Yet another Amtrak long-distance train is running late, as Amtrak train 3, the westbound Southwest Chief, is five hours behind schedule as it passes through Cajon, California, at 10:55 am. How did this train get so late? This train was on schedule from Chicago to Raton Pass. Eastbound train 4, nearing Albuquerque, was having engine issues, and so westbound 3 "donated" P42DC 41 to the ailing train 4. While that help the eastbound train, it left the westbound train with just one locomotive – P42DC 60. Amtrak 4 departed Albuquerque 25 minutes late, and somewhere in western New Mexico engine 90 began to overheat. Train 3 limped into Gallup NM and the crew headed off to grab a BNSF freight engine to assist them. From Gallup west Amtrak 3 was powered by BNSF AC44C4 7092 and AMTK P42DC 60 – but late trains keep getting later, and part of this old axiom is because freight locomotives have a lower top speed than passenger engines. As a result, the train continued to lose time as it traveled across Arizona and the California desert. And late schedules also require additional crew changes as well, with train 3's crew set to hit their 12-hour limit between San Bernardino and Los Angeles (their final destination), and so the train got a new crew in San Bernardino. And then there were PTC issues near Riverside, creating yet another 15-minute delay. This train arrived in Los Angeles nearly six-hours late. (Cajon Pass, California – June 27, 2020) Thanks to my friend Kevin Tweed, who was riding this train the whole way, for live updates on its journey.
