With construction contracts being let a good many of the technical aspects of that section will have been resolved. some things are quite obvious, like the detail route of the section, and its interfaces to the adjoining sections. drainage schemes will be in place, as will power supply, the first tranche rolling stock will be at least on a commitment to purchase, if not a firm contract (you don't want you nice new rails sitting idle for a few years while you get the stock ordered and delivered), the locations for (temporary) stock maintenance facilities, signalling, locations of main stations (on the section), major highway and river bridges. And more.


Going back to my initial question, I did find an answer to what Siemens are proposing, it looks like a member of their existing Velaro family of high speed distributed power EMUs, so while being assembled in the US a lot of the technology will be imported from Europe - which will save a fair chunk of development time and money.

---

Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

With construction contracts being let a good many of the technical aspects of that section will have been resolved. some things are quite obvious, like the detail route of the section, and its interfaces to the adjoining sections. drainage schemes will be in place, as will power supply, the first tranche rolling stock will be at least on a commitment to purchase, if not a firm contract (you don't want you nice new rails sitting idle for a few years while you get the stock ordered and delivered), the locations for (temporary) stock maintenance facilities, signalling, locations of main stations (on the section), major highway and river bridges. And more.


Going back to my initial question, I did find an answer to what Siemens are proposing, it looks like a member of their existing Velaro family of high speed distributed power EMUs, so while being assembled in the US a lot of the technology will be imported from Europe - which will save a fair chunk of development time and money.

From what I've read, the authority let out initial designs, and the contractor is supposed to put the final design in place and adhere or adapt their final design and then build to that. I just thought some would like to hear what the SacBee said, nothing more. I meant no offense.

---

The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

(Trying to avoid a red-x)

A question - The picture of the mock-up quite clearly shows the train to be a Siemens unit, does anyone know if this is a relation to the high speed units they are delivering to Eurostar for the Channel Tunnel?

I have no problem with this question or your own answer to it, or Vic's answer to that.

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

I went back out southeast again today (like I did last Sunday, if I didn't mention it). This time I had a specific target in mind, although not a specific location at which to shoot it. Mike, as I mentioned previously, is deadheading Sky View to Texas for the Texas State Railroad's Polar Express event. What I didn't realize until yesterday is that 21 and 22 (Texas Eagle) are still detouring between Chicago and St. Louis due to further upgrade work being done on the regular route (all Lincoln Service trains are cancelled). 21, instead of turning right (southwest) as soon as it crosses the Chicago River at 21st St., heads south on the route used by 50/850 (Cardinal/Hoosier State). So, I wanted to get pictures of the car in a place where Amtrak doesn't normally run. I ended up in the village of Glenwood, just south of Thornton Junction, where 50/850 turn east but 21's detour continues south. I also got a few freight trains and shots at other places that I can use in the Where Are We quiz next month.

Unfortunately, the computer I'm on at the moment is screaming that it's low on memory and hard drive space, and threatening to shut down if I try to even look at the pictures, so I'll have to post some later. Besides, I have some others I want to show you, but they need editing.

Mike, BTW, is actually riding in the Amtrak lounge car. He gets lonely and bored with no passengers in his car. (He didn't say, but he may try to get a room in the crew dorm section, since there are no beds in a full dome.) He is only required to be on the train, not necessarily in his own car for a deadhead. He also told me Amtrak charges less for a deadhead than if he has passengers, something like $1.95/mile instead of $2.25/mile.

His real fun will start when he gets to San Antonio late at night and has to get to the airport to rent a car so he can follow Sky View as it moves in freight to Palestine. He does't know if UP will come and get it from the Amtrak station right away, or take their time moving it to their yard. He also doesn't know how quickly they will move it to Palestine. It's 250 miles, but he's allowing five days for the move.

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

Well finally after I have missed it 3 times, and after a longish wait it arrived, on a nice clear November day!!



Yes the Ringling Bros Barnum and Bailey Circus Train (RED) passed through Chesterton about and hour ago with NS 6798 (SD60M) leading NS 8842 (C40-9).

The full video is here

RBBB Red Train

---

Cool, Bernie. I probably won't be able to catch it anywhere, though. Especially since the sun sets at 4:45 now.

Update from Mike: due to flooding in the San Antonio area, Amtrak is annulling 21 at Fort Worth and busing passengers the rest of the way. He won't know until here gets there (if then) how long he will have to wait or whether he will have power on the car while it sits.

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

There have been a few things worthy of posting however I have been distracted and not got them ready for posting!!

