Location of the sleeping cars on the CZ

[denmarks]

I will be traveling on the CZ starting on May 1. What is the current location of the sleeping cars and will they remain there?

 

[Agent]

I can say right now they're running with the sleeping cars up front.

 

[KmH]

It is likely the sleepers will move to the end of the consist any day.

They usually do mid to late April.

They did at so in previous years.

https://youtu.be/8luqlguMOuY

 

[denmarks]

How can you distinguish the coach from the sleeper in the videos.

 

[KmH]

By the number and location of the windows on the lower level of Superliner cars.

This shows the location of the windows in each car type:

http://s4.zetaboards.com/amtkz/pages/cars/

 

[texline]

I am on the CZ currently. The conductor says they are adding a full sleeper next week. Currently two with a transdorm still on the front.

 

[niemi24s]

While the floor plans of the cars will let you eventually figure out their window arrangements, photos of actual cars or models (such as these... https://www.walthers.com/products/trains/road-name/amtrak) make identification a little easier. However, some cars may have different window & door arrangements on each side. Some of the models have both sides shown. There may be something out there that shows both sides of every car but I'm not aware of it.

 

[Lonestar648]

My guideline for the superliner sleeper is two large, and one small window on one side of the door and one small window on the other. you never find this varies on full sleepers. The transition Sleeper is always next to either the engine or the baggage car.

 

[KmH]

My guideline for the superliner sleeper is two large, and one small window on one side of the door and one small window on the other. you never find this varies on full sleepers. The transition Sleeper is always next to either the engine or the baggage car.

And has a single window on the second level, for the transition from stairs, at the end closest to the bag or loco.

 

[niemi24s]

Here are three of the more common Amtrak cars cobbled together from photos of models:

 

[Lonestar648]

As of the 23rd the CZ, #5 out of Chicago, still had the two Sleepers up front and three Coaches on the rear.

 

[chakk]

Here are three of the more common Amtrak cars cobbled together from photos of models:

SL Coach Diner SleeperA.jpg

The coach shown here is one of the El Capitan hi-level coaches that Santa Fe purchased from the Budd company in the 1950'S. Those are very rare, if not fully extinct, from all Amtrak trains today. The Superliner coaches that Amtrak uses can be distinquished from Superliner sleepers in that the coaches have NO windows on one side of the center door, while the sleepers have one half-sized window on one side of the center door. The Superliner baggage-coaches have NO windows on the lower level at all, with an extra wide baggage door positioned where the coach windows would have been.

 

[niemi24s]

Please find the "correct" coach here... https://www.walthers.com/products/trains/passenger/streamlined/coach/road-name/amtrak ...then let me know which one it is so I can correct the collage of Post #10. Pictures are usually worth a thousand words.

 

[CCC1007]

Please find the "correct" coach here... https://www.walthers.com/products/trains/passenger/streamlined/coach/road-name/amtrak ...then let me know which one it is so I can correct the collage of Post #10. Pictures are usually worth a thousand words.

https://www.walthers.com/products/trains/passenger/streamlined/coach/superliner-i-coach-ready-to-run-amtrak-34086-phase-ivb-silver-blue-gray-red

 

[BuffaloBoy]

How can you distinguish the coach from the sleeper in the videos.

The easiest way for me to tell is by the location of the diner and lounge cars. If the the observation car is ahead of the diner then the sleepers are on the rear. If the diner is in front then the sleepers are also in front.

 

[the_traveler]

The diner is always next to the sleepers - except on the CS, where the PPC is between the diner and the sleepers.

 

[Lonestar648]

On the SL, the 422/421 Sleeper is at the end of the train, a four coach, SSL, walk to the DC. Same thing with the EB, with the 27/28 Sleeper.

 

[niemi24s]

How can you distinguish the coach from the sleeper in the videos.

The easiest way for me to tell is by the location of the diner and lounge cars.

That's fine and dandy provided you know what the diner and lounge cars look like.

Anyway, thanks to CCC1007 here's the corrected image:



Hope the diner and sleeper are the proper ones.

 

[the_traveler]

True, but the 1/2 and 7/8 sleepers are next to the diner.

 

[CCC1007]

How can you distinguish the coach from the sleeper in the videos.

The easiest way for me to tell is by the location of the diner and lounge cars.

That's fine and dandy provided you know what the diner and lounge cars look like.
Anyway, thanks to CCC1007 here's the corrected image:

SL Coach Diner Sleeper2a.jpg

Hope the diner and sleeper are the proper ones.

All good now, should I bring an example model of each type of superliner to the gathering?

 

[niemi24s]

Not unless you want them to get broken!

 

[CCC1007]

Not unless you want them to get broken!

How would they be broken if they never leave my sight?

 

[denmarks]

Is the lounge car always next to the coach and the diner next to the sleeper? When they reverse the locations do they just move the engines, baggage, and transition car to the other end or do they actually switch the cars.

Also what is the reason for reversing them?

You can recognize the lounge car by the extra windows at the top.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

When watching videos you can determine the location of the sleepers as they are the cars attached to the diner which separates them from the SSL. The SSL is always between the diner and coaches. Only a rumor, but when I rode the Zephyr April 12 the Sleeper Car Attendant said she understood the sleepers would remain up front even after they add the third sleeper around Memorial Day in May. This was "janell" who was probably the best SCA I've had in several years.

 

[chakk]

Is the lounge car always next to the coach and the diner next to the sleeper? When they reverse the locations do they just move the engines, baggage, and transition car to the other end or do they actually switch the cars.

Also what is the reason for reversing them?

You can recognize the lounge car by the extra windows at the top.

The CZ is turned on a wye in Oakland yard, so the positioning of the cars front to back is the same on the eastbound out of Emeryville as it was when the westbound arrived Emeryville the afternoon before.