2018 Winter Consist for Zephyr began 1/8/2018

Just saw on Railstream MH Tower Cam the California Zephyr depart with the sleepers up front so the Winter Consist Engines, baggage, transition, sleepers, dining car, sightseer lounge, coaches is in effect beginning today. I did not see Sunday the 7th consist so not sure in today is first or second day of the Winter consist. I'm riding in February in sleeper 531.

Amtrak #6(06) also ran with its cars in that order.

#6(06) had 3 sleeper and 3 coach cars.

In March I'll be in 0532 OTM - SAC - OTM.

In March I expect the consist will have just 2 sleeper and 2 coach cars.

Possibly an extra coach near end of March, since Easter is April 1?

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KmH said:

#6(06) had 3 sleeper and 3 coach cars.

In March I'll be in 0532 OTM - SAC - OTM.

In March I expect the consist will have just 2 sleeper and 2 coach cars.

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CZ 5(08) had 3 coaches and only 2 sleepers. The 6(06) returning to Chicago was one of the last of the holiday extra 3rd sleeper. Equipment change is usually made in Chicago for the Zephyr. Expect 2 sleepers for the foreseeable future. It will be interesting to see if they cut to just one sleeper at any time this winter like they did in early December 2017.

Wouldn't be surprised if they did, unless there is a winter demand for mountain destinations.

I'm on 6 (13). Consist is Baggage, 3 sleepers, 2 diners and 2 coaches.

No crew car, subbing a 3rd sleeper though they are selling rooms in it. Also no 33000 series lounge car, subbing a diner for it.

What a cluster!

I noticed that when it passed MH Tower Cam on Saturday. Interesting. Also, noticed that (I think) last Thursday's train had the reduced cars but the diner and two sleepers brought up the rear. Then following days they went back to normal winter consist with two sleepers up front.

Are they rotating transdorm cars through maintenance, refurb, or something.

Lately the CZ has often had a regular sleeper instead of a transdorm.

I was on 30 today (1/15) in car 3002. Was on old refurbed SL1. No baggage or transdorm.

I am booked on 29 from DC to Chicago in February and I have been relocated from 2900 to 2902 with the explanation that they are removing 2900 for refurbishing and 2902 would be a refurbished car. So based on your experience maybe what the agent told me is true about refurbishing.

Tennessee Traveler said:

I am booked on 29 from DC to Chicago in February and I have been relocated from 2900 to 2902 with the explanation that they are removing 2900 for refurbishing and 2902 would be a refurbished car. So based on your experience maybe what the agent told me is true about refurbishing.

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The Capitol Limited passes by my office window and I haven't seen a transdorm (or a baggage car) on it for the past week

Big Iron said:

I was on 30 today (1/15) in car 3002. Was on old refurbed SL1. No baggage or transdorm.

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Big Iron, how was your ride on 30. Was 3002 right behind the engines? Other than the horn did you hear any other engine noise?

Tennessee Traveler said:

Big Iron said:

I was on 30 today (1/15) in car 3002. Was on old refurbed SL1. No baggage or transdorm.

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Big Iron, how was your ride on 30. Was 3002 right behind the engines? Other than the horn did you hear any other engine noise?

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I have to be honest, it was LOUD. Not only the horn but the sound and vibration from the locomotives. I was in bedroom B with the bedroom end closest to the locomotives so there was not much of a buffer. I was worried about the smell of diesel fumes with no transdorm but there was a hatch that covered the door. I did get a whiff every now and then but it was not annoying or overwhelming.

I may start another thread asking this question, do SL2's ride better than SL1's. I had the same exact consist on 29 and 30. I was in a SL2 on 29 which was the second car back, and a SL1 on 30, the first car back. The ride on the SL2 was noticeably better, much smoother/quieter. I know there are many variables but wonder if there is either anecdotal or factual information on the difference in ride quality between the two??

Saw #30 on Saturday (1/20) while hiking the C&O Canal Towpath east of Harper's Ferry. No baggage car, no transdorm, 2 sleepers, 2 coaches, the diner-lounge and the sightseer lounge.

There seems to be a trend on some Superliner trains of not having a baggage car, presumably using a coach-baggage for that purpose. Reports have also surfaced that Anderson wants to improve equipment utilization as well as reduce operating expenses when the demand is not there for a ‘normal’ consist. Radical idea to switch cars in and out as demand dictates!

If these two apparent trends (no baggage or trans-dorm) are accurate, I wonder if some of the 70 new Viewliner baggage cars might eventually be reconfigured. Even diners and lounges generate a little revenue on a consistent basis. Most baggage cars I’ve seen are far from full. Outside of an occasional express shipment or the random charge for excess baggage, they generate no revenue.

It seems logical to me that Amtrak would return some of those cars to CAF, or perhaps Beech Grove, to be modified to a baggage-dorm so that one would be on all eastern trains. I never understood why the original order for 25 was reduced to 10. In the west, perhaps the Transition dorm- sleepers could be reconfigured to baggage-dorm to the extent not enough coach-baggage exist. Any extra baggage cars could be modified into the first Viewliner coaches or lounge/cafe.

Of course none of that could happened without funding.

Big Iron said:

I have to be honest, it was LOUD. Not only the horn but the sound and vibration from the locomotives. I was in bedroom B with the bedroom end closest to the locomotives so there was not much of a buffer. I was worried about the smell of diesel fumes with no transdorm but there was a hatch that covered the door. I did get a whiff every now and then but it was not annoying or overwhelming.

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I've found that I can put up with the horn and the vibration a lot easier than I can put up with the diesel fumes. I hate the smell and the way it irritates my lungs. Bleh!

Palmland said:

There seems to be a trend on some Superliner trains of not having a baggage car, presumably using a coach-baggage for that purpose. Reports have also surfaced that Anderson wants to improve equipment utilization as well as reduce operating expenses when the demand is not there for a ‘normal’ consist. Radical idea to switch cars in and out as demand dictates!

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We've been talking about this for a few years now. This is not something that just miraculously happened when he arrived. There have been clear summer and winter operating plans as well as off peak plans (time between Thanksgiving-Christmas ramp up as an example.)

Now back to the California Zephyr. I know it was discussed somewhere else but today's Zephyr 1/28/18 departing Chicago was an equipment set WITHOUT a SSL(sightseer lounge) but instead featured a diner light cafe lounge. This is in addition to the full service dining car. What is most unique is that this begins tie FOURTH round trip for this equipment set Chicago-Emeryville-Chicago. One conductor(either this forum or Trainorders) told a disappointed customer that the expected SSL had been "bad ordered". Does not seem "legit" reason for using this same diner light now beginning its fourth round trip to Emeryville. This would be the 19th day this diner light has ran continuously.