However today LNER Peppercorn Class A1 60163 Tornado came to town



It was hauling the Belmond British Pullman lunch train



For those who are unaware it was built in 2008, the first steam train to be built in the UK for 48 years

Also it is the only example of an LNER Peppercorn Class A1 locomotive in existence, the entirety of the original production batch having been scrapped without preservation.

Unfortunately I was expecting it to pass on the opposite platform, however as you can see it came in on the platform I was on!!



Bit too close for a good shot.

Full story of 60163 HERE I would have linked to the main site but Google said it may have been hacked!!

Also bringing up the rear was one of the "Royal Train" loco's 67006 "Royal Sovereign"



Which are painted in different colours from the other 67's


Although as you can see it still bears the EWS logo, when in fact the company was sold to Deutsche Bahn, in 2007 and in January 2009 re-branded as DB Schenker.

Wonder if they will get round to painting them in their bright red paint!!

---

Some of the EWS/DB "celebrity" locos will not be re-liveried, but may be re-branded.


As for Tornado - I'm looking forward a few years to when she will be joined by a P2 - to see them both at the Cross, heading up sets bound for Edinburgh (or beyond) would/will be quite a sight.

---

Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

What, No bloody nose on the EWS loco? ;)

---

The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Nice pics, Bernie. I have identified a long list of mine to post for you... if I ever find the time to do a bit of processing on some of them.

Update from Texas: Mike spent one day in Ft. Worth, in the company of two other private cars, and with HEP supplied by the protect engine Amtrak keeps there.

With a 36 hour layover in San Antonio, he visited the Alamo and the Riverwalk. He does NOT recommend the Days Inn. I haven't heard, but today he's probably either hanging out in the UP yard or following Sky View across the state.

Did you happen to catch METX (or are they NIRC?) 97 and 99 going by MH? Turns out they can only go 65 MPH due to their gearing, but the Heritage Corridor where they will run has a maximum speed of 79. One of them made a couple of trips on the MILW-West line, in the company of another unit, before being assigned to Heritage. They look a bit odd in the same paint as the 400-series MP36s but without the pointy nose.

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

http://www.news8000.com/news/emergency-crews-on-scene-of-train-derailment-north-of-alma/36318314

ALMA, Wis. (WKBT) -

Ethanol has been leaked into the Mississippi River in Buffalo County after a train derailed Saturday morning.

The Buffalo County Sheriff's Office said it happened just north of Alma around 8:50 a.m.

---

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2015/11/08/Crude-oil-leaks-from-derailed-train-cars-in-southern-Wisconsin/1541447024341/?spt=hs&or=tn_us

WATERTOWN, Wis., Nov. 8 (UPI) -- A train carrying crude oil derailed in southern Wisconsin Sunday, causing some oil to leak, according to officials.

The train, which was owned and operated by Canadian Pacific Railway, was headed eastbound when at least 10 cars derailed at about 2 p.m. in Watertown, Wis., CP spokesman Martin Cej said.

"We're trying to ascertain how much is oil is leaking," Cej said. "This isn't confirmed, but it could be from a single car and one puncture."

Cej said CP teams have been sent to assist local authorities at the site. There have so far been no reports of fires or injuries in the incident, which comes one day after more than 30 cars on a train operated by BNSF Railway derailed in Alma, a city in western Wisconsin, spilling thousands of gallons of ethanol into the Mississippi River.

---

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2015/11/08/Crude-oil-leaks-from-derailed-train-cars-in-southern-Wisconsin/1541447024341/?spt=hs&or=tn_us

WATERTOWN, Wis., Nov. 8 (UPI) -- A train carrying crude oil derailed in southern Wisconsin Sunday, causing some oil to leak, according to officials.

The train, which was owned and operated by Canadian Pacific Railway, was headed eastbound when at least 10 cars derailed at about 2 p.m. in Watertown, Wis., CP spokesman Martin Cej said.

"We're trying to ascertain how much is oil is leaking," Cej said. "This isn't confirmed, but it could be from a single car and one puncture."

Cej said CP teams have been sent to assist local authorities at the site. There have so far been no reports of fires or injuries in the incident, which comes one day after more than 30 cars on a train operated by BNSF Railway derailed in Alma, a city in western Wisconsin, spilling thousands of gallons of ethanol into the Mississippi River.

Amtrak 7 departed Chicago as normal, getting as far as Milwaukee before it was sent back to Chicago and eventually departed after midnight via BNSF (through Naperville), probably getting back on its normal route at LaCrosse.

Last I heard, BNSF expected to have one track at Alma open about now and the other at noon.

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

From CNBC

Shares of Norfolk Southern spiked Monday after a report that the company was being eyed by Canadian Pacific.

According to a Bloomberg report, railway company Canadian Pacific is exploring a possible takeover bid of the U.S. transportation company.

