Illinois Zephyr

[GregL]

Yesterday we rode the IZ to Chicago to go to the Chicago Auto Show. I was pleasantly suprised to see that Amtrak was using Superliner equipment.Has this been this way long? I haven't rode for a while. I noticed the car we were in, had a rebuilt sticker in the vestabule. Nice car.

GregL

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I'm not sure if the IZ has had Superliners for a long time, but if corridor trains are getting Superliners, where are the Horizons going?

 

[PaulM]

I believe it's a winter thing. Supposedly, SL's take the cold better than Horizons; and apparently there is a surplus of SL coaches during the winter.

 

[Donctor]

Yeah, it does happen. Horizons aren't great in the winter.

 

[johnny.menhennet]

I believe it's a winter thing. Supposedly, SL's take the cold better than Horizons; and apparently there is a surplus of SL coaches during the winter.

¿Por qué?

There is always somewhere more useful on the LD system. Fix the Horizons. Make 'em, at bare minimum, function. Add another coach to the EB, CS, CL, anything else. I think it's ridiculous that cars made in the last few years (yes I know it was 80's ish) specifically for Amtrak can't operate effectively on Amtrak's on system.

 

[Trogdor]

There's not much of a need for those extra coaches on long-distance trains this time of the year. They don't sell out the capacity they have.

 

[Mackensen]

I believe it's a winter thing. Supposedly, SL's take the cold better than Horizons; and apparently there is a surplus of SL coaches during the winter.

¿Por qué?

There is always somewhere more useful on the LD system. Fix the Horizons. Make 'em, at bare minimum, function. Add another coach to the EB, CS, CL, anything else. I think it's ridiculous that cars made in the last few years (yes I know it was 80's ish) specifically for Amtrak can't operate effectively on Amtrak's on system.

They do function, most of the time. Amtrak had serious capacity problems in the late 1980s and had very few choices when it came to domestic manufacturers. The Horizons are essentially modified Comets which see service on the New Jersey commuter routes. Their problem, which they've had from the beginning, is insufficient insulation. I gather that fixing this, if possible, would be extremely expensive. Amtrak's already "fixing" this problem by acquiring decent replacement equipment actually designed to run out here; unfortunately that's still a good 3-4 years out.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

When exactly were the Horizons built? I guess it is logical to use surplus Superliners on the corridor trains, but why are the Horizons bad in winter? The Comets function fine in the Northeast, AFAIK.

 

[MetraUPWest]

How crowded was the train? When I used to go to Macomb from Naperville to visit my girlfriend, it always seemed to me like they subbed the Horizons for Superliners at the beginning and end of college breaks and other times when there were more passengers than normal, could just be my imagination though.

 

[Steve4031]

When I rode at the beginning of feb. they ha superliners. The conductor told me it was a management decision and the would be on for a couple of months.

 

[PaulM]

Interesting that Amtrak.com is selling business class seating and bicycle space on the IZ. In the past, no bike space was a tip-off that superliners were being used.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Interesting that Amtrak.com is selling business class seating and bicycle space on the IZ. In the past, no bike space was a tip-off that superliners were being used.

Superliners only nave LD coaches. BC would be next to impossible. Maybe the Superliners were an emergency substitute.

 

[RailRide]

When exactly were the Horizons built? I guess it is logical to use surplus Superliners on the corridor trains, but why are the Horizons bad in winter? The Comets function fine in the Northeast, AFAIK.

This 2004 thread on Railroad.Net discusses some of the problems inherent in the Horizon design, some comments are by people "in the know", so to speak.

---PCJ

 

[GregL]

The train was not that crowded on the way to CHI, however, it was full on the was home.When we were waiting for the train to arrive at Galesburg, an announcment was made that all BC passengers should go to the ticket window. I assume to get partial refund.

Greg

 

[amtrakwolverine]

why not when the cars go in for inspection routine maintenance etc they wrap the pipes with electric heat tape etc. that will at least solve the problem of water freezing.

 

[AlanB]

why not when the cars go in for inspection routine maintenance etc they wrap the pipes with electric heat tape etc. that will at least solve the problem of water freezing.

Only for as long as one has HEP. Which is where Amtrak has the most problems, as one has to drop HEP to do any switching and even some tasks on the cars.

On the Superliners where most pipes are inside the car, rather than under the car body, they have more time to be off HEP without risking a freeze-up. But on the Horizons & Viewliners, where pipes are totally exposed under the car body, it becomes a big problem. This is one reason that the new Viewliners are supposed to have an enclosed under-body to the car, so as to help hold in residual heat during switching ops and times where HEP must be shut down.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

why not when the cars go in for inspection routine maintenance etc they wrap the pipes with electric heat tape etc. that will at least solve the problem of water freezing.

Only for as long as one has HEP. Which is where Amtrak has the most problems, as one has to drop HEP to do any switching and even some tasks on the cars.

On the Superliners where most pipes are inside the car, rather than under the car body, they have more time to be off HEP without risking a freeze-up. But on the Horizons & Viewliners, where pipes are totally exposed under the car body, it becomes a big problem. This is one reason that the new Viewliners are supposed to have an enclosed under-body to the car, so as to help hold in residual heat during switching ops and times where HEP must be shut down.

Does this mean that Viewliners are just as bad (comparatively) as the Horizons in cold weather?

What about pipes on the Amfleets?

 

[AlanB]

why not when the cars go in for inspection routine maintenance etc they wrap the pipes with electric heat tape etc. that will at least solve the problem of water freezing.

Only for as long as one has HEP. Which is where Amtrak has the most problems, as one has to drop HEP to do any switching and even some tasks on the cars.

On the Superliners where most pipes are inside the car, rather than under the car body, they have more time to be off HEP without risking a freeze-up. But on the Horizons & Viewliners, where pipes are totally exposed under the car body, it becomes a big problem. This is one reason that the new Viewliners are supposed to have an enclosed under-body to the car, so as to help hold in residual heat during switching ops and times where HEP must be shut down.

Does this mean that Viewliners are just as bad (comparatively) as the Horizons in cold weather?

What about pipes on the Amfleets?

I'm not sure if the Viewliners are as bad, worse, or slightly better as the Horizons, but they definitely have issues. This is why Amtrak goes through all the trouble of redoing all single level consists during the winter to put the Viewliners on the rear of the trains, so as to eliminate switching in Sunnyside Yard and to allow the LSL consists to be rotated out to warmer climes and their home base in Hialeah.

My understanding is that the Amfleets hold up better than either the Horizons or the Viewliners; but they aren't immune to freeze-ups if the HEP is off for too long.