My uncle the retired engineer told me to always carry spare fuses on Amtrak

Last month I was riding from Denver to Glenwood Springs and the lights went out in my car. The conductor said it was a minor electrical issue but it took them almost 2 hours to find the right fuse. My uncle Frank used to work for Union Pacific and he told me years ago to always bring a small pouch with spare fuses and a multi-tool. I laughed it off because I thought the train crew would have everything. Turns out they had no spare fuses on board and had to radio ahead to get one. We sat there in the dark with no AC while they waited. Now I carry a little kit in my bag with 3 different sizes of fuses and a tiny screwdriver. Has anyone else had a train delay that could have been fixed faster with a simple part?

2 comments

2 Comments

emmasmith15d ago

I used to roll my eyes at my grandpa's advice about carrying random parts until I got stuck on a Coast Starlight somewhere near Oxnard. The bathroom lights went out for a whole hour and a half just because they needed a specific glass fuse that nobody had. Now I keep a little Altoids tin with four different fuse sizes and a mini flashlight in my backpack. It's funny how the smallest things can stop a whole train dead in its tracks.

jessica_dixon15d ago

Right @emmasmith? My uncle was right too, I now carry fuses everywhere after being stuck in the dark for hours.