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Does anyone have any clue what is going on with the Sunset Limited? SilverStar mentioned in another post that it was cancelled from ORL on Tuesday and LAX on Wednesday. The LAX cancellation doesn't surprise me, as the trainset that's supposed to be turned on Wednesday (today) at LAX is currently still running somewhere in Arizona (and is running, according to Amtrak's Train Status, just over 35 hours late!!)
Does anyone know what on earth caused all this mayhem in the first place? I can understand a nine or ten hour delay over UP and CSX tracks, but 35 hours? That's insane.
posted
The #1 you mention 1(11) was over 8 hours late when we met it at Pascagoula, MS and our crew said it would be annulled at NOL. They later told me that it was stopped in Gulfport, MS by a stuck drawbridge. It sounded like that would be a long delay. Assuming they really ran through, that accounts for perhaps 12 or 13 hours of lateness before UP ever got hold of it.
As for 1 (13) being cancelled, our crew got word of that during the evening of July 12 as we were so late. Also they expected to have to replace the transition sleeper, the one missing sleeper, the lounge (freezer problems), and a coach (bad a/c), plus do something about the baggage car with blown out HEP cables. Oh, and engine #70 which was fouled up.
posted
I've been tracking #1(11) via the train status website. Amtrak has arrival times for all stations NOL thru El Paso, so presumably it was not annulled and is, at this time, still struggling towards LAX. You're right... Arizona was far too optimistic on my part. According to Amtrak, #1 hit El Paso, TX at 1:32 AM and has not yet arrived at Deming, NM.
On the bright side (if you can call it a bright side), it's actually been making up time since Del Rio, TX. It was 2109 minutes late at Del Rio, but only 2047 minutes late at El Paso. Yahoo!
It is absolutely pathetic at this point. More updates later as #1 continues westward.
posted
Train Status for #1 scheduled into Tucson two days ago: "As of the last report at 4:12 PM, at Benson, AZ, it was running 44 hours and 52 minutes late."
Train Status for #1 scheduled into Tucson today: "Due to a service disruption, we are unable to provide estimated times of departure and arrival."
I hope you folks in Tucson and LA will be at the stations to greet the Sunset Limited on this historic event. Has an Amtrak train ever been this late? Was the next train annulled so as not to pass the train that was 2 days late? Does UP have Bermuda Triangle envy? Does this mean 45+ hours overtime for the crew on one trip?
I sure hope there is someone out there to give us a trip report. Wow!
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
What is the status of UP's freight operations during all of this. Are they having similarly severe delays? If so, this may be the much anticipated UP Meltdown II.
posted
Hey, hey!! Great news! #1(11) FINALLY made it into California!!!
quote:As of the last report at 3:47 AM, at Palm Springs-Rail Sta., CA, it was running 48 hours and 25 minutes late.
I am very curious to know what happened - most of the delay was definitely in UP hands. I'm been tracking #1, and it's lost huge chunks of time between certain stations: New Orleans-Schriever,LA: 7 hours lost Lake Charles,LA-Beaumont,TX: 7 hours lost San Antonio-Del Rio,TX: 8 hours lost El Paso,TX-Deming,NM: 9 hours lost What happened!?
If there is all to great a possibility that a train is going to "stock out" of both Dining and Snack Bar food and beverage items, that the "puffers" will be going "off the wall' because they can't have their "fix", that the potties go "off duty' account their retention tanks cannot dump from a standing train, that some passenger has some "private stock firewater" and has a bit too much, if there were too great the possibility that the journey would include an overnight bustitution (reported on another board: 4 of the 11 WB trips during June were terminated short of LA), then I would say "late trains are great trains" becomes a "non-operative".
Also, note my avoidance of any discussion of possible on-board HVAC 'breakdown".
[This message has been edited by Gilbert B Norman (edited 07-16-2004).]
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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49'54" late out of Pomona. Probably can lose another 6" getting around Metrolink and be a full 50' late into LA.
