I guess trains break down too

[Chris142]

I ordered a part for my jeep thats not available locally. Got this message from ups. This is definitely a first for me.

Wonder what happened? Eat a turbo? Spit a connecting rod out? Electric motor fail like a Tesla does?

 

[opus1]

Some time back, I had a similar issue; package coming from California to Chicago-area was on a train that derailed and the UPS status actually indicated that. If I find the picture I'll post.

Edit: as someone who commuted to downtown Chicago on several different train lines, I can assure you that trains do break down.

 

[dogememe]

People just find all the time in the world to hate on Tesla when the last person to post about electric motor failure on here was a Ford EV.

In all seriousness, I have not seen one about a train but have received delivery exceptions from the truck breaking down.

 

[mrsilv04]

Hodgkins. Whatever it is, it came through South Chicago.

 

[shortyb]

They sure do. Quite a bit actually. And derails really throw transit into chaos. Recent NS major corridor event had the double track mains shut down for 4 days. They left half a dozen or so trains, including a couple intermodal shipping unit, just parked. Rerouting the others was a nightmare and delayed a lot of commerce for days.

 

[User_19876]

Trains frequently experience mechanical delay, particularly since PSR was instituted on several major carriers about ten years ago. Turns out you have to have spare inventory and actually maintain your equipment. Who knew?

 

[JunkdrawerDog]

Flat tire?

 

[opus1]

Found it.

 

[Kira]

>20 years ago, an armoured car containing financial records etc. went off the Tappan Zee Bridge.
Notices went out to business customers citing the bridge and the armoured car company.
Had the delay been caused in-house, I bet the reporting wouldn't've been so prompt or complete.

Seee, we didn't do it.

 

[Chris142]

People just find all the time in the world to hate on Tesla when the last person to post about electric motor failure on here was a Ford EV.

In all seriousness, I have not seen one about a train but have received delivery exceptions from the truck breaking down.

I dont hate tesla. Im just remembering the early days of tesla cars. They were very popular here so fallilures were well known.

I know a family that ownes a crane busisness and they are always picking up a derailed train car or 20.

 

[opus1]

>20 years ago, an armoured car containing financial records etc. went off the Tappan Zee Bridge.
Notices went out to business customers citing the bridge and the armoured car company.
Had the delay been caused in-house, I bet the reporting wouldn't've been so prompt or complete.

Seee, we didn't do it.

Reminds me of when I was commuting downtown from Indiana many years ago. The South Shore owns its tracks up to the Kensington stop in Illinois, then switches to Illinois Central (now Metra Electric) tracks to finish the trip. There are "slots" in the schedule where the South Shore was supposed to be at the junction to join the parade downtown, and if the train missed its slot, it had to wait for the next one. If there was a problem on the IC that prevented us from getting on their line, the conductor would make it a point to announce that we were sitting there waiting because the IC dispatcher at 115th street wouldn't let us on.

If the delay was because we were late and missed our slot...crickets.

I now return you to the original program, already in progress...

 

[Finklejag]

I was on Amtrak coming home to Washington, when the train broke down in the middle of BFE Montana. It was in the middle of the night too.

 

[Kira]

Back in the 1970's, when NYC's Subway service endured many delays, an outcry for conductors to make an announcement as to the reason why was heard.

After that, whenever there was a delay, short or long, the conductor would come on and say, "We have a red signal".
That's funny as "red lights" are what were always used to stop trains. You gotta laugh sometimes.

 

[Chris142]

Hodgkins. Whatever it is, it came through South Chicago.

It's the whole hvac box for my jeep . The part where the blower goes broke off mine. A few more days without ac in the 105+ heat is just more in my life lol

 

[Chris142]

I was on Amtrak coming home to Washington, when the train broke down in the middle of BFE Montana. It was in the middle of the night too.

How do they handle that? Do they send a mobil mechanic out to fix it on the spot or kick it into neutral and push it with another train?

 

[User_19876]

How do they handle that? Do they send a mobil mechanic out to fix it on the spot or kick it into neutral and push it with another train?

There’s any number of ways to deal with a disabled train. Sending a shop truck or sending additional locomotives is common. Just the other day I had to rendezvous with an oncoming train and give them a locomotive in my consist that I did not need. They had lost an engine and didn’t have enough power to make grade for the rest of their trip. Additionally, railcars have problems that must be dealt with out on the main. You may set a bad car out of your train into a sidetrack, or a shop truck may repair the car. I once had to advance a train to a set-out point at walking speed. It was about six miles. Very tedious with a 12,000 ton train.

With Amtrak, I don’t imagine there are many spare engines available out on the main. We don’t have any passenger service where I work, so I’m not particularly familiar wth their operations. I do know their locomotives are different than most freight engines, particularly the air brake system.

 

[BobsArmory]

We had a train break down on the tracks a while back. Probably 100 rail cars total. Cut our town nearly in half for 4 or 5 hours. What a mess that was. Stuff happens, you should have seen the posts on the local FB page. People were losing their ever loving minds. ;-)

 

[opus1]

...With Amtrak, I don’t imagine there are many spare engines available out on the main. We don’t have any passenger service where I work, so I’m not particularly familiar wth their operations. I do know their locomotives are different than most freight engines, particularly the air brake system.

I think the host railroad will send out a unit to pull the train but, as you said, freight engines are different so, depending on what broke on the Amtrak equipment, the passengers may be in the dark or without HVAC for the trip.

 

[Pew]

Hodgkins. Whatever it is, it came through South Chicago.

UPS and Fedex have a huge sorting facility in Hodgkins by 55/294. Now that I think of it, it's the perfect location for one too.

Reminds me of when I was commuting downtown from Indiana many years ago. The South Shore owns its tracks up to the Kensington stop in Illinois, then switches to Illinois Central (now Metra Electric) tracks to finish the trip. There are "slots" in the schedule where the South Shore was supposed to be at the junction to join the parade downtown, and if the train missed its slot, it had to wait for the next one. If there was a problem on the IC that prevented us from getting on their line, the conductor would make it a point to announce that we were sitting there waiting because the IC dispatcher at 115th street wouldn't let us on.

If the delay was because we were late and missed our slot...crickets.

I now return you to the original program, already in progress...

Ugh that happened a lot on the BNSF line from union to aurora. That line is also a suicide magnet.

 

[GW.]

Yes. Sometimes locomotives breakdown…..or in this case burn to the ground after separating from the cars.