Zephyr in Winter

[shelzp]

I scheduled a round trip from Davis to Galesburg on the CZ this summer. It was just for the train ride with same day turnaround as I wanted to see the scenery since I’d heard so much about the gorgeous views. I have well over 40000 miles on Amtrak so never considered that anything on this particular route would bother me. Wrong. I was horrified when I saw the deep canyons from my roomette window. Not joking-by the time we got to Denver I was crying and called Amtrak to reroute myself onto the SWC when we got to Galesburg. Believe me it’s the first time I ever cried while on a train. I was horrified to see the edge of the track a few feet from the drop off. I never took my eye off of it either-if we were going over the edge I was gonna notice right off!

It was an AGR trip and I had to pay the fare difference in points but that was alright with me. They did ding me for a penalty so I wrote a nice little note and asked if they’d consider refunding the fine and they did! I explained I didn’t mind paying the fare difference but respectfully requested they refund the 10% and was pleasantly surprised when they did so immediately.

My reaction still surprises me but I’m glad I took the trip because it’s off the bucket list.

 

[neroden]

For some reason I don't find the cliff-edge *rail* routes unnerving -- maybe because I know how good tracks are at keeping the train where it's supposed to be, barring severe speeding -- I find cliff-edge *road* routes really unnerving.

But it was quite unnerving when during the flooding of 2008 we detoured on the BNSF line from Chicago to Minneapolis, which runs along the Mississippi river, and there was water as far as the eye could see on *both* sides of the track. It really gave the impression that we were *in* the Mississippi river and I remember thinking "what happens if the water rises another couple of inches?" I didn't really want to drown in a train...

I was on the last passenger train through; the next day the line closed because it was underwater.

 

[Lonestar648]

I don't mind the normal runs along the edge, but rising water is a bit unnerving. I was on the TE three years ago south of STL in a monster downpour, with water flowing over everything like waterfalls. looking out the rear of the train, the ties started to disappear, the train started going slower and slower until we just creeped along because all you could see were the two rails. One of the Conductors kept coming back to check out the rear view. We arrive in STL instead of on time, 5 hours late. Everyone was asking where do you go if the water gets too high.

 

[KmH]

That part of the CZ route through Gore Canyon has been there for over 100 years.

Back when the route was first built it was a marvel of late 1800s engineering and rail line construction.

With that part of the route being a grade the train has to go pretty slow up or down the grade.

Has any train ever gone off the rails anywhere between Hot Sulphur Springs (Mile Post 86 & top of Byers Canyon) and the bottom of Gore Canyon (MP 112)?

 

[Rover]

RE: Scary Canyon Heights...

From the NPS on the South Rim Mule rides to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back:

Riders must be at least 4 ft 7 in/140 cm in height and must be fluent in English, must be in good physical condition, should not be afraid of heights or large animals, and cannot be pregnant.

 

[chakk]

That part of the CZ route through Gore Canyon has been there for over 100 years.

Back when the route was first built it was a marvel of late 1800s engineering and rail line construction.

With that part of the route being a grade the train has to go pretty slow up or down the grade.

Has any train ever gone off the rails anywhere between Hot Sulphur Springs (Mile Post 86 & top of Byers Canyon) and the bottom of Gore Canyon (MP 112)?

There was a freight train collision with another train near Hot Sulphur Springs back in the 1950’s. There is a video about it on YouTube. Involved some “loss of situational awareness”. Rockslides in Gore Canyon have closed the line several times. And I’ve gone thru on the CZ once at 10 mph when a heavy spring snowfall brought down the signaling wires. But I’ve never heard of a derailment dumping passengers into the river in the canyon.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[railiner]

I remember this accident in the Fraser Canyon, a few miles east of Granby, back in 1985. I was one of several station employees from Denver that were sent on the rescue buses to Granby to assist with the transfer of passenger's and baggage....

http://www.drgw.net/info/DCA-85-RM-005