UP Derailment on Sunset Ltd. Route.

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Holy Crap! That is one heck of a long Busititution! Tucson to/from San Antonio!.

Here's what @AmtrakAlerts on Twitter has to say about it:

Sunset Limited/ Texas eagle Train 1/421 which departed New Orleans (NOL)/ Chicago (CHI) on 5/24 and 5/23 will hold in San Antonio (SAS). Transportation will be provided between SAS and Tucson (TUS). Tain 1/421 will operate as normally scheduled between TUS and Los Angeles (LAX).

Sunset Limited/ Texas Eagle Train 2/422 which departed Los Angeles (LAX) on 5/23 will hold at Tucson (TUS). Transportation will be provided for drop-offs only between TUS and San Antonio (SAS). Train 2/422 will then operate as normally scheduled at SAS. Delays expected.
 
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#1 is showing disruption, is continuing to San Antonio?
Usually what is posted on @AmtrakAlerts is correct, so it is reasonable to believe that #1 is proceeding to San Antonio as stated., unless of course another message superseding that is posted.
 
So for those who know railroad ops, the SL consist will be in Tucson for the next two days, will they leave the locomotives running or turn them off. Yes, diesel engines sip fuel when idling, but its still fuel.
 
So for those who know railroad ops, the SL consist will be in Tucson for the next two days, will they leave the locomotives running or turn them off. Yes, diesel engines sip fuel when idling, but its still fuel.
I suppose at least one will stay on to provide HEP since I don't think there is a siding with Shore Power connection in Tucson. After all you would not want all the food in the Diner and Cafe to spoil due to absence of refrigeration. If there is Shore Power connection then they can turn the engines off and get connected to Shore Power.
 
Backed the SL consist a couple of miles to a siding, north side of Tucson. So I guess they will shut the engines down once they get to the siding. UP did not want it sitting on one of the two main tracks. Imagine its going to be hopping when the derailment is cleared and the backlog starts through.
 
Backed the SL consist a couple of miles to a siding, north side of Tucson. So I guess they will shut the engines down once they get to the siding. UP did not want it sitting on one of the two main tracks. Imagine its going to be hopping when the derailment is cleared and the backlog starts through.
What makes you so sure that they will shut the engine down?
 
50 cars involved, alot of Samsung TVs will not be making it to Best Buy. Since UP uses DPUs on most of their intermodal (who isn't now thanks to Precision Railroading), I am curious to know where the train derailed in relationship to the DPU units.
 
What makes you so sure that they will shut the engine down?

Parked in a remote stretch next to populated area, with minimum lighting and engine running. What can go wrong?......................................Forgot, the engineer has the key fob.........I kid, I kid.
 
Parked in a remote stretch next to populated area, with minimum lighting and engine running. What can go wrong?......................................Forgot, the engineer has the key fob.........I kid, I kid.
They do need to keep the HEP on unless they are going to off load the food and store it somewhere else, or there would be no food service on the ride back to LAX. Amtrak does not have a Commissary at Tucson. I doubt that it will be left entirely unattended to avoid many things that could go wrong in a remote stretch.
 
They couldn't bring 1/421 to El Paso? I hope they charter those deluxe Mexican buses for the bustitution.
No because 1 is supposed to arrive there tomorrow while 2 is supposed to get there today (should've been there already). Unless you want to keep them in El Paso for a night
 
They do need to keep the HEP on unless they are going to off load the food and store it somewhere else, or there would be no food service on the ride back to LAX. Amtrak does not have a Commissary at Tucson. I doubt that it will be left entirely unattended to avoid many things that could go wrong in a remote stretch.

Took the video just an hour ago.
Lead engine is off while the other one is on.
View attachment sl.m4v
 
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It varies. Most times the crew will change equipment with the passengers. On occasional situations the crew will be kept with the equipment with one crew getting back early and one crew getting home days late .....
 
They do need to keep the HEP on unless they are going to off load the food and store it somewhere else, or there would be no food service on the ride back to LAX.
Can you spoil garbage? I thought a few days in the hot sun would improve flex meals.

No food service? You mean they might have to order in some fresh food? Might be the best thing Amtrak has ever done - especially to customers they are just busing instead and who would have to be complaining to get compensation instead of just having it be provided immediately and without question.
 
Can you spoil garbage? I thought a few days in the hot sun would improve flex meals.

No food service? You mean they might have to order in some fresh food? Might be the best thing Amtrak has ever done - especially to customers they are just busing instead and who would have to be complaining to get compensation instead of just having it be provided immediately and without question.
I was mostly thinking of the food in the Cafe, which presumably is at least one notch above garbage. Or that is the impression I get from this cheerful little group of merry men and women here 🤪
 
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Tomorrow's Sunset/Eagle is cancelled.

1622004515584.png

Edit: Guess it's not related to the derailment as the Sunset is still running (and pretty full too...)
1622004615284.png
 
Is there a reason to keep an engine running aside from keeping some food cold.? It doesn't strike me as cost effective but maybe it is.

If it is not cost effective then the food should be donated to a local food pantry and new food can be purchased when the line opens provided they get authority from Washington, DC to do so. I have been to Tucson and they have a lot of supermarkets there. Should be no shortage of food.

Anyone who has to endure a Tucson - San Antonio bus ride should be given a full refund (but of course Amtrak is a transportation company and has provided transportation so we can't do that.)
 
... and new food can be purchased...
In order to purchase new food, you would have to have old food and that doesn't exist now on Amtrak. To replace what the train had would require the kind of "food" not often bought at supermarkets at least in my experience. When I go with my wife to buy food, I don't see the kind of stuff Amtrak serves. I've even looked where the garbage bags are and once asked a clerk where the garbage is sold. She gave me a weird look. Must be hidden somewhere in frozen food behind the frozen Cheetos and frozen non-dairy fake ice cream. Anyway, Amtrak OBSes would have to learn to cook something. Perhaps they could buy the lunches and dinners at the local convenience store where, I've heard, they have lots of that kind of stuff.

On the other hand, the supermarkets do, indeed, carry cafe food - in their huge snack departments which take up half the store.
 
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