ThayerATM
OBS Chief
I'm looking for the consist of four trains. Specifically, the Capitol Limited, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, and the Texas Eagle. Does anyone have some tips on whee I might find them? 
Consists
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Ryan
Court Jester
I'd look on the railroad tracks.
Seriously, check out railpictures.net - you can search by train number and see them that way.
Seriously, check out railpictures.net - you can search by train number and see them that way.
Sue in KY
Service Attendant
I don't know how current these are, but Capitol Limited, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, and Texas Eagle — near the bottom of the page, in each case.I'm looking for the consist of four trains. Specifically, the Capitol Limited, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, and the Texas Eagle. Does anyone have some tips on whee I might find them?
Hope that helps! (Also, Wikipedia lists consists for many of the named trains, on the page dealing with each.)
Al,
I think that further clarification may be needed here. Do you want to know what types of cars you're likely to see in each train's consist, and how many? Or are you looking for the specific car inventory numbers?
If the latter, then no one can tell you, as the cars rotate around the system and will never be the same 2 weeks from now as they are today.
I think that further clarification may be needed here. Do you want to know what types of cars you're likely to see in each train's consist, and how many? Or are you looking for the specific car inventory numbers?
If the latter, then no one can tell you, as the cars rotate around the system and will never be the same 2 weeks from now as they are today.
ThayerATM
OBS Chief
Sue,I don't know how current these are, but Capitol Limited, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, and Texas Eagle — near the bottom of the page, in each case.I'm looking for the consist of four trains. Specifically, the Capitol Limited, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, and the Texas Eagle. Does anyone have some tips on where I might find them?
Hope that helps! (Also, Wikipedia lists consists for many of the named trains, on the page dealing with each.)
Those links provided ALL the information that I was looking for, and introduced me to a whole 'nuther area of additional information. Thank you very much.
I've got another eight trains that I'd like a similar printout for. I'm not even into the short distance trains yet.
California Zephyr, City Of New Orleans, Coast Starlight, Crescent, Empire Builder, Lake Shore Limited, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited.
In a quick lookover I couldn't find the way to navigate to the other eight train printouts. Do I need to join? That's OK with me. I can do that.
Just for the record, I'm writing my own book strictly for myself. It'll never be published or offered for sale, but I'll have all the information that I want included in my own single document.
Actually I see a few mistakes in those consists on Trainweb. The Capitol doesn't have a dining car at present, it runs with a CCC. The Silver trains pictured has the old consist order, the sleepers are now on the rear of the train with the dining car ahead of that, cafe next, then coaches closest to the bag. And the Eagle doesn't have a Trans/Dorm and it has too many sleepers.
ThayerATM
OBS Chief
Alan,
Right now I've got three trips on the table. What I'm looking for is what kind of cars are going to be on those three trains, as I'm putting together a book for my own use that I'll certainly have to keep up to date.
For instance... The LSL used to have a diner lite, but now has a full diner. I can adjust my book for that. :lol: Also I seem to remember that they've added a Sightseer Lounge to the CONO, and still have the CCC. I don't know if that's true or not.
I'm not particularly interested if any specific car is an Amfleet I or an Amfleet II, but I am interested in what kind of diner (CCC, Diner Lite, Full Diner) is expected to be on that train, as well as any additional cars (like the PPC) are expected to be on that train. I put "expected" in italics 'cuz bad orders do happen.
And finally, I'm interested in finding a train where the baggage car is at the back end of the train. That's always good to know 'cuz that's where lots of the crew hangs out. :lol:
While keeping in mind that these consists also have some issues, here are the rest.
Lake Shore
Zephyr
Chief
Empire Builder
Starlight
Sunset
Crescent
City of NOL
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Al,
I can't find any other easier way to find the train pages, except for the following. Start with this home page. Roll down till you see all the states on the right hand side. Then pick a state served by the train you want to know more about. Example, if you're looking for the Hiawatha's between Chicago and Milwaukee, pick Wisconsin. That will bring up the various city's served by Amtrak in that state. Then drill down to a specific city, in this cast Milwaukee.
When the city page loads, about one quarter of the way down the page, you'll see links to all the trains that serve that station. In this case, the EB and the Hiawatha.
I can't find any other easier way to find the train pages, except for the following. Start with this home page. Roll down till you see all the states on the right hand side. Then pick a state served by the train you want to know more about. Example, if you're looking for the Hiawatha's between Chicago and Milwaukee, pick Wisconsin. That will bring up the various city's served by Amtrak in that state. Then drill down to a specific city, in this cast Milwaukee.
When the city page loads, about one quarter of the way down the page, you'll see links to all the trains that serve that station. In this case, the EB and the Hiawatha.
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ThayerATM
OBS Chief
Alan,
Got 'em all. Thanks. It got a little tricky out of NYP and CHI, :huh: but the layout logic was consistent. That helps.
