Amtrak's California Zephyr trainset east of Chicag

[Onetrack49]

RE: The Amtrak California Zephyr. Do the CZ traincars that arrive in Chicago daily from the west continue east as part of another train? Which one? Do the Empire Builders' eastbound cars become the Southbound City of New Orleans as they used to thanks!!

[eolafan]

As one who frequently sees the CZ come through my home town of Aurora, IL daily in both directions, I can only tell you that I see many cars comning and going within a 24 hour period, but I am sure that some cars are cycled to other long distance tains (almost all CZ cars are Superliner) on an as needed basis.

[Anonymous]

I have ridden the Texas Eagle to Chicago and back to Dallas a number of times. And in every case I have noticed that other trains menus, and signs posted. Therefore I will go out on the limb, I think Amtrak turns the trains around in Chicago on a as needed basis. Most of the trains, well the western trains, arrive in the early afternoon and leave in the late afternoon. Since the Eagle is supposed to leave Chicago around 4-5 pm, it is very difficult to turn that train around when it usually arrives late, thanks to the UP dispatchers, as late as 8 pm....

[Anonymous]

The cars off the CZ and Empire Builder and the majority of other trains are assigned sets of equipment. In most cases they stay on the assigned run. The time in Chicago is used for maintance.

[Anonymous]

Precious little time indeed, given the condition of some of these cars. I haven't heard anything concrete, but has Beech Grove started working yet? Last I knew, cutbacks had pretty much mothballed the place.
Todd C.