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There really is no set rhyme or reason for the numbering system (as to why some trains have 00, some have 10 and some have 30), but this is how to tell the position of the sleeper.

The car's number is given as a 4 digit number (4910, 5000, 1411, etc...). The first 2 digits are the train number (in the examples #49, #50 and #14). The 4th digit is the position of the sleeper - as far as from the dining car. (The lower the number, the closer to the diner. "0" next to the diner, then "1", etc...).

NOTE: This 4 digit number is not the same as the 5 digit number on the side of the car!
 
Ok, I have a CZ ride coming up, in sleepers 0631 and 0531 on the return trip. So they both have 1 car between it and the diner.

Dennis
 
There really is no set rhyme or reason for the numbering system (as to why some trains have 00, some have 10 and some have 30), but this is how to tell the position of the sleeper.
The car's number is given as a 4 digit number (4910, 5000, 1411, etc...). The first 2 digits are the train number (in the examples #49, #50 and #14). The 4th digit is the position of the sleeper - as far as from the dining car. (The lower the number, the closer to the diner. "0" next to the diner, then "1", etc...).

NOTE: This 4 digit number is not the same as the 5 digit number on the side of the car!
Thanx, my friend, that means I'm next to the diner car except the Zepher leg,which is #31. What does the 3rd # 3 signify,0631?
 
Ok, I have a CZ ride coming up, in sleepers 0631 and 0531 on the return trip. So they both have 1 car between it and the diner.
Dennis
Actually I don't believe that the CZ uses the zero position. So unless they've added a third sleeper this summer and called it 30, your car will be right next to the dining car. The 32 car will be the farther sleeping car. And again assuming that they follow past trends the trans/dorm car will have the farthest walk since the coaches and the lounge car will be between that car and the dining car.
 
There really is no set rhyme or reason for the numbering system (as to why some trains have 00, some have 10 and some have 30), but this is how to tell the position of the sleeper.
The car's number is given as a 4 digit number (4910, 5000, 1411, etc...). The first 2 digits are the train number (in the examples #49, #50 and #14). The 4th digit is the position of the sleeper - as far as from the dining car. (The lower the number, the closer to the diner. "0" next to the diner, then "1", etc...).

NOTE: This 4 digit number is not the same as the 5 digit number on the side of the car!
Thanx, my friend, that means I'm next to the diner car except the Zepher leg,which is #31. What does the 3rd # 3 signify,0631?
That third digit is to differentiate the sleepers from other cars in the consist. In the case of the Zephyr, the coaches are probably all in the 061* range and I think that the trans/dorm is either 0621 or 0641, I can't recall which.

And as I mentioned in my post above this one, the CZ doesn't use the zero digit.
 
Actually I don't believe that the CZ uses the zero position. So unless they've added a third sleeper this summer and called it 30, your car will be right next to the dining car. The 32 car will be the farther sleeping car. And again assuming that they follow past trends the trans/dorm car will have the farthest walk since the coaches and the lounge car will be between that car and the dining car.
Don't they also move the Sleepers to the tail end of the train and the Coaches to the front in the summer so that the accommodation that is sold in the Trans-Dorm can be serviced by the adjacent coach attendant?
 
Ok, I have a CZ ride coming up, in sleepers 0631 and 0531 on the return trip. So they both have 1 car between it and the diner.
Dennis
Actually I don't believe that the CZ uses the zero position. So unless they've added a third sleeper this summer and called it 30, your car will be right next to the dining car. The 32 car will be the farther sleeping car. And again assuming that they follow past trends the trans/dorm car will have the farthest walk since the coaches and the lounge car will be between that car and the dining car.
You're right, my confirmation lists the cars are 631 and 531. No zero. So right after the the dining car, eh? And coach is farther forward? What about the lounge and/or observation car?
 
