Sleeper Car Orientation -- Zephyr/Coast

[Steve]

I know that typically sleepers usually are oriented in the consist such that deluxe sleepers are to the rear, except for the Coast Starlight, as has been my experience. Does anyone know if sleepers on the CA Zephyr are virtually always oriented in the usual way -- deluxe sleepers to the rear? The question is for the benefit of choosing a standard sleeper on the more scenic left side of the train for a future trip -- Chicago to Emeryville. All comments and suggestions are most appreciated. Thanks.

 

[battalion51]

There is no set orientation. I think in general Deluxe's are preferred on the end away from the Dining car, but since the Superliners can be turned in any direction thanks to vestibule placement, there is no one set direction like there is on the east coast.

 

[AlanB]

There is no set orientation. I think in general Deluxe's are preferred on the end away from the Dining car, but since the Superliners can be turned in any direction thanks to vestibule placement, there is no one set direction like there is on the east coast.

I would agree with the above, it's always a toss up as to which way you'll find the sleepers orientated.

If forced to give odds, I'd say that about 60% of the time I've found Superliner sleepers with the deluxe bedrooms faerthest from the dinner & closer to the engines. The other 40% of the time, they were orientated the other way.

So it's going to be a toss-up as to whether you get the bedroom on the side you'd like.

 

[Amfleet]

I remember something on Trainweb that said even northbound, odd southbound for Standard Bedrooms on the Coast Starlight. This orientation however was back from 1999.

 

[denmarks]

What is the sequence of cars on the Calfornia Zephyr?

 

[Amfleet]

What is the sequence of cars on the Calfornia Zephyr?

Not sure, but I took the Capitol Limited out to Chicago this summer and both trainsets happen to come from the California Zephyr. The Sleepers had the Deluxe end toward the Diner in both directions of travel.

 

[denmarks]

What I mean is what order are the cars in?

Engine - baggage - coaches - observation - diner - sleepers ??

 

[AMTRAK-P42]

What I mean is what order are the cars in?
Engine - baggage - coaches - observation - diner - sleepers ??

For the Westbound Zephyr the USUAL consist is as follows:

Engines, Baggage, Transition Sleeper, Coaches, Lounge/Diner, Sleepers, and Freight.

 

[Steve4031]

I rode the Zephyr twice last year. When the train operates westbound, the sleepers were on the rear of the train. When the train operates east bound, the sleepers were on the front. It seemed like the engines were just moved from one end to the other in California, without turning the train around.

As far as the location of the deluxe bedrooms, on both trips the deluxe rooms were closest to the diner.

When I rode the Capitol a few weeks ago, I observed the same push pull operation, with the deluxe rooms closest to the diner.

Plese note, that I suspect that these cars can be operated in either direction, and I would not expect Amtrak to take pains to keep consistency in this pattern if a car was switrhed out at the last moment.

 

[Amfleet]

It seems Amtrak isn't so concerned y'ing trains as they used to be. On the my Capitol Limited trip out of Washington this summer then entire train ran "backwards" to Chicago. The locomotives were directly attached to the coaches with no baggage or crew dorm. Then when the Capitol pulled into Chicago, once the express cars were removed from the rear and some new locomotives were put on, the train was ready to head west again.

 

[Steve4031]

It seems Amtrak isn't so concerned y'ing trains as they used to be. On the my Capitol Limited trip out of Washington this summer then entire train ran "backwards" to Chicago. The locomotives were directly attached to the coaches with no baggage or crew dorm. Then when the Capitol pulled into Chicago, once the express cars were removed from the rear and some new locomotives were put on, the train was ready to head west again.

That exactly sums up the operating practice when I rode it a few weeks ago.