Tree down, blocking 6(7) in South Omaha

[RichardWSnow]

I'm on 6(7). we left Omaha at about 6:45am. About 4 miles out, in South Omaha, we stopped and have been stopped now for a bit over an hour. An announcement was made that a tree has fallen across the tracks, and we are awaiting BNSF's arrival to clear it.

 

[Bingozone]

Major fail where is the crew coming from

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Major fail where is the crew coming from

Major fail on whose part? Was someone supposed to know the tree would fall on the track and be there to clear it up instantly?

 

[Bingozone]

Major fail on the trees part LOL

 

[RichardWSnow]

OK. The BNSF crew arrived about 9:10. The tree was removed by about 9:20, and we were moving (slowly) by 9:50. We just pulled into Creston, Iowa, so we're over 5 hours late. I'm connecting to the LSL so will begin sweating making that connection soon.

 

[railiner]

Sounds to me, that it might have been better, to back up the 4 miles to Omaha, and take the UP bridge over to Council Bluffs, and then down to the regular route at Pacific Junction.....the Zephyr used to use that route regularly for a time.....

 

[jis]

Depends on whether there already was a freight or two behind 6 on those 4 miles.

There was one time when a tree fell and blocked the line in front of us on the CZ. Our resourceful Conductor, who for some reason had a chain saw among his bizarre collection of equipment on board, took it out and cut down the tree and cleared the track in the middle of the night, and we were soon on our way. The dispatcher was completely floored when he heard the Conductor say that he had just pulled out his chain saw and was proceeding to remove the tree trunk.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Sounds like a scene from a Movie jis!

They're not making Conductors lime that anymore, now all they have is an I-phone and a Scanner!

I even rode with a new AC on the Eagle that didn't even have a ticket punch! ( you youngsters need to ask your dad or granddad about this one!)

 

[jis]

Sounds like a scene from a Movie jis!

They're not making Conductors lime that anymore, now all they have is an I-phone and a Scanner!

I even rode with a new AC on the Eagle that didn't even have a ticket punch! ( you youngsters need to ask your dad or granddad about this one!)

This happened just last year.

 

[TylerP42]

Wait are you on 6 or 7? I'm on 6 right now. We cleared Omaha this morning.

 

[TylerP42]

My bad, you were on yesterday's zephyr. Explains why it was 5 hrs late

 

[afigg]

Depends on whether there already was a freight or two behind 6 on those 4 miles.

There was one time when a tree fell and blocked the line in front of us on the CZ. Our resourceful Conductor, who for some reason had a chain saw among his bizarre collection of equipment on board, took it out and cut down the tree and cleared the track in the middle of the night, and we were soon on our way. The dispatcher was completely floored when he heard the Conductor say that he had just pulled out his chain saw and was proceeding to remove the tree trunk.

Given the frequency that fallen trees or large branches block the tracks on the LD routes, perhaps having a chain saw on board should be standard support equipment. Of course, this only works for trees that are small enough that the Conductor and the on board crew can cut it and remove it without much difficulty. Large trees would require heavier equipment and a truck to drag the tree trunk off of the tracks.

Since there have been several trains with long delays due to fallen trees in the past several weeks, it would be interesting to find out how many times in the course of a year are Amtrak trains off of the NEC delayed by fallen trees or branches as a specific cause of delays.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Depends on whether there already was a freight or two behind 6 on those 4 miles.

There was one time when a tree fell and blocked the line in front of us on the CZ. Our resourceful Conductor, who for some reason had a chain saw among his bizarre collection of equipment on board, took it out and cut down the tree and cleared the track in the middle of the night, and we were soon on our way. The dispatcher was completely floored when he heard the Conductor say that he had just pulled out his chain saw and was proceeding to remove the tree trunk.

Given the frequency that fallen trees or large branches block the tracks on the LD routes, perhaps having a chain saw on board should be standard support equipment. Of course, this only works for trees that are small enough that the Conductor and the on board crew can cut it and remove it without much difficulty. Large trees would require heavier equipment and a truck to drag the tree trunk off of the tracks.

Since there have been several trains with long delays due to fallen trees in the past several weeks, it would be interesting to find out how many times in the course of a year are Amtrak trains off of the NEC delayed by fallen trees or branches as a specific cause of delays.

It happens quite often....even on the NEC.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

We had a bad storm sometime in July here in DE and when I went to my SEPTA station the next morning I could see they had trimmed back what looked like a fallen tree. I'd say only the branches had encroached one or two tracks of the 3 tracks. It looked like they had did additional trimming along that ROW while they were at it.

 

[Thirdrail7]

We had a bad storm sometime in July here in DE and when I went to my SEPTA station the next morning I could see they had trimmed back what looked like a fallen tree. I'd say only the branches had encroached one or two tracks of the 3 tracks. It looked like they had did additional trimming along that ROW while they were at it.

Remember, Amtrak Blue: It's always the tree that you didn't cut that causes the problem! :help:

 

[AmtrakBlue]

We had a bad storm sometime in July here in DE and when I went to my SEPTA station the next morning I could see they had trimmed back what looked like a fallen tree. I'd say only the branches had encroached one or two tracks of the 3 tracks. It looked like they had did additional trimming along that ROW while they were at it.

Remember, Amtrak Blue: It's always the tree that you didn't cut that causes the problem! :help:

Well, I think this tree did fall down during the storm, but only it's top branches, and maybe the top of the trunk, encroached the tracks. I could see lots of fresh cuts on it from across the way.

 

[Karl1459]

Depends on whether there already was a freight or two behind 6 on those 4 miles.

There was one time when a tree fell and blocked the line in front of us on the CZ. Our resourceful Conductor, who for some reason had a chain saw among his bizarre collection of equipment on board, took it out and cut down the tree and cleared the track in the middle of the night, and we were soon on our way. The dispatcher was completely floored when he heard the Conductor say that he had just pulled out his chain saw and was proceeding to remove the tree trunk.

Given the frequency that fallen trees or large branches block the tracks on the LD routes, perhaps having a chain saw on board should be standard support equipment. Of course, this only works for trees that are small enough that the Conductor and the on board crew can cut it and remove it without much difficulty. Large trees would require heavier equipment and a truck to drag the tree trunk off of the tracks.

Since there have been several trains with long delays due to fallen trees in the past several weeks, it would be interesting to find out how many times in the course of a year are Amtrak trains off of the NEC delayed by fallen trees or branches as a specific cause of delays.

For Amtrak to have chain saws available on for train crew would obligate Amtrak to instruct and certify them in safe and proficent operation of the saw. Cutting brush sized free hanging limbs has a limited amount of risk, inadvertantly cutting a limb or part of the trunk that is supporting or balancing the tree could have dire concenquences if the tree shifted and squished someone. Consider the working conditions are ususally not going to be the best (think "It was a dark and stormy night...").

Kudos to the compentent (chain saw operater) conductor who brought his expertese and equipment, and to Amtrak for allowing him to do so.