California Zephyr discussion 2023 Q4 - 2024

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AmtrakBlue said:
Did you include the bus on your reservation? If not, you need to add it. I believe it's only available for those with reservations,
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Yeah, I did book the bus. But the bus only goes one place now, the Chase center I think, and won't drop off at Fisherman's Wharf, I asked the driver. That was the confusion, Amtrak's website said there was a bus 99 route that would go to the Wharf area. But, no. Anyway, we called up a Uber, and boy, 'uber' glad we did. The ASEAN conference really screwed up the streets in San Francisco. It was only a 10 mile trip, maybe 20-30min trip under normal circumstances. This day, from Emeryville to our hotel in the wharf area, it took nearly TWO hours to get there. It was pouring rain, CHP had one lane closed on the bay bridge, and traffic was horrendous. Then, street after street was closed in the embarcadero/wharf area. At one point as far as the eye could see up the streets were solid red/blue police lights winking, sirens going constantly. The poor Uber guy was muttering to himself, ''I don't know what else to do'' but he finally got us there. He got a good tip!
 
I'm in the early phases of planning a 2024 CZ trip from Chicago to Emeryville. We'll book in the sleeper. Is there any preference for which car? I'm a bit rusty on this, but it appears from minimal searching that the line numbers will start at 0530 just in front of the diner and progress to 0531, 0532..... Is that correct? Thanks.
 
I answered my own question with a bit more searching. It appears that moving forward from the diner, it is line 0531, line 0532, line 0540 (transition/dormitory). Per advice I received here on the forum, I called AGR this morning and booked Chicago-Emeryville for next September. DW and I are in line 0531, roomettes 5 and 6. The system auto-assigned 2 and 3, which are not directly across from each other. The agent tried changing 2 to 4, but the price jumped $164. Strange. I would have paid that to be across from each other, but I had her check for 5 and 6 instead, and the price dropped back to $2240. Upon reviewing the older CZ thread a bit more, I learned that line 0531 is the least likely to be removed from the consist, so I'm happy about that.:)
 
Just stopped at Provo on the westbound Zephyr, and the conductor mentioned that it was a double stop: one for the sleepers and one for coach. Sure enough, we stopped twice. I didn't recall having noticed the double stop anywhere else, on any train I've ridden. Obviously this is due to platform length (a glance at Google Maps confirms that the Amtrak platform is less than 1/3 the length of the nearby Frontrunner platforms), but does anyone know why the Provo platform is so short? There appears to be plenty of space.
 
b1xn00d said:
Just stopped at Provo on the westbound Zephyr, and the conductor mentioned that it was a double stop: one for the sleepers and one for coach. Sure enough, we stopped twice. I didn't recall having noticed the double stop anywhere else, on any train I've ridden. Obviously this is due to platform length (a glance at Google Maps confirms that the Amtrak platform is less than 1/3 the length of the nearby Frontrunner platforms), but does anyone know why the Provo platform is so short? There appears to be plenty of space.
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Your train will also do this in Truckee and in Colfax. The Sunset Limited does this in Maricopa (3 stops because of the Texas Eagle on the back). I'm sure there are more, those just come to mind. As far as I know, it usually boils down to something or other with the host railroads and/or funds for designing and building longer platforms.
 
b1xn00d said:
Obviously this is due to platform length (a glance at Google Maps confirms that the Amtrak platform is less than 1/3 the length of the nearby Frontrunner platforms), but does anyone know why the Provo platform is so short? There appears to be plenty of space.
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Money.

There are a number of stops on the Atlantic Coast route that often require double stops by the Silvers. IIRC, I even saw a triple stop once; I think it involved one or more uses of the wheelchair lift.
 
joelkfla said:
Money.

There are a number of stops on the Atlantic Coast route that often require double stops by the Silvers. IIRC, I even saw a triple stop once; I think it involved one or more uses of the wheelchair lift.
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Platform length is often determined by the primary user of the station, typically the one funding the construction of the new platforms. Provo is a case in point. The newly constructed platforms are adequate for UTA trains, but not for Amtrak.
 
jis said:
Platform length is often determined by the primary user of the station, typically the one funding the construction of the new platforms. Provo is a case in point. The newly constructed platforms are adequate for UTA trains, but not for Amtrak.
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UTA and Amtrak use different platforms and rails systemwide, though they stop at roughly the same locations to facilitate transfers. I believe the Amtrak platform in question predates any UTA train operations at the site - though the UTA platforms certainly aren't adequate for Amtrak's needs in that Amtrak can't use then at all.
 
b1xn00d said:
UTA and Amtrak use different platforms and rails systemwide, though they stop at roughly the same locations to facilitate transfers. I believe the Amtrak platform in question predates any UTA train operations at the site - though the UTA platforms certainly aren't adequate for Amtrak's needs in that Amtrak can't use then at all.
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Good points. At Provo, the FrontRunner tracks run south of the mainline tracks, and the Amtrak platform is across a street and 350 feet away from the UTA platform.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/DK13chSWpP6YnBJ49
 
The Provo Amtrak station was built before Frontrunner was even under construction.

I still believe it should be moved to the north of Frontrunner.
 
I caught Amtrak #6(21) running over four hours late out of Ottumwa, Iowa today with Union Pacific locomotive UP 9049 leading. AMTK 144 was the only other engine. Apparently this Zephyr started its journey with this freight engine.

20240123_134526.jpg

20240123_134533(0).jpg

And it isn't the only one. #6(22) has UP 7453 leading, also apparently from the start of its trip. Marcel Hall took a video of it at Reno.

 
Hi-

I know it was cancelled in EMY, national map looks like it was also cancelled in CHI. Equipment shortages again? I'm on it Monday, 01-29-24 from EMY to RNO

Thanks,

Paul
 

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