengers expect to be served? (Someone mentioned that canned stew is kept on hand.) What happens if the sleepers run out of water and only air comes out of the sink taps? In cases of major service disruptions such as those caused by a landslide or a catastrophic derailment further up line, at what point does Amtrak bring in buses and connecting trains to move passengers around whatever is causing the service disruption? Any and all information will be appreciated.

Eric & Pat
 
I was on a Zephyr which was 6 or 7 hours late a few years ago. At dinner, both sleeper passengers and coach passengers were invited to the dining car to have the stew and the cafe attendant distributed some free snacks to passengers. The crew did the best they could to keep the passengers fed and comfortable. However it is always wise to carry a supply of your own snacks such as granola bars, etc. on your trip so you can take care of yourself.

As far as water, it can be added at various points on route as long as someone notices that the water is low. I was on the Texas Eagle sleeper on the Sunset once when the sleeper had not been properly watered before departing LA. The car ran out of water somewhere in Arizona. I don't think the woman taking a shower at the time was real happy. Of course the toilets in that car didn't work at that point either. It was not a problem for me as I merely used a restroom in the next sleeper. Once we reached El Paso the car took on water and all was well.
 
I was once on a 10-hour late Capitol Limited (delayed by weather) going eastbound. They served breakfast as usual, and then a limited lunch menu to sleeping car passengers. Then for dinner it was Amstew in the dining car for everybody (no charge for coach passengers, included in the fare for sleeping car passengers.)

I was once on a Northeast Regional that was 8 hours late into New York because someone (with the initials "NJT") pulled down come catenary. By about midnight, they started giving way stuff from the cafe car for free.

On the other hand, I was once on the Carolinian that got to be 6 hours late because a thunderstorm knocked a tree down on the tracks in northern Virginia, and we got nothing, nada, zip, zilch.
 
I was on a 9 hour late Starlight going northbound due to a trespasser incident which then caused us to miss our time slot. We ended up staying in Klamath falls for four hours waiting for track work to finish, we were already four hours late.

Lunch was served as usual and a limited dinner selection was offered. We arrived in Seattle at about 4:30 AM so there was no breakfast.

Amtrak actually was intending to put us on a bus at Portland and bus us to Seattle. They emailed passengers (I Believe guest rewards members) and the OBS staff had no idea. My SCA found out from the people in the roomette next to us! That didn't end up happening, not sure why.

More recently I was on a TE which was five hours late into Little Rock (we ended up making up time later on). Service was normal, we did not run out of anything or water.
 
Years ago I was on the Sunset Limited traveling between New Orleans and Florida. There was an issue with the diner kitchen that eliminated all meals in the diner. At one of the station stops KFC was delivered to the train.
 
It honestly depends on the train and where you are. For starters you can resupply water in many points and any good OBS person knows you always take water when the opportunity is presented as you never know when you will be able to add water again thanks to service disruptions. I always top off before leaving a station.

On the Silver Service I believe these are the stations you can take water. Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Savannah, Florence, Richmond, Washington, and New York Sunnyside. There is no real excuse to run out of water on those trains.

A lot of your longer stops have hoses and facilities to water a car.

Now as far as food you could get AmStew or you could get something catered to the train. One time when I worked at Publix I was filling in downtown and we took an order to meet a late Silver Star of Sandwiches and Fried Chicken.

Usually I think the go to is KFC but I've heard of other places as well, and pizza too.

Now longer service disruptions offer plenty of opportunities to try good local resturants. If they give you a realistic time you are departing you could always leave and get something better, or arrange for delivery.
 
Canned Dinty Moore Stew over rice is the typical Amtrak emergency ration for catastrophically late long distance trains, typically 8 hours and more late. It's usually served to all passengers who want it for free. The service is usually pretty regimented.

I've eaten the stew many times, particularly on the Empire Builder.

I think of it as kind of a rite of passage.
 
Eric in East County said:
The trains we're particularly concerned about Southwest Chief Numbers 3 and 4 which recently had some late arrivals.

E & P
Click to expand...
All diners (well, the Superliners anyway) used to carry emergency canned stew rations onboard at all times, at least before COVID and flex. If the dining car is functional, that is likely what you'll get if the train is catastrophically late.

Having eaten the stew, yet still riding, is the mark of the true Amtrak long distance veteran
 
And I had the stew once and it was fine. And better than the C-rations our Army train carried.

I was on the Coast Starlight when it was annulled at Klamath Falls due to freight trouble in the mountains. We were bused to Eugene and then given our choice of being bused to Willamette Valley points or waiting for the evening Talgo for all points up to Seattle. Those of us who waited were given vouchers for a good meal at a nearby bar and sandwich place (which probably cost Amtrak less than charter buses all the way to Seattle). I checked with my brother who knows Eugene eating places and he confirmed that it was a good choice.
 
By the way, today there are/were two Westbound Chief's at Albuquerque. I believe there are/were also two Eastbound Chief's sitting somewhere West of the derailment waiting for it to reopen.
 
I see that the two westbound chiefs have been combined and are heading west. Not sure where they were combined but they arrived at Flagstatt and 5:16 a.m. and departed at 5:45. Four locomotives. Two baggage cars and two private cars on the rear (one was the dome Stampede Pass).

