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Tadman wrote: ↑Mon Aug 05, 2019 8:50 pm I thought Deering was to be retired?

The owners of DEARING have talked about relocating their car from storage at the Savannah passenger station to a shortline in Georgia, when their lease of the Amtrak parking spot expires. This new home base will make their access to Amtrak more difficult and expensive. Maybe they will drop out of the Amtrak Certified PV Club until the Anderson-Gardner era passes, when they will re-assess the situation and the future of their investment. Things change from day to day.

John_Perkowski wrote: ↑Mon Aug 05, 2019 9:44 pm
I thought the new PV rules were no cars on the back end, they were all to be behind the power?

The consist and operation of certain trains currently require private cars to operate directly behind the power.

ChuChu Bob addressed how the Pennsylvanian reverses direction at PHL, so head end east of PHL becomes rear end west of PHL, and vice-versa.

For example, if you are passing thru Kansas City on trains 3/4, you must be positioned on the head end because there is a CHI-KCY short haul coach and Amtrak is unwilling to execute a double switch at KCY for fear of delaying the train.

There are similar head end requirements on the Empire Builder and California Zephyr, just as there there is “weekend only” switching on/off thru trains and parking at WAS.

Other than a few specific trains, private cars are still operated rearmost.

I was looking at the consist list for the Autumn Colors Express (successor to the New River Train) and noted with interest:

Numerous dome cars (full domes and standard vista-domes)

Six spots for former Budd SPV-2000 cars converted to Amtrak certified coaches. I believe the new owner of these cars has converted their interiors to 80 - 76 seats. I guess this makes them the lowest fare seats on the train.

Private Cars Sailsbury Beach, Colonial Crafts and Lamberts Point went out of Philly on 8/15 via Train #42 to NYP, the other afternoon 8/16 it went on Train #49 up to Chicago, IL. It will return back to NYP tonight on Train #48 which will arrived into NYP tomorrow evening. I caught Train #49 at Philipse Manor in Sleepy Hollow.

Are private cars added to trains at Albany - Rensselaer, N.Y. restricted to the front of the train?

JimBoylan wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:37 pm Are private cars added to trains at Albany - Rensselaer, N.Y. restricted to the front of the train?

I dont believe so, the last few that have turned in Albany have been on the rear. I cant ever remember adding one behind the power.

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Tue Aug 20, 2019 1:49 am

JimBoylan wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:37 pm Are private cars added to trains at Albany - Rensselaer, N.Y. restricted to the front of the train?

I dont believe so, the last few that have turned in Albany have been on the rear. I cant ever remember adding one behind the power.

The only current restrictions on switching private cars on/off at ALB, as communicated to AAPRCO by Amtrak’s CNOC, are:

Trains that have a locomotive change at ALB. Currently 63/64, 68/69, 48/49 and 448/449.

Trains that originate or terminate at ALB. Consult the timetable for that list.

No “head end only” restriction.

Amtrak might consider an exception for a dome car that wanted to travel from Chicago to Albany and onwards to either Rutland or Niagara Falls.

Train 89(92) The Palmetto is operating with two Genesis locomotives and nine cars: six A2 coaches, one A1 cafe dinette, one A1 business class and one V2 baggage. Additional passenger capacity for Labor Day holiday weekend?

jhdeasy wrote: ↑Mon Sep 02, 2019 9:39 am Train 89(92) The Palmetto is operating with two Genesis locomotives and nine cars: six A2 coaches, one A1 cafe dinette, one A1 business class and one V2 baggage. Additional passenger capacity for Labor Day holiday weekend?

Keep in mind the Star and Meteor were cancelled so there's going to be higher load on 89.

I presume it is Dorian related, but there is quite the variety of equipment sitting around 30th Street tonight including a decent number of Viewliners.

AAPRCO 42nd annual convention begins today at Albuquerque, and runs thru Friday September 20.

Participating private cars are ACOMA, BIRCH GROVE, CARITAS, HOLLYWOOD BEACH, MOONLIGHT DOME, NORTHERN SKY and SAN MARINO.

John_Perkowski wrote: ↑Mon Aug 05, 2019 9:44 pm

chuchubob wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2019 6:44 am Sunday's train 42 Pennsylvanian had the 1949 Broadway Limited cars on the rear.

I thought the new PV rules were no cars on the back end, they were all to be behind the power?

There was one train out west where that's the new rule, I think due to switching. It's also a rule on Via Canadian and Ocean, because Via sells very pricey tickets in the last car and they don't want your view blocked after a $5k ticket. It's reasonable in both cases.

There is a lot of misinformation out there on PV's these days. But I still see gobs of them in Chicago. I think there is a lot of bitterness because new sheriff laid down the law, and I don't blame him. We're either going to have a railroad that is useful or play trains, pick one. I know multiple operations managers that have told me what a pain and expense PV's are, so it's not a surprise that things have changed.

But the "PV is dead / lets fire anderson" schtick is old and wrong.

Reported to be # 3 & 4 due to a drop/add coach at Kansas City-Chicago.
This might be a seasonal "thing"

Sleeper 10020 PACIFIC BEND is on the head end of train 20(21) seen at ALX. May come off at WAS, or could run thru to NYP.

PV photo opportunity:

DOVER HARBOR
train 19(SEP 29) from WAS to NOL
train 20(OCT 04) from NOL to WAS
train 98(OCT 05) from WAS to NYP