In what order are cars attached?

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Kaki

Train Attendant
Joined
Dec 26, 2007
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Location
Arkansas
In what order are cars attached to the engine? Is there a standard order? For example: Engine, dining car, coach.......

I will be in car#0731 on the Empire builder to Seattle, where is that car in the line-up?

Thank you,

Kaki
 
The Empire Builder should have the cars in this order: locomotives, baggage car (for checked luggage), sleepers bound for Seattle, the dining car, Seattle-bound coaches, then the Sightseer lounge car, with the coaches/sleepers bound for Portland bringing up the rear. The Portland-bound cars (and the lounge car) will be detached from your train in Spokane, Washington.

So you'll be near the front of the train, close to the engines. The Amtrak crew on the platform will direct you to the correct car.
 
Steven B said:
The Empire Builder should have the cars in this order: locomotives, baggage car (for checked luggage), sleepers bound for Seattle, the dining car, Seattle-bound coaches, then the Sightseer lounge car, with the coaches/sleepers bound for Portland bringing up the rear. The Portland-bound cars (and the lounge car) will be detached from your train in Spokane, Washington.
So you'll be near the front of the train, close to the engines. The Amtrak crew on the platform will direct you to the correct car.
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You left out the transition/crew dorm car which will be between the baggage car and the first sleeper. But otherwise the order is correct.

To Kaki, your car should be the first sleeper behind the crew dorm car. That will mean that you'll have to walk through the other sleeper (the 730 car), to reach the dining car and the rest of the train.
 
One more thing: The Empire Builder is a very long train, and if you're carrying luggage, it's a long walk from the Metropolitan Lounge down the platform to board that sleeping car. You'll probably want red cap assistance if you're carrying anything with you that's heavy.

Also, once you're on board the train, you'll have to walk through several cars to get to the Sightseer Lounge, but it is definitely worth it for the vistas of Glacier National Park. The scenery on that part of the trip is breathtaking.
 
Thank you for the information!!!!

More questions :D

How many locomotives are there? (I assume 2)

Are the number of cars always the same?

If there are two, does one take the Portland cars? or is there another locomotive to take the Portland cars?

We are in car 5800 Memphis to Chicago, does the zero at the end mean that it is the second sleeper?

Does the NO to CHI train have the same line-up of cars?

Sorry for all the questions, my husband and I are having a good time researching this trip!!!

Kaki
 
Kaki said:
We are in car 5800 Memphis to Chicago, does the zero at the end mean that it is the second sleeper?Does the NO to CHI train have the same line-up of cars?

Sorry for all the questions, my husband and I are having a good time researching this trip!!!

Kaki
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The City of New Orleans is a much shorter train, so the line-up is a bit different. Most importantly, there isn't a separate lounge car, just a single combination diner/lounge, called the Cross Country Cafe, which should be directly adjacent to your sleeper.
 
Kaki said:
How many locomotives are there? (I assume 2)
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Usually on the Empire Builder there are two engines, sometimes though you may see three.

Kaki said:
Are the number of cars always the same?
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Not always. During peak periods an extra coach or two may be added. Most times during peak periods, there is one extra coach that only runs between Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Kaki said:
If there are two, does one take the Portland cars? or is there another locomotive to take the Portland cars?
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The Seattle bound section keeps the same to locomotives all the way. The Portland section receives a new engine at Spokanne, after the train is split in half.

Kaki said:
We are in car 5800 Memphis to Chicago, does the zero at the end mean that it is the second sleeper?Does the NO to CHI train have the same line-up of cars?
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The 5800 sleeper should be the one right next to the Cross Country Cafe/Diner-Lounge car.
 
In my experience the 5800 car was on the rear of the train and 5809 was on the head end. But this is back when the train used to share its sets with the Texas Eagle, so Alan is likely correct.
 
Right now the City is running with one engine, a baggage car rarely, transisistion dorm for the crew with roomettes for sale when the 5800 car sells out,the 5800 car, the CCC, and two coaches. Basically you could see as little as a six car train with one engine; more Hiawatha looking than an Empire Builder with multiple engines and a split train.
 
I suspect it can also go 2 P42, bagage, trans, 2 sleeper, diner, lounge, 2-3 coaches.

Every single level I've ever seen (Silver Star, Silver Meteor, Crescent, Lake Shore) goes as follows: engines, baggage, sleepers, dining, cafe, coaches.
 
Green Maned Lion said:
I suspect it can also go 2 P42, bagage, trans, 2 sleeper, diner, lounge, 2-3 coaches.
Every single level I've ever seen (Silver Star, Silver Meteor, Crescent, Lake Shore) goes as follows: engines, baggage, sleepers, dining, cafe, coaches.
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That used to be the order of the CZ, but they changed things around last year, swapping the position of the coaches and the sleepers. The reason being is that a coach attendant also has to act as the sleeping car attendant for the 8 roomettes that are sold in the Trans/dorm to the public. I expect that eventually this change will make its way through all the LD's that use Superliner equipment and sell rooms into the Trans/dorm.
 
I don't suppose there's a website anywhere with full consist information like this for all Amtrak trains? That would be a pretty handy resource ...
 
Montanan said:
I don't suppose there's a website anywhere with full consist information like this for all Amtrak trains? That would be a pretty handy resource ...
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Nope, nothing like that. In large part because the consists can and do change from time to time.
 
battalion51 said:
In my experience the 5800 car was on the rear of the train and 5809 was on the head end. But this is back when the train used to share its sets with the Texas Eagle, so Alan is likely correct.
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I've been out of the loop for a few months. I take it the consist of the Texas Eagle no longer becomes the City of New Orleans? I so, what consist does it share with, or does it just make the turn and head back as the Texas Eagle?
 
racer1735 said:
battalion51 said:
In my experience the 5800 car was on the rear of the train and 5809 was on the head end. But this is back when the train used to share its sets with the Texas Eagle, so Alan is likely correct.
Click to expand...
I've been out of the loop for a few months. I take it the consist of the Texas Eagle no longer becomes the City of New Orleans? I so, what consist does it share with, or does it just make the turn and head back as the Texas Eagle?
Click to expand...
Because of the new Cross Country Cafe (CCC) car on the City, the Eagle and the City no longer interchange. Each turns as itself AFAIK, the City definately turns as itself that is confirmed. I believe that the Eagle does the same.

Eventually though according to Amtrak Ink, the Eagle will also get the CCC, probably around March or so. At that time I expect that Amtrak probably will go back to interlining the two trains.
 
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