It would be interesting if someone could post the consist of this train.

The last that I heard, the two eastbound Chiefs are about 4 or 5 hours apart and there were no plans to combine them but corrections would be welcome.
 
Cal said:
By the way, today there are/were two Westbound Chief's at Albuquerque. I believe there are/were also two Eastbound Chief's sitting somewhere West of the derailment waiting for it to reopen.
Click to expand...
Looks like another cut back. Sometime ago while heading east on #4, there was a freight wreck in the same area. At Williams Jct, they put us on a bus for Albuquerque and turned the train around as #3. At Albuquerque they turned #3 around and put us on it. Meanwhile, they did the same with westbound passengers. We were several hours late, but not a whole day late.
 
I've had the stew and the KFC. Wish I had a picture of a pickup truck with 300 boxes of KFC meeting the train at Flagstaff AZ. The train crew walked down the aisle tossing boxes and canned sodas. No choice and no discussion.

If you time it right and have cell coverage you can get a pizza delivered, but be prepared for jealous stares. I usually ate it in the sightseer car so as not to conflict with the KFC smell in the coaches.
 
Eric in East County said:
We have some questions as to what passengers on long-distance trains can expect when their train is delayed 7-9 hours or more due to “service disruptions.” An earlier thread answered our questions re: “guaranteed connections,” but we have some additional questions. It is our understanding that a long-distance train’s dining car is stocked at its point of departure and is not replenished while inroute. If that train is delayed 7-9 hours, obviously some additional meals will have to be served. In this situation, what can sleeping car passengers expect to be served? (Someone mentioned that canned stew is kept on hand.) What happens if the sleepers run out of water and only air comes out of the sink taps? In cases of major service disruptions such as those caused by a landslide or a catastrophic derailment further up line, at what point does Amtrak bring in buses and connecting trains to move passengers around whatever is causing the service disruption? Any and all information will be appreciated.

Eric & Pat
Click to expand...
wow reading the other responses, I feel i have missed something as I have never been offered the famous stew. I have taken long trips on Amtrak for close to 15 years. I own a tour company and up until recently, I have taken a group of 30-40 people on a long trip from Mid Iowa to California and return from Seattle or Portland to MSP. Every trip has a story! One trip, there had been a mud slide in Oregon, and the tracks were closed. they never send out a message or notice, so until we got to the station, we had no idea. The passengers in the train from the day before, had spent a whole day waiting and they were quite upset. They finally bused all of us to a station down the way. We had wonderful box dinners and arrived about 10pm via bus. there was pizza waiting for us. we waited about 2 hours and then they bused us again. And again there was pizza waiting for us. It was about 3AM before we got into our train. My group was quite tired, but well fed. Another trip, the train was very late in picking us up, we were told that the dining car was replaced at the last minute. Well it was a bad deal and the kitchen didn't have water, so no salads...just lots of no-s. That trip, we ended up with having hamburgers almost morning noon and night. Most of the 30 train rides ended up with our being late. At first, we were always given a meal when it was a meal time. the last meal sometimes was a first come as they ran out of entrees...we made light of it and had fun. It seemed they never ran out of dessert! then the last two years we went ( not in 2020) they said we had to be 5 hours late for them to prepare and supply a meal. That was kind of harsh, but for some reason, we were never over 4 hours late again....
 
Rasputin said:
I see that the two westbound chiefs have been combined and are heading west. Not sure where they were combined but they arrived at Flagstatt and 5:16 a.m. and departed at 5:45. Four locomotives. Two baggage cars and two private cars on the rear (one was the dome Stampede Pass).

It would be interesting if someone could post the consist of this train.

The last that I heard, the two eastbound Chiefs are about 4 or 5 hours apart and there were no plans to combine them but corrections would be welcome.
Click to expand...
They were combined at Albuquerque. The first Eastbound Chief actually has two Chief's combined I believe, can't be sure. One that left LA the day before yesterday, and another that left the day before that.

Go to 5:15 AM on this video to see the mega consist of #3.
 
Eric in East County said:
The trains we're particularly concerned about Southwest Chief Numbers 3 and 4 which recently had some late arrivals.

E & P
Click to expand...
Yeah, due to a derailment in NM, SWC 3 was held in Albuquerque. If it was held at the station, there are a number of decent to good restaurants within walking distance, but I don't know what they actually did with regard to meals. Apparently, 2 SWC 3s arrived in LA at the same time yesterday or the day before.
 
Barb Stout said:
Yeah, due to a derailment in NM, SWC 3 was held in Albuquerque. If it was held at the station, there are a number of decent to good restaurants within walking distance, but I don't know what they actually did with regard to meals. Apparently, 2 SWC 3s arrived in LA at the same time yesterday or the day before.
Click to expand...
Two SWC 3's are arriving into LA this evening. Yesterdays and the days before that.
 
me_little_me said:
I'm insultipated by that remark. My wife and I used to BUY Dinty Moore for dinner years ago (like 40+).
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It wasn't supposed a knock on the stew, which is okay if a bit salty.

It is you only get the served the free stew on Amtrak when your train is catastrophically late. It is a marker for having been on super (8+hour) late trains and are still riding Amtrak.
 

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