Dashing through the snow: Winter has finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest, and with it comes more trouble for Amtrak's Empire Builder. Running some six hours late on a snowy Saturday, westbound No. 7 rumbles across the Skykomish River with BNSF 1051 being the only functioning locomotive on the train. AMTK 91 had been isolated west of Spokane and was providing HEP only, leaving AMTK 166 as the train's sole motive power -- until it too died, stranding the train on the main ten miles east of Wenatchee until BNSF was able to send a rescue engine out to Rock Island and continue the slow westward trek. One hopes that to offset the delays, the passengers took some small comfort in enjoying the opportunity to experience a rare daylight run through the snow-blanketed Cascade Range.
