Service and Crew Change locations for the SW Chief?

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Crew changes generally involve the engineers and conductors. I believe the kitchen crew, coach attendants and sleeping car attendants remain on the SWC for the entire route (at least they did when I rode it).
 
I want to say 91, 92, 97, 98 the engineers change out in Savannah now.
Has that changed? I thought they changed in JAX. They did today on 97.

.... but this does not answer OP's question about the SWC.
 
Has that changed? I thought they changed in JAX. They did today on 97.

.... but this does not answer OP's question about the SWC.

The Star and the Meteor change crew at JAX. Only Palmetto of necessity dose so at SAV. Well actually the crew that brings it into SAV takes it out of there AFAICT, under normal circumstances.

What that map shows is pretty accurate for SWC AFAIK.
 
What that map shows is pretty accurate for SWC AFAIK.
It's accurate. There's also a fresh air stop at Raton. Now I'm a bit confused as to why, since it isn't a crew change/service point.
 
Here is all one can know about Amtrak T&E crew districts:
http://trn.trains.com/~/media/files/pdf/map-of-the-month/trn-m0506_a.pdf

How do you read this?
What’s the difference between the ALL CAPS BOLD vs standard font Crew Bases?
For the CHIEF, LOS ANGELES, ALBUQUERQUE, LA JUNTA, KANSAS CITY, CHICAGO in all CAPS and Kingman, Dodge City, and Fort Madison in non caps. Could they possibly be Full Service or refueling locations?

In the map legend, it lists “Engineer District”, “Conductor District”, and “Engineer and Conductor travel together”. (I figured they all had both)
What does this mean? And how do you read the pointers?

From Los Angeles to Kansas city it lists “Engineer and Conductor travel together” but how do you read the Purple and Green pointers between Kansas City and Chicago? (There’s no pointer going Northbound between Fort Madison and Chicago.)

Nice link… just need help learning how to interpret it. :)

thanks.
 
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How do you read this?
What’s the difference between the ALL CAPS BOLD vs standard font Crew Bases?
For the CHIEF, LOS ANGELES, ALBUQUERQUE, LA JUNTA, KANSAS CITY, CHICAGO in all CAPS and Kingman, Dodge City, and Fort Madison in non caps. Could they possibly be Full Service or refueling locations?

In the map legend, it lists “Engineer District”, “Conductor District”, and “Engineer and Conductor travel together”. (I figured they all had both)
What does this mean? And how do you read the pointers?

From Los Angeles to Kansas city it lists “Engineer and Conductor travel together” but how do you read the Purple and Green pointers between Kansas City and Chicago? (There’s no pointer going Northbound between Fort Madison and Chicago.)

Nice link… just need help learning how to interpret it. :)

thanks.

The bold and capped stations are the crew bases, the service locations are not defined on this map although they are often times at a crew base location (such as Albuquerque and Kansas City for the SWC). Then the lines with arrows define which way they deploy from home base and to what location from the crew bases. For Chicago to Kansas City, a Chicago based conductor will work the train all the way to Kansas City. But the engineers have a different district, for them the Chicago based crew will take the train to Fort Madison and then hand the train off to a Kansas City crew. Otherwise when you see a single red line then both engineers and conductors work the same district. If you look at Albuquerque heading east, a crew will take the train to La Junta, rest, and the next day take the train to Dodge City, rest, and then start the trip back in reverse.

Of course this is only a standard plan. As trains run late and crews short on time then more crews are brought in and changes happen in different places.
 
Do engineers still switch in AUS? I thought they removed that as a crew base. Should have paid more attention on my last run.

Something sticks in my min about the SL/TE combo being the exception, I too will defer to OBS for verification/correction.
It's true that 421/422 OBS change in SAS.
 
Do engineers still switch in AUS? I thought they removed that as a crew base. Should have paid more attention on my last run.
It is shown as a crew turning point, not a crew base. I think that is so that SAS crew does not have to spend time overnight away from base or something like that. It would be a reasonable cost saving measure I suppose, specially if SAS to FTW using a single crew would require two Engineers due to the length of the district.

Of course things could have changed too since this map was produced by Trains Magazine.
 
Do engineers still switch in AUS? I thought they removed that as a crew base. Should have paid more attention on my last run.


It's true that 421/422 OBS change in SAS.
The Engineers still change in Austin.( and up until a few years ago the Diner Crew spent the night in Austin which meant the 22/422 Sleeper Riders got Boxed Breakfasts out of SAS, and Dinner on 21/421 started @ 430pm and Last Call was @ Temple!)
 
Do engineers still switch in AUS? I thought they removed that as a crew base. Should have paid more attention on my last run.


It's true that 421/422 OBS change in SAS.

The way I’ve heard AUS described is the head engineer will run the train to AUS from FTW, he/she gets off and the reserve engineer takes the train to SAS. I’m not sure if the reserve engineer is SAS based (as the map would indicate) or FTW based.

As for 421/422 the only OBS position that is of consequence is the SCA since there aren’t individual coach car attendants and you're attaching to the already staffed Sunset Limited. And yes, for 421 as an example, the Chicago based SCA gets off in SAS and an LA based SCA takes over.
 
Ah, it makes a lot more sense now. I looked at that document before and didn't fully understand what I was seeing. Thanks for the explanations.
 
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Here is all one can know about Amtrak T&E crew districts:

http://trn.trains.com/~/media/files/pdf/map-of-the-month/trn-m0506_a.pdf

The OBS crew runs end to end on each LD train AFAIK. OBS can correct me if I am wrong.
I don't know if it still happens regularly anyplace, or not, but at one time, they sometimes had an OBS attendant 'swing' from one train to another. For example work Chicago to Denver, and then go back to Chicago...probably to handle heavier ridership at the time...
 
I don't know if it still happens regularly anyplace, or not, but at one time, they sometimes had an OBS attendant 'swing' from one train to another. For example work Chicago to Denver, and then go back to Chicago...probably to handle heavier ridership at the time...
This is done in SAS for #422 and FTW for #421 where the SCA for the LAX Sleeper stays with the Train SAS-FTW, lays over with the T&E Crews, and then goes back to LAX.
 
This is done in SAS for #422 and FTW for #421 where the SCA for the LAX Sleeper stays with the Train SAS-FTW, lays over with the T&E Crews, and then goes back to LAX.

So what does the SCA do on the train between SAS and FTW? I ask because I know our Chicago based SCA was taking care of the sleeper all the way to SAS after we got off in FTW and we were on a 421 sleeper.
 
In the map legend, it lists “Engineer District”, “Conductor District”, and “Engineer and Conductor travel together”. (I figured they all had both)
What does this mean? And how do you read the pointers?

Engineers on most long distance trains don't go as far as the Conductor. Example being that on the EB Portland Section. The Engineer from Portland goes to Pasco and then a Spokane Engineer hops on, the Conductor goes all the way to Spokane.

The Capitol Limited sees the Conductors from Washington going to Pittsburgh. But the Engineers swap out in Cumberland.

Engineers and Conductors on the NEC ride together all the way. If one is a deadhead, they both are. Hope this makes sense. :)
 
Engineers work much 'harder' than conductor's...they must maintain a constant vigil the entire run, while conductor's can relax, when their paperwork is completed, for the most part. Hence the different distances worked...
 
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