Suluki/Illini consist

[CHImdw1522]

On July 8, 2023, I did a same-day round trip on Train #391 the Suluki and Train #392 the Illini from Chicago to Carbondale, Illinois.

The consist was made up of: Amtrak Midwest Charger, 5 superliner coaches, and 2 unsold/not used sleepers.

The first coach - right behind the Charger had an interior that I had never seen before. It is car #35005.
The upper level was the regular coach seating layout - except at the top left of the stairs there was a curtain in the aisle. A handwritten sign noted that the front of the car was called "Business Class", and the rear was called "Coach". On the lower level there were 3 regular laves, one handicapped lav, and a "lounge" that was the width of the car and included a separate lav. The lounge section had a long counter with 2 sinks and a stool in front of a mirror. On the opposite wall there was a bench seat. Interestingly, the lower level contained no seating. Instead, there was a cafe counter which served the whole train.

Has anyone seen such a car?

1. How can they sell a coach seat as a business class seat?

2. I heard that CN requires Superliners on this route. True? Is this related to axle count?

3. What a terrible use of sleepers! Especially since some long-distance trains could use more sleepers. I wonder if something might be wrong with the interior of these sleepers.

 

[MikefromCrete]

1. If people buy it, why not?

2. This involves CN's ridiculous axle count requirements. Depanding Superliners is a recent CN demand. Why not just fix the track circuits so they work like every other grade crossing in the country.

3. Those sleepers were just probably sitting around the yard that day. On some days it could be diners or Sightseers or coaches. Anything to meet CN's demands.

 

[Septa9739]

Apparently 35005 is a “snack coach.” It was a regular coach converted to offer some sort of cafe service. I had never heard of such a thing before.

I personally don’t get the whole business class that isn’t business class business, but if people want to pay, let ‘em.

This new Superliner requirement is strange. I get that axle counts may from time to time be necessary TEMPORARILY in the good operation of a railroad while repairs are planned and made, so this is multiyear debacle is, in my opinion, totally irresponsible railroading on the part of CN, but freights are long, so one sees where length could be a problem for passenger. To require Superliners seems to suggest a problem with weight, but Amtrak’s single level stock must be heavier than flatcar, well, or even boxcar empties, which surely run on the line. Are they doing so safely? Maybe CN has a total train weight requirement Amtrak is fulfilling with Superliners? But then why not drag P42’s? The question still remains why. Does CN really know why its circuits are malfunctioning? Is there some other reason Superliners would be necessary? If someone can explain this please do, but I am starting to think an investigation is in order. As annoying as these requirements are, it’s important that the appropriate government oversight make certain they exist for a serious reason and are effective measures, and not just guesses. It is also important to insure railroads who disrupt passenger ops or endanger crossings without a serious reason be prosecuted.

If I were Amtrak, I would want credit for the lost revenue of having sleepers deadheading on an intrastate service at the very least.

 

[zephyr17]

Apparently 35005 is a “snack coach.” It was a regular coach converted to offer some sort of cafe service. I had never heard of such a thing before.

Amtrak has a few where the downstairs seating area was converted to a cafe. Many years ago I encountered one on the Pioneer. I understand they are currently used on the Heartland Flyer.

As to any Superliners having to be required to be used as axle count cars, that is a travesty. I wonder if that requirement could be brought forward to the STB? Since no other railroad requires such a thing, it seems indicative that CN may not be in compliance with railroad safety standards or the requirement is bogus.

 

[Willbridge]

Amtrak has a few where the downstairs seating area was converted to a cafe. Many years ago I encountered one on the Pioneer. I understand they are currently used on the Heartland Flyer.

As to any Superliners having to be required to be used as axle count cars, that is a travesty. I wonder if that requirement could be brought forward to the STB? Since no other railroad requires such a thing, it seems indicative that CN may not be in compliance with railroad safety standards or the requirement is bogus.

Here's a Superliner Coach with snack bar in the basement. A 1995 consist shows a second dining car offering Cafe-Lounge service on the Pioneer.

 

[daybeers]

If people buy it, why not?

Because Amtrak shouldn't be run as a for-profit company and duping their customers into paying extra for the exact same service is unacceptable for a taxpayer-funded service?

