How and when are Amtrak trains provisioned? Particulary at NY Penn Station. Are through trains provisoned at all at the station or only at the yards? Also, when trains come in from the Yard, is the entire crew already onboard or do some board at the station? I'm just curious how that works.
The trains (originating at Penn Station) are provisioned from the commissary in Sunnyside Yard long before they enter the station.
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The major provision point for the Texas Eagle is Chicago. But it is re-stocked at Fort Worth in both directions.
In addition to getting food, booze, water, etc. in Fort Worth, the really important stuff, the locomotives are refueled there. I am not sure whether they are refueled at any other points between Fort Worth and Chicago.
I believe the locomotive on Number 21 gets enough fuel to take it to San Antonio and back to Fort Worth. The distance is approximately 565 miles. In addition, the locomotive is used for transfering cars to or from the Sunset Limited in San Antonio.
In addition to provisions for the lounge and dining cars, as well as water for the coaches and sleepers, the toilets are dumped in Fort Worth. I always make sure to stand well back from the dump connections and operations when dumping is in proces. I never heard of a connection breaking loose during the transfer process, but I certainly would not want be amongst the first to witness one.
In addition to the enroute provisioning for the Texas Eagle, the Heartland Flyer is provisioned and fueled in Fort Worth.
Three days a week the Sunset Limited is refueled in the Union Pacific yard just east of San Antonio.
South Texas Three days a week the Sunset Limited is refueled in the Union Pacific yard just east of San Antonio.
The P42 takes 2,200 gallons of fuel. In the case of the Texas Eagle, which normally has seven cars, how far could it go before it would need to be re-fueled?
Sam1 The P42 takes 2,200 gallons of fuel. In the case of the Texas Eagle, which normally has seven cars, how far could it go before it would need to be re-fueled?
blue streak 1 Sam1 The P42 takes 2,200 gallons of fuel. In the case of the Texas Eagle, which normally has seven cars, how far could it go before it would need to be re-fueled? You ask a difficult question. 1. The Amtrak reports do not break down route stats. The monthly reports show average fuel consumption per mile is 2.1 - 2.4 gallons per mile over the past FY. 2. As we can guess there are many items for consumption of various routes. HEP load and on multiple loco trains, does lead loco always provide HEP or do engineers swap out source, Freight loco protect power, each locos efficiency, track profiles, track conditions ( class 5 track less drag than class 2 or 3 ), grades, speeed on grades, how often at various speeds, MAS speed, wait time at stations, number of times acceleration needed, how often entering sidings and switches, weather ( plowing thru snow one example ), trailing tonage ( single level, superliners, PV, etc. ), number of train locos since that would be extra train weight.etc. 4. Some of the above factors have minimal effect but any power desk would certainly put in some fudge factor to prevent running out of fuel as restarting that loco sometimes is difficult. 5. The Eagle is simplier since the Eagle is close to the average trailing tonnage and usually just one loco pulls the consist. However that average consumption may not be a simple factor of two. Disregarding that would calculate its fuel range 1047 - 916 miles. If 2 locos pulling train a wag fuel range would be approximately ~ 2000 - 1700 Miles ? 6. does some locos have a different fuel capacity especially P-32s ? Have fun SAM.
While not a direct answer - AutoTrain, in addition to a crew change, refuels their engines at Florence, SC in their trip between Lorton, VA and Sanford, FL in both directions.
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Fuel consumption on the Auto Train is probably pretty high in comparison with other trains. The train usually runs with 2 upgraded P40's, and carries about 16 passenger cars and about 30 auto carriers. True, it doesn't encounter any mountain grades along the run, but there is a fairly constant up-and-down pattern as the train crosses every river and stream as it follows the East coast. HEP demands are pretty great because of the two working diners, in addition to the normal HEP requirements and traction requirements for a train of that length.
My memory may be imperfect, but here's a story that's as true as I can recall it. I think this involved P40's, but maybe it happened when the train was using 3 F40's. Once upon a time in the 1990's, the train went south in the wake of a hurricane. We had understood that the storm effects were "mostly" over, but that wasn't true. We were serving dinner when we got to Rocky Mount and were stopped. There we sat overnight. In the morning we woke up and were sitting in Kenley (35 miles farther). We served breakfast. We should have arrived in Sanford at 9 AM, but were still in the middle of NC, over 500 miles from Sanford. The engines continued to use fuel as we served lunch. Around dinner time, we arrived at Fayetteville, where fuel trucks met the train and refueled the engines. The need for fuel didn't surprise anybody. Those engines should have completed their run at 9AM; but they were still operating and supplying HEP for that power-hungry train around 6PM when we got to Fayetteville. One thing really surprised me: None of the Superliners ran out of water before we got to Florence, SC (first location with potable water stations).
As I said, I may have one or two details wrong, but the story is basically true.
Tom
I have seen fuel trucks sitting by locomotive in St. Louis when the Eagle arrives in the morning. I'd always look when I crossed 14th St bridge on bus going to work and many times I would see a fuel truck pulled up.
I know the Builder refueled at Minot, ND and also Havre, MT because they were longer stops where passengers could out and walk around. I'm sure there were other places but those were the only two I remember. At Spokane, WA the train is split with one section going to Seattle-the diner went with that part of the train. I was on Portland, OR section and we kept the Sightseer Lounge and got my breakfast using their supplies. No charge since I was first class and it was only one meal. But I was finally able to get a decent seat in the upper level of Lounge to take pics and watch the scenery, most of the train went on the Seattle portion.
Sunnyland I have seen fuel trucks sitting by locomotive in St. Louis when the Eagle arrives in the morning. I'd always look when I crossed 14th St bridge on bus going to work and many times I would see a fuel truck pulled up.
Thanks for the information. Fort Worth to St. Louis appears to be well within the range of the P42 pulling the seven cars of the Texas Eagle.
Several previous posters have noted that Amtrak allocates its fuel costs. That may be. But it has the fuel tickets from Fort Worth and St. Louis, at least, to test the allocations.
The fuel supplier in Fort Worth is an independent contractor, and I presume the fuel supplier in St. Louis is also. Accordingly, they would be required to submit an invoice to Amtrak showing the amount of fuel sold, the price per gallon, taxes, etc. Amtark may not be the shapest business in the country, but even it is not going to pay an invoice without some detailed information.
I have been a frequent rider on the Coast Starlight between Seattle and Portland. The northbound Starlight is refueled from an oil truck in Portland, which is an extended stop.
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