Lake Shore Limited discussion

[rs9]

On trainorders.com, an observer noted the Lake Shore Limited departing Chicago on Saturday, May 13 had the following odd consist:

Two P42 locomotives; Boston sleeper; Boston Amfleet cafe car; Boston Amfleet coach; Horizon coach (destination unclear); another Amfleet cafe car, presumably to NYP; NYP Amfleet coach; NYP diner, 2xNYP sleepers; and baggage car.

Anyone have any insights to add?

 

[fdaley]

On trainorders.com, an observer noted the Lake Shore Limited departing Chicago on Saturday, May 13 had the following odd consist:

Two P42 locomotives; Boston sleeper; Boston Amfleet cafe car; Boston Amfleet coach; Horizon coach (destination unclear); another Amfleet cafe car, presumably to NYP; NYP Amfleet coach; NYP diner, 2xNYP sleepers; and baggage car.

Anyone have any insights to add?

The Horizon coach and the second cafe are not things I've encountered in my recent sightings of 48/49. Their positioning in the consist suggests they were in revenue service (i.e., not deadheading). Were there really only two Amfleet coaches, one each for BOS and NYP?

When I saw the previous day's 48 at Rensselaer on Saturday (5/13), it had sleeper, cafe and two Amfleet coaches that continued on 448 to Boston, leaving two coaches, Viewliner diner, two sleepers and baggage for New York. Even two coaches for NYP seems pathetically short; it used to regularly run with four.

 

[joelkfla]

The Horizon coach and the second cafe are not things I've encountered in my recent sightings of 48/49. Their positioning in the consist suggests they were in revenue service (i.e., not deadheading). Were there really only two Amfleet coaches, one each for BOS and NYP?

When I saw the previous day's 48 at Rensselaer on Saturday (5/13), it had sleeper, cafe and two Amfleet coaches that continued on 448 to Boston, leaving two coaches, Viewliner diner, two sleepers and baggage for New York. Even two coaches for NYP seems pathetically short; it used to regularly run with four.

Caught 448 on the Springfield MA railcam. Although the platform canopy blocks most of the view, it did appear as though the Horizon was the 2nd of 2 coaches, and the interior lights appeared to be on (it arrived 2 hours late, just after nightfall.)

 

[PVD]

The Horizon would certainly be the odd duck. Nothing I can think of out here that uses them. And they are not configured with LD seating. Perhaps an AM2 took ill and there were no subs available.

 

[rs9]

The Horizon would certainly be the odd duck. Nothing I can think of out here that uses them. And they are not configured with LD seating. Perhaps an AM2 took ill and there were no subs available.

While it's likely it was a forced substitution for an AM2 car, this feels rather ominous for Amtrak's current status. The LSL will soon be at its summer capacity of 5 coach cars (2 Boston, 3 NYP), so there are by definition 3 AM2 cars that are seemingly not in service - though I suppose they may have been shipped elsewhere in the system.

 

[PVD]

All the trains using AM-2 cycle through Sunnyside, Chicago only sees the Lake. It could have just been a bad order into Chicago, and the seats were needed going back East. If it persists for any length of time, then I'll worry.

 

[jis]

All the trains using AM-2 cycle through Sunnyside, Chicago only sees the Lake. It could have just been a bad order into Chicago, and the seats were needed going back East. If it persists for any length of time, then I'll worry.

Yup. It could just be a flat wheel out of spec that could not be fixed in time. It is a bit surprising though that they are down two Amfleet Coaches.

 

[PVD]

Maybe the second Am Cafe was a desperation sub for a coach as well, since there would only be one normally and it would go to Boston.

 

[JP1822]

I think Chicago put together substitutions the best they could…..There were some Horizons that were overhauled for low density seating (LD service) and appeared on the Three Rivers and even the Pennsylvanian when it was extended “all the way” to Chicago. Occasionally - during peak season when capacity was needed - they would add a Horizon low density coach to the Lake Shore Limited - typically the Boston section.

I remember being on the southbound Adirondack and passing the westbound Lake Shore at Schenectady and seeing the Horizon car in the Lake Shore’s consist. I’ve never done LD overnight coach travel (sleeper only), but the fluorescent lighting would not been ideal.

