Vermonter still running with two locos?

[FreeskierInVT]

Finally managed to get a chance to get a few pics of the Vermonter going over the Winooski River just north of Waterbury, VT this morning (a spot I've been wanting to get to for a while), and noticed the southbound train ran with two locomotives today, one on each end. After reading about locomotive shortages across the system on AU, I would think Amtrak would make sure the Vermonter was running with just one loco and a cab car. Any ideas why today's train might have had two?

http://youtu.be/A31mmDa7ykM?t=1m40s

 

[Green Maned Lion]

For all of Amtrak's engine shortage problems, their cab car shortage problems are greater.

 

[FreeskierInVT]

I had thought it was the other way around. I know they don't have too many cab cars though.

 

[Acela150]

Not enough.

 

[afigg]

For all of Amtrak's engine shortage problems, their cab car shortage problems are greater.

If the re-route is on schedule, in January the Vermonter won't need a second locomotive or cab car which will ease the cab car demand by a bit. It was noted on rr.net that reservations to Amherst are currently blocked out after December 28, so they may be planning for an early January re-route.

 

[JerichoWhiskeyForgotHisPW]

So it is now 2015 and it looks like they are still using two locomotives. I noticed there is a turntable in the yard near St. Alban's station. I wonder if they are not allowed to use it or not. I would have figured if there had to be an agreement in place, they would have done it alongside the track changes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLOyrK3qIIA

 

[neroden]

There are *exceedingly few* cab cars.

There's the bilevel California Car / Surfliner cabs which are captive to California. There are 30 of these. More are being ordered for California and the Midwest.

There's the depowered locos ("NPCUs") which are used in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and occasionally California. There are 21 of these. 6 run in the Pacific Northwest, 4 in California (1 of which is apparently dead), and I think the other 11 in the Midwest.

There's the Talgo cab cars from the brand-new Talgo sets, captive to the Pacific Northwest. I think there are only 3 of these? Maybe only 2?

And then there are the single-level Metroliner cab cars. There are only 16 of them. They are largely dedicated to the Keystones, which need them for fast reversal at 30th St. Station.

The Vermonter now shouldn't need a second locomotive or a cab car operationally. The second locomotive may be for the usual reason -- redundancy in case there's a locomotive breakdown.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Cabbage cars also run on the Downeaster in Maine.

 

[jis]

You all seem to have forgotten that the first southbound through Greenfield had to go north via Palmer the previous day. That is why it had two engines.

St. Albans has a wye that is used to turn the Vermonter.