Weather/LSL

[amtrakwolverine]

heres a link to amtraks sight about the storm disruptions

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServe...d=1179773667632

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

An article on the storm in the NE:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081213/ap_on_re_us/ice_storm

 

[battalion51]

If the bustitution wasn't acceptable, Amtrak would likely allow someone to take a Regional to NYC and then take the LSL from there. It's also plausible this is what they're doing with the 448 folks. If the railroads are impassable I doubt the Mass Pike is doing much better...

 

[amtrakwolverine]

deleted

 

[the_traveler]

If the bustitution wasn't acceptable, Amtrak would likely allow someone to take a Regional to NYC and then take the LSL from there. It's also plausible this is what they're doing with the 448 folks. If the railroads are impassable I doubt the Mass Pike is doing much better...

Maybe, or maybe not. But the big difference is that on the railroad, there are signals that need power. Most of the Mass Pike does not have any traffic lights that need power. And if any trees were down, the Mass Pike has at least 4 lanes (including both ways) plus 2 shoulders (each way) that traffic could drive on. The railroad has either 1 or 2 tracks, and no shoulder to go on!

 

[battalion51]

Well you forget about the computers that are needed to make the Mass Pike run to create tickets for tolls and to operate E-Z Pass/Citizens Bank Fast Lane. Things would still be a mess without electricity on the Mass Pike.

 

[the_traveler]

Well you forget about the computers that are needed to make the Mass Pike run to create tickets for tolls and to operate E-Z Pass/Citizens Bank Fast Lane. Things would still be a mess without electricity on the Mass Pike.

True, but if the power is lost just at Exit 3 or 8 or whatever, they could just block off that exit. But if the power was out in (say) the Palmer area, CSX would likely shut down the whole line from (say) Springfield to Worcester!

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Well you forget about the computers that are needed to make the Mass Pike run to create tickets for tolls and to operate E-Z Pass/Citizens Bank Fast Lane. Things would still be a mess without electricity on the Mass Pike.

True, but if the power is lost just at Exit 3 or 8 or whatever, they could just block off that exit. But if the power was out in (say) the Palmer area, CSX would likely shut down the whole line from (say) Springfield to Worcester!

They could also decide to skip collecting the tolls during the power outage, and let people use the road anyway. (I'm not sure what their operating procedure actually is. And the tolls west of 128 may be going away RSN anyway.)

There's also the question of whether any of this infrastructure has multiple power feeds available. Many of the MBTA stations have a mix of lighting powered by normal utility power, and lighting powered by the 600 VDC system that feeds the third rail, and at least on the Red Line, I believe the MBTA has the ability to run the 600 VDC system independently of the utility grid if they need to.

 

[jis]

Well you forget about the computers that are needed to make the Mass Pike run to create tickets for tolls and to operate E-Z Pass/Citizens Bank Fast Lane. Things would still be a mess without electricity on the Mass Pike.

However, being unable to collect tools for a short period is not a good reason to shut down the highway, if it is otherwise in passable condition. At least in the New York - New Jersey area they would tend to keep the highway open and operable and just not collect tools for that period.

 

[the_traveler]

However, being unable to collect tools for a short period is not a good reason to shut down the highway, if it is otherwise in passable condition. At least in the New York - New Jersey area they would tend to keep the highway open and operable and just not collect tools for that period.

You mean I could pay on the NJ Turnpike with hammers and screwdrivers? :huh: And to think for all these years I've always paid with quarters and dollars for my TOLLS! :lol:

 

[GG-1]

However, being unable to collect tools for a short period is not a good reason to shut down the highway, if it is otherwise in passable condition. At least in the New York - New Jersey area they would tend to keep the highway open and operable and just not collect tools for that period.

You mean I could pay on the NJ Turnpike with hammers and screwdrivers? :huh: And to think for all these years I've always paid with quarters and dollars for my TOLLS! :lol:

Have you priced Hammers and Screwdrivers lately, Those 5 dollar tolls are cheaper :lol:

 

[the_traveler]

However, being unable to collect tools for a short period is not a good reason to shut down the highway, if it is otherwise in passable condition. At least in the New York - New Jersey area they would tend to keep the highway open and operable and just not collect tools for that period.

You mean I could pay on the NJ Turnpike with hammers and screwdrivers? :huh: And to think for all these years I've always paid with quarters and dollars for my TOLLS! :lol:

Have you priced Hammers and Screwdrivers lately, Those 5 dollar tolls are cheaper :lol:

Maybe they need those tools to repair the highways! :lol: (Maybe the Government wouldn't have to buy as many $500 hammers or $700 pliers! Maybe I'll just throw in a few nuts and bolts next time thru! :lol: )

 

[sky12065]

I hope anyone traveling through the storm area via Amtrak or otherwise made out allright!

