Typical consist for City of New Orleans?

[Swadian Hardcore]

BTW-The last few days the Eagles have run with a CCC inplace of a Sightseer Lounge, the crews told me that one was bad ordered in CHI and another is in for Inspection/Maintence etc.

I always find a CCC a poor subsitute for a "Real" Lounge!

That's what you get when Amtrak retires too many Hi-Levels and dome cars!

 

[Donctor]

That's what you get when Amtrak retires too many Hi-Levels and dome cars!

Yeah! And why'd they have to get rid of all the steam engines?

 

[Gingee]

What's a dorm sleeper versus a regular sleeper? We are in car 5900 later this week.

 

[manchacrr]

What's a dorm sleeper versus a regular sleeper? We are in car 5900 later this week.

Car 5900 is the regular sleeper. A dorm sleeper is the transition-dorm car that is mainly used for the crew with a few rooms on the upper level sold to revenue passengers. It is designed to connect the single-level cars to the double-level Superliners and has stairs on one end leading down to a single-level door.

 

[abcnews]

You may already be aware -but I think that the Eagle and City of New Orleans are without a Sightseer Lounge more often than the other 4 LD Chicago trains, because of the "pecking order" established by Amtrak. If a train comes into Chicago - such as the California Zephyr or the Empire Builder, the SW Chief or the Capital Limited - and it has a Sightseer that needs work to be done in Chicago, and there is no spare SSL available, then they pull the Sightseer off of the CONO or the Eagle, and replace it with a CCC, since the other Long Distance trains take priority. Consider the scenic terrain that the three West Coast trains go through (SWC,CZ and EB), so they often will pull the SSL from the City of New Orleans or the Texas Eagle.

I think that the Capital Limited takes priority since it is both - the only East Coast connecting train with Superliner equipment, and it seems to be a bigger train than the CONO or TE, with more passengers. Perhaps the theory is fewer passengers are impacted when the CONO or TE runs without a SSL - verses the other 4 larger trains.

 

[Shortline]

How does switching in San Antonio affect the CONO, which doesn't go to San Antonio? Hopefully whatever the reason, the sleepers will go back on the rear by late June when we take our next trip. The farther from the horn the better!

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

How does switching in San Antonio affect the CONO, which doesn't go to San Antonio? Hopefully whatever the reason, the sleepers will go back on the rear by late June when we take our next trip. The farther from the horn the better!

The City and Eagle are actually the same train as the northbound Eagle turns straight away into the southbound City at Chicago and vice verse. So there's nowhere else on the routes the cars can be set to make SAS switching easiest.

 

[Shortline]

1335803137[/url]' post='364351']

1335802198[/url]' post='364347']How does switching in San Antonio affect the CONO, which doesn't go to San Antonio? Hopefully whatever the reason, the sleepers will go back on the rear by late June when we take our next trip. The farther from the horn the better!

The City and Eagle are actually the same train as the northbound Eagle turns straight away into the southbound City at Chicago and vice verse. So there's nowhere else on the routes the cars can be set to make SAS switching easiest.

Interesting, I didn't know that. Cool, we'll be in the same car the whole trip, though different bedrooms.

 

[Gingee]

I don't think I have ever seen a dorm sleeper. Have been on several Amtrak trains.

 

[manchacrr]

I don't think I have ever seen a dorm sleeper. Have been on several Amtrak trains.

They are on every train that is equipped with Superliners. It is usually between the baggage car and the first revenue car. On trains such as the City of New Orleans and Texas Eagle, which use a coach-baggage instead of a separate baggage car, it is the first car directly behind the engine. It is used so that the train crew can have en route access to the baggage car.

Also, if you are ever booked into a roomette with a room number >14, your room is in the dorm car.

 

[George K]

Just booked our trip for next March.

Does anyone know what the current consist is?

 

[Bob Dylan]

You'll have a consist like the Texas Eagle runs since they share run through equipment during parts of the year!

1 P.-42/Transdorm/Revenue Sleeper( may be on back on train if in Summer mode)/CCC ( Diner)/Sight Seer Lounge/ 3 Coaches( 1 Coach Bag, 2 Regular Coaches-1 probably dead headed if its a low passenger load)

You also may have the PVs from Iowa Pacific on the back if there is a scheduled CHI-NOL trip! If so I believe a 2nd P-42 is added???

 

[George K]

Thanks, Jim!

So the sleeper is right behind the motive power? Isn't that unusual?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Thanks, Jim!

So the sleeper is right behind the motive power? Isn't that unusual?

No, that's the usual Eagle/CONO consist during most of the year! From time to time ( usually in the Summer) SAS switches the Sleeper to the rear of the Eagle and it runs SAS-CHI-NOL-CHI on the rear of the Train.
The SWC, the Sunset Ltd( NOL-LAX), the Empire Builder ( SEA Sleepers only/PDX Sleeper and Coaches are on Rear) and the Cap Ltd all Run with the Sleeper(s) on the Front! The California Zephyr rotates depending on the time of year just like the Lake Shore Ltd and Silver Trains do!

 

[George K]

Thanks for the explanation. When I went to PDX on the EB this September, we were, indeed at the rear in a roomette. On the Coast Starlight, we were somewhere in the middle, iirc, and the CZ had us at the end as well. I guess that explains my impressions that sleepers go at the rear. We have Bedroom D - departing 3/9.

 

[manchacrr]

The CONO and the Texas Eagle no longer share equipment with each other. The CONO now runs in a permanent consist of P42 - Transition Sleeper - Sleeper - CCC - Sightseer Lounge - Coach/Baggage - Coach - Coach.

The Pullman Cars from Iowa Pacific now run a regular schedule as well. They are on the rear of southbound CONO #59 departing CHI on Thursdays and departing north behind #58 on Sundays out of NOL. Depending on the Pullman passenger manifest, there can be anywhere from one to five cars on the rear with the average being three. When the Pullmans run, there is a 2nd P42 added to the CONO.

 

[manchacrr]

The

Just booked our trip for next March.

Does anyone know what the current consist is?

The good news is that the CONO and the Eagle no longer share equipment with each other.

The current/permanent consist of the CONO is now the following:

P42

Transition Sleeper

Sleeper

CCC/Diner

Sightseer Lounge

Coach-Baggage

Coach

Coach

Also, the Pullman cars from Iowa Pacific are on the rear of the CONO on Thursdays southbound out of Chicago and on Sundays northbound out of New Orleans. On these days a second locomotive, usually a P42 is added to the consist.

 

[Thirdrail7]

This train will have a full baggage car very soon. h34r: