I saw this on MSNBC. I’m guesing the stranded train, #176, is the Sunset Limted.
I believe it happened near San Antonio so it was either the Sunset or the Texas Eagle.
Mark
It was the Sunset Limited (Amtrak #1)
Because of the bad flooding in our area, particularly to the west of us, passengers are being transported by busses from San Antonio to El Paso.
Here is a related story on the train and the flooding in the San Antonio area:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FLOODING?SITE=TXSAE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT:
I heard that two Amtrak trains were stranded.
just the one, so far as I know. Problem is, if you can’t see the track, you can’t tell if something has happened to it (like a bridge washing out) and also traction motors and water don’t mix. Prudent railroading here…
From what I understand, there is at least on bridge washed out, and some sections of ROW have also been undermined as well.
UP has been working through the night to get the line back in service.
Right now its somewhat sunny in San Antonio…hopefully it will stay that way, because the last thing we need any more of is rain.
There was a washout at MP 269.75, ten miles from AMT #1 at MP 259 and change. Work train was called out of SoSan yesterday with ballast. I understand they are not too far from the source as Traprock, TX is not that far away from the washout.
Sunset LTD runs right through Hondo and Uvalde, so the route would definitely have been flooded by this. Must be a very different sight, given that that area and the area west of the Pecos is usually so dry . . .
Yes, its been a vey unusual summer for us here. I’ve lived in Texas for about 8 years now, and I have never seen it so green.
Here is a video on the subject.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/07/21/bpr.tx.floods.train.passenger.cnn