Now the fun begins. I'll put each of the consists into my database, then keep updating as I continue with Amtrak improvements and additional cars (or substitutions) to the trains. Who knows? Maybe someday I'll be able to predict when Amtrak'll put that CCC on the California Zephyr again. :lol:
Funny you should ask. On my recent CZ trip, the baggage car started out at the front of the train, but by the time we got to Omaha, it was at the back! I am planning on telling the story behind this tomorrow, and I'll put it in a new post captioned "Above and Beyond...." In the meantime, any reader who was on the February 17 CZ out of Chicago will know what I'm referring to.
cpamtfan
OBS Chief
I'm still wondering when/if they are moving the Amfleet II Diner Lite/Lounge from the NY section to the Boston section since:
1. The NY section has its Heritage Dining car back
and
2. Boston section lacks a warm lunch (449) and dinner (448).
1. The NY section has its Heritage Dining car back
and
2. Boston section lacks a warm lunch (449) and dinner (448).
Acela150
Super Buff
I wonder why the cafe/lounge behind two coach cars. If I recall right they put a cafe on the NY section so it doesn't make any sense to put the cafe behind two coach cars and not behind the sleeper. Is it a matter of convenience?
Steve
Steve
C
CNO
Guest
As noted in other threads, the City of New Orleans is temporarily operating as a Chicago run-thru of the Texas Eagle. Normally the Eagle still has a baggage car and a lounge car, whereas the CNO does not.
The normal CNO has been 28 axles for about the last 5 years.
1 P42 locomotive
1 Transition dorm/sleeper (some revenue beds are sold in this car)
1 revenue sleeper
1 CCC car, this was a rebuilt diner and the CCC swapped for the diner when enough were available to outfit the train
2 coaches, one of which is normally a coach/baggage
Sometimes there is a third coach and/or deadhead car on the rear. Usually when this happens it is empty.
Sometimes there is a swap of a P32 at New Orleans, or a private car or two on the rear. This results in two locomotives, but such moves are rare, and at Amtrak's discretion. They are not predictable other than when you know there is a private car convention coming up and/or when the 90 day COT&S date is coming up on the New Orleans switcher.
Starting in 2009 there were also issues with 28 axle trains in Illinois on the CN, supposedly some signal problems. Speed was restricted to 60 mph from 79. To get around this, Amtrak threw an extra car on the CNO, even before the resumption of the Eagle/CNO runthru. Sometimes it was an empty baggage car. So until the speed restriction problem is fully resolved, Amtrak likely will stay with a 32 axle train.
Baggage on the CNO is normally checked on a coach/baggage car at the rear.
The normal CNO has been 28 axles for about the last 5 years.
1 P42 locomotive
1 Transition dorm/sleeper (some revenue beds are sold in this car)
1 revenue sleeper
1 CCC car, this was a rebuilt diner and the CCC swapped for the diner when enough were available to outfit the train
2 coaches, one of which is normally a coach/baggage
Sometimes there is a third coach and/or deadhead car on the rear. Usually when this happens it is empty.
Sometimes there is a swap of a P32 at New Orleans, or a private car or two on the rear. This results in two locomotives, but such moves are rare, and at Amtrak's discretion. They are not predictable other than when you know there is a private car convention coming up and/or when the 90 day COT&S date is coming up on the New Orleans switcher.
Starting in 2009 there were also issues with 28 axle trains in Illinois on the CN, supposedly some signal problems. Speed was restricted to 60 mph from 79. To get around this, Amtrak threw an extra car on the CNO, even before the resumption of the Eagle/CNO runthru. Sometimes it was an empty baggage car. So until the speed restriction problem is fully resolved, Amtrak likely will stay with a 32 axle train.
Baggage on the CNO is normally checked on a coach/baggage car at the rear.
ThayerATM
OBS Chief
While I was looking up the consist of various trains I ran across the term "CAFE CAR" aka "DINETTE."
Exactly what kind of car is that? :unsure:
Exactly what kind of car is that? :unsure:
Amtrak at one point used to have a bunch of different cafe car configurations, and I'm not referring to the Heritage cars either. This was within the Amfleet line.
Amtrak however is working to standardize all the Amfleet I cafe cars to the same design, so I would just call it a cafe car and stop there. It's unlikely that you'll see many of the old configurations, some I beleive are already gone and most others will be shortly.
ThayerATM
OBS Chief
OK. But just in case I decided to take a ride on that particular train, exactly what role does the "CAFE CAR" aka "DINETTE" serve? Do they serve meals? Do they just have "carry out?"
Can I buy a beer and a diet pepsi? :lol:Unless you saw that notation on the Cardinal, where they run the Diner-Lite car as both a cafe and a diner, everything else functions as a normal cafe car. So whatever you could buy in the cafe car on the LSL, you can buy on those other trains. There may be slight menu variations due to different comissaries and short haul vs long haul; and in the case of California trains and the Downeaster for example where the states control the menus the choices may be different. But again, the cafe car is the cafe car is the cafe car.OK. But just in case I decided to take a ride on that particular train, exactly what role does the "CAFE CAR" aka "DINETTE" serve? Do they serve meals? Do they just have "carry out?"
Therefore there should always be some sanwiches, some hot food, snacks, drinks, etc.
ThayerATM
OBS Chief
Actually, it was the Cardinal. I've been in a DINER LITE car, and a CCC car, but never a "CAFE"/"DINETTE" car that I know of.Unless you saw that notation on the Cardinal, where they run the Diner-Lite car as both a cafe and a diner, everything else functions as a normal cafe car. So whatever you could buy in the cafe car on the LSL, you can buy on those other trains. There may be slight menu variations due to different comissaries and short haul vs long haul; and in the case of California trains and the Downeaster for example where the states control the menus the choices may be different. But again, the cafe car is the cafe car is the cafe car.OK. But just in case I decided to take a ride on that particular train, exactly what role does the "CAFE CAR" aka "DINETTE" serve? Do they serve meals? Do they just have "carry out?"
Therefore there should always be some sanwiches, some hot food, snacks, drinks, etc.
printman2000
Engineer
Actually, the TE usually does run with a transdorm. However, only one loco is the norm and no baggage car. It is also using a CCC.
So the TE would be...
Loco
Transdorm
Sleeper (through to the Sunset three times a week)
CCC
Lounge
Coach
Coach
Coach(through to the Sunset three times a week)
It is funny that all those diagrams list the dining car as a "Dinner" instead of a Diner.
EDIT: Just realized what Alan meant, he meant the diagram does not have a Transdorm and it should.
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I can't make heads or tails with the numbers of the sleepers on this website that was pointed out. On Junes trip on the CL we are booked in sleeper car 2900 Bedroom E and on the return trip booked in sleeper 3000 bedroom E. None of the car numbers on that sight indicate a 2900 or 3000 sleeper so I have no idea what gives. Also are we certain here that the Capitol has a CCC and not a dining car? It would be a bummer dining in a car thats used as a snack bar.
I also checked out the CCC menu and for breakfast and lunch it seems acceptable but for dinner it doesn't look all that great. Things like chicken fingers,burgers and other fast foods are featured. Its an insult. They need a diner car on the CL real soon.
I also checked out the CCC menu and for breakfast and lunch it seems acceptable but for dinner it doesn't look all that great. Things like chicken fingers,burgers and other fast foods are featured. Its an insult. They need a diner car on the CL real soon.
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The 3000 and 2900 sleepers are the first sleeper in front of the diner on the CL(CCC until it's replaced by a real diner!) which is different from the car number which is an inventory number.Alan pointed out a few months ago that the CL was going to get a real diner again but IINM the diner fire in Oakland delayed this. I have ridden this train several times and the dinner was fine, they have specials and the regular Amtrak National menu. Several posters pointed out that on the East bound #30 that a "brunch" is served from like 7AM-11AM which means you can have two seperate meals of any combination available (no deserts on this menu!).
The CCC is not my all time favorite, they run regularly on the TE and the CONO but this train also has a SightSeer Lounge which is the cafe car for this trip! Its a pretty nice ride during the day time portion, the nightime part is spent asleep.(OHIO, wave to ALC as you go by!) This train sometimes has freight congestion going Westbound but usually is pretty good about time heading East. Both the CHI Metro Lounge and the WAS CA are pretty nice too! There's usually a pretty good experienced crew on these trains so relax and leave the driving to Amtrak!
(The ride can be a little rough in spots in Indiana but overall it's a great trip!)
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ThayerATM
OBS Chief
The long numbers are just Amtrak's inventory numbers for a particular car. The four digit numbers are the numbers that Amtrak assigns to the cars on your particular train. The first two digits represent your over all TRAIN number. 29 means train 29, and 30 means train 30. The last two digits represent the position your sleeper car holds on the train. The lower the number, the closer you are to the diner. I've never encountered an "00". Usually it's "01", or "02", or '03". But if you're in Bedroom E on train 29, and you're told that you're in car 2900, that means that your in the car right next to the diner on train 29, and the same thing holds for train 30. If you're in bedroon E on car 3000, you're on train 30 in the car right next to the diner. You're in prime real estate. Don't worry. Be happy.
As for what "diner" is on your train in June... Only chance will tell. A full diner is nice, but a CCC is doable. We were on the California Zephyr last year when they had to make do with a CCC because of an "equipment failure." The diner had been taken out of service and a CCC substituted. It wasn't really all that bad. They just used the whole car CCC as a diner. The seating arrangement was kind of strange and the crew was grumpy, but it still was quite pleasant, and the menu pretty much followed full diner menus.
Much appreciate all the replies on the Consist of the CL. I am relieved to hear that we won't be eating burgers and chicken fingers for dinner in the cross country cafe car. I took the virtual tour of the CCC car on Amtraks website and the layout reminds me of the cafe cars on the NE corridor trains (with a bit more seatrig space) but maybe we will luck out and the diner will be ready for June trips but we won't count on it.
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