Sounder equipment cycles

[jt42cwr]

Hi,

I believe BNSF operate the Sounder commuter trains if I'm not mistaken?

I'm looking for details of their equipment cycles if possible. I'm making a trip in September and wish to ride on as many different trainsets as possible during my short time there. Can anyone advise on which trains turn at Seattle in the morning to go back out again? The Everett line looks like 4 in, 4 out, but do sets mix with the Lakewood line during layover at Seattle?

TIA

[doepack]

A quick analysis of the Lakewood schedule shows that in the mornings, it appears one set does trains 1500, 1501, and 1512; and another set does 1502, 1503, and 1514. Afternoons show one set doing 1505, 1516, and 1517; and another set assigned to 1507, 1518, and 1519.

As you've noticed, Everett service is four in/four out, and I'm sure that the equipment is rotated between the two lines at some point during midday layovers in Seattle, but I don't know the details, or how often it happens.

Looking at the way the schedule is structured, I'd say that no equipment is stored in Seattle overnight, with all crews & equipment starting and ending the day at Everett or Lakewood.

BNSF does indeed operate the service under contract with the local transit agency...

[jt42cwr]

A quick analysis of the Lakewood schedule shows that in the mornings, it appears one set does trains 1500, 1501, and 1512; and another set does 1502, 1503, and 1514. Afternoons show one set doing 1505, 1516, and 1517; and another set assigned to 1507, 1518, and 1519.

That's good to know as it confirms what I'd guessed

As you've noticed, Everett service is four in/four out, and I'm sure that the equipment is rotated between the two lines at some point during midday layovers in Seattle, but I don't know the details, or how often it happens.

And that's the crucial bit. I could cover the 6 turns on the Lakewood line on the inbound workings, stepping down from Tacoma at least, but then I'd be left to cover the 4 sets that worked the Everett trains in. Ideally they'd all go back to Everett again to make life easier, or even all swap over with the Lakewood sets, but I'd imagine it's probably somewhere in between.

Do both lines have similar train consists or is one line formed of longer sets than the other?

[doepack]

A quick analysis of the Lakewood schedule shows that in the mornings, it appears one set does trains 1500, 1501, and 1512; and another set does 1502, 1503, and 1514. Afternoons show one set doing 1505, 1516, and 1517; and another set assigned to 1507, 1518, and 1519.

That's good to know as it confirms what I'd guessed

As you've noticed, Everett service is four in/four out, and I'm sure that the equipment is rotated between the two lines at some point during midday layovers in Seattle, but I don't know the details, or how often it happens.

And that's the crucial bit. I could cover the 6 turns on the Lakewood line on the inbound workings, stepping down from Tacoma at least, but then I'd be left to cover the 4 sets that worked the Everett trains in. Ideally they'd all go back to Everett again to make life easier, or even all swap over with the Lakewood sets, but I'd imagine it's probably somewhere in between.

Do both lines have similar train consists or is one line formed of longer sets than the other?

You could try Railpictures.net, and search by location; that might narrow it down a bit. Otherwise, I can't really say, since I'm not a local...

[Vincent]

The trainsets do not switch between the north line and the south line. The north line trains (Everett) are about half the size of the south line trains (Lakewood).