What if it Snows?

Passenger Train is stuck in the hills of Oregon, And Or58 next to it is closed.

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Come on Dave let's Bring back 1883......

Global climate
In the year following the 1883 Krakatoa eruption, average Northern Hemisphere summer temperatures fell by as much as 1.2 °C (2.2 °F).[12] Weather patterns continued to be chaotic for years, and temperatures did not return to normal until 1888.[12] The record rainfall that hit Southern California during the water year from July 1883 to June 1884 – Los Angeles received 38.18 inches (969.8 mm) and San Diego 25.97 inches (659.6 mm)[13] – has been attributed to the Krakatoa eruption.[14] There was no El Niño during that period as is normal when heavy rain occurs in Southern California,[15] but many scientists doubt that there was a causal relationship.[16]

The Krakatoa eruption injected an unusually large amount of sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas high into the stratosphere, which was subsequently transported by high-level winds all over the planet. This led to a global increase in sulfuric acid (H2SO4) concentration in high-level cirrus clouds. The resulting increase in cloud reflectivity (or albedo) reflected more incoming light from the sun than usual, and cooled the entire planet until the suspended sulfur fell to the ground as acid precipitation.[17]

1883 eruption of Krakatoa - Wikipedia

 

Don't the local people own chain saws? Why didn't they go over and cut up the tree?

 

I believe the current problem is the 4+ feet of snow. Union Pacific is trying to get one of the radial snow blowers in there and get the people off the train in Eugene.

 

Those trees are probably from a national forest so no harvest without appropriate gov't oversight.

Also, the hippies chased out the loggers decades ago..........

 

Uh huh gee the brainless Caltrans has once again closed Donner.

 

There have been stories of railroads stuck for weeks in high snows in that part of the USA, Donner to be specific. They used teams of 12 engines to ram the snow drifts and reverse and repeat. All that power would just get the first engine buried in about 15 feet and then pulled out again before the snow had a chance to set like cement.

As far as 4 feet, snow mobiles should have been the ability to get the saws on scene. And the engine itself would with a cable done the pull to clear the track for itself. Otherwise chop until small peices.

You would think the Train crews would keep 10 or so saws in a crate aboard and find passengers capable of running them and chop that up in good order. As far as snow drifts and rotaries there are not that many on the system. You would find them clearing Donner and other lines for the freight that has to go through. It's more important than people. (Should be the other way around you would think..)

In the end with that kind of snow, they should have just canceled or suspended the service entirely until the weather is better or until the track is known to be clear. Until there are changes trains will continue to get trapped in the future.

 

You all do realize chainsaws for harvesting are a historical relic?