PJS1I am surprise that Amtrak has not reduce the long-distance trains to three times a week in each direction.
That lowers the revenue without necessarily reducing all the fixed costs such as station upkeep, employees, etc. Even if employees are not working and your not paying them, your still paying for accrual of vacation as well as healthcare. Someone did a study a while back of running a train three times a week vs once a day a while back and found the savings were not that great.
Indeed, Amtrak began a long descent for a century of RR sleeper protocol when they put them right behind the power & baggage cars. Consider CUS under normal operating conditions and how far 1st class pass's have to walk to get from the Metro lounge to their sleepers whereas coach pass's have a much shorter jaunt.
GERALD A EDGAR Indeed, Amtrak began a long descent for a century of RR sleeper protocol when they put them right behind the power & baggage cars. Consider CUS under normal operating conditions and how far 1st class pass's have to walk to get from the Metro lounge to their sleepers whereas coach pass's have a much shorter jaunt.
But a short-term walk on arrival?
>> I never had trouble going to sleep.
There aren't that many grade crossings out your way. Last time I rode the Lake Shore the horn blasts were almost continuous.
CMStPnP PJS1 I am surprised that Amtrak has not reduced the long-distance trains to three times a week in each direction.
PJS1 I am surprised that Amtrak has not reduced the long-distance trains to three times a week in each direction.
Used to take the ACL West Coast Champion from Wash DC to Clearwater FL mid 50's to early 60's. The stop at Jacksonville was a bit longer because they did a lot of switching adding and taking off cars. Cannot remember if the northbound train backed into the station or pulled directly in. Regardless of whether it was the southbound or northbound run, the train always entered and departed from the north, thus leaving Jacksonville was always resulted in a reverse direction move for the consist, some of which were 3 to 4 EMD E Units and 21 -26 cars in length.
We've been on all west long lines, even with the parlour car always on sleeper in front except Zephyr July a few years back in back. Only consistant semi-exception was Texas Eagle in front switched behind coaches onto the Sunset back to Tucson.
Of course in England sleepers are ties/DK
In pre-Amtrak days, many if not most passenger trains carried sleeping cars that were handed off (or picked up) at various points along the journey, sometimes running through to/from other trains and even railroads. I always thought this was at least one reason why the sleepers were carried at the rear, i.e., to facillitate switching at intermediate points by local switchers that were more numerous than today. This is not much of a consideration today since Amtrak has very few interline operations of this type.
Regarding slack action, that should be minimal, or almost none, due to titelock couplers on passenger equipment, right?
All the trains I rode pre-Amtrak always had the Pullman cars on rear, Dad used to say it was because there was less risk of them going off the track in a derailment. Some of the trains we rode like UP/SP City of St. Louis would have about 20 cars, with baggage, coaches, lounges, sleepers. There was a chance of getting hit in rear but that did not happen as often. Two friends and I took a Pullman bedroom on that train as none of us wanted to sit with a stranger, so Dad arranged with UP sales office to get us a sleeper. It was not that much more expensive, I had to pay for that trip, even if my parents had went ,as pass privileges stopped when I turned 18 . The only station that I really remember backing in was St. Louis Union, when we rode the sleeper, we were the last car and I remember the N&W conductor coming back to tweet us in, as the Pullman conductor stepped aside. Dad always said the host RR was in charge. When I rode Builder and Starlight on my first Amtrak LD trip, the cars were on the rear and also on SW Chief I rode a couple of years later. When I rode CONO for my first roomette trip, we were on the front. And yes, the constant horn honking did keep me awake. I asked my sleeper attendant why the rear, and he said there is rough track in parts of MS and he has had people fall out of beds, so they put them on front. I traveled again on CONO a couple of years later and horns were worse, so next time I go I am definitely taking ear plugs. Lots of crossings in MS so lots of horns. I get off at Carbondale and take the bus back home to St. L, but when I go south, I always go to Chi, so I can take advantage of the Metro Lounge, the new one is very nice with free appetizers and usually a free glass of wine. And a nice place to hang out and leave my case if I want to walk around the area. I guess I would rather wear ear plugs than be bounced out of bed on the floor. That track is rougher than most I have rode over the years. Have heard CN rerouted from IC into the Delta and more uneven.I can usually walk thru a moving train without holding onto seats, learned how to pace myself with the movement, but not on that train. I know we did not back into Denver, do not remember some of other stations we used. Parents & I always did coach of course, as that was free.
Sunnyland, for rough track, you should have ridden through Grenada between Memphis and North Jackson; the only freight was the local. As to the horn, many of the towns had so many crossings that it was impossible to blow a proper signal for each crossing as the train ran at full speed; often the last blast for one crossing would be the first blast for the next crossing. I doubt that much, if any, relocation had been made of the original track as it snaked through the hills. This was the way the City ran when it was a day train.
Johnny
I could add one more Amtrak back-in move. This was at Louisville, KY. As I recall (could have the directions backwards) in the 1970s before its demise, NB the Floridian made a short front movement into depot, then back out and headed to points North. Then SB, a back-in to terminal, then a head out move towards points South. I had the privilege of riding the train many times in the 70s.
SOU RR always ran their sleepers at the rear. SOU RR;s Southern Crescent and the Southerner both backed into ATL's terminal station when traveling north and backed out of Terminal station when traveling south out of Terminal going to Birmingham. Usually SOU used some yard switcher for the backing but not always.
