Amtrak makes unscheduled stop at Agency, Iowa and gets passed by BNSF coal train

It's July 30, 2011, and the eastbound California Zephyr has to stop for a red signal on the BNSF in Agency, Iowa. Most trains would stop somewhere else, but the Zephyr is short enough to fit between the railroad crossings. I had a talk with a man who opened the door window to the dining car. He said they were waiting for six freight trains to go by. They left after only two had passed by.
The first freight train is a BNSF empty coal train higher than average engine count of five. All the coal cars are marked JHMX for the Alabama Power Company. The coal train slows down quite a bit as it passes Amtrak #6. After this train went by, I went inside to get out of the heat for a bit and missed the second freight that went through.
The last clip begins with me under the shade of the trees (it was a hot day) as Amtrak #6 finally gets to leave after a fifty minute wait. Both of these trains were also caught by RUclips user highrails133 in Ottumwa: • BNSF Ottumwa, IA .
California Zephyr consist:
Amtrak 124 P42DC
Amtrak 81 P42DC
1257 Baggage Car
39021 Transition Sleeper
31020 Coach/Baggage
34001 Coach
34034 Coach
33037 Sightseer Lounge
38049 Diner
32081 Sleeper
32085 Sleeper
32016 Sleeper
Coal train engines:
BNSF 5940 ES44AC
BNSF 8928 SD70MAC
BNSF 5951 ES44AC
BNSF 8836 SD70MAC
BNSF 9252 SD70ACe

[@ATrainVideo]

It's Amtrak's train #6, the California Zephyr, from Emeryville, CA to Chicago, IL.

[@adamghimenti6988]

Great catch

[@ATrainVideo]

It's a sleeping car that has the door on one side at a low level (to get to the baggage car) and the other door is at a higher level to get to the rest of the train. All of the other cars have doors at the upper level. Transition sleepers are used as dorms for the onboard crew.

[@ATrainVideo]

By law, they have to give priority Amtrak trains. But if there's no way to get Amtrak around the freight trains, then they have to wait.

[@adamghimenti6988]

Nice catch

[@bkriegel95]

Nice catches! Gotta love those bright orange BNSF SD70ACes!

[@DELTA1978THETA]

Nice catch! Miss Amtrak a ton!

[@TrainsofMississippi]

That must have been one busy day then.

[@papas1107]

Thanks for the info hope to ride the California zephyr soon

[@ATrainVideo]

They do. This is what happens when there's no room to get Amtrak around the freights.

[@DougCeleste]

I had been told that the freights have the priority over Amtrak. When I traveled from Oakland, CA. to Denver, CO. in 1991, it took my mom and I 33 hours to make the trip and the BIGGEST reason it took us so long to get to Denver was because we had to make stops while waiting for freights to pass us. That was such a pain!

[@ATrainVideo]

Thank you.

[@nedturner7405]

trains in dc alot more late than the california zephyr! i went to dc last month and almost everything was late the trains the buses the airplanes everything

[@ATrainVideo]

Thanks.

[@JonathanTuom]

Nice video I have been on the empire builder, but I have not made it out to the midwest.
John

[@madskyltd]

i am surprised, i thought that east-west line along the southern route through osceola and stuff had a double track all the way across the state? guess not. we had a police scanner when i was growing up and frequencies the then-milwaukee road / Soo line would use, but we never caught any chatter as they came through our tiny town

[@claydog1299]

My grandparents live right next to union pacific railroad in grand mound

[@larryrwendelljr4465]

How to Chief Wapello gravesite? Just curious. Great video catch, you don't that very often. Nice belch too, lol

[@jgabby_0111]

The freight train is SO long.

[@ATrainVideo]

I live about a block away from the tracks.

[@ATrainVideo]

No, this is the Ottumwa Subdivision.

[@ATrainVideo]

Chief Wapello's Grave is about half a mile due east of here.

[@ATrainVideo]

That's not a 3. That's an 8 that has been partially worn off.

[@sclm046]

Wow, pretty big BNSF delay. This makes UP look like the good guy.

[@TrainsofMississippi]

Don't freight trains have to by law let passenger trains pass first?

[@larryrwendelljr4465]

Meant to say, How far from the ole' Chief's Grave was this Amtrak?

[@TheNWClassA1218]

Nice!!!

[@mrshea924]

"Go ahead, fifty-nine forty."

[@ATrainVideo]

You're welcome.

[@rattacular12]

Just curious but which law is this?

[@papas1107]

witch route was that

[@claydog1299]

Do u live right next to the railroad tracks

[@JoshuaWilliams-qd8iq]

Making Amtrak wait for freight is Illegal!!!!

[@LilGille913]

is this on the transcon?

[@nxtyrjrslm]

we are not late enough , let us stop here.

[@yarchem]

...180 in.

[@Mirageman0373]

nice name goffy

[@mariacarmona7531]

Que cosa

[@papas1107]

amtrak

[@metrasnakieasaurus1066]

Great video! Great train action!!! My son would love some subscribers to his channel..#MetraSnakieAsaurus

[@ATrainVideo]

You're welcome.