Gulf Coast Limited

[NativeSon5859]

I think it was 1997 when Amtrak restored its Gulf Coast Limited service between New Orleans and Mobile. The train operated with one Superliner Coach and one Superliner Snack Coach if i'm not mistaken (please correct me if i'm wrong). From what I remember, the train left NOL at around 5:40pm, which was good for inbound connections from #59. The return train got to NOL around noon, which worked for connections to #58. Was the demand just not there on this route to justify it? I seem to recall the route getting some service extension, not sure of that.

The orginal Gulf Coast Limited was started in 1984 for the World's Fair in New Orleans.

It would be nice to see it again, but I don't see that happening in the near term. I'm hoping that the Sunet will get split in NOL, though, so the Gulf Coast Limited NAME can be ressurected for NOL-JAX-MIA service. Wishful thinking perhaps.

 

[NativeSon5859]

Ooops, I mean "Sunset". I'm sure yall figured that out though.

 

[battalion51]

I personally think it'd be great if there was a Gulf Coast Ltd. It'd bring more jobs to JAX and NOL for T&E, and new jobs to NOL or MIA OBS. I think it'd only take one more set of equipment to run a Gulf Coast Ltd. and Sunset (as a LAX-NOL train). Bringing 3 trains to Miami (two to New York one to New Orleans) every day has the potential to bring ridership to record levels. It'd also make it for more convienent for in state travel here in Florida. I personally would love it since I could take the train from TLH to FTL without an overnight in WPK. CSX has said it can run trains more reliably when it's on a daily frequency rather than this try weakly crap. As far as maintenance goes that can be done by the boys in NOL who would have three Superliner trains coming in and out of there. It'd also give MIA a connection to a major diesel shop overnight. To me it seems like this should be a no brainer, but what do I know.

 

[Trogdor]

I personally think it'd be great if there was a Gulf Coast Ltd. It'd bring more jobs to JAX and NOL for T&E, and new jobs to NOL or MIA OBS. I think it'd only take one more set of equipment to run a Gulf Coast Ltd. and Sunset (as a LAX-NOL train).

The numbers don't work out.

Currently, the Sunset Limited runs with three trainsets, and runs three days per week in each direction.

Assuming you want the train to keep running at least days each week, you can't get three weekly trips using two trainsets (assuming the third went east to cover the GCL).

Also, a daily train from New Orleans to Miami would probably need three trainsets to protect the service, meaning that even if you did cut the Sunset to two trainsets (which you can't do without cutting service west of New Orleans), you'd still need two extra trainsets, not one, to make the GCL daily.

And all of the above is moot since "extra trainsets" ain't exactly easy to come by these days.

 

[battalion51]

You are right it would take three sets for both. It might be possible with the correct layout of layovers to get it down to five total sets if you rotate.

 

[Trogdor]

You are right it would take three sets for both. It might be possible with the correct layout of layovers to get it down to five total sets if you rotate.

I haven't really figured the rotations out yet, but it would probably work to keep the Sunset as is, and run a NOL-ORL train daily with two extra trainsets. The problem with this is the days of operation would be such that trains would be laying over in New Orleans for several days at a time. Not exactly the best use of equipment. It was this inefficiency that killed the Texas Eagle California Service train a couple of years ago, when Amtrak ran short of equipment and needed an easy way to steal a couple of cars to keep the rest of the system going.

Also, I don't know how you'd extend the train to Miami, unless you had the train run on a different schedule four days a week (again, I haven't done all the figuring on this). Using the current schedule, it would get into Miami sometime in the middle of the night (if on time, which it never is, which lends its own set of problems since, if Amtrak annuls half the trips in Sanford due to lateness, how are you going to get all the way down to Miami and still have time to turn around?). Pushing the eastbound train's schedule up a few hours would be difficult because, way on the west end, you have a connection to make with the Coast Starlight.

So, that brings me to this question. When the Sunset Limited ran to Miami, what was its schedule?

 

[Amtrak OBS Employee]

So, that brings me to this question. When the Sunset Limited ran to Miami, what was its schedule?

If my memory serves me correctly, the train arrived "eastbound" into MIA around the 22:00-23:00 hour. And it's departure was around the 12:00-13:00 hour for "westbound, " and of course a tri-weekly basis.

 

[lepearso]

I actually worked up a proposal for the Sunset and sent it to Amtrak operations a few weeks ago. My suggestion is to make the Sunset a San Francisco (i.e. Oakland) - LAX - NOL train, albeit with a reroute from El Paso to Fort Worth-Dallas - College Station - Houston. By running the train on an overnight schedule from Oakland to LAX, it would complement the Coast Starlight and make more reliable connections with the Starlight via Oakland. The revised timing would bring the train into Fort Worth in time to connect with the Texas Eagle and the Heartland Flyer. The train would then be able to make same day connections with the City of New Orleans at NOL and possible even make connections with the Crescent if the schedules are adjusted properly adjusted. Then, Amtrak could merely operate a triweekly NOL-JAX-ORL train with basic equipment under the name Gulf Coast Limited.

 

[tp49]

Maybe Bill would remember this better that I seem to but I remember the Crescent splitting at Birmingham with cars going to Mobile, I believe the train also stopped in Montgomery. What was this train called and when did it cease operating?

 

[Trogdor]

Maybe Bill would remember this better that I seem to but I remember the Crescent splitting at Birmingham with cars going to Mobile, I believe the train also stopped in Montgomery. What was this train called and when did it cease operating?

Gulf Breeze, and mid 1990s or so (maybe 1995 or 1997).

 

[Superliner Diner]

The Gulf Breeze died because Alabama decided they did not want to ante up the cash anymore. The Gulf Coast Limited, which started after the Gulf Breeze had already ended, was funded by the three states it traversed (Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana) but I believe just one of them backed out and that killed the entire deal.

The Gulf Breeze had so much promise. A lot of the online stations were improved by the cities, as the train was expected to last longer than it did. After all, this was a direct train to the large Northeastern cities. It ran over a freight line that was relatively quiet compared to the NS mainline the train joined in Birmingham.

Regarding the Gulf Coast Limited, I think it was running using equipment off the City of New Orleans. The schedule made it possible to run this train to Mobile, overnight there, and have it back in NOL in time for the northbound departure for Chicago.

 

[lepearso]

Indeed, Alabama decided not to ante up their financial support of the Gulf Breeze, but keep in mind that Amtrak came and demanded more money from Alabama right in the middle of a fiscal year!

 

[Genesis803]

The Gulf Coast Limited ran between New Orleans and Mobile from June 96 to around March 98. It was scheduled to run for only 1 year but was given an extension in funding. The train had its own set of equipment always consisting of one Superliner snak bar coach and one regular Superliner coach. Nearly every weekend additional Superliner coaches and the occasional Sightseer Lounge was added. I have seen as many as 11 Superliners on this train. Ridership swelled around Christmas, Mardi Gras, and Saints games. The train was usually pulled by a F40 or P32 with the occasional P40 showing up. It had several regulars and the crew became familiar with the local people. It was a great train and is greatly missed. Of course it cost money to operate and that was its cause of death. I doubt it would be resurrected a third time with the current budget deficits being experienced by Mississippi and Alabama.