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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 27 February 2019
Passengers band together on train stuck in Oregon mountains

By ANDREW SELSKY "a grand West Coast train
Associated Press adventure."
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — An Am- "Break free of congested
trak train with almost 200 airports and freeways to
people aboard hit downed get up-close-and-personal
trees during a blizzard and with America's spectacu-
got stranded in the Oregon lar West Coast. Hug rocky
mountains for a day and a coastlines, glide beside the
half, but passengers and majestic Cascade Moun-
crew banded together tains," the site says.
during the ordeal that end- In this case, however, na-
ed Tuesday. ture trumped modern hu-
"It was really nice to meet man conveyances.
people pulling together," After the train began mov-
passenger Tracy Rhodes, of ing again Tuesday, Dodson
Scottsdale, Arizona, said in posted a video on Face-
a phone interview after the book admiring the view.
train that had been travel- "We are moving and it's
ing from Seattle to Los An- totally awesome," she said
geles rolled back into the as trees laden with snow
college town of Eugene, swept past a window. "Isn't
Oregon, with a clanging it beautiful? I'm so excited."
bell announcing its arriv- Carly Bigby, a teacher
al. Passengers spilled out, aboard the train, had been
some waving their arms visiting Eugene with her fi-
high in jubilation. ance and was trying to
During the 36 hours that the figure out how to get back
train was stuck, younger home to Klamath Falls.
passengers helped older "I am exhausted," she told
ones reach their families to KOIN, a Portland TV station.
let them know they were all The highway to Klamath
right, said Rhodes, who was Falls was snowbound and
traveling with her brother impassable. With no way to
to visit their 82-year-old reach her mother, Rhodes
mother in Klamath Falls, planned to fly home to Ari-
Oregon. A "mom brigade" Jordyn Hooper, right, and her four-year-old daughter Quinn Hooper, left, join other passengers as zona.
they disembark from an Amtrak train in Eugene, Ore, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019 after being stranded
was formed to take care of overnight in the mountains east of town. "She is definitely disappoint-
and entertain the children, Associated Press ed, but is glad we're safe,"
she said. she said. The train retreated
"People were being very by. Some passengers grew with cards they bought in said. to the north Tuesday after-
kind to each other, being impatient. the cafe. Others sent im- "People were great. The noon, heading back to
friends," Rhodes said. "It re- "This is hell and it's getting ages and video of passen- train crew was amazing," Seattle. Some passengers
stores your faith." worse," Rebekah Dodson gers gazing out the window said Marsha Trujillo, from including Rhodes got off in
The trouble began Sunday posted on Facebook after at the snowy landscape or Martinez, California. "They Portland. The train's journey
evening, when the double- 30 hours, along with pho- napping to social media. were so professional and so further north was delayed
decker Coast Starlight train tos of herself and other Amtrak Executive Vice Pres- kind. We really wanted for for at least two hours, pas-
struck a tree that had fall- passengers smiling into the ident and Chief Operating nothing except for maybe sengers were told, after a
en onto the tracks, Amtrak camera. Officer Scot Naparstek said someplace comfortable to railroad bridge over the
said. The train with 183 passen- the railroad regretted the lie down, and a shower." Columbia River between
Rhodes said the train gers still had electricity, extended delay. The Coast Starlight bills itself Oregon and Washington
stopped suddenly but not heat and food. Some peo- "With more than a foot of on the Amtrak website as state caught fire.q
violently. She was told the ple took the long unsched- heavy snow and numerous
engine hit several snow- uled stop with a sense of trees blocking the track, we
laden trees and that one humor. made every decision in the
snapped back, damaging "The food hoarding has be- best interest of the safety of
a hose assembly providing gun. I'm considering saving our customers," Naparstek
air pressure for the brakes. half my dinner steak and said, adding that custom-
The train was repaired making jerky on the room ers would get refunds and
enough to move forward a heater," Rhodes tweeted. other compensation.
short distance to Oakridge, She and her brother had Amtrak spokeswoman
Oregon, a town 1,200 feet sleeping berths. Olivia Irvin said weather
(366 meters) high in the "We were fed very well. and track obstructions re-
Cascade Range that was Steak at night, hot break- mained an issue and that
dealing with its own prob- fast in the morning," she the Coast Starlight would
lems — a blackout and said. Coach passengers run only south of Sacra-
snow and debris-covered were given beef stew with mento until Friday.
roads. mashed potatoes, she not- The crew of 13 dealt with
Railroad officials decided ed. the situation as best they
to keep the passengers To pass the time, Rhodes could. With diapers running
on board instead of letting and her brother browsed short, a worker in the cafe
them into the town of 3,200 the internet and played improvised with napkins
people. The hours ticked war, speed and cribbage and safety pins, Rhodes