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Post by smr on Dec 31, 2017 13:11:01 GMT -5
Thank you, Kev & Scott !! Best, Sven
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Post by zscalehobo on Jan 9, 2018 20:16:37 GMT -5
Well, speak of the devil ... here's a view of the tracks today: In this photo provided by Santa Barbara County Fire Department, the main line of the Union Pacific Railroad through Montecito, California is blocked with mudflow and debris due to heavy rains (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP)
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Post by cwrr on Jan 9, 2018 23:26:17 GMT -5
Dang, Southern Cal just can't catch a break.........
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Post by kevsmithnkp on Jan 10, 2018 0:44:27 GMT -5
Well.....
I'm right in the middle of it in more ways than one.
Sadly Dad passed away on Friday after a rough couple of weeks and so far, since I came, we have had the tail end of the Thomas fire, an earthquake (although the locals called it a tremor), torrential rain, mudslides,multiple fatalities and Highway 101 closed.
Helicopters ( including National Guard and coast Guard) are flying over the Motel every 2 minutes evacuating people from Montecino and we had to deploy a high capacity waterpump today to keep the water away from my Mom's house.
There is also a plague of rats around and a flu epidemic in the county!
I have managed to get down to the coast line on only a couple of occasions, today was a procession of hy-rail trucks and diggers going to remove the boulders.
Not the best week I've had!
Kev
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Post by Commodore on Jan 10, 2018 11:02:03 GMT -5
Thanks Kev: Appreciate the report. Am so sorry about your dad. Hope you and your mother do well from here, on out. There's always hope. ...even in such awfulness. You've got my prayers and all of our best wishes.
Rory
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Post by cwrr on Jan 10, 2018 23:33:17 GMT -5
Kev, so sorry to hear about your Dad.
Prayers to you and your family.
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Post by kevsmithnkp on Jan 15, 2018 1:25:41 GMT -5
Thank you all for your messages of condolence. When I get back to the U'k I'll post a short profile of Dad who was himself a railfan and photographer and the reason I grew up to be the man I am. He had spent the last 40 years in the USA as one of the leading authorities on MG Sports cars, editing magazines and attending sports car rallies on behalf of Moss motors
In between sorting out dad's affairs ( The US legal system is a nightmare and SOoooo... long winded compared to the U.K) I have managed to get and photograph and film Amtrak's response to the mudslides that have been so deadly in this area.I have never seen so many people on the platform of Santa Barbara station. Word has it that the conductor said " it is like a japanese subway train on there!" They have bought in a load of extra cars to increase capacity including, I believe, some cars borrowed off VIA.
As 101 is still unlikely to be fully reopened this week I'm going to have to fly Santa Barbara to LAX to catch my flight and sadly won't get chance to meet up with anybody in the Z community this time. better luck next time Eh?
Kev
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Post by cjhayes2424 on Jan 15, 2018 10:35:25 GMT -5
Sorry for your loss. God Bless you and your Family.
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Post by markm on Jan 16, 2018 16:15:37 GMT -5
Kev,
If it's any consolation to a lousy trip for you. you probably saw a unique collection of passenger cars in one place. The state, which owns the rolling stock that Amtrak operates for us, has sent every available piece of equipment from the north for the Surfliner: Capitol Corridor, San Joaquin and CalTrain . They have also cut service on the Capitol Corridor to send equipment. I have heard that some Amtrak Cascades equipment has made it down there. I don't know about VIA.
Hope your trip back is better than your stay.
Mark
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Post by kevsmithnkp on Jan 20, 2018 14:11:33 GMT -5
Well it was an intense two weeks for sure. After the storm and the mudslides the area was a mess with 101 showing no sign of reopening any time soon but U.P got the line open fairly quickly (Although the U.P engineer described the track as 'Squishy' when a train passed over it. I caught some of the recovery crew heading to the blockage through Goleta in a convoy of Hy-rails running 100 yards apart. As Mark said a load of extra cars were brought in and they started topping and tailing the trains with a diesel on either end. F59 #450 has just arrived at Santa Barbara bound for San Diego with #464 on the back This shot shows a Surfliner in normal times formation with a cab car at the other end at Santa Barbara Last time I photographed trains in Goleta and Santa Barbara F40s still ruled the roost and the F59s and P42s were the new kids on the block! Now it is all new to me with the Dash8-32s very evident over the last few days More in a minute Kev
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Post by kevsmithnkp on Jan 20, 2018 14:21:51 GMT -5
I never got to see a freight train going through though I heard them from the hotel but did manage to catch train 11 'Coast starlight' one lunchtime Big surprise was finding ATSF 33 'Redwood Empire' on the back This is giving me all sort of ideas next time I have Shasta running, might need to get another F59 set! quite a long video of train movements can be found at Anyway, with 101 kaput I had to ring the rental company and explain that getting the car back to lAX was going to be a nightmare and they very helpfully told me I could leave it at Santa Barbara airport if I wanted to fly down without it affecting the rental agreement So.. I flew on a United Express 50 seat Canadair 200RJ to L.A, tiny little thing, and then got on an British Airways A380 seating 800. Quite a contrast! Kev
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Post by markm on Jan 21, 2018 6:27:09 GMT -5
Kev, FYI: US101 is expected to reopen by Monday morning. And just to show how interesting California weather can get, an artic storm that was forecast to hit me over the weekend slid down the coast and the state roads website is reporting snow in the mountains between SB/LA/SD. Private cars aren't unusual on the end of Amtrak Coast Starlight and California Zephyr trains. Usually they're light weight cars, a dome car and sleeper(s). www.ssloan.net/trains/amtrak/_images0001/am0159_0003.jpgHeavyweight cars are a bit more rare, although from all the images posted from the 15th, it seems that ATSF 33 was well publicized.
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Post by Commodore on Jan 21, 2018 20:29:02 GMT -5
Yep
I don't know the owner but ATSF 33 has an 800 thousand reporting mark. It displays number PPCX 800233. Private Varnish, alright. Amtrak started requiring them when I was a director.
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Post by markm on Jan 21, 2018 20:45:34 GMT -5
I had read it's owned by the Indiana Railroad and/or it's president.
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Post by Commodore on Jan 22, 2018 23:33:55 GMT -5
Privately held RR, no doubt. Check the handbook of railroad officials.
Kev, thanks again for your video. I was very interested in the Amtrak efforts to serve the public needs.
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