OK, here's a start at a useful-for-newcomers list of abbreviations and descriptions. It's not totally comprehensive, but it's a good start.
AMTRAK ABBREVIATIONS
**COMMON TRAIN NAME ABBREVIATIONS**
LSL = Lake Shore Limited
CL = Capitol Limited
CONO = City of New Orleans
EB = Empire Builder
CZ = California Zephyr
SWC = Southwest Chief
SL = Sunset Limited
CS = Coast Starlight
NEC = Northeast Corridor
AT = Auto Train
Silvers = Silver Star / Silver Meteor
Other trains aren't abbreviated so often.
**A SELECTION OF MAJOR STATIONS**
BOS = Boston
PVD = Providence RI
NYP = New York City
PHL = Philadelphia
WIL = Wilmington DE
BAL = Baltimore
WAS (also WUS) = Washington, DC
LOR = Lorton VA (Auto Train)
RVR = Richmond VA
CVS = Charlottesville VA
SAN = Sanford FL (Auto Train)
JAX = Jacksonville FL
MIA = Miami
TPA = Tampa
ALB = Rensselaer NY (Albany)
HAR = Harrisburg PA
PGH = Pittsburgh
CHI (also CUS) = Chicago
MKE = Milwaukee
MSP = Minneapolis/St Paul
STL = St Louis
KCY = Kansas City
NOL = New Orleans
SAS = San Antonio TX
DEN = Denver
SLC = Salt Lake City
LAX = Los Angeles
EMY = Emeryville CA (San Francisco)
SAC = Sacramento
SPK = Spokane WA
PDX = Portland OR
SEA = Seattle
For a complete list of station abbreviations, visit
List_of_Amtrak_station_codes
**PRIMARY PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVES**
P42 = standard long-distance diesel locomotive, nationwide; introduced 1996;
numbered 1-207
F59PHI = diesel locomotives in service on California and Cascades routes; introduced 1998;
numbered 450-470
HHP8 = newer electric locomotive, in service on Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor; introduced 2000;
numbered 650-664
P32 = dual-mode diesel/electric locomotives, in use on the Empire Service; introduced 1995;
numbered 700-717
P40 = previous long-distance diesel locomotive; introduced 1993, mostly retired by 2003;
numbered 800-843
AEM7 = old workhorse electric locomotive, Northeast Corridor (also called "toasters"); introduced 1980;
numbered 900-953
Cab Car = from the outside, looks like a coach with yellow and black stripes on one end; inside, functions as a coach but with a small locomotive cab at the end allowing for full train control with the cab car in the lead; used on corridor services like the Keystone with an electric motor on one end and a cab car on the other, allowing for operation in both directions without needing to turn the train around
Cabbage = from the outside, looks like an old diesel locomotive with a baggage door cut into the side of it; the locomotive cab allows for operation of a locomotive at the other end of the train allowing for operation in both directions without needing to turn the train around; the engine has been removed and the empty space is used for baggage ("cab" + "baggage" = "cabbage")
**SOME TYPES OF PASSENGER CARS**
CCC =
Cross Country Cafe, Superliner food service car recently reconfigured to provide dual meal and lounge duties (often the subject of controversy on this board)
SSL =
Sightseer Lounge, Superliner car with enormous windows available to all passengers, with a cafe downstairs (sometimes called an "observation car", not to be confused with the traditional definition of "observation car" to refer to the final cars on old passenger trains with either an open-air platform or rounded-end)
PPC =
Pacific Parlor Car, not technically a Superliner car but the same height and two-level, lounge and food service car reserved for sleeper passengers, only runs on the Coast Starlight
TransDorm = Superliner car designed to house the crew, but which often also houses some passengers, the key feature of which is that it has a Superliner-level door on one end and a single-level door on the other end (also called "transition sleeper")
Heritage = cars Amtrak acquired from other railroads in the 1970s upon and just after its creation, most of which are now retired with the exception of single-level dining cars and baggage cars
Amfleet (AMF) = single-level cars, recognizable by their round, fluted bodies; AMF I cars are intended for shorter distances, while AMF II cars are more comfortable and intended for longer distances; there are also AMF Cafes and Business Class cars of several configurations
Viewliner = single-level sleeping cars currently in service, recognizable by their tall profile and second level of windows on half the car; there is also one Viewliner diner soon to be in service, and there are many new Viewliner sleepers and diners about to be ordered for introduction to service around, perhaps, 2012-14
Horizon = single-level coach and cafe cars, largely in service in the Midwest, recognizable by their flat smooth sides, and generally considered cars of highly inferior construction
Superliner = the bi-level fleet in service on almost all long-distance routes not passing through or into New York City (due to height restrictions); there are Superliner coaches, lounges, diners, cross country cafes, transition dorms, sleepers, and deluxe sleepers
Hi-Level = an older generation of bi-level cars, all now retired except for the Pacific Parlor Cars in service on the Coast Starlight
California Cars = bi-level cars very similar to Superliners but designed for shorter distance travel, in use on California corridor services
Talgos = trainsets manufactured by Talgo in use on the Cascades
Acela = "high-speed" trainsets in use on the Northeast Corridor capable of operation at 150mph on a few stretches of track but restricted along most of their route to 125mph or below just like every other Northeast Corridor train due to track conditions, featuring large windows, spacious seating, and a very smooth ride
**TYPES OF SEATING**
on non-Acela trains
Coach = basic seat accommodation
BC = Business Class, an upgrade generally involving a larger, comfier seat in a quieter environment, with at least one free non-alcoholic beverage and sometimes other perks
on Acela trains
BC = Business Class, the *basic* seat accommodation (there is no "Coach" on Acela), much nicer than Coach on other trains, some seats have tables, but there are no free drinks here
FC = First Class, an upgrade giving not only a much comfier and more spacious seat but also free at-seat hot meal service and unlimited alcohol
**TYPES OF FOOD SERVICE**
Superliner Dining Car = Superliner dining cars with booth seating through the entire top level of the car (except for a service station in the center) with a full kitchen on the lower level, offering full-service meals prepared in the kitchen by a chef with a grill and convection oven
Cross Country Cafe (CCC) = Superliner food service car offering full-service meals on one end of the top level and lounge/cafe service on the other end, with a kitchen on the lower level; these cars were created by modifying Superliner Dining Cars
Heritage Dining Car = single-level dining cars, built in the 1940s-50s, with a full kitchen at one end of the car and booth seating at the other, offering full-service meals prepared in the kitchen by a chef with a grill and convection oven
Diner Lite = single-level food service car offering full-service meals on one end of the car and lounge/cafe service on the other end, with a small galley in the middle; meals are prepared over a steam tray allowing for extremely limited on-board cooking
Pacific Parlor Car (PPC) = bi-level lounge and food service car reserved for sleeper passengers, only runs on the Coast Starlight, offers full-service meals prepared in the dining car kitchen but from a slightly different menu
Cafe = Amfleet cafe, Horizon cafe, or the lower level cafe in a Superliner Sightseer Lounge, sells snacks, drinks (including alcohol), microwaved sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs, muffins, and other pre-prepared foods, as well as a few non-food items like playing cards; has booth seating
Bistro Car = unique name for the cafe food-service car on the Cascades (Talgo), which features unique menu items like hot soup and local microbrewery beers
State-sponsored trains sometimes have different cafe car offerings and are notably the only Amtrak trains on which you might find Coca-Cola products for sale.
**SLEEPING CAR ACCOMMODATIONS**
Visit
Amtrak's Superliner Sleeper Virtual Tour and
Amtrak's Viewliner Sleeper Virtual Tour for marvelous walkthroughs and descriptions of all accommodations.
**CREW JOB TITLES AND ROLES**
T&E Crew = Train & Engine Crew, works on strict 8-hour shifts and thus changes several times over the course of a long-distance route
Conductor = in charge of the entire train, most visible to passengers in his role collecting tickets
AC = Assistant Conductor
Engineer = drives the train, following orders from the Conductor
OBS Crew = On-Board Services Crew, which is everyone else, who work the entire route, sleeping onboard
LSA = Lead Service Attendant, in charge of the OBS crew; on long-distance trains, most often this is the dining car steward, and on trains without a dining car it is the cafe attendant
Steward = Dining Car Supervisor
Chef = Dining Car chef
TA = Train Attendant, general term covering the rest of OBS
SA = Service Attendant, dining car wait staff
TAC = Train Attendant Coach (also called "Coach Attendant" on this board)
TASC = Train Attendant Sleeping Car (more often called
SCA, "Sleeping Car Attendant", on this board)
**OTHER TRAIN-RELATED ABBREVIATIONS AND TERMS COMMONLY SEEN HERE**
HEP = Head End Power, the means by which electricity powering the passenger cars comes from a generator in one of the locomotives and is passed through the entire train through special coupling cables; older heritage cars didn't use this method, and those still in service had to be modified; Amtrak passenger locomotives can provide HEP, but most freight locomotives are not set up to do this
Varnish = privately owned passenger cars sometimes seen attached to the end of Amtrak trains; often luxuriously appointed old cars, some with vista-domes or observation platforms
Budd = manufacturer of many of the most durable passenger cars in America, including the Amfleets and much of the Heritage Dining Car fleet; sadly long out-of-business
Most are obvious, but if you can't figure out what is meant - just ask!
