First Trip On The Crescent

[Reno89502]

So I have decided to use the trip that I won on Amtrak's "Sweeps for our Peeps" Facebook contest and head to New Orleans. This will be the first time on the Crescent, and I had a few questions. Even though my rail fare was paid for by Amtrak, I Upgraded to a Bedroom (GOT to have that Shower!). One question is are the Viewliner Sleeping Cars at the front or the rear of the train. Second question is, will I be served dinner before my arrival into New Orleans (7:30pm arrival), and will I be served Breakfast upon departure from New Orleans (7:00am Departure). Also, I will be connecting in Philadelphia from Harrisburg, so am I allowed to use the Club Acela lounge at 30th Street Station since I am a Sleeping Car Passenger.

 

[NY Penn]

Sorry, I can only help you with one of your questions.

Also, I will be connecting in Philadelphia from Harrisburg, so am I allowed to use the Club Acela lounge at 30th Street Station since I am a Sleeping Car Passenger.

Yes, as long as the ticket is the same day (arrival OR departure), you may use the Club Acela.

 

[MattW]

Currently, the sleepers are indeed near the rear of the train, but ahead of the baggage car.

 

[AlanB]

You will get dinner going into New Orleans, but it is an early & abbreviated diner if the train is running on time. So either have an early lunch or at least a light lunch, if you want to have dinner. It's generally just one seating and it starts 4:45 to 5:00 PM.

Leaving NOL you will get breakfast, but reports say that they generally don't start serving until you've reached the first stop in Slidell.

Next, if you're traveling during the next two months, then the sleepers will be on the rear. By April they should be back on the front.

And yes, you can use the Club Acela both ways, just show your sleeper ticket going and your sleeper ticket stub on the return. Do note however that you'll have to leave the club to go board your Keystone, as they can't send you down to the platform from the Club level for the Keystones. The Crescent however you will be sent down to track level direct from the lounge.

 

[GaSteve]

Currently, the sleepers are indeed near the rear of the train, but ahead of the baggage car.

But it may or may not be that way when you travel.

 

[AtlantaRailfan]

Currently, the sleepers are indeed near the rear of the train, but ahead of the baggage car.

But it may or may not be that way when you travel.

The Crescent has been terminating/beginning in Atlanta the past few weeks while NS is working on track in Alabama (I believe). As a result, it is parked next to Peachtree Station for most of the day. I live nearby and have seen the Crescent parked (or rolling down the track in my backyard) several times over this period. All but once, the sleepers were in the rear. Not really sure the rhyme or reason behind when the put them in the rear/etc. Perhaps someone wiser can shed some light (as I am curious).

 

[AlanB]

The Crescent has been terminating/beginning in Atlanta the past few weeks while NS is working on track in Alabama (I believe). As a result, it is parked next to Peachtree Station for most of the day. I live nearby and have seen the Crescent parked (or rolling down the track in my backyard) several times over this period. All but once, the sleepers were in the rear. Not really sure the rhyme or reason behind when the put them in the rear/etc. Perhaps someone wiser can shed some light (as I am curious).

The rhyme & reason is to reduce switching in the Sunnyside yard in NY City during the winter months. Normally during the warmer months, the Lake Shore Limited consist doesn't interline with the other routes. Except for inspections & problems, the LSL's cars tend to remain on the LSL during the warmer months.

But when winter hits, Amtrak tries to send the LSL cars upon returning from Chicago on a run to the south to help thaw them out and avoid problems. Since the LSL's NY section runs with the sleepers on the rear of the train, necessary to reduce switching in Albany when the combine/separate things, Amtrak alters all the other single level trains to put the sleepers on the rear too. This cuts down on the need to switch cars around in Sunnyside yard to conform the normally front running sleepers on the other trains.

Amtrak wants to keep switching to a minimum, not only because it's harder on the crews in the cold weather, but also because it means cutting power to the consist and that can add to the freeze-up problems.

So again, by swapping things on the southern trains, it becomes very easy for Amtrak to trade consists between the LSL and the other trains and rotate the equipment around to help thaw things out.

 

[NY Penn]

The Crescent has been terminating/beginning in Atlanta the past few weeks while NS is working on track in Alabama (I believe). As a result, it is parked next to Peachtree Station for most of the day. I live nearby and have seen the Crescent parked (or rolling down the track in my backyard) several times over this period. All but once, the sleepers were in the rear. Not really sure the rhyme or reason behind when the put them in the rear/etc. Perhaps someone wiser can shed some light (as I am curious).

