CZ Consist

[Thirdrail7]

Aaprco[sic]-- OK if they pay for the extra locos and don't delay the train

Are the extra locomotives needed to pull the added 10 private cars?Or are the 2 extra locomotive just being moved from CHI to DEN to pull the special train?

At any rate: https://www.amtrak.com/privately-owned-rail-cars

They cut the lead pair for the special as CCC107 mentioned. I would think the train would need at least one additional unit for 19 cars. However, I'm not familiar with the topography of the line so it may have needed all four!

 

[PVD]

Chicago to Denver is pretty flat, but West of Denver is a whole different ballgame

 

[railiner]

Indeed... The original CZ ran between Chicago and Denver with a pair of 'E' units...maximum of 4800 HP combined, if they were both E9's. The CZ was around 10 or 12 cars, IIRC. The Rio Grande ran 5 'F' units...around 8750 HP combined if all F9's for the haul to SLC.

Amtrak ran a pair of SDP40F's, with a combined 6000 HP from Chicago to Denver on the SFZ....and they often ran with 18 cars. They often borrowed another engine from the UP, from Denver to Ogden....

All of the above did not not lose power for train heating, as they carried steam generator's for that purpose. They did indirectly have to power the electricity, as most cars had axle generator's to recharge the batteries, adding to the drag. Some cars had on board "enginator's", and some cars used steam-ejector type air conditioning. And many dining cars used ice for refrigeration.

When HEP cars first arrived, the steam generator's were replaced with auxilliary diesel generator's, or separate generator cars in some cases, until the F40PH's arrived, which supplied HEP from the main engine.

 

[jis]

That is why there was always one F40 in the lashup pulling Amtrak trains that would be creaming away even while standing still at a station. The prime mover had to operate at a certain rpm to be ale to deliver HEP to the train.

 

[PaulM]

PS: There third sleeper is history as I previously hinted.

And are the remaining two still on the rear? I ride the CZ often and can never predict where the sleepers will be. On the way out, the SCA said they would stay on the rear because someone had written to the president of the company complaining about the noise when on the front. Funny, he never paid any attention to my letters

Reason why I ask is I'll be coming from the (fake) Union Station light rail station. If they are on the rear, I'll just head up to the platform. If on the front, I'll continue on into the station to check a large bag.

 

[railiner]

That is why there was always one F40 in the lashup pulling Amtrak trains that would be creaming away even while standing still at a station. The prime mover had to operate at a certain rpm to be ale to deliver HEP to the train.

I used to enjoy standing on the platform after the completion of switching, and listen to the F40's from idle "spooling up"...then you'd hear the car's chime ring thru the open doorway, the bright lights come back on, and the blowers come back on. The sound reminded me of a jet spooling up...

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

As noted in earlier comments, the sleepers are still on the rear for the foreseeable future. Winter or January is when they have been moved to the front the past few Winter seasons.

 

[KmH]

Yep, the sleepers typically get moved to the front of the consist only during the winter months.
The Diner and SSL get flipped too so the diner is right after the last sleeper.

Baggage
0540|0640 —— Superliner Dorm/Sleeper
0531|0631 —— Superliner Sleeper
0532|0632 —— Superliner Sleeper
----|---- —— Superliner Diner
----|---- —— Superliner Lounge
0510|0610 —— Superliner Coach
0511|0611 —— Superliner Coach
0512|0612 —— Superliner Coach (as needed)

On January 15 this year the 2 sleepers were still on the rear of the consist.
On January 22 they were in front of the diner and coupled to the Transition sleeper. Since the 1/22 video shows the #6, that train left CHI 5 days earlier, the 17th.

1/15/16

https://youtu.be/HF3PxUaFDfs

1/22/16

https://youtu.be/7uaIe8ocFfE

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

While Winter months is the beginning of the sleeper front consist, when I rode the CZ last April, the sleepers were still in front. However, the SCA did say they would probably be moved to rear in a couple weeks and that did happen either late April or early May.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Interestingly, Amtrak #5 departing Chicago today 9/10 had only two sleepers but it also had four engines and ten private cars. My prediction is that train will lose time all the way to California.

The train arrived SCA 45" ahead, ultimately arriving EMY 59" ahead. Maybe you should make this prediction more often. It seemed to help the OTP! :giggle: