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Engine58

Train Attendant
Joined
May 16, 2011
Messages
58
Location
Chicago
Hi All,

Is there anyway to decipher the difference of a Superliner Coach and a Superliner sleeper?

I live off of the BNSF Chicago rails and the CZ and SWC travel through twice a day. I can spot the Transdorm due to the small upstairs window and I know what the SSL and Dining cars look like, but Im never quite sure if the coach cars are in front or in the rear and vice versa.

Any tips?
 
On those trains the coaches are closer to the lounge car, and the sleepers are next to the dinner.
 
"Sleeping Car" is painted (ok they're stickers...) on the side of the sleeping cars; and "Coachclass" is on the Coach cars. Down by the doors, in fairly small type, so it's easy to miss. If you spot a Coach Baggage car (has a big solid door where the lower windows would be, and blocked out windows around the door), then you'll know that the surrounding cars are coaches as well.

You can learn the car number ranges which is available here: http://www.on-track-on-line.com/amtk-roster-cars.shtml#Superliner-I

but other then that, just knowing which side of the Diner/SSL they're on is probably the best. You can try and look in the windows as it flies by as well...

peter

PS oh the car numbers I'm referring to above are the painted-on ones up by the stripes, not the ones in the little lit-up display by the doors)
 
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If you can tell the Dining Car and the SSL, then you can tell the sleepers and coaches easily. The cars attached to the Diner are sleepers, those attached to the SSL are coaches. This is true for every train, with a few exceptions - the TE, EB & LSL.

Another way to tell is on the lower level if you see windows on both sides of the door, that's a sleeper. They have the H-Room on one end next to the rest rooms. Coaches have another rest room there, and thus no window.
 
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Pictures are worth 6.023 X 10^27 words, so here's some pix of a Superliner Coach... https://www.google.com/search?q=amtrak+superliner+coach&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS481US482&espv=2&biw=1838&bih=932&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CB0QsARqFQoTCILYy-vG_sYCFYU_PgodvDAKpA ...except for the ones on the top row. And here's some of a Superliner Sleeper... https://www.google.com/search?q=amtrak+superliner+sleeper&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS481US482&espv=2&biw=1838&bih=932&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CD0QsARqFQoTCNOHiJbH_sYCFUYdPgodc1wALA ..except for the top row. For other types of cars, simply google "Amtrak _______ Car" and open the Images For ______ link. Being able to see what's inside the car explains the window patterns and may help the memory, so just Google "Amtrak ______ Car Floor Plan" and do the same - open the Images For ______ link. Let Google be your friend! :p

Regards
 
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Each Superliner car has an "A" end and a "B" end. This tells you something about how the brake system is set up. The "B" end has the brake lever in the end vestibule on the upper level. If you look at a Superliner car, you will notice that the side entry door is not located exactly at the middle of the car. It is actually offset, closer to the "A" end. The lower level is the key to distinguishing at a glance between coaches and sleepers. Whether the car is a coach or a sleeper, the lower level restroom facilities are located between the side entry door and the "A" end. Those restrooms have no windows, so you will see no windows between the door and the "A" end of a coach. However, the "H" room is located in this area on a sleeper, so you will see one window on each side of a sleeper between the door and the "A" end.

So briefly, the downstairs window arrangement will look like this:

Diner: No downstairs windows (other than on the door)

Coach: No windows on the "A" end; 2-1/2 windows on the "B" end

Sleeper: One small window on the "A" end; 2-1/2 windows on the "B" end

Tom
 
My train never used the coaches that have a baggage room on the lower level, so I have no experience with them. As far as I know, they have no lower level windows, but can be identified by the presence of the baggage door.

Tom
 
Thanks all.

I was able to decipher the differences on the WB SWC yesterday. I found it very easy once i spotted the "H" room window on the lower level of the sleepers.
 
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