Amtrak - 19 hour journey from Detroit to Chicago on 10/7/22

[~Z~]

https://www.mlive.com/news/2022/10/pass ... icago.html

This journey sounds worse than the one David had recently

[PatAzo]

A similar event occurred near Jackson several years ago after a grade crossing accident. Passengers got off to seek their own way with the police threatening them with trespassing.

While a rare event the negative PR sticks with them.

[MiddleMI]

Before some of the more recent corridor improvements, this was much more common. But experiencing even one of these will scare off a new rider. My mom has vowed never to take the train to Chicago, again, after here last experience with an interminable delay some years back.

BTW, how many locomotives does Amtramk run on the combined Michigan Services, and how many of them are running the Siemens Chargers?

[ConrailDetr​oit]

Before some of the more recent corridor improvements, this was much more common.

And how many of them are running the Siemens Chargers?

All of the trains use the Chargers now. Unless a rare day and a P42 becomes the new "heritage unit".

Does "This" refer to mechanical issues? Seems more common now with the new equipment.

In the past the delays seemed be more frequently caused from the faulty signal system that would drop signals to red after a rainstorm and the 30 mph slow orders by NS due to their unwillingness to maintain, before the state government purchased the track.

[TSS]

Does anyone know the locomotive numbers on the ill-fated Wolverines of Oct. 7? In particular, which one was on the 351 (first train to break down) and the 353 (rescue train)?

[SD80MAC]

Before some of the more recent corridor improvements, this was much more common. But experiencing even one of these will scare off a new rider. My mom has vowed never to take the train to Chicago, again, after here last experience with an interminable delay some years back.

BTW, how many locomotives does Amtramk run on the combined Michigan Services, and how many of them are running the Siemens Chargers?

Every Michigan train uses Chargers unless enough aren't available to cover them all.

[DaveO]

Does anyone know the locomotive numbers on the ill-fated Wolverines of Oct. 7? In particular, which one was on the 351 (first train to break down) and the 353 (rescue train)?

Went searching online for photos.
Didn't find any of the engines.
Did find one of a toilet.
You can thank me now for not posting it.

[TSS]

Does anyone know the locomotive numbers on the ill-fated Wolverines of Oct. 7? In particular, which one was on the 351 (first train to break down) and the 353 (rescue train)?

Went searching online for photos.
Didn't find any of the engines.
Did find one of a toilet.
You can thank me now for not posting it.

Thank you! I learned elsewhere that 353 had IDTX 4611. No info yet on 351.

[MiddleMI]

Before some of the more recent corridor improvements, this was much more common.

And how many of them are running the Siemens Chargers?

All of the trains use the Chargers now. Unless a rare day and a P42 becomes the new "heritage unit".

Does "This" refer to mechanical issues? Seems more common now with the new equipment.

In the past the delays seemed be more frequently caused from the faulty signal system that would drop signals to red after a rainstorm and the 30 mph slow orders by NS due to their unwillingness to maintain, before the state government purchased the track.

Thanks.

No, "this" meant delays, in general. Most delays I remember were freight train related (i.e. waiting for trains to pass/clear, etc).

But, yes, what I was asking about the locomotives was really just ruminating of why these new ones seem have problems this significant this early into their usage.

[David Collins]

This journey sounds worse than the one David had recently

Nice

Amtrak has to face the reality that they're gonna have to completely redo the mechanical infrastructure (probably not the right words to use, but that's all I've got) on the chargers, and sooner rather than later. I say this because I've been told by an engineer (I believe it was edited out name) that said these engines are too reliant on the HEP, and that's just the beginning of their issues.

Aside from this: Doesn't Amtrak have policy that if a train is delayed more than 6 hours in one location that they would bus the passengers?

Edit - Check with railroad employees before posting their names/usernames on the board

[coasterrider]

busstitution was attempted but there were none available that day. Probably due to the fall color tours going on now.

[ConrailDetr​oit]

Before some of the more recent corridor improvements, this was much more common.

And how many of them are running the Siemens Chargers?

All of the trains use the Chargers now. Unless a rare day and a P42 becomes the new "heritage unit".

Does "This" refer to mechanical issues? Seems more common now with the new equipment.

In the past the delays seemed be more frequently caused from the faulty signal system that would drop signals to red after a rainstorm and the 30 mph slow orders by NS due to their unwillingness to maintain, before the state government purchased the track.

Thanks.

No, "this" meant delays, in general. Most delays I remember were freight train related (i.e. waiting for trains to pass/clear, etc).

But, yes, what I was asking about the locomotives was really just ruminating of why these new ones seem have problems this significant this early into their usage.

