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Ernesto vs. Amtrak


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#21 AlanB

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Posted 02 September 2006 - 03:53 PM

For more sad truths, check out the following stories.

From the Rocky Mount Telegram:

Ernesto cut a path through Eastern North Carolina on Friday, dumping up to 6.5 inches of rain on parts of Nash and Edgecombe counties. A few dozen low-lying streets and roadways were flooded, and about as many trees were felled during the peak of the storm.


Web sites for the National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey indicated that the Twin Counties received up to 6.5 inches of rain, and wind gusts were reported up to 43 mph.


Note: Nash and Edgecombe counties, the twin counties, include the city of Rocky Mount; through which runs the CSX line in question.

Or perhaps these quotes from the Times Dispatch in Viginia:

Lights should be shining tonight for the vast majority of the 605,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers who lost power during tropical depression Ernesto, the company says.


The storm, which had a stronger wallop than forecast, caused moderate damage across most of Dominion's electrical system in central and eastern Virginia, the company said, and it also produced pockets of more severe damage.


Finally there is the CSX news bulletin posted here, which mentions that they shut down the line. It also talks about downed trees that they had to remove, as well as power failures to deal with.
Alan,

Take care and take trains!

#22 AlanB

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Posted 02 September 2006 - 04:03 PM

I just hope they manage to get a consist down to Florida in time for actually running 92 on Monday, so that I can at least ride the train one way. :unsure:


Well both 91 and 97 left NY today, so they should arrive in time to turn as a northbound trains on Monday.
Alan,

Take care and take trains!

#23 KevinKorell

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Posted 02 September 2006 - 04:12 PM

I'm not exactly sure what portion of Richmond had the evacuations, but there was a reporter from the Weather Channel stationed in the Shockoe Bottom section of the city, which had serious flooding two years ago from Tropical Storm Gaston. That area lucked out this time, with very minimal water buildup - certainly nothing warranting evacuating residents. Shockoe Bottom is where the Main Street Amtrak station is located, so if that area were flooded it would have affected only the Newport News trains, and not the trains to North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, since they take the circuitous route around the city.


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#24 ICGsteve

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Posted 02 September 2006 - 04:23 PM

The National weather service prelim post mortem is here listing max wind and storm rain totals in Virginia. There were localized areas of very heavy rain, most if not all to the east of CSX operations, which lead to flash flooding conditions. Normally this would be low areas and problems with storm drains, the sort of thing that does not effect a rail line. I checked the river reports and none had any problems during the storm, assumably because the average rain total over the state was only a few inches, and because the state had been dry before the storm.

CSX stayed operational, it seems like they did a good job preparing so that they could stay operational, and I bet that they moved all or most of the freight that they wanted to get moved. What did not get moved was Amtrak. The weather situation was one that had to be dealt with, it was, it was not a cause of major operational problems, the forcasts gave every indication that this would be the outcome, so Amtrak should have been operated.

#25 AlanB

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Posted 02 September 2006 - 04:46 PM

CSX stayed operational, it seems like they did a good job preparing so that they could stay operational, and I bet that they moved all or most of the freight that they wanted to get moved. What did not get moved was Amtrak. The weather situation was one that had to be dealt with, it was, it was not a cause of major operational problems, the forcasts gave every indication that this would be the outcome, so Amtrak should have been operated.


CSX specifically stated in their press release that they did not remain operational.

CSXT will discontinue rail service on its east-west route near the coastline between Wilmington and Lumberton, N.C., and the W&W subdivision, which is located south of Rocky Mount, N.C., until the storm passes. CSXT will hold grain trains scheduled to depart this evening from Fulton Yard in Richmond and destined for the W&W subdivision.


CSXT lines between Wilmington and Lumberton, N.C., and on the W&W subdivision south of Rocky Mount, N.C., were inspected after the storm passed. Fallen trees were cleared and service resumed Sept. 1.


Alan,

Take care and take trains!

#26 ICGsteve

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Posted 02 September 2006 - 11:26 PM

"CSX specifically stated in their press release that they did not remain operational."

OK Alan, I was talking about main lines, you know, like the A line that Amtrak normally uses. I will grant you that a couple of chicken feed trains did not make it over the a lightly used (50 trains a month) secondary line (W&W sub) as they normally would have traveled because of the storm. I doubt that CSX made any attempt to keep this line open as they had no reason to do so, but maybe few trees fell across the line. Of even this we cannot be sure. We know that at one or more trees fell on the W&W sub right-of-way, and that is all we know. We have no knowledge that the Wilmington sub was physically non-op, only that CSX did not operate it. The port of Wilmington was closed for the hurricane thus there was little or no traffic to carry on the Wilmington sub during the storm. Closing the line was inconsequential, and may not have been weather related much less weather mandated. This closing could be justified for economic reasons alone.

Source matterial for the opinions stated above

Edited by ICGsteve, 03 September 2006 - 01:29 AM.





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