Does 5/6 run with a Sleeper and Coach to Denver?

While I was out Today after work I work at an Auction Company my dad and me were getting Ice Cream and I saw one of the 2 Amtrak's with No M & E but it had 2 Sleepers on the Front and 1 on the back infront of a coach. So is that 5 Denver Sleeper and Coach?

AmtrakFan

There is no "Denver Section" of the California Zephyr.

The train operates as a set from Chicago to Emeryville.

At Denver the train has to wye to back down on Union Station. This is a time honored process that every train in my living memory (first trip through Denver in 1963) has to do.

Other than that, there are no special movements in Denver.

BTW, its consist the last few times I've ridden it has been:
2-3 locomotives
Baggage car (generally converted Budd 85' coach)
Transition sleeper
2 sleepers
diner
lounge
3 coaches
2-3 express box cars

AmtrakFan:

If you saw a train in the Chicago area with two sleepers at one end and one sleeper at the other end. You may have seen the Lakeshore Limited. As 48/448, the Lakeshore splits in Albany with two sleepers going to New York City and one going to Boston (at least until November 1st). As 49/449, the Boston section (449) is merged with the New York section (49) and proceeds to Chicago.

No. 5 out of CHI on 10/21:

2 Locomotives
Baggage
Transition sleeper
Three coaches
Lounge
Diner
Two sleepers (32039 and 3240)

No mail, express, etc.

Loco trouble necessitated addition of a UP unit on the head end at Sparks.

BTW, we had a fantastic trip all the way! A special thanks to our sleeping car attendant, Jenell.

-Mark

I'm sure AmtrakFan knows the difference between Superliners and the Amfleet/Viewliner-equipped Lake Shore Limited.

My first thought was that the cars could be deadheads heading to the west coast. However, whenever cars are deadheading, they are usually placed between the locomotive and baggage car.

At this time of the year, there would be no reason to have extra sleepers/coaches, as this is pretty much the lowest travel time of the year.

I haven't seen anything indicating that an eastbound had to set cars out, necessitating the ferrying of cars to Denver to head back east. I also don't know why they'd deadhead cars to OAK/EMY rather than LAX.

Robert Madison

Could that be 3 I saw? Also I can tell the difference between a Superliner and Viewliner/Amfleet. Also It was on the rear of the train

Perhaps it was #7 or #8? They carry a Portland Section at the rear in addition to most of the train, which goes to Seattle. I don't know where the train was sighted, but depending on its location, the Empire Builder seems likely.

PennsyFan wrote:Perhaps it was #7 or #8? They carry a Portland Section at the rear in addition to most of the train, which goes to Seattle. I don't know where the train was sighted, but depending on its location, the Empire Builder seems likely.

NO it was not 7/8 it was in Downers Grove, IL the Consist in Order was
2 P42's
1 Baggage Car
1 Crew Car
2 Sleepes
1 Diner
1 Lounge
3 Coaches
1 Sleeper
1 Coach

RMadisonWI wrote:I'm sure AmtrakFan knows the difference between Superliners and the Amfleet/Viewliner-equipped Lake Shore Limited.

My apologies to you and to AmtrakFan. I'm afraid I engaged keyboard before brain (like so many other posters), thinking mostly of consist order and not of equipment type.

Could it have been a charter? If it's a slow travel time, maybe they have equipment available for groups.

Where did you see the train, and at what time? That could possibly clue us in about whether it was 3 or 5.

It could have been a couple of deadhead cars heading down to LAX (if it was train 3).

Robert Madison

ThinkNarrow wrote:

RMadisonWI wrote:I'm sure AmtrakFan knows the difference between Superliners and the Amfleet/Viewliner-equipped Lake Shore Limited.

My apologies to you and to AmtrakFan. I'm afraid I engaged keyboard before brain (like so many other posters), thinking mostly of consist order and not of equipment type.

That's ok I have days like that where the Keyboards comes 1st then my brain also It could be 3 Possibly also Mr. Madison do you know what day the Deadhead Cars were I saw 2 on the front of 3 another day earlier this month.

AmtrakFan

I don't know that there were deadhead cars, I was just guessing that could have been a possibility.

RMadisonWI wrote:I don't know that there were deadhead cars, I was just guessing that could have been a possibility.

Yes that was true; the mystery continues. This train passed Downers Grove (MP 22). about 3:45 PM if that helps any.

AmtrakFan

This may not be relevant to the present inquiry, but when we took #6 to Denver from California, our train had coaches at the front and sleepers at the rear. In Denver two cars (at least one being a coach) were added behind the sleeper to accommodate a tour group.