Agreed. With PSR and fewer freights now, less delays from freights. Except when there is a derailment which seems more frequent now.

[chapmaja]

busstitution was attempted but there were none available that day. Probably due to the fall color tours going on now.

I don't think fall color tours have a ton to do with it. What likely has more to do with it is a trickle down from something else. High School sports. A lot of school districts are running very short on bus drivers. As a result, instead of having school buses transport teams to away events, schools are having to rent charter busses to transport athletes.

With that said, given this was a Friday incident with Amtrak, it is very possible additional charter trips may have also impacted the situation.

Also, the charter bus companies are not exactly teeming with additional drivers either, so it is a combination of a multitude of different issues.

[Jetlink]

busstitution was attempted but there were none available that day. Probably due to the fall color tours going on now.

I don't think fall color tours have a ton to do with it. What likely has more to do with it is a trickle down from something else. High School sports. A lot of school districts are running very short on bus drivers. As a result, instead of having school buses transport teams to away events, schools are having to rent charter busses to transport athletes.

With that said, given this was a Friday incident with Amtrak, it is very possible additional charter trips may have also impacted the situation.

Also, the charter bus companies are not exactly teeming with additional drivers either, so it is a combination of a multitude of different issues.

Indeed. I noticed last Saturday several high school groups arrived at the Grandville Marching band competition by chartered bus not school bus. And they weren't coming from great distances. Places like Holland and Muskegon way.

[~Z~]

Indeed. I noticed last Saturday several high school groups arrived at the Grandville Marching band competition by chartered bus not school bus. And they weren't coming from great distances. Places like Holland and Muskegon way.

At least their schools ponied up for a charter bus. Ours told us at the beginning of the season that no bus drivers were available, so all parents need to arrange car pool to get the kids to and from the cross country meets to various cities. Most of the other schools attending the meets had busses.

[chapmaja]

Indeed. I noticed last Saturday several high school groups arrived at the Grandville Marching band competition by chartered bus not school bus. And they weren't coming from great distances. Places like Holland and Muskegon way.

At least their schools ponied up for a charter bus. Ours told us at the beginning of the season that no bus drivers were available, so all parents need to arrange car pool to get the kids to and from the cross country meets to various cities. Most of the other schools attending the meets had busses.

Yesterday I pulled in to officiate HS Volleyball. They had MS football going on at the same facility. In the parking lot were three charter busses. Two were for the football teams (I assume 1 7th grade, 1 8th grade), and another school brought one for their volleyball teams (Frosh, JV, Varsity). The school for volleyball aways used to use school bussing, but the football school has been using charter busses for years to transport teams.

Sad when we are in such a situation that the schools don't have the ability to transport their athletes to events and they need to either hire charter busses, for force parents to car pool to get athletes to events.

Even worse is the "drop" only transporation some schools are using. They will transport kids to an event, but the athletes need to find a way home. Works great if you are within a very local area, but if you are an hour drive and have multiple athletes on a team, it is a big problem. I have heard of multiple situations this year where a team has been missing players due to transportation issues.

[DaveO]

Many of the teacher/coaches prefer the use of charter coaches because they are more comfortable.
Safer? No.
We had coaches using charters/driving instead of our own school buses without proper authorization from the school district.
This was before the lack of school bus drivers was an issue in our district.
When notified the district did nothing because that made the well paid administrators life easier.

[Steve B]

I've been told by an engineer (I believe it was edited out name) that said these engines are too reliant on the HEP

How can the engines be too reliant on HEP? HEP is specifically for passenger car electricity. It either works or it doesn't. Are you saying that some of the HEP can be diverted to use as pulling power? That doesn't make any sense.

[David Collins]

I've been told by an engineer (I believe it was edited out name) that said these engines are too reliant on the HEP

How can the engines be too reliant on HEP? HEP is specifically for passenger car electricity. It either works or it doesn't. Are you saying that some of the HEP can be diverted to use as pulling power? That doesn't make any sense.

The employee I spoke to didn't go into specifics, maybe it powers electronics in the engine, not positive, just a guess.

[PatAzo]

I've been told by an engineer (I believe it was edited out name) that said these engines are too reliant on the HEP

How can the engines be too reliant on HEP? HEP is specifically for passenger car electricity. It either works or it doesn't. Are you saying that some of the HEP can be diverted to use as pulling power? That doesn't make any sense.

Traction power and the power for control functions have long come from different alternators. I would take "to dependent on HEP" to mean there was a failure in the system providing the non-traction power rendering the locomotive unable to control its internal functions (and not move) or supply HEP.