Amtrak trains detour across Nebraska due to severe weather.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

SERVICE ADVISORY: Due to ongoing severe weather, California Zephyr Train 5 which departed Chicago (CHI) on 5/17 will operate on a detour missing stops Hastings (HAS), Holdrege (HLD), and McCook (MCK). For reservation assistance, call 1-800-872-7245.

Link to tweet

SERVICE ADVISORY: Due to ongoing severe weather, California Zephyr Train 6 which departed Emeryville (EMY) on 5/16 will operate on a detour missing stops McCook (MCK), Holdrege (HLD), and Hastings (HAS). For reservation assistance, call 1-800-872-7245.

Link to tweet

In other news, the northbound Silver Meteor just passed Ashland on the way north, some three hours late.

UPDATE: As of 9:47 PM ET: Silver Meteor Train 98, which departed Miami (MIA) on 5/17, is back on the move operating approx.3hrs 20mins late.

Link to tweet

[2naSalit]

1. Severe weather?

Not opening t-links but looking at weather service info...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. It must be localized, but it was enough to get Amtrak's attention.

And good morning.

Edited to: I can check Broadcastify to see if there is a NOAA weather radio station near Hastings that has something to say.

Here's Grand Island Airport:

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=40.925&lon=-98.3419#.ZGYjmc7MI2w

Here's the website for NOAA Hastings:

https://www.weather.gov/gid/

Radar shows some storms. The link is probably useless.

https://radar.weather.gov/?settings=v1_eyJhZ2VuZGEiOnsiaWQiOiJsb2NhbCIsImNlbnRlciI6Wy05OC40NDEsNDAuMzIyXSwibG9jYXRpb24iOm51bGwsInpvb20iOjguMTI2ODc1NzIxODAzODIsImZpbHRlciI6IldTUi04OEQiLCJsYXllciI6ImJyZWZfcmF3Iiwic3RhdGlvbiI6IktVRVgifSwiYW5pbWF0aW5nIjpmYWxzZSwiYmFzZSI6InN0YW5kYXJkIiwiYXJ0Y2MiOmZhbHNlLCJjb3VudHkiOmZhbHNlLCJjd2EiOmZhbHNlLCJyZmMiOmZhbHNlLCJzdGF0ZSI6ZmFsc2UsIm1lbnUiOnRydWUsInNob3J0RnVzZWRPbmx5Ijp0cnVlLCJvcGFjaXR5Ijp7ImFsZXJ0cyI6MC44LCJsb2NhbCI6MC42LCJsb2NhbFN0YXRpb25zIjowLjgsIm5hdGlvbmFsIjowLjZ9fQ%3D%3D#/

[2naSalit]

3. Must be.

Good morning to you too. It's orange and I'm reconsidering my hiking plans for the day due to air quality but otherwise looks like a nice day.

[Timothyyy]

4. Flooding

Flash flooding. So says my friend who is on the train. I created an account just to post this.

[Prairie_Seagull]

5. Welcome Tim, (can I call you that)? Thanks for the info.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. Hey, thanks. I was suspecting that. Whenever that happens,

the railroad sends out track inspectors to examine the right of way for washouts.

If your friend has a phone, he can locate the railroad frequencies on it via one of those police scanner apps and listen in on the railroad.

Here's some information that's a few hours old.

Eastbound: https://asm.transitdocs.com/train/2023/5/16/A/6

Westbound: https://asm.transitdocs.com/train/2023/5/17/A/5

Thanks again, and good morning.

Welcome to DU.

Edited to add Nebraska railroad frequencies:

https://www.radioreference.com/db/aid/8470

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. I just saw some big (enough) train head north out of Galesburg toward Chicago.

This was at 12:10. It must have been yesterday's eastbound California Zephyr. I know it's not #4, the Southwest Chief, because I watched that leave La Plata, Missouri, about a half-hour ago. There's nothing on the map about this train, but I saw it with my own eyes.

Edited to add: fifteen minutes later, here comes another train from the west coast. The first train had seven passenger cars. So does this one, and a baggage car makes for an eight-car train. Both with two locomotives. This is not the Quincy service. Neither train is on the map, so I have no idea what I'm looking at.

There's a webcam at the station in Princeton, Illinois. I'll be paying that a visit to see if I can learn more.

Edit: Whoops. That camera is in Princeton, Indiana, not Princeton, Illinois. I'm left in the dark.

More editing: It must have been the Chief followed by the Zephyr. They're on the station board at Chicago. Some railfans are going to get lots of pictures today.

https://asm.transitdocs.com/station/CHI