Overall all though, a pretty smart move back then when Amtrak needed quick LD coaches - to re-arrange the seating on the Horizons and make them low density as opposed to the traditional high density.

Boston though is notorious for not liking “foreign equipment” so if the Horizon was destined for Boston, I doubt Boston Maintenance Yard staff appreciated it. The second Amfleet was probably the best Amtrak could do in a pinch to create much needed seating. Hopefully it was half table seating and half business class seating,

There were Amfleet II coaches subbing for corridor service in the Midwest. But slowly I think they were returned back East as the Venture Cars began to be put in service, and Horizons were pressed into more efficient service. The LD trains are still not back to pre-COVID Amfleet II coach levels. As mentioned the NY section had 4 to 5 coaches as a standard on the Lake Shore. Ironically though, Amtrak had no problem finding Amfleet II coaches when restoring the Maple Leaf and Adirondack.

Hopefully the Lake Shore gets Amfleet II coaches restored - and more of them in the near future for peak summer season.

 

[jis]

Lake Shore will get a third NY Coach very soon. It will get some further enhancements a little further down the line.

 

[joelkfla]

Lake Shore will get a third NY Coach very soon. It will get some further enhancements a little further down the line.

So cryptic! It already has a diner, and it can't get a SSL -- what else could there be? Perhaps a dining upgrade?

 

[jis]

So cryptic! It already has a diner, and it can't get a SSL -- what else could there be? Perhaps a dining upgrade?

Wait and see. To some extent I am guessing.

 

[John Bredin]

So cryptic! It already has a diner, and it can't get a SSL -- what else could there be? Perhaps a dining upgrade?

Bag-dorm for the Boston section to free up some sleeper space? Cafe or cafe-business for the New York section? (Those are strictly guesses in the spirit of "what else could it be?" )

 

[Amtrak25]

Right now, 16 Amfleet-2 coaches (assuming Maple Leaf still has 5 each) compose all the coaches used on the two Canadian trains. Pre-pandemic, it was 10 of them. Amtrak needs to get more Horizon cars out of Beech Grove, and more Siemens coaches on their feet to cascade Chicago's current allottment of Amfleet-1 and Amfleet-2 coaches back east where they belong. Scrapping Talgo-6's and sending a couple of dozen Horizons to Seattle made the situation worse yet.

Be nice if Amtrak could get their hands on California's 12 (or is it 14) ComArrow coaches and 3 California-owned Horizon dinettes for use in Seattle. A few of those coaches are used only for axle counts. I don't think the 3 dinettes have turned a wheel since the pandemic started. Nobody talks about them.

So the 6 extra Amfleet-2 caoaches that go to Canada are the missing 4th NY Lake Shore coach and the 3rd Cardinal coach gone astray.

8 Horizon coaches were converted to Long Distance for Three Rivers service. After that train came off, they were converted and renumbered right back to the way they were. You'd never know now.

 

[IAlam]

So I was talking to some crew last week about the LSL having 2 VL1's on the NY section and they said the current rumor is that the LSL is preparing for a 3rd sleeper on the NY section and the VLII will get placed there.

I'm not sure why they'd put 2 VL1's back to back in anticipation of a 3rd sleeper, but that's the best information I could get from someone who works there.

 

[jis]

So I was talking to some crew last week about the LSL having 2 VL1's on the NY section and they said the current rumor is that the LSL is preparing for a 3rd sleeper on the NY section and the VLII will get placed there.

I'm not sure why they'd put 2 VL1's back to back in anticipation of a 3rd sleeper, but that's the best information I could get from someone who works there.

I don’t know why they shuffled the Sleepers but I have also heard that LSL will get a third Sleeper mid-June.

 

[lordsigma]

I’m aboard the Lake Shore Limited. A third New York coach was added for summer. Train has total of 5 coaches currently. Consist of my train is 2 P42, V2 Boston sleeper, lounge, 2 Boston coaches, 3 New York coaches, diner, 2 New York V1 sleepers, bagagge.