Amtrak Ocean View

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Yep... A friend coming in on #4 yesterday saw it and told me. Wonder where its headed next. We saw it in the New Orleans yards on May 2nd. I figured it was sitting there after the Inspection Train and would be going back to LA. Guess not. It would be nice if it made an appearance on some Midwest runs this summer and be open to the public... But I wont hold out hope. But coming in from NOL, I figure its going to be used for something in Chicago or is going to Beech Grove. I mean if it was going back to LA I figure they would have put it on the Sunset and if it was going to DC theyd use the Crescent. If anyone has any credible info please post... We would love to ride again. Its been about a year since we rode on it... Some random weekend last July they ran it on 391 and 392.
 
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I think he's joshing. As in why would something called OCEAN View be in Chicago (far from any ocean). ;)
 
PRR 60 said:
Isn't the Ocean View sometimes used on trains out of Chicago to provide axle count as required by Canadian National?
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No... Ocean View has not been run for an axle count on the CN to Carbondale... they use baggage cars for that.

However... Amtrak has run "Ocean View" out of Chicago on various IL corridor trains over the last five years. It's been few and far between -- but mostly in the fall months around Thanksgiving. For awhile, Amtrak was actually putting out a schedule of what trains it would be on a few weeks in advance -- running to St. Louis and Quincy and occasionally Michigan. Between 2011 and 2014, it had run on the Hiawathas during Thanksgiving week, but that didn't happen in 2015 because it stayed in Albany for a Toys for Tots Event. Then, it also has been making unannounced appearances on select state trains -- which ended up being quite frustrating because I'd have to bug friends who work at Amtrak to get the scoop so we could ride it. The last time I heard it doing this was in July 2015 when they ran it on the Carbondale trains for a week or so. We got lucky and were able to do a round-trip to Carbondale and back on it when it was on 391 and 392. It's not been open to the public out of Chicago since then. It seems like it's been up in Albany, NY and down in New Orleans since then.

If anyone has any CREDIBLE information on it running out of Chicago, please post or PM me.
 
History question- How many Dome cars has Amtrak had? We were in one through Pittsburgh

many years ago. Thanks.
 
I have heard a rumor from a Beech Grove employee that the Ocean View will be on the Cardinal this fall. I asked if he was sure because the past few years it had been on the Adirondack, and he did confirm I was hearing him correctly.
 
looshi said:
I have heard a rumor from a Beech Grove employee that the Ocean View will be on the Cardinal this fall. I asked if he was sure because the past few years it had been on the Adirondack, and he did confirm I was hearing him correctly.
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That would be a nice "rumor" if it comes true!

Amtrak attempted to run the Great Dome 10031 Ocean View on 3 roundtrips each of the Cardinal in 2010, 2011, and 2012. I say attempted because of mechanical problems and severe winter weather/storms it only made about half the scheduled runs. Unfortunately, Amtrak advertised these trips a lot too -- leading to a lot of disappointed passengers -- including yours truly. I attempted 6 of these trips and the dome actually ran on only 3 of them. When I saw the Dome wasn't on, I just bailed and cancelled or flew home instead. Because of all the issues, they haven't tried it since 2012. I think the dang car even became derailed in the Washington, DC yard when it was hit by a MARC train... I witnessed the aftermath of the whole thing and ended up taking the Capitol back instead of the Cardinal that trip.

Note, it can run on both the Adirondack and the Cardinal in the fall. In 2010, 2011, and 2012 -- it ran in upstate NY in Sept and early Oct -- and then moved over to the Cardinal in late Oct and early Nov

It really enhanced the trip to have the Great Dome on there.
 
An AMERICAN+OCEAN VIEW combo on 364 tonight, 365 tomorrow, though not open to the traveling public.
 
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