Surfliner runs out of gas

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sportbiker said:
Well, it's certainly embarrassing to run out gas in one's car, but when it's a train that runs out of fuel, that's really bad!
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Good thing the Surfliner wasn't a Boeing 787 Dreamliner!

787_prem_topshot_375.jpg
 
This isn't the first time this has happened. I seem to recall another instance about 4 or 5 years ago where a California sponsored Amtrak train ran out of gas while on the road.
 
I'd be curious to find out if this was screw-up or a miscalculation.
 
gswager said:
AlanB said:
This isn't the first time this has happened. I seem to recall another instance about 4 or 5 years ago where a California sponsored Amtrak train ran out of gas while on the road.
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Really? What kind of engine that locomotive runs? I thought it was turboliner, but it runs on kerosone.
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No turboliners here. Diesel-electric, and likely low-sulfur fuel.
 
My guess is that in an effort to conserve fuel, they load them with only enough for the journey. Or something like that. Or someone was off the ball
 
sky12065 said:
sportbiker said:
Well, it's certainly embarrassing to run out gas in one's car, but when it's a train that runs out of fuel, that's really bad!
Click to expand...
Good thing the Surfliner wasn't a Boeing 787 Dreamliner!

787_prem_topshot_375.jpg
Click to expand...
*I* have seen that plane with mine own eyes! :D (I did a weekend trip to SEA a couple weeks ago for a FlyerTalk gathering called Sea-Doo, and a few of us went up to Everett and toured the Boeing factory...saw four Dreamliners in the last bay, all lined up and looking good!

Anyway, back on topic, as I posted over on FT, I think the engineer was hoping they could make it despite the dinging and the persistent little yellow gas-pump-shaped light on the dashboard. "Too many important time-sensitive commuters on this train to stop for gas," he was probably thinking.
 
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Rumor on the streets is that the engineer and another person checked the inside and outside gauges in one city. They thought it needed fuel. The foreman disagreed and said it had enough. They took his word, figuring he must have seen some they didn't.
 
Used to fuel airline flights in LNK and couldn't believe the amount of flights that had "inoperating fuel gauges". Had to pull down dripsticks out of the wings to figure out how much fuel was onboard and how much fuel I needed to put on. They may have had an inoperating fuel gauge.
 
When I learned to fly, one thing that my flight instructor taught me was that a fuel gauge was only accurate when it was full or empty.

I doubt that topping off the diesel every chance you get would add so much weight to make a noticable difference in operating costs. Perhaps they were checking gasbuddy.com and figured they could save 3-cents a gallon at the service station 100 miles away...
 
WhoozOn1st said:
gswager said:
AlanB said:
This isn't the first time this has happened. I seem to recall another instance about 4 or 5 years ago where a California sponsored Amtrak train ran out of gas while on the road.
Click to expand...
Really? What kind of engine that locomotive runs? I thought it was turboliner, but it runs on kerosone.
Click to expand...
No turboliners here. Diesel-electric, and likely low-sulfur fuel.
Click to expand...
It was joking. Alan was typing, "... ran out of gas...", so I asked him about gas engine.
 
gswager said:
WhoozOn1st said:
gswager said:
AlanB said:
This isn't the first time this has happened. I seem to recall another instance about 4 or 5 years ago where a California sponsored Amtrak train ran out of gas while on the road.
Click to expand...
Really? What kind of engine that locomotive runs? I thought it was turboliner, but it runs on kerosone.
Click to expand...
No turboliners here. Diesel-electric, and likely low-sulfur fuel.
Click to expand...
It was joking. Alan was typing, "... ran out of gas...", so I asked him about gas engine.
Click to expand...
And I was just playing off of the title of this thread. :)
 
AlanB said:
gswager said:
WhoozOn1st said:
gswager said:
AlanB said:
This isn't the first time this has happened. I seem to recall another instance about 4 or 5 years ago where a California sponsored Amtrak train ran out of gas while on the road.
Click to expand...
Really? What kind of engine that locomotive runs? I thought it was turboliner, but it runs on kerosone.
Click to expand...
No turboliners here. Diesel-electric, and likely low-sulfur fuel.
Click to expand...
It was joking. Alan was typing, "... ran out of gas...", so I asked him about gas engine.
Click to expand...
And I was just playing off of the title of this thread. :)
Click to expand...
I was just thinking! (snif-snif) I'm tentatively planning on taking another cross country trip next year and wonder if I should plan on bringing a 5 gallon can of fuel with me? Maybe everybody aughta do the same... you know... just in case! I'd consider a larger can, but with luggage and all! :wacko:
 
sky12065 said:
I was just thinking! (snif-snif) I'm tentatively planning on taking another cross country trip next year and wonder if I should plan on bringing a 5 gallon can of fuel with me? Maybe everybody aughta do the same... you know... just in case! I'd consider a larger can, but with luggage and all! :wacko:
Click to expand...
Maybe Amtrak needs to start taking up a collection among passengers to fill up the tank! (Not a "fuel surcharge" {the airlines can have that :rolleyes: } - just a "pay what you want"! Kind of like a lottery - "Do you want to get there?") :p
 
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