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  • Amtrak Train Numbers

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1553505  by justalurker66
 
STrRedWolf wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2020 7:47 am Sounds like I better share the spreadsheet. Here's the 2018 schedule number comparison.

Some openings in the under-100's to shake some memories: 9/10, 12/13, 15-18, 23-26, 31-40, 44-49, 60/61, 70, 72, 81.
48-49 are not open (Lake Shore Limited).

As noted, 81/82 was the Silver Star ... New York to St Petersburg (81 southbound). Connecting as 91/92 to Miami.

60/61 was the Montrealer. 46/47 was Harrisburg to Boston. 40/41 was the Broadway Limited in 1975. 15/16 was the Lone Star Chicago to Houston, 17/18 was the Rio Grande Zephyr (Denver to Salt Lake City). 9/10 was the North Coast Hiawatha (Chicago to Seattle). No memories, just a old timetable handy.
 #1553609  by shadyjay
 
42-45 Pennsylvanian (43-44 were the route #s, with 42 and 45 being weekend exceptions as schedules dictated)
46-47 Three Rivers (before it got the Broadway's numbers, 40-41 and before it was extended west of Pittsburgh)

This site is extremely helpful for old train #s.
http://www.timetables.org/
 #1553649  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Gilbert B Norman wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2020 6:48 am Amtrak did revive 12-13 for Wash-Springfield Mail Trains during the 90's, but that of course was miles away from the West Coast.
I did, Mr. West Point, as captioned.
 #1553658  by WhartonAndNorthern
 
STrRedWolf wrote: Thu Sep 24, 2020 7:49 am So I spent a few hours with the 2018 national timetable, entering some basic info into a spreadsheet: Name, train number, days of operation, geographic direction, start and end stations, and type (1/2 night or blank). Some observations:
  • 21xx series: Acela weekday.
    ...
  • 4xx: Split services (Texas Eagle/Lake Shore Ltd)
Springfield shuttles are also in the 400s. In the past if your shuttle to New Haven was train 495, you could be assured that you'd arrive in time to meet 95 or 195 (weekend) to continue towards NY and points South (or railroad West). Likewise if you got off 94 at New Haven, 494 was probably waiting for you.
 #1553660  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Any wonders as to the number the Biden campaign train, Cleveland to Johnstown operating today, will be assigned?
 #1553673  by STrRedWolf
 
WhartonAndNorthern wrote: Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:18 am
Gilbert B Norman wrote: Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:02 am Any wonders as to the number the Biden campaign train, Cleveland to Johnstown operating today, will be assigned?
Special moves are usually 900-series.
Would such moves follow the same odd-number south-and-west/even-number north-and-east numbering? Like 981 going west and 980 going east?
 #1553674  by mtuandrew
 
This post by daybeers
daybeers wrote: Wed Sep 30, 2020 11:41 am https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0IXcvQdlmY here's a live video of the events. He's answering questions in Alliance at the moment. I saw someone post it's running as NS 098.
suggests to me that it’s 1098, 998 or 980, because it wouldn’t be 98.
 #1553719  by GWoodle
 
Gilbert B Norman wrote: Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:02 am Any wonders as to the number the Biden campaign train, Cleveland to Johnstown operating today, will be assigned?
Could be Extra XX where XX is the lead engine number. Be nice to get one of the special heritage paint schemes. Be nice to see if Amtrak could do Viewliner sleeper, diner, lounge, business car.
 #1553744  by WhartonAndNorthern
 
STrRedWolf wrote: Wed Sep 30, 2020 12:06 pm
WhartonAndNorthern wrote: Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:18 am Special moves are usually 900-series.
Would such moves follow the same odd-number south-and-west/even-number north-and-east numbering? Like 981 going west and 980 going east?
They usually do.
mtuandrew wrote: suggests to me that it’s 1098, 998 or 980, because it wouldn’t be 98.
There isn't necessary a logic to assigning passenger symbols on NS. NS's computer was historically limited to three digits and passenger trains started with a leading zero. Which notionally meant passenger trains were 000 to 099. Of course NS ran out of symbols after the Conrail merger so the last digit can be a letter. NS also uses certain blocks in 000 series for commuter runs and extra dimensional moves so you get oddities like Amtrak 73 being 073 (OK) BUT Amtrak 042 is 04T.

I think when they hauled the Acela 2 test set to Pueblo, the NS section of the route was R9T, a "second section" of 09T, Amtrak 49.
 #1553791  by Backshophoss
 
American View is carrying the markers on this trip,also noted the retro style poster in use
 #1553836  by GWoodle
 
STrRedWolf wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 7:17 pm Before I go too hog wild and condense the 2018 timetables for some silly statistical analysis for fun...

Pre-pandemic, did Amtrak use train number 81? The 2018 timetable says it's unusued... and I'm tempted to use it in the next train novel.
I see no reason in a fiction novel to set up fictional train. Maybe look for "silver streak" train movies. Just keep the odd numbers 81 for South or West then evens 80 for North or East. 81/82 could be a Sunday Holiday only train departing later than the usual 3:05 pm.
 #1553852  by justalurker66
 
In 1975 one could have taken 58 north from New Orleans to Chicago then 52 south from Chicago to St Petersburg.
St Petersburg north to New York were even numbered trains. Apparently "even for east" is the primary rule.
 #1553873  by ExCon90
 
I suspect the 58 number from StP to Chicago dates back to IC practice, when all departures from Chicago had odd numbers while arrivals had even numbers;* I don't know what the timetable direction was.

* Evidently the reason why South Shore trains have odd numbers eastbound and even westbound to this day; easier than changing train numbers at Kensington on every trip.