This evening on the 11:00 clock news on NBC4 (6/21/2010) there was extensive coverage and video of the breakdown of a MARC HHP8 locomotive pulling what looked like 6-8 bilevel cars on the Penn Line. The locomotive failed and so did the HEP so passengers were overcome by the heat and removed the emergency windows to escape from the heat inside the train. According to the report, the passengers called police and ambulances and no one seemed to know what the MARC (i.e. Amtrak) crew was doing. MARC apparently issued an apology late Monday evening. The NBC4 video was quite dramatic.
Those 6 HHP-8 locs have had problems from the start. They are the most unreliable engines on the fleet.
More problems for MARC and Amtrak this PM beginning with a loss of catenary power at Union Station @ 5:00PM followed by a tree blown down by a thunderstorm on the NEC south of BWI. Trains cancelled and bus bridge in effect.
IIRC yesterday there were reports of the catenary sagging due to the heat on parts of the NEC and CSX has been restricting speeds on its lines as well.
Quote from: mrpete on June 22, 2010, 11:29:07 PM
More problems for MARC and Amtrak this PM beginning with a loss of catenary power at Union Station @ 5:00PM followed by a tree blown down by a thunderstorm on the NEC south of BWI. Trains cancelled and bus bridge in effect.
IIRC yesterday there were reports of the catenary sagging due to the heat on parts of the NEC and CSX has been restricting speeds on its lines as well.
I took the last Camden Line train (P856) and we had run into problems around Jessup. After we left Savage, we had a clear signal but when we got to Jessup, the signals were red and the engineer had to slam on the brakes. As soon as we passed the signal, lightning knocked out the signals and we sat for about 15 minutes.
I also heard on WTOP there was a tree down on the Penn Line in the evening suspending AMTK and MARC service for an hour or so.
Yesterday was a great day to drive between DC and Baltimore. On my way to the Orioles game, rush hour traffic between the two cities was much lighter than normal, and there was only one significant slowdown on 95 North from near 32 to 175 due to tow trucks clearing an accident on the shoulder.
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on June 23, 2010, 12:02:11 PM
I also heard on WTOP there was a tree down on the Penn Line in the evening suspending AMTK and MARC service for an hour or so.
Yesterday was a great day to drive between DC and Baltimore. On my way to the Orioles game, rush hour traffic between the two cities was much lighter than normal, and there was only one significant slowdown on 95 North from near 32 to 175 due to tow trucks clearing an accident on the shoulder.
Orioles game...it also helps for traffic that the Orioles pathetic record this year (19-51) and many longtime fans turning their backs on the team until Angelos dies/sells has killed fan interest in the Orioles. In turn leading to less traffic.
Quote from: Scrabbleship on June 23, 2010, 12:27:50 PM
Quote from: WMATAGMOAGH on June 23, 2010, 12:02:11 PM
I also heard on WTOP there was a tree down on the Penn Line in the evening suspending AMTK and MARC service for an hour or so.
Yesterday was a great day to drive between DC and Baltimore. On my way to the Orioles game, rush hour traffic between the two cities was much lighter than normal, and there was only one significant slowdown on 95 North from near 32 to 175 due to tow trucks clearing an accident on the shoulder.
Orioles game...it also helps for traffic that the Orioles pathetic record this year (19-51) and many longtime fans turning their backs on the team until Angelos dies/sells has killed fan interest in the Orioles. In turn leading to less traffic.
I'll concede, one of the upsides to the team sucking is that there is no traffic coming into Baltimore before games, parking in the stadium lots is plentiful, good seats are available at the box office right before the game, and there are no lines in the bathroom after the game; in fact, I was the only person in the restroom much of the time I was using it. However, the Orioles on-field performance has little to no impact on traffic on I-95 between the beltways.
Day 3 of MARC meltdown week
Camden Line gets it this time. The train before mine (P852) ran an hour late with engine problems causing my train (P854) that already was late getting to DC to be even later. Ugh, it's going to be a rough week commuting.
The latest MARC meltdowns happened yesterday at both ends of the day. First DC-bound train #411's locomotive broke down at New Carrollton in the AM rush. During the PM rush a coach suffered a brake problem and had to be cut of its train at Union. But then..... train#538 overran the Odenton station whose passengers had to go to BWI where Amtrak transferred them, approx. 150, to a southbound Acela that made an unscheduled stop at Odenton. According to an email from Amtrak to MARC riders today, the engineer of 538 didn't slow down in time to stop at Odenton!! And because another train was close behind he couldn't back up to the platform! According to the email Amtrak's CEO was at Odenton on mea culpa duty this morning.
Later that evening (yesterday) train #446, last run of the day, encountered problems that resulted in it getting to Penn Station 115 minutes late!!
The Camden Line also had issues with signal problems during the PM rush during and after the thunderstorms went through. An all to common occurrence on CSX in the Summer. BTW CSX is getting out of the passenger service contracting business.
Quote from: mrpete on June 29, 2010, 05:34:02 PM
The latest MARC meltdowns happened yesterday at both ends of the day. First DC-bound train #411's locomotive broke down at New Carrollton in the AM rush. During the PM rush a coach suffered a brake problem and had to be cut of its train at Union. But then..... train#538 overran the Odenton station whose passengers had to go to BWI where Amtrak transferred them, approx. 150, to a southbound Acela that made an unscheduled stop at Odenton. According to an email from Amtrak to MARC riders today, the engineer of 538 didn't slow down in time to stop at Odenton!! And because another train was close behind he couldn't back up to the platform! According to the email Amtrak's CEO was at Odenton on mea culpa duty this morning.
Later that evening (yesterday) train #446, last run of the day, encountered problems that resulted in it getting to Penn Station 115 minutes late!!
The Camden Line also had issues with signal problems during the PM rush during and after the thunderstorms went through. An all to common occurrence on CSX in the Summer. BTW CSX is getting out of the passenger service contracting business.
538 is starting to become a cursed train and just so ironic that it broke down last Monday and has been running late all since last week. As for Brunswick and Camden, there is rumor that Keolis might be a bidder for those two lines. Amtrak might be as well. I know the state had renewed the contract with CSX at least through 2012 for operations and 2015 for access rights.
Another point of view:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/02/AR2010070204789.html