schlimm JPS1 I don't sleep well on trains. For long distance travel I fly and book a nice hotel. Given the miniscule fraction of the traveling public that chooses sleepers on LD trains, I suspect JBS1's sentiments are nearly universal. Most people want to get to their destination quickly and get good sleep in a hotel.
JPS1 I don't sleep well on trains. For long distance travel I fly and book a nice hotel.
Given the miniscule fraction of the traveling public that chooses sleepers on LD trains, I suspect JBS1's sentiments are nearly universal. Most people want to get to their destination quickly and get good sleep in a hotel.
Agreed. Just about everyone I know thinks the same way. Just get there.
An "expensive model collector"
n012944 schlimm JPS1 I don't sleep well on trains. For long distance travel I fly and book a nice hotel. Given the miniscule fraction of the traveling public that chooses sleepers on LD trains, I suspect JBS1's sentiments are nearly universal. Most people want to get to their destination quickly and get good sleep in a hotel. Agreed. Just about everyone I know thinks the same way. Just get there.
ROBERT WILLISON Amtrak auto train seems popular. The train carries four to six sleepers. So the their seems to be a market for it. I can sleep any where, stationary or moving.
In 2016 the Auto Train carried 238,448 passengers, of whom 107,508 or 45.1 percent booked a sleeper. In comparison the long distance trains carried 4,655,599 passengers, of whom 698,629 or 15 percent had a sleeper.
The auto train carried 5.1 percent of the long distance passengers. It had 15.4 percent of the sleeping car passengers. Clearly, it draws a different clientele than the other long distance trains.
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
Not "four to six sleepers". Actually, the Auto Train normally carries at least six revenue Superliner sleepers in each direction; sometimes seven.
The train is running late today (Friday, 2/24) in both directions. The northbound train was expected to arrive in Lorton around noon; the southbound isn't expected to arrive in Sanford until about 6:00 pm. I don't know why.
Tom
ACY Not "four to six sleepers". Actually, the Auto Train normally carries at least six revenue Superliner sleepers in each direction; sometimes seven. The train is running late today (Friday, 2/24) in both directions. The northbound train was expected to arrive in Lorton around noon; the southbound isn't expected to arrive in Sanford until about 6:00 pm. I don't know why. Tom Hey Tom only four sleepers last Sunday on 23. Their was a fifth sleeper, with no revenue passengers on board. One of the train men said it operated with up to 6 on s normal basis. They told me at the station the South bound train locomotive broke down a little north of Florence. It's expected to arrive between 530 and 6 PM. Not sure why they didn't bring it down the rest of the way with a freight locomotive. We are scheduled to board tonite at 10 PM and depart mid night. We shall see.
ROBERT WILLISON Hey Tom only four sleepers last Sunday on 23. Their was a fifth sleeper, with no revenue passengers on board. One of the train men said it operated with up to 6 on s normal basis. They told me at the station the South bound train locomotive broke down a little north of Florence. It's expected to arrive between 530 and 6 PM. Not sure why they didn't bring it down the rest of the way with a freight locomotive. We are scheduled to board tonite at 10 PM and depart mid night. We shall see.
They told me at the station the South bound train locomotive broke down a little north of Florence. It's expected to arrive between 530 and 6 PM. Not sure why they didn't bring it down the rest of the way with a freight locomotive.
We are scheduled to board tonite at 10 PM and depart mid night. We shall see.
Freight locomotives don't have Head End Power, if the engine issue was with the operation of HEP freight engines are of no value to the train as there would be no lights, heat or cooling without HEP. I don't know of Amtrak keeps 'protect' power at Florence. I doubt it.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACD ROBERT WILLISON Hey Tom only four sleepers last Sunday on 23. Their was a fifth sleeper, with no revenue passengers on board. One of the train men said it operated with up to 6 on s normal basis. They told me at the station the South bound train locomotive broke down a little north of Florence. It's expected to arrive between 530 and 6 PM. Not sure why they didn't bring it down the rest of the way with a freight locomotive. We are scheduled to board tonite at 10 PM and depart mid night. We shall see. Freight locomotives don't have Head End Power, if the engine issue was with the operation of HEP freight engines are of no value to the train as there would be no lights, heat or cooling without HEP. I don't know of Amtrak keeps 'protect' power at Florence. I doubt it.
