See the pic at the top of this page? It's two P42s pulling a train of four Superliner cars.
There's only FOUR cars in the train. And they are passenger cars - much, much lighter than loaded freight cars. Why is a two-loco consist necessary?
Don't know when the picture was taken. Or where. Could be locomotive move. Could be more cars to be picked up. Could be no engine turning facility at terminal (note cabs of locomotives are opposite out). Could be gradient somewhere enroute needs the extra power. Could be the danged things keep breaking down so either common sense, the host railroad, or the power desk says use two locomotives so that if one goes down the other can carry on. There's probably more reasons than that, too.
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That picture is sort of the story of why Amtrak is problematic. Tiny trains, running infrequently, in the middle of nowhere.
It could be half or 1/3 of the full train after it was split at a terminal and the host railroad wants two units like Henry said, and logistics makes more sense than an observer's own logic. I think the Empire Builder does this kind of thing in the West.
I believe this was in a Ben Bachman photo piece several issues ago. It's No.27, the Portland section of the Empire Builder, at Tokio, Washington. Running a bit late to be caught here at sunrise. In all my years of observing and riding 27 and 28, one unit has been the norm, but two units not unheard of. With the bulk of the Builder going to Seattle, the Portland section has always been a unique-looking move among Amtrak's long-haul trains. One unit, four Superliners, looks pretty dwarfed as it rounds the bend on the Columbia River at Wallula Gap, which is where you'll normally see it at sunrise during the middle months of the year.
Bruce Kelly I believe this was in a Ben Bachman photo piece several issues ago. It's No.27, the Portland section of the Empire Builder, at Tokio, Washington. Running a bit late to be caught here at sunrise. In all my years of observing and riding 27 and 28, one unit has been the norm, but two units not unheard of. With the bulk of the Builder going to Seattle, the Portland section has always been a unique-looking move among Amtrak's long-haul trains. One unit, four Superliners, looks pretty dwarfed as it rounds the bend on the Columbia River at Wallula Gap, which is where you'll normally see it at sunrise during the middle months of the year.
I agree. A careful look indicates that the first car behind the locomotives is a SightSeer Lounge car. (Curved windows over the top of the car).
The usual configuration of the Portland section is Lounge, 2 coaches, sleeper. All of that makes up the rear of the train east of Spokane.
I am not sure, but it is possible that a locomotive unit is kept in Portland as a protection power for the Builder or other services there. That would account for the second unit on the pictured train as such units would be rotated in and out of Chicago for required inspections and upper level service and maintenance.
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henry6 Could be no engine turning facility at terminal (note cabs of locomotives are opposite out). There's probably more reasons than that, too.
Could be no engine turning facility at terminal (note cabs of locomotives are opposite out). There's probably more reasons than that, too.
Since this is the PDX section on #27 the turn of the whole train at PDX station only takes about 20 minutes. After unloading the train the train pulls out of the station 1/2 mile thru the steel bridge, backs up on the wye just beyond the bridge, and then pulls back thru the steel bridge into the station. Normal train turn time at PDX to #28 is 6 + Hrs. Maybe once a month the steel bridge draw span may be up causing a 20 minute delay at most.
I cannot think of any station that can turn a train quicker. I've seen turns under 10 min there.
AH-hah, that article about the kid who was on the "wrong" dining car got me thinking that this is part of a split train.
Glad to see my inference and deduction skills still work somewhat.
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