SW Chief Question

[jfandre]

Hi, I'm new to this board, but not to railroading. I apologize if this is the wrong message board for this question. This last December 29th I took my first Amtrak trip since the 1978, we took the Chief from Kansas City to LAX. (Bummer we lost the Rose Bowl) Anyway, we rode coach in car 34073. The attendant was rarely seen in our car, I requested that he put some of the little cups in the dispensers, that didn't happen. Upon closer examination, I noticed that the little rubber pieces on all the little cup dispensers in this car were missing. I also noticed a cracked counter top in the bathroom, as well as a liberal amounts of silicone sealant used to fill in the gaps. Is all of this par for the course in this day and age?

Then, we get to Albuquerque, and there's this announcement saying we're part of their "biggest train of the year", the cafe car was nearly out of everything and they were getting 100 passengers boarding, so we would be full, etc. Given the holiday crowd, I know in the old days they would have added another car, possibly a locomotive, if not an extra train, But I'm guessing Amtrak doesn't have any spare equipment. We had the consist of a baggage, 3 sleepers, diner, cafe, and 4 coach cars. Am I guessing right that this consist is the limit for 2 locos on the route? When I rode it back in '78, they added a loco at La Junta, which went the rest of the way to LAX, but from the barking I heard from those locos going over Glorieta pass, I suspect I'm right. While they refilled the water at Albuquerque, the refill of the cafe car wasn't happening.

 

[CCC1007]

Unfortunately the lounge car and dinner are not typically restocked enroute on any of the long distance trains, as there are few to no commissaries along the route.

 

[KmH]

At the start back in 1971 Amtrak was intended to last a couple of years - and then go out of business.

Funding provided by the feds has ever since been stingy.

The locomotives and the Superliner cars used on Amtrak long distance routes are nearing the end of their service life, yet there does not seem to be any plan for replacement of the aging equipment.

The Train Attendant - Coach job description the Service Manual (page 6-74) provides for just one attendant for as many as 4 coach cars as long as the coach passenger (pax) count is 150 or fewer people for at least four (4) hours of daylight travel.

A second TA-C is only added when the coach passenger count exceeds 150 passengers for at least four (4) hours of daylight travel, even if the train only has 1 to 3 coach cars.

A third TA-C would not be added until there are 5 coach cars and the pax count is over 300 pax for at least four (4) hours of daylight travel.

By contrast, each sleeper car has a Train Attendant - Sleeper Car assigned to it.