Ok, I have a CZ ride coming up, in sleepers 0631 and 0531 on the return trip. So they both have 1 car between it and the diner.
Dennis
Actually I don't believe that the CZ uses the zero position. So unless they've added a third sleeper this summer and called it 30, your car will be right next to the dining car. The 32 car will be the farther sleeping car. And again assuming that they follow past trends the trans/dorm car will have the farthest walk since the coaches and the lounge car will be between that car and the dining car.
So what does the 3 in 30 signify?
 
Actually I don't believe that the CZ uses the zero position. So unless they've added a third sleeper this summer and called it 30, your car will be right next to the dining car. The 32 car will be the farther sleeping car. And again assuming that they follow past trends the trans/dorm car will have the farthest walk since the coaches and the lounge car will be between that car and the dining car.
Don't they also move the Sleepers to the tail end of the train and the Coaches to the front in the summer so that the accommodation that is sold in the Trans-Dorm can be serviced by the adjacent coach attendant?
Correct, that's what they did last year and AFAIK that practice is once again in effect for the summer. They don't do it during the winter.
 
You're right, my confirmation lists the cars are 631 and 531. No zero. So right after the the dining car, eh? And coach is farther forward? What about the lounge and/or observation car?
During the summer months the order is engines, baggage, trans/dorm, coaches, lounge, diner, sleepers.
 
Ok, I have a CZ ride coming up, in sleepers 0631 and 0531 on the return trip. So they both have 1 car between it and the diner.
Dennis
Actually I don't believe that the CZ uses the zero position. So unless they've added a third sleeper this summer and called it 30, your car will be right next to the dining car. The 32 car will be the farther sleeping car. And again assuming that they follow past trends the trans/dorm car will have the farthest walk since the coaches and the lounge car will be between that car and the dining car.
So what does the 3 in 30 signify?
As I said above, it signifies the type of car for that train. In other words any car between 30 and 39 on the CZ is a sleeping car. But that doesn't mean that on every train a sleeper is always in the 30 series. For example the LSL that I just rode on Sunday number's its sleepers in the 1 series, so I was in 4812.
 
You're right, my confirmation lists the cars are 631 and 531. No zero. So right after the the dining car, eh? And coach is farther forward? What about the lounge and/or observation car?
During the summer months the order is engines, baggage, trans/dorm, coaches, lounge, diner, sleepers.

Cool. Thanks Alan you're a handy guy to have around. :)

Dennis
 
Actually I don't believe that the CZ uses the zero position. So unless they've added a third sleeper this summer and called it 30, your car will be right next to the dining car. The 32 car will be the farther sleeping car. And again assuming that they follow past trends the trans/dorm car will have the farthest walk since the coaches and the lounge car will be between that car and the dining car.
Don't they also move the Sleepers to the tail end of the train and the Coaches to the front in the summer so that the accommodation that is sold in the Trans-Dorm can be serviced by the adjacent coach attendant?
Correct, that's what they did last year and AFAIK that practice is once again in effect for the summer. They don't do it during the winter.
I've read the opinions of being on the tail end opposed to the front, but what's the arrangement from Sept. 1st - 11 th?

What's you guy's opinion?
 
Don't they also move the Sleepers to the tail end of the train and the Coaches to the front in the summer so that the accommodation that is sold in the Trans-Dorm can be serviced by the adjacent coach attendant?
Looking around, I have been unable to find any pictorial evidence of this happening this summer. Not sure if anyone has been on it or seen if first hand to know if they have done this. I found two pics and one for sure has the sleepers up front and the second looks to me like they are up front as well.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?...35&nseq=139

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?...876&nseq=17
 
Don't they also move the Sleepers to the tail end of the train and the Coaches to the front in the summer so that the accommodation that is sold in the Trans-Dorm can be serviced by the adjacent coach attendant?
Looking around, I have been unable to find any pictorial evidence of this happening this summer. Not sure if anyone has been on it or seen if first hand to know if they have done this. I found two pics and one for sure has the sleepers up front and the second looks to me like they are up front as well.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?...35&nseq=139

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?...876&nseq=17
Well I can't speak to this year personally, although I do seem to recall seeing someone report that the sleepers were on the bottom once again, but I can tell you that both Jishnu and I (as well as several other OTOLers) personally witnessed this last summer on our OTOL trip.