Being that I'm just about 18 miles from the ALB train station, I'm glad that I can now read what's going on in this topic. I've been without Cable TV, Phone or Internet Service since Thursday evening evening because of the storm and going bonkers because of it.

Our services were restored at about 3:10 this afternoon! I also have more branches down on my property that I've ever had in my 27 years at this location. Can't wait to see how much the cleanup is going to cost me!

The ironic part is that I thankfully had electricity the entire time; go figure! Anyway, I at least had heat and was able to watch the toast brown!

 

[sky12065]

Maybe they need those tools to repair the highways! :lol: (Maybe the Government wouldn't have to buy as many $500 hammers or $700 pliers! Maybe I'll just throw in a few nuts and bolts next time thru! :lol: )

Mr. Traveler.... you exagerate!!! I doubt that any of the hammers or pliers cost a penny over $479! :blink:

 

[GG-1]

Maybe they need those tools to repair the highways! :lol: (Maybe the Government wouldn't have to buy as many $500 hammers or $700 pliers! Maybe I'll just throw in a few nuts and bolts next time thru! :lol: )

Mr. Traveler.... you exagerate!!! I doubt that any of the hammers or pliers cost a penny over $479! :blink:

But don't forget the delivery fuel charges :lol: We missed you Sky

Aloha

 

[AlanB]

We missed you Sky

Yes, glad to hear that you made it through the rough weather Joe. And as frustrating as it might have been without cable and all those wonderful things, thank god you kept your power. Far too many people didn't.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Being that I'm just about 18 miles from the ALB train station, I'm glad that I can now read what's going on in this topic. I've been without Cable TV, Phone or Internet Service since Thursday evening evening because of the storm and going bonkers because of it.

I'm curious, do you get all of those services as a single bundle delivered over a single cable? (These days, I make a point of buying my landline telephone service from a different company than my Internet service so that they are less likely to fail at the same time.)

 

[the_traveler]

I'm curious, do you get all of those services as a single bundle delivered over a single cable? (These days, I make a point of buying my landline telephone service from a different company than my Internet service so that they are less likely to fail at the same time.)

I do get all 3 from the same (cable) company, but surprisingly I've had times when I lost the cable TV service, but I've still had internet service! :huh: Or I may lose the phone, but I still get cable TV! :huh:

 

[sky12065]

Being that I'm just about 18 miles from the ALB train station, I'm glad that I can now read what's going on in this topic. I've been without Cable TV, Phone or Internet Service since Thursday evening evening because of the storm and going bonkers because of it.

I'm curious, do you get all of those services as a single bundle delivered over a single cable? (These days, I make a point of buying my landline telephone service from a different company than my Internet service so that they are less likely to fail at the same time.)

Yes, we have Time Warner and have the 3-in-one package. I was hesitant about the phone at first, but having cell phones to back us up works out just fine. I also think our particular problem was just across the street from our house.

About 2 AM Thrusday night - Friday morning I was sitting in my living room reading and listnening to tree branches snapping when I heard an explosion that sounded like it was about a half a block away. Earlier today when I got service back there were about 5 vehicles near the pole across the street. There have been problems in the past with the transformer on that pole. I think the explosion I heard was the transformer blowing again!

What ever the problem was I figure my power source must be routed differently than the rest of my services. What seems strange to me though is that with the pole they were working on, I've lost power in the past when they were working on it, but this time I never lost power. Same pole! Go figure???

And to Alan, I am thankful that I had power when so many went and are still without. There were a lot of people effected! Anyway, I did say to my wife more than once that it's fustrating not having the phone, tv and Inet, but thank goodness that we got power and heat because that's much more important as is others getting their power restored too. Tomorrow many schools and child care business will still be closed because of this storm... or I should say today since it's now after midnight here!

I hope the rest of our area gets back to normal sooner than they anticipate... I've heard estimates of Tuesday thru Thrusday before everybodys restored!

 

[HP_Lovecraft]

Yes, we have Time Warner and have the 3-in-one package. I was hesitant about the phone at first, but having cell phones to back us up works out just fine.

Same thing here. The 3-in-1 package, with a cell-phone as backup.

Though a problem we discovered friday morning was that everyone we knew also had cable phones! And our cellphone battery was dead before long.

What worked as a backup-backup was a cheap power-inverter from Walmart. We discovered that if we powered the cable modem, and phone receiver, we had our cable phone back.