The train lost another hour. Should be a fun night.
Robert, I don't know who you talked to, but here's the real deal:
Typically, the sleeper portion of the Auto Train is set up like this (north to south):
52/5345 standard Superliner II sleeper
53/5343 standard Superliner II sleeper
52/5341 special Superliner II sleeper with 10 bedrooms on upper level
Superliner Diner and lounge inserted between these cars
52/5340 special Superliner II sleeper with 10 bedrooms on upper level
52/5342 standard Superliner II sleeper
52/5344 standard Superliner II sleeper
The six cars above operate every day. They are staffed by crew members who bid on those jobs and are contractually guaranteed full employment.
When the demand requires it, a seventh sleeper has been known to be added, carrying the line number 52/5346, and is staffed from the extra board or someone making an extra trip. Normally, this is a standard Superliner II sleeper, but I think a special 10-bedroom car has been used once or twice. Its position in the train has varied a bit at various times.
If you only counted four sleepers, I think you missed a couple.
CSX locos don't have HEP, and Amtrak does not keep protect power in Florence.
ACY Robert, I don't know who you talked to, but here's the real deal: Typically, the sleeper portion of the Auto Train is set up like this (north to south): 52/5345 standard Superliner II sleeper 53/5343 standard Superliner II sleeper 52/5341 special Superliner II sleeper with 10 bedrooms on upper level Superliner Diner and lounge inserted between these cars 52/5340 special Superliner II sleeper with 10 bedrooms on upper level 52/5342 standard Superliner II sleeper 52/5344 standard Superliner II sleeper The six cars above operate every day. They are staffed by crew members who bid on those jobs and are contractually guaranteed full employment. When the demand requires it, a seventh sleeper has been known to be added, carrying the line number 52/5346, and is staffed from the extra board or someone making an extra trip. Normally, this is a standard Superliner II sleeper, but I think a special 10-bedroom car has been used once or twice. Its position in the train has varied a bit at various times. If you only counted four sleepers, I think you missed a couple. CSX locos don't have HEP, and Amtrak does not keep protect power in Florence. Tom I talked to the snack bar attendent, a 15 year a- t veteran. I also walked down the train and counted the cars my self prior to departure. The fifth sleeper was empty with a barrior blocking you from going down the platform. When I walked the train that evening the car attendent on the last sleeper told me I could not go any further since the car was not officially part of the consit. He told me our train South bound had 380 passengers and were expecting only 200 that night going back to lorton. Regular consit or not that was the actual physical count of the consit. This was also confirm by the train board listing where your car was found in the consit. I'll get an physical count of tonight's train tonite or tomorrow. I'll also verify the " normal" consit with the crew. Perhaps Amtrak is short a few sleepers for another train or they are bad ordered in DC. It was also mentioned here that many real late a-t trains have been cancelled and passengers rebooked to get a-t trains back on schedule. This has been confirmed by quite a few passengers today. Not the case tonight. This train is scheduled tonite to depart at mid night. So Tom, it appears the only thing consistent with auto train and with Amtrak is thier is no real normal. Most of us knew this all along.
Tom I talked to the snack bar attendent, a 15 year a- t veteran. I also walked down the train and counted the cars my self prior to departure. The fifth sleeper was empty with a barrior blocking you from going down the platform. When I walked the train that evening the car attendent on the last sleeper told me I could not go any further since the car was not officially part of the consit. He told me our train South bound had 380 passengers and were expecting only 200 that night going back to lorton. Regular consit or not that was the actual physical count of the consit.
