Missing SWC locomotives?

[abqdave]

Strange site in ABQ this afternoon. 3 Superliners sitting at the Albuquerque station by themselves. The time is just a little later than when the SWC would have left for LA. The extra Amtrak locomotive that is stationed here is here, didn't see the 2 locomotives that usually pull the SWC, or any other Superliners farther south in the yard.

 

[Trogdor]

I'm a little confused. If the SW Chief wasn't in the station (and, by the description above, it wasn't), then how could its locomotives be "missing"? Wouldn't it be better if they were actually connected to the train?

 

[abqdave]

I am confused, too, I have never seen Amtrak leave Superliner cars here before. I am not sure if they were part of today's SWC or not, but I assume they must have been, because they are here at roughly the same time the LA-bound SWC would depart here.

If so, I wonder if Amtrak split the train, with the 2 'missing' locomotives hauling the rest of the train further south...maybe a Superliner car was damaged, and they were going to leave it here; reconnect the 2 locomotives and other Superliners with these 3 (that if my guess is correct were at the end of the train, behind the damaged Superliner), and continue on to LA?

I assume they wouldn't drag 3 empty Superliners here to leave them overnight and be picked-up by tomorrow's Chicago-bound SWC?

 

[gswager]

The locomotive that is parked by ABQ railyard is used as a spare in case other locomotive break down.

 

[printman2000]

Perhaps something went wrong with them and one of the Chiefs left them there to be dealt with later.

OR, perhaps Amtrak is planning on leaving some spares now in Albuquerque.

What type of Superliner cars are they?

 

[Trogdor]

One lounge car was set out a couple of days ago due to a defect. If there were three cars sitting there, then I'm not sure what the others were for.

 

[the_traveler]

Maybe they plan to start a new route on 10/1 from ABQ to DEN to continue to PDX - aka the Pioneer thru WY, UT, ID and OR!

Or ABQ along the transcon route!