Posts: 7 | From: dallas, tx | Registered: Jul 2004
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I'd love to see the faces on the passengers who were going from ORL to LAX
Posts: 547 | From: St. Louis, MO, USA | Registered: Nov 2002
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Anyone want to take Amtrak to Mars? I hope they give free meals for lateness compensation!
Posts: 287 | From: Palatka, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
How true. This is like some third world country with people sitting on the roof of the coaches. So far I haven't seen that on the Sunset.
Posts: 561 | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
Suggestion for a kid's book to bring with on the Sunset: "The Little Engine that Could". Everytime it starts moving again the kids could all chant "I think I can, I think I can..."
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
The Pacific Railroad Society's newsletter,Wheel Clicks,lists on time reports for Amtrak trains. For two months running the report for the Sunset was:Trains operated,26.Trains late,26.On time percentage,0%.
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I've learned at another board that The Sunset #1(15) has two Private Cars in consist Houston-LA.
As of a few moments ago, the Train Status feature at the website reports 1(15) is some seven hours down. Presently being near Del Rio, I would say it was most definitely within the UP Twilight Zone.
Something tells me that the PV crowd would be less than happy about being bustituted for any portion of their journey.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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quote:Originally posted by espeefoamer: The Pacific Railroad Society's newsletter,Wheel Clicks,lists on time reports for Amtrak trains. For two months running the report for the Sunset was:Trains operated,26.Trains late,26.On time percentage,0%.
Yeah, the Sunset hasn't been on time for a while. I remember I was reading the punctuality reports for March & April and the Sunset had 0% on-time. Has the Sunset been on time AT ALL this whole year? Somehow I doubt it.
posted
Well, I guess the PV crowd is still in their cars and still slogging forth.
According to the website, 1(15) was reported 7'30" down at Maricopa.
Enjoy the view of the Salton Sea, folks. It is kind of "sport" to know that you are below sea level - I think that is the only piece of rail (around Indio) where that claim can be made (other possibility would be somewhere around New Orleans - Corridor and Florida, above; albeit not much).
Lastly, Mr. Briz; if your surname is Brizzolara and you had relatives with the NYC (father, grandfather), I would be happy to hear from you. Simply giggle my screenname and you'll find an e-mail address.
[This message has been edited by Gilbert B Norman (edited 07-18-2004).]
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Sorry, Mr. Norman, can't help you there. The Briz was simply a nickname that I picked up in high school. Thanks for asking, though.
Posts: 93 | From: Batavia, IL | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
Todays Sunset Limited arrived at LA's Union Station a more normal 9+ hours late today.
I'm holding deluxe sleeper tickets for train #1 connecting with #14 in September. I'm also holding Southwest Airlines tickets to LA and hotel reservations to assure that the start of my vacation doesn't get $crewed UP.
I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times in the last couple of months that the Sunset Limited had made that connection. Sad, ain't it?
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Consider this----- The Shinkansen Bullet Train Company in Japan will give you back your fare spent if the train you are on is 5 minutes late!!!!!! How about that! At least Amtrak gives you free meals and box lunches for lateness---lots of them!
Posts: 287 | From: Palatka, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by snake: Todays Sunset Limited arrived at LA's Union Station a more normal 9+ hours late today.
I was transferring from the Red Line to the Gold Line at Union Station at about 1:00 on Sunday afternoon, looked over at the arrivals board, and noticed that the Sunset was scheduled to arrive at 3:00, "only" about six hours late. Guess it must have lost some more time trying to make the final stretch run into L.A.
[This message has been edited by trainman1 (edited 07-20-2004).]
Posts: 112 | From: North Hollywood, California | Registered: Mar 2002
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The ol' choo-choo that almost couldn't was scheduled to arrive at Union Station at 6:40 AM, but actually arrived at 3:56 PM. Posts: 71 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Whoops, I was misreading the board on Sunday. As you noted, snake, the scheduled arrival time is 6:40, not 8:40, so it was set to arrive over eight hours late when I saw it, not six. That means the good news is that it didn't lose too much more time over the last few hours of the trip, if you can call that good news.
[This message has been edited by trainman1 (edited 07-21-2004).]
Posts: 112 | From: North Hollywood, California | Registered: Mar 2002
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