SAL's Silver Comet also did back the same way at ATL terminal station for BHM. However it used a GP-7 to pull the train. It worked well for SAL as extra cars on the Comet came off in ATL and were pulled north past Howell CP by usually a GP-7 with the off cars going to SAL's maintenance yard. Opposite system for northbound .
[quote user="blue streak 1"]
In 1968, the Southern changed the procedure--instead of backing the SB out of Atlanta, the engine was moved to what had been the rear after the rear sleepers were taken off, the coach seats were turned by the porters, and the train continued to Birmingham (and backed out of the Birmingham Terminal Station). Northbound the process was reversed.
If those droplets and particles stay in the air long enough to reach the AC intake vents, you'll possibly breathe them. This was happening with some Metra engines at CUS and Ogilivie.
Duplicate
Degggesty: Atlanta's Pegram shop was the maintenance location for almost all passenger locos. More often than not at Atlanta Terminal station SOU RR locos were switched out for all trains just for watering and fueling at Pegram if nothing else.
It was interesting when 10 - 12 Alco RSs would lead one or 2 F units for the afternoon Piedmont north out of Terminal station.
[quote user="Deggesty"]
Sunnyland, for rough track, you should have ridden through Grenada between Memphis and North Jackson; the only freight was the local. As to the horn, many of the towns had so many crossings that it was impossible to blow a proper signal for each crossing as the train ran at full speed; often the last blast for one crossing would be the first blast for the next crossing. I doubt that much, if any, relocation had been made of the original track as it snaked through the hills. This was the way the City ran when it was a day train.[/quote]
Johnny:
" Sunnyland, for rough track, you should have ridden through Grenada between Memphis and North Jackson; the only freight was the local. As to the horn, many of the towns had so many crossings that it was impossible to blow a proper signal for each crossing as the train ran at full speed; often the last blast for one crossing would be the first blast for the next crossing. I doubt that much, if any, relocation had been made of the original track as it snaked through the hills. This was the way the City ran when it was a day train.Add Quote to your Post Post . [/quote]
In reference to the speed of the Southbound Panama Ltd. was that many of the Delta towns were so small;that the locomotive was blowing for the last crossing in towns before the hammer on the first crossing's crossing bell gong got to a half-cocked position.
Speeds through the 'Delta' were so fast, they used to say the train was sucking the trash out of the ditches on both sides of the ROW.
Here is a link to the famous(?)(A)'Lonzo' Billups Siren and Flashing Lights Crossing at Grenada, Ms. [junct of ICRR/MS Hwy 322, north side of Grenada] The concrete that held the sign up was present for years.
@http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1675680
Speaking of the Texas Eagle, it has been running pretty much on time in Texas since the COVID-19 outbreak. The reduction of freight traffic on the BNSF and UP, together with the light loads on the Eagle, probably are contributing factors.
From the 1st time I clearly recall seeing a passenger train (late 50's) til the last time I rode one pre-Amtrak, sleepers were at the rear of the train just ahead of the obsv. When/why did Amtrak flip the consists? I do not recall.
There were exceptions. The "Silver Meteor" started as an all-coach streamliner and the observation car was laid out accordingly. When sleepers were added, they were placed ahead of the dining car.
CSSHEGEWISCHThere were exceptions. The "Silver Meteor" started as an all-coach streamliner and the observation car was laid out accordingly. When sleepers were added, they were placed ahead of the dining car.
The Silver Meteor, the Champion and the City of Miami were all 'all coach' streamliners when the trains were created in the 1930's.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
CSSHEGEWISCH There were exceptions. The "Silver Meteor" started as an all-coach streamliner and the observation car was laid out accordingly. When sleepers were added, they were placed ahead of the dining car.
As to Amtrak, it does seem strange, but there is rationality for the Chicago-Emeryville train. With the high level cars, you need a stepdown car next to the baggage car, and the stepdown car has sleeping space for on-board service crew, a lounge for crews, and roomettes for passengers. Once I had a roomette in this car--and at that time, the coaches were between it and the passenger lounge, the diner, and the rest of the sleepers. I have the impression that a coach attendant also had to take care of those roomettes. Now, on this train, all of the sleepers are together.
As to the Chicago-Seattle/Portland train, which is split/combined in Spokane, I do not doubt that it is made up in such a way as to reduce switching moves; the same applies to the Chicago-San Antonio/New Orleans-Los Angeles train, with the necessary switching in San Antonio.
I do wonder why the baggage cars are now on the rear of the eastern overnight trains--fear that passengers who enjoy looking back at where they have been may be hurt as they stand there?
You must have been wearing full-cover ear protection! I was an Amtrak OBS employee for 19 years, sleeping in the old ex-Santa Fe coach-dorms and then the new Superliner II transition dorms, always behind the baggage car. To not hear the sometimes almost-continuous sound of the locomotive horn one would have to be severely hearing-impaired.
Apologies....this is a reply to Gerald L. McFarlane Jr.'s post about not hearing the locomotive horn.
1702 You must have been wearing full-cover ear protection! I was an Amtrak OBS employee for 19 years, sleeping in the old ex-Santa Fe coach-dorms and then the new Superliner II transition dorms, always behind the baggage car. To not hear the sometimes almost-continuous sound of the locomotive horn one would have to be severely hearing-impaired.
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