Tx Eagle detour

[wmk]

For background see my previous post. On fri. 10/1 our pastor left chi on the Tx Eagle and was on the detour route.They left cus on time,traveled about 5 minutes then stopped,backed up,then stopped for 1 hr 45min ,t.hey announced they would be taking an alternate route, were waiting for a differnt crew to arrive. He saw 3 crew get off and 3 get on.He called us saying he would probablylate into Houston.I told him no problem as I was watching hi progress on the internet.He said they announced there would be no stops until Stl so no smoke breaks.However they made up time,thruway was only 35 min late to Houston.When I picked him up I told him he was on rare trackmileage on his first trip.To him it was just rough track with much swaying.Much rougher than n.b.on the usual track.I asked if it was rougher than south of StLouis.He said he didnt know as he was asleep.I dont understand why Amtrak would send out a train with out a proper crew onboard.Overall he was a satisfied Amtrak traveler.Even the thruway isnt bad for a bus. Now if we could just get back the houston section of the Tx. Eagle.........

 

[rtabern]

I'm doing the detour next Saturday 10/16/2010 on N/B #422... I'm looking forward to it and hope to do a trip report for the forum and get some pictures.

I purposly picked a date the S/B train would not be detouring (10/15/2010) so that I can get into STL and get a decent night's rest there... I dont want to get in at 10PM or 11PM as it has been getting in. However, if I am late in Chicago on that Saturday night... it doesn't really matter that much as I have nothing really going on.

Should be fun!

 

[the_traveler]

were waiting for a differnt crew to arrive. He saw 3 crew get off and 3 get on....I dont understand why Amtrak would send out a train with out a proper crew onboard.

The reason is that the Amtrak crew was not qualified to operate over that (detour) route.

On railroads, a crew has to be qualified to operate over a certain portion of a route. (Example: Just because a crew normally operates the CZ from CHI to GBB does not mean that they are qualified to operate the CZ from DEN to SLC!) Each portion of the trip has specific details that others do not. (Such as speed reductions.) In fact many Conductors (who in fact are in charge of the train) know where they are without even looking out the window!

Thus, a UP pilot crew must take the TE over the detour route.

 

[rrdude]

were waiting for a differnt crew to arrive. He saw 3 crew get off and 3 get on....I dont understand why Amtrak would send out a train with out a proper crew onboard.

The reason is that the Amtrak crew was not qualified to operate over that (detour) route.

On railroads, a crew has to be qualified to operate over a certain portion of a route. (Example: Just because a crew normally operates the CZ from CHI to GBB does not mean that they are qualified to operate the CZ from DEN to SLC!) Each portion of the trip has specific details that others do not. (Such as speed reductions.) In fact many Conductors (who in fact are in charge of the train) know where they are without even looking out the window!

Thus, a UP pilot crew must take the TE over the detour route.

Dave, that is certainly an accurate description of WHY a different crew is required, but the question I still have is, why did the Amtrak crew callers NOT have this required UP crew "ready to go"? SOMEbody screwed up here.

 

[the_traveler]

Well for 1 thing, for the same reason, The UP crew may not be qualified to operate the TE out of Union Station. And then the train has to get to the UP crew base. And if they did already have the UP crew aboard, it would be like putting 6 people in a 5 seat caw!

 

[wmk]

My understanding of the situation is that the crew was unaware of the detour on that day until stopped by the dispatcher,even though there was a service alert on amtraks website.A qualified crew should have been been called.It seems amtrak has crew qualified on the detour route as they appeared to be dressed as amtrak crew,not just U.P.pilot crew.I realize as amtrak time keeping goes the delay was not significant.The concept of rare mileage was lost on Pastor as this was his first Amtrak trip and was unaware of what a rail fan is.But he is an Amtrak fan now.He loved the train!As he was gone monday to sayurday I asked him if he prepared his sermon on the train and thruway.He said he had not even started on it.However he gave an excellent sermon on sunday. He even brought his kids an amtrak blanket,sold in the cafe in the sightseeer.(Those are great travel blankets).

 

[AlanB]

First, Amtrak crew callers cannot call a UP crew. Only UP can do that.

As for the Amtrak crew, the conductors were all Amtrak crew, hence the Amtrak uniforms. The engineer also would have been Amtrak's. But it is possible that the fireman was UP's and most certainly a pilot who works for UP would have been in the engine.

So to the passengers, the crew would still appear to be Amtrak personel, since indeed they were. The changes were going on in the cab of the locomotive.