Amtrak Capitol Limited Thread

[quadrock]

Hey everyone. Just got back from a Miami-Washington (Silver Meteor), Washington-Chicago (Capitol Limited), Chicago-New York (Lake Shore Limited) trip. Must say it went well, with the longest delay being about 2 hours into Chicago.

Nothing out of the ordinary to report except on the Capitol Limited. This train had an Amfleet (assuming it was an Amfleet II but didn't walk in or get close enough to check) behind the baggage car as the first coach, followed by a transition car, 2 superliner sleepers, the sightseer lounge, and 2-3 superliner coaches. My sleeping car attendant was not too happy with the coach passengers having to walk through the sleepers and possibly helping themselves to the free cofee and drinks. My question is: why was there an Amfleet on the Capitol Limited? Is this usual at all?

Another observation, this was my first time I ever rode or even saw a Superliner train. And I must say we are missing out on the East Coast; these cars are amazing and the coaches seem a lot more comfortable than the Amfleets we're stuck with. Though I guess we have the higher speeds to compensate. Also, the crew and especially the sleeping car attendant seemed a lot more friendly than any other LD train I was on, and provided very frequent announcements as to why we were stopped, going slow, delayed, etc. This was much appreciated by everyone. Must say, this was my favorite LD run yet.

[gprimr1]

Amtrak is sending Amfleet coaches out to Seattle to provide service while the Talgo trainsets are out of service.

This was probably what you saw.

[quadrock]

Makes sense. At least they took advantage of the space and filled it with passengers that would otherwise have received a "Sold Out" message.

[gprimr1]

Well that could be different.

The Amfleets going to Seattle where being dead headed. They may have had a super liner fail and an amfleet was all that was available.

[delvyrails]

With that Amfleet car seen in the Capitol deadheading in service, it begs the question: why can't a Pennsylvanian coach be run in the same location on the train but in regular NYP-CHI through service?

[acela 2036]

I also see that amfleet cars are moving out west to California, I did happen to see a Pacific surfliner train out of the ordinary! It had p42's and amfleets

[jhdeasy]

With that Amfleet car seen in the Capitol deadheading in service, it begs the question: why can't a Pennsylvanian coach be run in the same location on the train but in regular NYP-CHI through service?

An Amfleet thru coach, operating between NYP and CHI on The Pennsylvanian and The Capitol Limited, would require the road crew on trains 29/30 to break their consist apart at PGH to switch the Amfleet car in/out of the consist. It would also require additional switching of The Pennsylvanian at PGH, to switch the car in/out of The Pennsylvanian consist and keep the car on shore power during the layover at PGH.

Too much work for Amtrak!

[Gilbert B Norman]

It would also require additional switching of The Pennsylvanian at PGH, to switch the car in/out of The Pennsylvanian consist and keep the car on shore power during the layover at PGH.

Mr. Deasy, I know you are a Navy man, but....

"standby" vice "shore power"

But back on the rails, Road Engine crews are permitted under their Agreement to make one cut to/from a parallel track within Yard Limits. Anything that could be construed as drilling cars would require a Yard crew to be called.

I've only seen PGH from "raising the shade", be such PRR's Broadway or Amtrak's Capitol, save a Dec 1960 trip on The Pittsburgher. That was parked on a stub track, but I must wonder if such is even there today.

[jhdeasy]

I've only seen PGH from "raising the shade", be such PRR's Broadway or Amtrak's Capitol, save a Dec 1960 trip on The Pittsburgher. That was parked on a stub track, but I must wonder if such is even there today.

There are one or two stub tracks on the south side of the former PRR Pittsburgh station used by Amtrak. One stub track is used for layover of The Pennsylvanian consist and for private car parking.

[jp1822]

Being in Pittsburgh and a traveller on both the Capitol Limited and Pennsylvanian, I can't see how it would be that hard to switch a coach from the Pennsylvanian to the "rear" of the Capitol Limited if the Capitol had a Trans/Dorm Sleeper on the rear, to accommodate such a through coach from the Pennsylvanian. Let's recall that this was done before - that is before the Three Rivers was extended to Chicago in the late 1990s. And of course now there's no head-end mail or reefers to deal with. That often complicated things. I've seen the Maple Leaf, on its way to Toronto, do a move that dropped "dead-head" cars at the Niagara Station. That move was probably more complicated than what would be required at Pittsburgh for a through coach to be added to the Pennsylvanian.

But in addition, a second frequency from NYP/Harrisburg to Pittsburgh should be established (a train that leaves in the morning, and a train that leaves in the afternoon from both end points of NYP and PGH).

[jp1822]

If a second frequency was established, the "second frequency train" could be timed to literally be "hooked up" to the rear of the Capitol Limited. Even if this second frequency was provided by a Superliner Coach/Baggage, Diner, and Sleeper between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh - it would be better than nothing! Passengers would then have to make an across the platform transfer at Harrisburg for frequent "all-electric" Keystone service to reach further destinations East. Hit PennDOT up for some sort of subsidy for the "second frequency train" as it would largely benefit passengers to Pennsylvania. I would think trains can be serviced at Harrisburg, now with the return of "all-electric" Keystone train service, and the fact that it is the terminus of the Keystone train service.

EDIT: It would just be nice if Amtrak looked at putting back some connectivity in its national system that has been lost over the years.

[Sam Damon]

By absolute sheer dumb luck, I was in Harper's Ferry, WV this day when #30(20) arrived. I was there decompressing from a string of 16-hour days at work the past few weeks. So the kids were off exploring Harper's Ferry while I was at the train station for an hour or so of trainwatching.

Here is the consist of #30(20) in order, when it arrived at HFY at 1:12p, 57 minutes late:

16 - P42DC
40 - P42DC
512 - P32-8
1754 - Baggage (marked "US Mail Only")
82569 -- Amfleet I coach
39017
32038
32069 (all three sleepers)
38032 -- Diner
33023 -- SS Lounge
34042
34055
31033
34132

As for the coach pax having to walk through the sleepers, I've got to wonder about that one. The crew offered to ride me to Washington DC -- without a reservation, mind you -- if I would cough up the scratch for a ticket on board. They told me around 75 passengers transferred at Pittsburgh, which pretty much cleared out a coach or so.

The only reason I could think of for stuffing an Amfleet-I car on the head end of the train would be owing to a group reservation, and Amtrak totally lacking any extra cars to accommodate them. I mean, it appears from the consist that #30 filled four full Superliner coaches?

Perhaps someone better connected can explain.

[Gilbert B Norman]

We should note the 82XXX A-I observed by Mr. Damon is a "Capstone". When returned to service after that rebuild the exterior flowed of Lava Lamps; Mr. Gunn had no use for that kind of stuff.

Also, capacity was reduced from 84 to 76 seats. Thank whoever in the "W" gang for that one as I doubt again if Mr. Gunn would have signed off on that.

[Sam Damon]

Well, Mr. Norman, that certainly appears to put another piece of the puzzle on the board. I don't think I'd enjoy a trip on #30 if I had to do it in the standard A-I 84-seat coach seat.

Oh yes, the coach no longer had the "lava lamp" paint job inspired by SNCF. It was in conventional Amtrak colors. Why the P32-8 was on the point though, seems a bit of mystery. Perhaps it needed a visit to Beech Grove for a 90-day FRA inspection, or something of the sort?

[JimBoylan]

Hit PennDOT up for some sort of subsidy for the "second frequency train" as it would largely benefit passengers to Pennsylvania.

Amtrak did quote the State of Pennsylvania a charge of $2,000,000 per year to continue operation of the Three Rivers without the express car income.