 

[TransitTyrant]

Apparently 35005 is a “snack coach.” It was a regular coach converted to offer some sort of cafe service. I had never heard of such a thing before.

I personally don’t get the whole business class that isn’t business class business, but if people want to pay, let ‘em.

This new Superliner requirement is strange. I get that axle counts may from time to time be necessary TEMPORARILY in the good operation of a railroad while repairs are planned and made, so this is multiyear debacle is, in my opinion, totally irresponsible railroading on the part of CN, but freights are long, so one sees where length could be a problem for passenger. To require Superliners seems to suggest a problem with weight, but Amtrak’s single level stock must be heavier than flatcar, well, or even boxcar empties, which surely run on the line. Are they doing so safely? Maybe CN has a total train weight requirement Amtrak is fulfilling with Superliners? But then why not drag P42’s? The question still remains why. Does CN really know why its circuits are malfunctioning? Is there some other reason Superliners would be necessary? If someone can explain this please do, but I am starting to think an investigation is in order. As annoying as these requirements are, it’s important that the appropriate government oversight make certain they exist for a serious reason and are effective measures, and not just guesses. It is also important to insure railroads who disrupt passenger ops or endanger crossings without a serious reason be prosecuted.

If I were Amtrak, I would want credit for the lost revenue of having sleepers deadheading on an intrastate service at the very least.

Illinois is already paying more for the Superliners. No one actually wants them on that route but until a solution is agreed upon the parties involved are stuck.

 

[desertflyer]

We used to have some of these snack-coaches on the Capitol Corridor, but I'm pretty sure they've all been returned to Amtrak at this point.

 

[CHImdw1522]

On July 8, 2023, I did a same-day round trip on Train #391 the Suluki and Train #392 the Illini from Chicago to Carbondale, Illinois.

The consist was made up of: Amtrak Midwest Charger, 5 superliner coaches, and 2 unsold/not used sleepers.

What I find interesting is that the remodeled the lower section taking out seats and installing the cafe. Car 35005 also has the new coach seats. Why didn't they remodel the front half of the upper level with business class seats at the same time especially since they were going to sell business class seating?

 

[Trogdor]

What I find interesting is that the remodeled the lower section taking out seats and installing the cafe. Car 35005 also has the new coach seats. Why didn't they remodel the front half of the upper level with business class seats at the same time especially since they were going to sell business class seating?

The remodeling into a cafe was done decades ago (1980s or 90s?). At that time, there wasn’t any consideration for having business class. Even now, roping off half the car and calling it “business class” is a makeshift solution. The plan for when they get the stupid equipment restrictions resolved is to put the Siemens cars on that route (along with the rest of the Midwest corridor network).

 

[Amtrak25]

Is it possible to weigh down baggage cars without structural damage with sandbags or cinder blocks to make them heavy enough to trip track circuits as well as a Superliner ?

 

[ShiningTimeStL]

Over the winter they sent an F59 up to Michigan to test an electronic shunt as a possible solution to this. I sure hope they made progress. This whole situation infuriates me to no end. I can't understand why Amtrak isn't suing or filing with the STB over this.

 

[MikefromCrete]

redact

 

[MikefromCrete]

This problem has been going on for way too long. The CN could easily fix these if they want to,. Illinois DOT, Gov. Pritzker and Sen. Durbin should be on CN's case every day until CN goes out and resets the circuits.

 

[GDRRiley]

Is it possible to weigh down baggage cars without structural damage with sandbags or cinder blocks to make them heavy enough to trip track circuits as well as a Superliner ?

They totally could do that or use Material Handling Car/Express boxcars, they've got over 75 of them in storage.

 

[TransitTyrant]

Over the winter they sent an F59 up to Michigan to test an electronic shunt as a possible solution to this. I sure hope they made progress. This whole situation infuriates me to no end. I can't understand why Amtrak isn't suing or filing with the STB over this.

Amtrak already has a case before the STB concerning the Sunset Limited, how many cases can they bring up at one time?

 

[JWM]

CN is doing everything it can to disrupt Amtrak and you can add Via Rail in Canada too.