This shouldn't be hard, but I've spent over an hour searching fruitlessly for an answer: How can I find a list of the equipment in current use on the California Zephyr, Coast Starlight, and Empire Builder? I'm more a freelance steam modeler, so I don't have the right instincts, I guess, but I'll be riding these trains in a few months and am curious to know their rosters, particularly the motive power. Any links would be appreciated, or if you know off the top of your head, just tell me. Thanks.
As far as I know, all these trains would have at least two GE P42s as motive power, sometimes a third (and maybe a rebuilt P40 in there somewhere).
The trains themselves are made up of Superliner two level cars, with from the front, a number of coaches, a diner, a lounge and a number of sleepers. There would most likely at least one single level baggage car leading. The Coast Starlight has (or has had recently) an additional special lounge car.
M636C
Last week when I rode, #5 was 2 locos, baggage car, dorm/sleeper, 3 coach, lounge, diner, 2 sleepers.
Yes the Coast Starlight has a second lounge car; the Pacific parlour for sleeping car passengers.
As for power; the Starlight usually has 2 P42s; but I have seen an occasional P32 or F59.
The Empire Builder consist is a little complicated because it splits at Spokane, with half the train going over the Cascade range to Seattle, and the other half going down the Columbia River Gorge to Portland. The consist varies seasonally, but generally runs something like:
Seattle to Spokane: 2 engines, 1 Baggage, 1 Dorm/Sleeper, 2 Sleeper, 1 Diner, 2-3 Coach
Portland to Spokane: 1 engine, 1 Lounge, 1 Coach/Baggage, 1 Coach, 1 Sleeper
At Spokane, the Portland consist is added to the back of the Seattle consist, and the engine is put up front.
Also, during peak seasons, a single coach is added between Chicago and St. Paul (Train 807/808). The westbound Empire Builder leaves it at the platform to be picked up by the eastbound EB to return to Chicago.
I've ridden the Empire Builder just once, so I know some of the details from experience, but I got most of the info by looking up Empire Builder on Wikipedia. Most Amtrak trains have their own article, including some of the discontinued routes like the Pioneer and the Desert Wind.
Re the Coast Starlight as of July 2011, it has two P42s [sometimes another power unit is substituted], baggage car, transitional sleeper, three sleepers, parlor lounge car for the sleeper passengers, diner, sightseer lounge car, and four coaches.
With the Empire Builder only running a relatively small portion of its eastern and western ends, Amtrak should temporarily be in a surplus position regarding Superliners. Does anyone know if they took advantage of this condition to add cars to either the Zephyr or other trains?
A friend who sometimes does visit this forum reported on a trip from Tcoma back to Croton Harmon, NY,. He had resvs on the EB, but Amtrak diverted him to coach to Sacramento on the Starlight and then the CZ (sole occupier of a bedroom) to Chicago and the day-later LS to CH. The answer seems to be yes, with a qualification. The amount extra equipment is limited by the fact that the CZ cannot make its schedule despite the best attempts of the dispatchers, because of the extremely heavy freight traffic caused by the BNSF diversions, including the bypassing of Omaha. He reported that during daylight, east of Denver, every siding he saw had a freight or two in it. Arrival in Chicago was 14 hours late, with hotel paid by Amtrak, and space in the Boston sleeper (2 days late from original plan), change to coach in A-R.
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