Zephyr in Winter

[SP&S]

Indeed the polarizer has limits on what it can do to the sky, but it's a great weapon against reflections when shooting at an angle thru a window. (Although sometimes it will bring out stress patterns in the glazing and be absolutely useless) Just was suggesting one more thing to try.

 

[samsj]

Hello,

I am new to this forum and i will be taking my first trip on a Amtrak, Zephyr during christmas week. i am travelling from San Francisco to Grand Junction CO. after 4 days of Arches park, Monument valley, i will be heading to Denver. When i tried to book coach tickets from Grand junction to Denver, it showed only the roomette available and no coach seats. but coach seats were available from Green River UT (one stop before Grand junction), so i took the tickets. I called amtrak customer service to confirm that i can board from Grand junction instead of green river (since my car rental has to be returned at Grand junction). they said that there will be track repair work at Grand junction(hence no coach seats) and no will be able to board from there and they may make transportation arrangements for people who have tickets from GJ.

I am not sure how roomette seats show up but not coach when no one can board from GJ. Also do they really make alternate bus transport and take you to previous station for boarding and if so, how early will they notify you. I need to make hotel reservations in GJ or Green river plus find a bus from GJ to Green river myself.

I appreciate any help or advice.

 

[Steve4031]

The mods might want to start a new thread with this last post.

Samsj, im suggesting new thread with your post so it will get more views and you might get better information.

To answer your question, I suspect that the track work is for the track that runs next to the platform. If that track is out of service it's complicated to load and unload large groups of passengers like those in coach. Sleepers carry fewer pax per car thus smaller groups to board.

The CZ is serviced in grand Junction so I don't understand why they would not have some provisions for all pax.

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[samsj]

Thanks Steve. i will post a new thread..

 

[RichardWSnow]

Indeed the polarizer has limits on what it can do to the sky, but it's a great weapon against reflections when shooting at an angle thru a window. (Although sometimes it will bring out stress patterns in the glazing and be absolutely useless) Just was suggesting one more thing to try.

This nifty little item addresses the reflection problem quite well.

 

[Rover]

If mid to late January the sleepers on the CZ may be towards the front of the winter consist, rather than at the end of the consist.

Loco, loco, baggage, transdorm (0540/0640), sleeper, sleeper, dining car, observation car, coach, coach, (coach as needed).

The just before and after the winter consist is shortened to just 2 coach and 2 (maybe 1) sleeper cars.

The rest of the year its loco, loco, baggage, transdorm, coach, coach, coach, observation car, dining car, sleeper (0531/0631, sleeper (0532/0632), sleeper (0530/0630), (sleeper as needed).

A some

Thanks for the info. I'll be looking on the Tahoe Truckee cam to spot those changes.

 

[KmH]

AU member Agent shoots video almost daily of the #5 & #6 as they go through Agency, Iowa near Hazel St.

I subscribe to his YouTube channel. On YouTube he is A. Train.

Last year the change was made on May 26 - http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/71872-cz-end-of-winter-consist-date/

https://youtu.be/GLOTm3XxO5c

 

[EmCee Al]

FYI if anyone is still interested, #6 had three (!) sleepers on the rear today as it pulled into Grand Junction.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

FYI if anyone is still interested, #6 had three (!) sleepers on the rear today as it pulled into Grand Junction.

The sleeper reduction is not scheduled until December 1. I'll be interested to see if they actually only have one sleeper during December. I cancelled my December trips and now will ride in February in Car 531 and in April in Car 631 which is the lowest number sleeper next to the dining car on the Zephyr. There is no x30 car on the Zephyr as on most of the other LD Western Trains.

 

[EmCee Al]

FYI if anyone is still interested, #6 had three (!) sleepers on the rear today as it pulled into Grand Junction.

. . . and now will ride in February in Car 531 and in April in Car 631 which is the lowest number sleeper next to the dining car on the Zephyr.

Interesting! I am in 631 in mid February and in 532 toward the end of February!

 

[KmH]

The sleeper reduction is not scheduled until December 1. I'll be interested to see if they actually only have one sleeper during December. I cancelled my December trips and now will ride in February in Car 531 and in April in Car 631 which is the lowest number sleeper next to the dining car on the Zephyr. There is no x30 car on the Zephyr as on most of the other LD Western Trains.

When demand justifies it they add a coach or a sleeper.

I'll be on the CZ in March and wonder which car number is hooked to the front of the dining car during the winter consist?

I'm booked in the 0532/0632 car both ways, and for various reasons hope it isn't right behind the Trans-dorm.

In the regular consist the 0531/0631 car is right behind the dining car, with the 0532/0632 car behind the 0531/0631 car.

By the way, when there are 3 sleepers in the CZ consist for high season, it looks like the 3rd sleeper is the 0530/0630 car:

The regular consist:

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/32610-line-numbersconsist-listings/

Train # 5 & 6

California Zephyr

6 sets

CHI pool

----|---- —— Heritage Baggage

0540|0640 —— Superliner Dorm/Sleeper

0510|0610 —— Superliner Coach(seasonal)

0511|0611 —— Superliner Coach

0512|0612 —— Superliner Coach

----|---- —— Superliner Lounge

----|---- —— Superliner Diner

0531|0631 —— Superliner Sleeper

0532|0632 —— Superliner Sleeper

0530|0630 —— Superliner Sleeper(seasonal)

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

By the way, when there are 3 sleepers in the CZ consist for high season, it looks like the 3rd sleeper is the 0530/0630 car:

The regular consist:

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/32610-line-numbersconsist-listings/

Train # 5 & 6

California Zephyr

6 sets

CHI pool

----|---- —— Heritage Baggage

0540|0640 —— Superliner Dorm/Sleeper

0510|0610 —— Superliner Coach(seasonal)

0511|0611 —— Superliner Coach

0512|0612 —— Superliner Coach

----|---- —— Superliner Lounge

----|---- —— Superliner Diner

0531|0631 —— Superliner Sleeper

0532|0632 —— Superliner Sleeper

0530|0630 —— Superliner Sleeper(seasonal)

I would disagree about the 3rd Sleeper. When I was on the third sleeper it was x33. I believe the 0530/0630 number may have been used when the third sleeper only ran between Denver and Chicago. For several years all cars on the Zephyr run the full route Chicago to Emeryville. There is no coach or sleeper now added or deleted in Denver.

