# An unusual consist on a very late #5 (12)...



## Cristobal (Mar 15, 2011)

This train had me 'sweating bullets' in Reno waiting for it's delayed arrival because I needed to be able to catch the last CC in EMY to get me back to my truck parked at GAC. Amtrak Status, when checked late Sunday night, was showing a 4 hour delay into SLC for the 5. 

Checking early yesterday morning showed an (est) delay of 3 hours into RNO and 2 hours into EMY where I had only a 3 hour cushion to catch the last CC (#547) to SJC. I could have played it safe and changed my tix from a roomette on the CZ into EMY to an Amtrak thruway bus to SAC and getting on the CC (#543) that I was originally scheduled to ride but I decided to gamble on the CZ getting me to EMY in time to catch the later 547. :mellow:

Anyway, the CZ into Reno was closer to 3 1/2 hours late (arriving about 12 noon instead of 8:30 am) and the thruway bus option was long gone. So now I'm really starting to worry if I'm going be able to make a connection that will get me back home that night. Somewhere along the way the conductor came on the PA to announce the latest estimated arrivals at the remaining stops so I was slightly encouraged to hear him say that the estimated arrival in EMY was going to give me about 20 minutes to spare. He did point out that these were all 'estimated' and further delays were possible but he would keep us advised if there was a significant deviation from the original estimates. Somewhat comforting but still not a 'warm & fuzzy' feeling for me. :huh:

There was a 'head-scratching moment' leaving the Roseville station when, even after a few minutes early announcement of our impending arrival into Roseville, a PA call-out from the conductor after a few minutes being stopped there saying "I'm showing one more person getting off here. You've got 30 seconds to do so", to the double blasts of the horn and the train actually rolling away from the station when a car attendant gets on the PA to say, "Conductor, I've got a passenger in the 12 car that needs to get off here" to which the conductor calls back "Sorry, he's going to Sacramento". How does anyone let that happen to themselves? :blink:

Anyway, we get to SAC pretty close to the estimated arrival time and on the track next to us I see the 547 sitting there but not boarding pax yet. We roll away from SAC and I can finally relax knowing that my connecting train was behind us. An 18 minute wait for the 547 at EMY was cutting it a little bit too close for comfort but, after all that, I did make it home last night, albeit 2 hours later than originally planned. Such is life on the rails I suppose. 

Oh yeah, the consist had 3 P42s plus 2 PVs. I noticed in EMY, as the now empty CZ left for the Oakland yard, that the middle loco had no smoke coming from it's stack so I'm guessing that was maybe the cause for the delay. Possibly somewhere after departing CHI the lead loco broke down and a 3rd P42 was added to the front. Just a guess though...

The biggest surprise was noticing 2 PVs tacked on the the back when I boarded in Reno but not seeing what they actually were until standing on the platform at EMY and watching them roll by me. Both the Evelyn Henry and the Warren R. Henry brought up the rear and I could see a large flat screen TV on in the latter as they rolled past me. Talk about First Class!


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## surfgeek (Mar 16, 2011)

Those handsome Henrys...latched on to the lagging Coast Starlight in OAK and headed south. Sparkling outside, glowing inside with the backlighting from the setting sun; the "executive railroad chef" at the cutting board in the kitchen, chop-chop-chop; the glint of light off the silver candlesticks on the dining table...a single ice cube in an etched double oldfashioned glass on a side table in the observation lounge. Two toots of the horn, a few creaks and groans, and the fading light from the drumhead trails down the track, southbound into the night.


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## Bob Dylan (Mar 16, 2011)

:hi: Nice trip, good report! Was there lots of snow in the Sierras yet or is it all melted?And seems like ignos not getting off at their stop happens more than one would think, most of us regulars have probably seen this quite a bit! :wacko: Nice connection also, nothing to write home about in Emeryville as most of us know, even if it is a New Station and the Bus connection to the City is ez! Glad you got home OK, the Zephyr is a great route! :wub:


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## Cristobal (Mar 16, 2011)

jimhudson said:


> :hi: Nice trip, good report! Was there lots of snow in the Sierras yet or is it all melted?And seems like ignos not getting off at their stop happens more than one would think, most of us regulars have probably seen this quite a bit! :wacko: Nice connection also, nothing to write home about in Emeryville as most of us know, even if it is a New Station and the Bus connection to the City is ez! Glad you got home OK, the Zephyr is a great route! :wub:


Still lots of snow in the Sierras with more on it's way according to the forecasts. It was actually snowing lightly up along the summit on my return trip. That made for a very nice lunch in the dining car enjoying the snowfall along with my Chipotle Black Bean veggie burger (with bacon & cheese of course, which got a big chuckle from my server when he took my order :lol: ).

Good food and good crews both ways. I was in a refurbed Superliner I on both trains which was nice as the toilets continued to work without fail (my virgin Amtrak trip was on the e/b CZ in July '09 when I was in a Superliner II and the toilet situation was pretty dire to say the least  ). Car 631 was oriented bedrooms first and 531 had roomettes first. Being that I had room 4 on the 6 and room 2 on the 5 my view didn't change for the return. I guess that's my biggest complaint about the whole deal.


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