In fact the full consist listings from our two trips can be found over at OTOL in the Trip Report section.
 
Traveler...your good!!!! :) In fact I was on the CZ and we were in the 530 car. It was a strange consist. It was two engines, baggage, 3 (I think) sleepers, Dining Car, Sightseer Lounge, 3 coaches and then the final sleeper. We were at the end of the train. Really made walking to the dining car a "walk" but by this time in our trip, we had pigged out so much we all needed the exercise. :lol: The sleeper we were in was going to be turned in DEN so thats why it was at the end. Even my girlfriends daughters thought the "consist " was very different. Its cool, they are starting to pick up the lingo! :)

Al
 
Don't they also move the Sleepers to the tail end of the train and the Coaches to the front in the summer so that the accommodation that is sold in the Trans-Dorm can be serviced by the adjacent coach attendant?
Looking around, I have been unable to find any pictorial evidence of this happening this summer. Not sure if anyone has been on it or seen if first hand to know if they have done this. I found two pics and one for sure has the sleepers up front and the second looks to me like they are up front as well.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?...35&nseq=139

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?...876&nseq=17
Well I can't speak to this year personally, although I do seem to recall seeing someone report that the sleepers were on the bottom once again, but I can tell you that both Jishnu and I (as well as several other OTOLers) personally witnessed this last summer on our OTOL trip.

In fact the full consist listings from our two trips can be found over at OTOL in the Trip Report section.
Oh, I know. I was on the CZ last summer when they did it. I just have not seen/heard about them doing it again.

As for Al, I assume that one sleeper on the rear was a one(or few) time thing, probably to help relieve all the backed up passengers from the line shutdown.
 
As for Al, I assume that one sleeper on the rear was a one(or few) time thing, probably to help relieve all the backed up passengers from the line shutdown.
Wouldn't they always want the DEN sleeper on the end, so they can easily switch it off at DEN? Train 5 backs into the station, unhooks the coupler, and heads out to EMY. Then train 6 backs in, hooks it on, and heads to CHI. No switch engine required, assuming Amtrak can leave the car on the platform.
 
As for Al, I assume that one sleeper on the rear was a one(or few) time thing, probably to help relieve all the backed up passengers from the line shutdown.
Wouldn't they always want the DEN sleeper on the end, so they can easily switch it off at DEN? Train 5 backs into the station, unhooks the coupler, and heads out to EMY. Then train 6 backs in, hooks it on, and heads to CHI. No switch engine required, assuming Amtrak can leave the car on the platform.
Yes, this is probably why it was on the rear, but the extra car is not normal for the CZ. There is not a "Denver Sleeper."
 
As for Al, I assume that one sleeper on the rear was a one(or few) time thing, probably to help relieve all the backed up passengers from the line shutdown.
Wouldn't they always want the DEN sleeper on the end, so they can easily switch it off at DEN? Train 5 backs into the station, unhooks the coupler, and heads out to EMY. Then train 6 backs in, hooks it on, and heads to CHI. No switch engine required, assuming Amtrak can leave the car on the platform.
That's what Amtrak has always done in the past with the CZ CHI to DEN sleeper, at least until they pulled that short turn sleeper off the train do to a shortage of sleepers. It would be great if they are restoring that short term sleeper, which from Al's report it sounds like they may be doing so.

Of course that shouldn't preclude swaping all the sleepers to the rear, even if they aren't going to sell into the Trans/Dorm now, as it would still make more sense to keep all the sleeper together.
 
Yes, this is probably why it was on the rear, but the extra car is not normal for the CZ. There is not a "Denver Sleeper."
Actually as I mentioned in my post above, up until about 2 or 3 years ago it was perfectly normal to see a short turn sleeper on the CZ to Denver.
 
Did not know they used to do it all the time. They have not had it since I started traveling Amtrak (again).

While it would be cool for them to add that back, I suspect it was a move that had to do with the flooding. I have no knowledge, but that is what I would think.
 
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