The rhyme & reason is to reduce switching in the Sunnyside yard in NY City during the winter months. Normally during the warmer months, the Lake Shore Limited consist doesn't interline with the other routes. Except for inspections & problems, the LSL's cars tend to remain on the LSL during the warmer months.

But when winter hits, Amtrak tries to send the LSL cars upon returning from Chicago on a run to the south to help thaw them out and avoid problems. Since the LSL's NY section runs with the sleepers on the rear of the train, necessary to reduce switching in Albany when the combine/separate things, Amtrak alters all the other single level trains to put the sleepers on the rear too. This cuts down on the need to switch cars around in Sunnyside yard to conform the normally front running sleepers on the other trains.

Amtrak wants to keep switching to a minimum, not only because it's harder on the crews in the cold weather, but also because it means cutting power to the consist and that can add to the freeze-up problems.

So again, by swapping things on the southern trains, it becomes very easy for Amtrak to trade consists between the LSL and the other trains and rotate the equipment around to help thaw things out.

Doesn't the Boston section of the LSL suffer from cold-related issues, since it stays in the north?

And how does VIA take care of such things?

 

[AlanB]

The rhyme & reason is to reduce switching in the Sunnyside yard in NY City during the winter months. Normally during the warmer months, the Lake Shore Limited consist doesn't interline with the other routes. Except for inspections & problems, the LSL's cars tend to remain on the LSL during the warmer months.

But when winter hits, Amtrak tries to send the LSL cars upon returning from Chicago on a run to the south to help thaw them out and avoid problems. Since the LSL's NY section runs with the sleepers on the rear of the train, necessary to reduce switching in Albany when the combine/separate things, Amtrak alters all the other single level trains to put the sleepers on the rear too. This cuts down on the need to switch cars around in Sunnyside yard to conform the normally front running sleepers on the other trains.

Amtrak wants to keep switching to a minimum, not only because it's harder on the crews in the cold weather, but also because it means cutting power to the consist and that can add to the freeze-up problems.

So again, by swapping things on the southern trains, it becomes very easy for Amtrak to trade consists between the LSL and the other trains and rotate the equipment around to help thaw things out.

Doesn't the Boston section of the LSL suffer from cold-related issues, since it stays in the north?

And how does VIA take care of such things?

Yup, the Boston section has troubles too. I'm not sure how Amtrak deals with that, whether they just shuttle cars down the NEC to Sunnyside or if they stick the cars in a building up in Boston to warm them or what.

VIA's Budd cars are less prone to freezing than the Viewliners. Plus they use a lot more TLC than Amtrak does, and VIA only runs about 1/2 their fleet during the winter which gives them more time to deal with freeze ups. I think that they're also just better and more careful about how they handle & switch cars than Amtrak is.

 

[Donctor]

Yup, the Boston section has troubles too. I'm not sure how Amtrak deals with that, whether they just shuttle cars down the NEC to Sunnyside or if they stick the cars in a building up in Boston to warm them or what.

It seems like they don't do much of anything, that they run the equipment until something breaks. Maybe there's a warm building in Southampton—I'm not familiar with the yard—but last I checked, the cars were not typically shuttled to Sunnyside.

I've twice been booked into a bad-ordered 20 car, though Sunnyside seems to have gotten pretty good at (or capable of) adding a third sleeper to 49 when necessary. Fortunately, BOS has 60-seat Amfleet I coaches to use when a 448/449 coach is held.

In theory, the sleeper could be switched out in CHI for 50.

 

[AtlantaRailfan]

The rhyme & reason is to reduce switching in the Sunnyside yard in NY City during the winter months. Normally during the warmer months, the Lake Shore Limited consist doesn't interline with the other routes. Except for inspections & problems, the LSL's cars tend to remain on the LSL during the warmer months.

But when winter hits, Amtrak tries to send the LSL cars upon returning from Chicago on a run to the south to help thaw them out and avoid problems. Since the LSL's NY section runs with the sleepers on the rear of the train, necessary to reduce switching in Albany when the combine/separate things, Amtrak alters all the other single level trains to put the sleepers on the rear too. This cuts down on the need to switch cars around in Sunnyside yard to conform the normally front running sleepers on the other trains.

Amtrak wants to keep switching to a minimum, not only because it's harder on the crews in the cold weather, but also because it means cutting power to the consist and that can add to the freeze-up problems.

So again, by swapping things on the southern trains, it becomes very easy for Amtrak to trade consists between the LSL and the other trains and rotate the equipment around to help thaw things out.

Thank you for sharing your wisdom on this matter, Alan B. As a novice, I have much to learn. I remember seeing this configuration in the past during the winter months so now it all makes sense (and will give me something to one-up Dad next time we are talking trains).