Amtrak California Car and Cable Car Ad on California Zephyr

[Agent]

Amtrak train #6 that left Emeryville on May 1 has a couple extra cars on the end of it. I saw it passing through Agency, Iowa today. From what I can tell, the Amtrak California coach CDTX 34953 Pacific Grove is the second-to-last car. Behind it is the Amtrak baggage-coach AMTK 31017 wrapped in an advertisement for San Francisco making it look a bit like a cable car. If any of those details are wrong, I'm open to corrections. I don't know why these two cars are on the California Zephyr.

 

[Anderson]

I've seen California Cars/Surfliners show up on the Chief as well. I think Amtrak uses both the Chief and the Zephyr to shuttle equipment between Beech Grove and California (depending on whether it is San Joaquin/Capitol Corridor or Surfliner equipment).

 

[Blackwolf]

CDTX 34953 Pacific Grove is/was Amtrak roster number 34053 and is a former Superliner 1 Baggage-Coach that was damaged in a derailment of the Capitol Limited back in July of 2002. I know it was rebuilt in 2007 using grant funds, and was more or less completely stripped down to its shell and refitted with seating and amenities much closer to the normal California Car coaches than the Long Distance coach it was before.

One thing I cannot find is, is this car still owned by Amtrak and on long-term lease to California, or did California buy the car (and the others like it in the rebuild program) outright?

 

[AlanB]

One thing I cannot find is, is this car still owned by Amtrak and on long-term lease to California, or did California buy the car (and the others like it in the rebuild program) outright?

Unless something has changed recently, the cars are still owned by Amtrak. But because California paid to repair them and restore them to service, they get the use of them for several years. Not sure just how long that term is; but eventually the cars go back into Amtrak's coach pool.

 

[Agent]

For the record, the ad-wrapped car went west on Amtrak train #5(10), only this time it looks like it was in service instead of deadheading. Also, I was told it was used on an excursion train in Chicago.

 

[printman2000]

CDTX 34953 Pacific Grove is/was Amtrak roster number 34053 and is a former Superliner 1 Baggage-Coach that was damaged in a derailment of the Capitol Limited back in July of 2002. I know it was rebuilt in 2007 using grant funds, and was more or less completely stripped down to its shell and refitted with seating and amenities much closer to the normal California Car coaches than the Long Distance coach it was before.

The Superliner coaches that I have been on in Surfliner consists were still the same seating as all other Superliners. I have never seen one with different, more California coach seating. There might be, I just have never seen or heard of it.

 

[John Bredin]

At National Train Day at Chicago Union Station on May 9, San Francisco Tourism had a table, and many of their tchotchkes (I got a fridge magnet) had that cable-car theme.

I didn't get to see the excursion train (I was volunteering at the Midwest High Speed Rail Ass'n table) but noticing Agent's reference to this car being on an excursion train, was it on the NTD Chicago excursion train?

As an aside, I did get to tour the Exhibit Train, which I've seen before but this year had (1) a mock-up Viewliner II roomette (no toilet, but still a sink :huh: ) and (2) an actual Viewliner II baggage car (I counted 16 bike hooks -- hurrah!).

 

[guest]

I rode the #5 leaving CHI on Saturday and unfortunately was seated in the ad-wrapped car. I say unfortunately because the ad obscures your view--imagine a black screen with round holes covering every window. Spent lots of time in the lounge car...

 

[chakk]

The vision blockage from the interior for that wrapped car is either a design flaw or an application error -- as well as, IMO, a serious safety issue. Caltrain often uses some of their cars for outside advertising, and I've never noticed that the application blocks vision from inside the train car.

 

[Amfleeter]

Are Surfliner and California Cars usually open for seating when on LDs, or do they they lock them before departing?

 

[printman2000]

Are Surfliner and California Cars usually open for seating when on LDs, or do they they lock them before departing?

I have been on a few trains with a Surfliner tacked on and they have never been open. In fact, at least two times there were no seats in the car.