Here's a basic primer on car numbers, sometimes called consist position numbers. These are not the fleet inventory numbers by which Amtrak tracks the maintenance, location within the system, and availability of the car. I’m referring to the numbers that one finds on one’s tickets when booking sleeping car accommodations and the number that can be found on a variable display right next to the car doors.
For example, one booking the Lake Shore Limited westbound in a sleeper might find oneself booked into car #4911. First of course, the first two digits (the thousands and hundreds position) represent the train number; in this example train #49. If the train number is 3 digits, like trains 448/449, then the lead digit is normally dropped.
Moving on, each class or style of cars gets its own series of numbers, based upon the digit in the 10 position. For example, a typical Amtrak train might use the following plan. 00-09 coaches, 10-19 sleepers, 20-29 crew dorm, 30-39 dining cars, 40-49 lounge cars, 50-59 baggage cars, and so on and so on. The pattern changes from train to train, so just because the LSL puts sleepers into the 10 category doesn't mean that for example the Auto Train does. In fact the Auto Train puts its sleepers into the 40 series, while the Capitol puts sleepers into the 01 group.
If there is a rhyme or reason, I've never found it. Odds are that it probably has a lot to do with how the freight RR that originally ran that particular route numbered things, but I don't have the old consist numbers from those days to verify.
Yet another oddity that can occur is one that happens on the LSL thanks to the splitting/combining of the Boston & NY sections in Albany. Remember as I mentioned above that the car number is 4 digits, and the leading 4 in 448/449 is dropped. So to avoid confusion with the NY bound sleepers which are in the 10 series, the Boston bound sleeper is numbered 20 to keep it separate. Boston bound coaches are similarly numbered into a different series so as to keep them separate from the NY coaches.
One thing that does remain constant is that the lower the number, the closer the sleeper is to the diner and the lowest coach number is closest to the cafe car. This is true even on trains like the Empire Builder and the LSL. The lower number coaches are still closest to the diner, regardless of which section of the train they are in.
Here's a rundown of sleeping car series numbers by train. The series is the last two digits of the car number on your ticket. I've also indicated if the lowest number is a 0 or a 1.
1/2 - Sunset Limited - 30's, lowest number is 30.
3/4 - Southwest Chief - 30's, lowest number is 30. Trans/Dorm is 40.
5/6 - California Zephyr - 30's, lowest number is 31.
7/8 - Empire Builder - 30's, lowest number is 30.
11/14 - Coast Starlight - 30's, lowest is 30.
19/20 - Crescent - 10's, lowest number is 10.
21/22 - Texas Eagle - 20's, lowest is 20. Trans/Dorm is 19, a real oddity.
29/30 - Capitol Limited - 00's, lowest is 00.
40/41 - Three Rivers - 00's, lowest is 01.
48/49 - Lake Shore Limited - 10's, lowest is 10. Boston 448/449 sleeper is 20.
50/51 - Cardinal - 00's, lowest is 00.
52/53 - Auto Train - 40's, lowest is 40. One oddity with the AT, is that even numbered sleeper are positioned south of the diner, odd sleepers are positioned north of the diner. Lowest numbers are still closest to the diner regardless.
58/59 - City of New Orleans - 00's, lowest 00.
66/67 - Twilight Shoreliner/Federal - 00's, lowest is 00.
89/90 - Silver Palm - 10's, lowest is 10.
91/92 - Silver Star - 10's, lowest is 10.
97/98 - Silver Meteor - 10's, lowest is 10.
For example, one booking the Lake Shore Limited westbound in a sleeper might find oneself booked into car #4911. First of course, the first two digits (the thousands and hundreds position) represent the train number; in this example train #49. If the train number is 3 digits, like trains 448/449, then the lead digit is normally dropped.
Moving on, each class or style of cars gets its own series of numbers, based upon the digit in the 10 position. For example, a typical Amtrak train might use the following plan. 00-09 coaches, 10-19 sleepers, 20-29 crew dorm, 30-39 dining cars, 40-49 lounge cars, 50-59 baggage cars, and so on and so on. The pattern changes from train to train, so just because the LSL puts sleepers into the 10 category doesn't mean that for example the Auto Train does. In fact the Auto Train puts its sleepers into the 40 series, while the Capitol puts sleepers into the 01 group.
If there is a rhyme or reason, I've never found it. Odds are that it probably has a lot to do with how the freight RR that originally ran that particular route numbered things, but I don't have the old consist numbers from those days to verify.
Yet another oddity that can occur is one that happens on the LSL thanks to the splitting/combining of the Boston & NY sections in Albany. Remember as I mentioned above that the car number is 4 digits, and the leading 4 in 448/449 is dropped. So to avoid confusion with the NY bound sleepers which are in the 10 series, the Boston bound sleeper is numbered 20 to keep it separate. Boston bound coaches are similarly numbered into a different series so as to keep them separate from the NY coaches.
One thing that does remain constant is that the lower the number, the closer the sleeper is to the diner and the lowest coach number is closest to the cafe car. This is true even on trains like the Empire Builder and the LSL. The lower number coaches are still closest to the diner, regardless of which section of the train they are in.
Here's a rundown of sleeping car series numbers by train. The series is the last two digits of the car number on your ticket. I've also indicated if the lowest number is a 0 or a 1.
1/2 - Sunset Limited - 30's, lowest number is 30.
3/4 - Southwest Chief - 30's, lowest number is 30. Trans/Dorm is 40.
5/6 - California Zephyr - 30's, lowest number is 31.
7/8 - Empire Builder - 30's, lowest number is 30.
11/14 - Coast Starlight - 30's, lowest is 30.
19/20 - Crescent - 10's, lowest number is 10.
21/22 - Texas Eagle - 20's, lowest is 20. Trans/Dorm is 19, a real oddity.
29/30 - Capitol Limited - 00's, lowest is 00.
40/41 - Three Rivers - 00's, lowest is 01.
48/49 - Lake Shore Limited - 10's, lowest is 10. Boston 448/449 sleeper is 20.
50/51 - Cardinal - 00's, lowest is 00.
52/53 - Auto Train - 40's, lowest is 40. One oddity with the AT, is that even numbered sleeper are positioned south of the diner, odd sleepers are positioned north of the diner. Lowest numbers are still closest to the diner regardless.
58/59 - City of New Orleans - 00's, lowest 00.
66/67 - Twilight Shoreliner/Federal - 00's, lowest is 00.
89/90 - Silver Palm - 10's, lowest is 10.
91/92 - Silver Star - 10's, lowest is 10.
97/98 - Silver Meteor - 10's, lowest is 10.