Surprise Consist today for California Zephyr 5(4/22/16)

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Tennessee Traveler

Tennessee Traveler

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Apr 11, 2010
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Franklin, TN
Just watched the California Zephyr 5(22) depart Chicago on the MH Tower Cam(from Railstream) and was surprised to see the two sleepers at the end of the consist. Hope that is the consist for the remainder of 2016 since I have already ridden twice in the front of the consist in January and early April in my sleeper on the CZ. Maybe I can plan a September or October ride this year after the peak summer season.
 
Oh, I hope so. I leave this coming Thursday on my first long distance train ride and I think the view is better when the sleepers are in the back. Hopefully quieter with greater distance away from the engine. I'm in Car 0531. So I assume that would be next to the last car in this new consist?

So excited to go. I picked the CZ just because I've heard its the most scenic. Burning up more vacation time this way, but I think it will be worth it.

No if we can guarantee French toast for breakfast, it'll be golden!

Gerry
 
Let's hope agent gets a video of it so we all can see...
 
gmueller said:
So excited to go. I picked the CZ just because I've heard its the most scenic. Burning up more vacation time this way, but I think it will be worth it.

Gerry
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You'll be happy with your decision. The zephyr is my absolute favorite train as far as scenery. The "big 10" curves, the Rockies, glenwood canyon, Ruby canyon, moffat tunnel, donner pass. I'm ready to go again now!
 
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I disagree about that. My experience is that they have been very consistent in placement of sleepers, coaches, SSL, and dining car on the CZ. Sleepers were moved to the front in January and have remained there until this week. I rode the CZ in sleeper second day of the front placement move in January and they were still in the front when I rode in early April.

A second interesting thing about today's 5(22) was that it had an old heritage baggage car instead of the new viewliner baggage car.
 
Our experience has been that the CZ sleepers have been on the back in the summer months, per our rides in June, late July, and late August. We are leaving on Monday on 5 and expect the sleepers will be on the rear according to views over the past week.
 
Indeed. This is the normal consist arrangement during the summer. Eventually, they will add another sleeper.
 
When we came out of Salt Lake in September we were the last sleeper and the last car,,, I prefer to have the sleepers back there
 
A couple of springs ago I rode CZ from Chicago to SF. Sleepers on the rear and I was in last car. It was March and snow thru the Rockies. I got some great pictures from the back with the snow and multiple tunnels. No one else came back there except my SCA.
 
CCC1007 said:
Let's hope agent gets a video of it so we all can see...
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I did get to film Amtrak #5(22) with its heritage baggage car as it came through Agency, Iowa.



I would have posted this earlier if I could have. My access the internet has been limited the past several days.
 
Ok, I already was excited to be leaving on the CZ tomorrow night out of Lincoln, NE to SAC from which I will transfer North. But after reading all your posts, now I am super-excited :) I have taken this route a few times before over the years, most recently in 2011, but I haven't been able to afford travel again until now. Any Amtrak or route changes I should be aware of?
 
No changes that I am aware of other than Denver's new station. My erroneous post was about the consist changing back to sleepers first because I watched one of Agents video I thought was the current day but when I went back to verify, I must have looked at an older videos before the sleepers were returned to the rear in late April. Enjoy your trip. I going to Canada to ride the Via Rail Ocean early June. I'll be back on the Zephyr early October.
 
morgan51 said:
Ok, I already was excited to be leaving on the CZ tomorrow night out of Lincoln, NE to SAC from which I will transfer North. But after reading all your posts, now I am super-excited :) I have taken this route a few times before over the years, most recently in 2011, but I haven't been able to afford travel again until now. Any Amtrak or route changes I should be aware of?
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LNK is my home station too! :) I'm guessing you'll be departing from the new Amtrak station for the first time? I like the new station, but there was something cool about boarding at the old depot, right in the middle of the Haymarket.

Have a great trip! I'll be in your shoes in about a month! :)
 
Cina said:
morgan51 said:
Ok, I already was excited to be leaving on the CZ tomorrow night out of Lincoln, NE to SAC from which I will transfer North. But after reading all your posts, now I am super-excited :) I have taken this route a few times before over the years, most recently in 2011, but I haven't been able to afford travel again until now. Any Amtrak or route changes I should be aware of?
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LNK is my home station too! :) I'm guessing you'll be departing from the new Amtrak station for the first time? I like the new station, but there was something cool about boarding at the old depot, right in the middle of the Haymarket.

Have a great trip! I'll be in your shoes in about a month! :)
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Yes I will, but do you know if it still doesn't open until 11 p.m.?
 
Also I'm thinking about just having my son take me to The Mill and I can wait there until around the time it opens, then I can just walk to the station - my son gets up too early for work to drive me that late. Is it much farther of a walk and do you know if it's pretty well lit?
 
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I for one prefer that the sleepers are not at the rear of the train. My last trip on the Zephyr was a horrendous experience at the rear of the train. There apparently was something wrong with the trucks and at speed the car slammed violently from side to side from Chicago to Denver. It only stopped doing that after they attached a private car at the rear of the train which must have stabilized it.
 
The new station is pretty far from the Mill, unfortunately. It's over by the Pinnacle Bank Arena now, you could still walk if you really like walking :) there might be somewhere in the Railyard you could hang out until it opens (Note: this is the name of the new downtown business area around the arena, NOT an actual rail yard.)

I usually give my parents or brother the extra set of my car keys, drive down and park in the lowest level of the parking garage across the street from the station, then a family member comes and gets my car at a more reasonable hour (I leave money to pay the parking garage folks.)
 
Greg said:
I for one prefer that the sleepers are not at the rear of the train. My last trip on the Zephyr was a horrendous experience at the rear of the train. There apparently was something wrong with the trucks and at speed the car slammed violently from side to side from Chicago to Denver. It only stopped doing that after they attached a private car at the rear of the train which must have stabilized it.
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The last car always monkey tails
 
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