Shares of Norfolk Southern surged more than 12 percent after being temporarily halted. Shares of Canadian Pacific were up over 6 percent.

Good or bad?

Also California Zephyr in service disruption both ways, the 6 due at Chicago today is no longer showing on map and 5 due to leave, hasn't. Also Southwest Chief 4 is currently over 5 hours late.

---

From CNBC

Shares of Norfolk Southern spiked Monday after a report that the company was being eyed by Canadian Pacific.

According to a Bloomberg report, railway company Canadian Pacific is exploring a possible takeover bid of the U.S. transportation company.

Shares of Norfolk Southern surged more than 12 percent after being temporarily halted. Shares of Canadian Pacific were up over 6 percent.

Good or bad?

Good for me. I bought 100 shares of NS right before it tanked earlier this year.

<goes to check> Well, it was up over $11, but now it's down $4 from that high.

[edit]
Without having read any articles about it yet, my first reaction is that NS will say "no thanks" like CSX did not too long ago.
[/edit]

Also California Zephyr in service disruption both ways, the 6 due at Chicago today is no longer showing on map and 5 due to leave, hasn't. Also Southwest Chief 4 is currently over 5 hours late.

I'll see what I can find out.

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

From CNBC

Shares of Norfolk Southern spiked Monday after a report that the company was being eyed by Canadian Pacific.

According to a Bloomberg report, railway company Canadian Pacific is exploring a possible takeover bid of the U.S. transportation company.

Shares of Norfolk Southern surged more than 12 percent after being temporarily halted. Shares of Canadian Pacific were up over 6 percent.

Good or bad?

Good for me. I bought 100 shares of NS right before it tanked earlier this year.

<goes to check> Well, it was up over $11, but now it's down $4 from that high.

[edit]
Without having read any articles about it yet, my first reaction is that NS will say "no thanks" like CSX did not too long ago.
[/edit]

I, too, hold NS in one of my retirement accounts. Not tracking the stock price, as long as the dividend holds up, I'm happy. Will check on the news later.

---

Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

So here's what I heard about Amtrak.

First of all, BNSF derailed an ethanol train in Alma, WI. This does not affect Amtrak directly because it runs on CP, across the river from Alma. BNSF detoured Z-CHCSSE and Z-CHCPTL (top priority intermodal Chicago to South Seattle and Portland) via Iowa. I don't know, but probably north from Omaha to regain their normal route.

Then CP derailed an oil train in Wisconsin. Apparently, Amtrak 7's power was turned on the wye at Sturtevant, WI (about 2/3 of the way from Chicago to Milwaukee; I still don't understand why they didn't turn the whole train -- I think the tail track on the wye is long enough) and the train was pulled backwards back to Chicago. As I mentioned, it departed Chicago again shortly after midnight, taking BNSF to LaCrosse, WI, apparently still backwards. It would be easy to run forwards to LaCrosse on BNSF, back onto CP, make the station stop, back across the river and south, then head north forward, and it seems that this is the maneuver they in fact made... except that they never turned the train around at Chicago, so it ran backwards all the way to MSP (and probably all the way to Seattle and Portland).

Amtrak 8 was annulled at MSP and became today's 7. Passengers bused both ways to /from Chicago.

Meanwhile, BNSF derailed another train at Danville, IA (just west of Burlington). Amtrak 6 was annulled at Ottumwa. Today's 5's passengers were put on 3 and bused from Galesburg to Ottumwa. Not sure if 6's passengers did the opposite or just bused all the way. But this was also the detour route for the Z trains; however, Alma was supposed to be open by now, so they may be back on their normal route.

And just to make it interesting, CP rolled a couple of hoppers on their sides just outside of Bensenville Yard. Not an Amtrak route and apparently no delays to Metra (which owns the mainline there).

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

More details:

It appears the problem in Danville is that a road grader got in front of a coal train and derailed the two engines and 25 cars. Amtrak 3 had extra cars to carry 5's passengers to Galesburg, which will be cut off at Kansas City and return on 4 tomorrow.

7 will terminate at Spokane, with passengers buses to Seattle and Portland, because there wouldn't be time for it to go all the way, turn around, and get out on time as the next 8/28.

And just to keep the Amtrak Operations people busy, train 92, the northbound Silver Star, hit a stalled logging truck 12 miles past its stop at Camden, SC. Passengers buses to Washington. Train will be taken empty when possible, maybe with a freight engine leading.

---

David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

That is a lot, and Friday the 13th is later in the week ........

---

That is a lot, and Friday the 13th is later in the week ........

You had to say that out loud........

---

Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired