Amtrak Train #775 at San Luis Obispo - Times - 8:23P/8:31P Unit 465/Cab 6905 and four other cars.
Helpers - UP3095 - Newbie/3696-3803 all running in elephant style mode. Cranked up at 12:01A, departed the holding spur at 12:40AM and were in position at the west end of the station at 1:01A for the on-coming ILCOA01. ILCOA 01 - UP 9744-6267 and a fully loaded train with no empties. Appeared to look over-tonage for the kind of cars being pulled. Arrived SLO 12:54A and departed at 1:39A. Lost 35 minutes at the top of the mountain due to the QRVDO having to set out a Canadien National box car from its consist. As on Amtrak, when delays like this occur, trains just become even later, particularly with the inclement weather which lay ahead in Monterey County.
QRVML01
Five units on the lead, with VCY Box Car #764844 returning home to California after three years of service on other lines. Last I Saw her was on a manifest train that ran from Ogden to Denver on the UP back in May 1997, and her last appearance here was on the MWCRV08 on 8MAR97. Salt Lake Garland and Western Rwy #1040 as a newbie to SLO as is UP 1006. Other units included the UP4351-9395-9139 all running live. Arrived at 12:47A, 9mi early, departed at 1:25A, 9mi late, delayed due to the arrival of ILCOA01 at SLO.
QRVDO01
Originally scheduled to arrive at 1:35A in SLO, ontime from OAK to PRB, then lost over one hour due to a popped-journal box detector south of Atascadero (ATA). The car that caused the delay was a Canadien National (CNA) box car, in the fifth-from-last position in the consist. This delay also delayed the oncoming ILCOA which departed SLO (Above), and the IOALB, which was to arrive at 4:45A. I did not stick around for IOALB's arrival since it was estimated to arrive after train #776 departed the building. Train arrived at 3:33A, 1hr 58mi late, departed at 3:53A, 2hr 10mi late (originally scheduled departure was 1:43A.) Again, as before, late trains will get even later. Helpers cut off at MP244.8 (SLP) and headed back up the hill to fetch the southbound tables/spines train and bring them over the hill. Power on the DO was 9378-9511-9071 (I don't have the number for the rear car on this consist).
I departed the station at 5:05A, and did not hang around for the extremely delayed IOALB, which arrived at Marsh at 6:25A, 3hr 5mi late and departed around 6:53A, 3hr 37mi late due to the earlier disruption of service with the "DO".
More Later: Peter/SLO
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Peter Van Warnerski
posted