 

[chakk]

The x31 sleeper is always adjacent to the diner on the CZ, whether or not the sleepers are at the rear of the train or at the front of the train.

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[KmH]

Thanks gentlemen. You're both a wealth of CZ info.

For shots/video on curves of the locos out the side windows I'll just have to skedaddle back through the XX31, diner, SSL, to the last coach car and hope for a vacant window seat next to a window.

While I'm back there I can get some shots/footage out the railfan window.

 

[DoB]

Indeed the polarizer has limits on what it can do to the sky, but it's a great weapon against reflections when shooting at an angle thru a window. (Although sometimes it will bring out stress patterns in the glazing and be absolutely useless) Just was suggesting one more thing to try.

When I made the mistake of using a polarizing filter on the train, many of my photos came out with an uneven purple hue. I don't recommend it.

 

[KmH]

There are polarizing filters, and there are polarizing filter.

Low cost, low quality filters, of any kind, usually do not perform as well as high quality filters do.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

One Sleeper Verification: I just watched on MH Tower(Chicago) Railstream Cam the departure of the Zephyr Train 5 for December 1 and, yes, it has only one sleeper(531) and it is the last car of the consist so the roomettes in the transition sleeper require you to walk through coaches and SSL to get to the Dining Car. Since Amtrak is now selling what few roomettes it has available throughout December for $985 average including coach fare for one person, I am at a mystery why they would cut the second sleeper for the first time that I am aware of EVER.

 

[chakk]

If the lone sleeper is not sold out, why should Amtrak add a second sleeper?

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[Tennessee Traveler]

If the lone sleeper is not sold out, why should Amtrak add a second sleeper?

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Lone Sleeper was and is sold out. The very high roomette prices are for roomettes in the transition sleeper. Arbitrarily, removing the second sleeper for the whole month of December was not based on "sales" since it includes the holiday season when multiple sleepers could be sold out. And it looks like they are adding the second sleeper back in January forward based on Amsnag pricing.

 

[Thirdrail7]

If the lone sleeper is not sold out, why should Amtrak add a second sleeper?

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

Lone Sleeper was and is sold out. The very high roomette prices are for roomettes in the transition sleeper. Arbitrarily, removing the second sleeper for the whole month of December was not based on "sales" since it includes the holiday season when multiple sleepers could be sold out. And it looks like they are adding the second sleeper back in January forward based on Amsnag pricing.

The sleeper has not been removed for the whole month of December. They remove it during the two week lull between Thanksgiving and Christmas ramp up. If you look around, you'll see most of the trains are shorter. This will give them time to blitz things that took a pounding and/or were overlooked during the crunch.

They did the same thing last year. I guess you didn't notice.

 

[neroden]

Looks to me like a shortage of sleepers. If they're still selling out between Thanksgiving and Christmas...

 

[Rover]

AU member Agent shoots video almost daily of the #5 & #6 as they go through Agency, Iowa near Hazel St.

I subscribe to his YouTube channel. On YouTube he is A. Train.

Last year the change was made on May 26 - http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/71872-cz-end-of-winter-consist-date/

https://youtu.be/GLOTm3XxO5c

I watched it slo-mo. I wish he'd film in full HD..

 

[Wolverine72]

I took the Zephyr from Dearborn Mi. to Glenwood Springs at Christmas 2013. Rode coach westbound and found I still can't sleep in a chair. Same issue I have with air travel. I spent the night in the lounge car in a booth. Didn't notice anyone sleeping in the car. West bound from Denver on a packed train saw passengers standing in the aisle waiting for a seat. In consideration of those i waiting several polite announcements were made aimed at the hogs. Booked a roomette for the return trip which which put me in the transdorm. After Denver i was the only passenger in that car. Perfect!

 

[PaulM]

FWIW, I'm booked in 0533 departing CHI 1/3/2018. I hope I don't suffer Tennesee's fate. Do we have a consensus as to whether this will be behind the transdorm or at the end of the train?

If the lone sleeper is not sold out, why should Amtrak add a second sleeper?

The sleeper has not been removed for the whole month of December. They remove it during the two week lull between Thanksgiving and Christmas ramp up. If you look around, you'll see most of the trains are shorter. This will give them time to blitz things that took a pounding and/or were overlooked during the crunch.

They did the same thing last year. I guess you didn't notice.

Removing the second sleeper for maintenance purposes doesn't sound as customer unfriendly as removing it for revenue enhancement purposes. It makes sense because it seems more sleepers were activated this Thanksgiving than previously.

Sorry, even though I'm a frequent CZ rider, I don't check its consist on a daily basis. Even if I had, my memory isn't that good that I would remember a factoid like that a whole year later.

Responding to chakk: why not remove the first sleeper. Think of the cost that can be saved and the astronomical price asked for the transition roomettes.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

Based on previous years, the change in location of sleepers in the consist does not happen until around mid-January so it's pretty safe to expect the 533 sleeper to be the last car of the Amtrak consist on January 3.