8 Private Cars on the Empire Builder Today

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Joined
Sep 20, 2018
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The Builder rolled into Winona Mn today with 3 head units and 19 cars! 8 private cars! It was uniquely configured with the baggage car in the middle. Very colorful.

I made a video

 
They're going to a gathering of private car owners in St. Paul. In the past, AAPCO would sponsor a special train, but, I guess, with Amtrak's new special train/private car rules, they opted for a ride on the Builder.
 
Sorry, why are there two coaches between the SSL and Diner? Is that normal on the EB?
That's because the consist splits in Spokane, and the Portland half gets the Sightseer Lounge, while the Seattle half gets the diner. Usually the consist is something like:

7/8: Sleeper - Sleeper - Diner - Coach - Coach

27/28: SSL - Coach - Coach - Sleeper

There's always a split between the two because of that.
 
Sorry, why are there two coaches between the SSL and Diner? Is that normal on the EB?
That's because the consist splits in Spokane, and the Portland half gets the Sightseer Lounge, while the Seattle half gets the diner. Usually the consist is something like:

7/8: Sleeper - Sleeper - Diner - Coach - Coach

27/28: SSL - Coach - Coach - Sleeper

There's always a split between the two because of that.
Right but why couldn't they just put the Seattle coaches between the Diner and 7/8 sleepers? Just so that the Diner always isolates the Seattle sleepers from the coaches?
 
Right but why couldn't they just put the Seattle coaches between the Diner and 7/8 sleepers? Just so that the Diner always isolates the Seattle sleepers from the coaches?
Correct. The benefit of having the diner and the SSL next to each other is less than the benefit of having the diner separate the Seattle sleepers from the rest of the train. (The Seattle section has more of the sleepers; usually there's only one sleeper on the Portland section.) It also allows for the Seattle sleepers to be as close as possible to the diner, which sleeper passengers use 3x/day.
 
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