I was in Chicago recently (took Amtrak, of course), and on my way out of Union Station to head back home, I began to wonder about the process of turning the train. I noticed a few things while I was there, and I was hoping to find some answers here.
1) When I arrived on 351, the Wolverine, I noticed that the consist was uncoupled from our locomotive and moved back 15 or 20 feet. We only had one engine (26), so I wasn't sure why the engine was being taken off if the train was being turned. The same(ish) thing happened on the way back on 354: the inbound engine was uncoupled, the consist moved 20 feet back, and the outbound engine lashed up. It seems that it only happens with the Wolverine, as the Blue Water has both engines (PTH doesn't have a wye, I don't think). PNT does, but it's on the CN and reportedly not always a guarantee.
2) I heard some passengers complaining about the exterior being dirty. Granted, the railroad isn't exactly the cleanest place in the world, but it makes me wonder why Amtrak wouldn't run the consist through the wash as part of the process? The LD trains out of Chicago would be fairly simple from some of the videos I've seen. The train pulls engine first into CUS, then backs out onto the wye to turn the train around. From what I saw, they shove into the coach/engine yard for interior cleaning. Wouldn't it be possible to back through the wash on the way to the yard? I mean, you have to do so anyway. Maybe they already do that for the LD trains, but the corridor trains would be nice too. Cleanliness is important, after all.
Thanks
1) When I arrived on 351, the Wolverine, I noticed that the consist was uncoupled from our locomotive and moved back 15 or 20 feet. We only had one engine (26), so I wasn't sure why the engine was being taken off if the train was being turned. The same(ish) thing happened on the way back on 354: the inbound engine was uncoupled, the consist moved 20 feet back, and the outbound engine lashed up. It seems that it only happens with the Wolverine, as the Blue Water has both engines (PTH doesn't have a wye, I don't think). PNT does, but it's on the CN and reportedly not always a guarantee.
2) I heard some passengers complaining about the exterior being dirty. Granted, the railroad isn't exactly the cleanest place in the world, but it makes me wonder why Amtrak wouldn't run the consist through the wash as part of the process? The LD trains out of Chicago would be fairly simple from some of the videos I've seen. The train pulls engine first into CUS, then backs out onto the wye to turn the train around. From what I saw, they shove into the coach/engine yard for interior cleaning. Wouldn't it be possible to back through the wash on the way to the yard? I mean, you have to do so anyway. Maybe they already do that for the LD trains, but the corridor trains would be nice too. Cleanliness is important, after all.
Thanks