Tadman wrote: ↑Thu Feb 06, 2020 6:15 pm
Ridgefielder wrote: ↑Tue Jan 28, 2020 12:23 pm
I'm not saying this to be a jerk-- it's a genuine question. Have you ever driven across eastern Montana, the Dakotas or western Minnesota?
Nope, but I grew up in one of the heaviest snow belts in the country, the farm fields off Lake Michigan. We got multiple feet of snow all winter and it blew and drifted like crazy.
That doesn't have any bearing on the fact that if it's dangerous to drive 2+ hours, it's probably dangerous to drive 30 minutes to the station, or even ten minutes to the station.
Different animals altogether. Lake effect is fluffy and/or wet and there’s tons of it. Winds can be strong but it’s rarely below zero. You’ll get stuck in snowbanks all over, but as long as it has a plow your train should be fine. From western Minnesota out to the Great Plains, you get temps down to -40, 60+ mph winds, and the really fine, powdery snow that feels like a sandblaster against your skin. Plays hell with electrical systems apparently, definitely with air brake systems and rails, and unless it’s a life-or-death emergency I’d never send anyone out in that kind of weather.
BNSF, CN, CP, Amtrak, VIA and the short lines have to be extremely careful to keep their crews (and passengers) safe.