This was also confirm by the train board listing where your car was found in the consit.
I'll get an physical count of tonight's train tonite or tomorrow. I'll also verify the " normal" consit with the crew.
53 finally arrived 7 : 05. Carrying 7 sleepers, # 5300 being utilized as a dorm sleeper.
53 broke down south of Richmond around 10 PM. Wasn't moving again till 10 am.
Well now running 8 hours late. Scheduled arrival 5 PM barring any Unknown circumstances.
Going to be in lorton by 5...awesome....lots of rail fans enjoying a rare Saturday running of the train. Many taking pictures. If any did today be great if you could text me a copy.
The Auto Train's Transition dorm (52/5300) is not a revenue sleeper, so I didn't include it in the list of A-T sleepers. The train is the only one I know of that has such a large crew that all rooms in the Transition car are occupied by crew, and unavailable for use as revenue rooms. In fact, the car usually isn't quite sufficient for the need, and a couple crew members are normally accommodated in "revenue" space. Revenue passengers might ride in the Transition dorm on other trains, but not on the Auto Train.
The sleeping car attendent ride in their respective cars.
ROBERT WILLISON The sleeping car attendent ride in their respective cars.
Yes.
Chefs, Food Specialists, other dining car personnel, coach attendants, lounge LSA's, and trainees have sleeping quarters in the crew car. Usually one or two of these, plus the chief (if there is one) will have accommodations in revenue cars.
ACY,
How well did you sleep in the on-board crew quarters compared to home?
Do the crew members have to share a room?
Does the crew car have an attendant who takes care of the housekeeping chores?
Do the crew members pay for their meals while on duty or does Amtrak cover the cost of the meals?
If a crew member wants a soft drink from the lounge car, does she have to pay for it out of her pocket?
I take six cruises a year. I have met several crew members who met on the ship, fell in love and married. Have you know of any Amtrak crew members who met on the train(s) and subsequently tied the knot?
1. Once you get used to it, it's not bad. Most of the time, you are tired enough at the end of your shift that you can sleep just about anywhere. Passengers sit down and ride, but crew members are on their feet for most of their shift. They are constantly adjusting their balance against the motion of the train, and that is tiring.
2. Back in the days when Heritage cars were used as crew cars, we often had to share a room. Now that a trans dorm is used, it is not required.
3. The crew car has no attendant. Crew members make their own beds and clean up after themselves. On each trip, the person who serves as the all-night sleeper patrol checks the supplies on the crew car and is responsible for ordering whatever is needed.
4. Crew members do not pay for their meals, but they do pay for any extra snack items. Often, the meal is eaten concurrently with work, without any clear demarcation between the two. Theoretically, the crew member gets a meal break. In practice, it is often not much of a break. The food on the train is good, but the menu changes rarely. It can get pretty monotonous to have the same thing trip after trip, so some attendants bring their own food, either occasionally or regularly, according to their preference. They may not put "outside" food in refrigerators or freezers in the diners or lounges, so many bring their own small personal coolers. Meals at layover/turnaround points are not provided.
5. One soft drink per meal is permitted. Any more must be paid for.
6. I can think of five or six married couples who work on the Auto Train, or have in the past. Most of them met on the train. Most couples don't work directly together, although they almost always tend to stick to the same crew. For example, one might work in the diner and the other in a sleeper. At least two couples have served as teams in the diners for many years. In both cases, the husband was the chef, while the wife worked as food specialist (essentially the chef's assistant) or Lead Service Attendant (LSA) for the diner.
Very interesting, Tom. Gives us a better sense of working life aboard a train. Thank you, and thanks to JBS1 for the questions.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
I rode in the crew car once, from Chicago to Salt Lake City 2 1/2 years ago. It was ahead of the coaches, and, as well as I could tell, the attendant in the first coach took care of putting my berth up. I called once, and she came to me.
Johnny
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