1990's Empire Builder Consist

[twa904]

Could someone give me examples of the Empire Builder consist from the 1990's compared to today? Did the train have more cars then compared with today?

 

[lstone19]

I rode the EB PDX-CHI in 1986. The consist was:

2 F40

2 Baggage

1 Tran Dorm

3 Coaches

1 Lounge (PDX)

2 Coach (PDX)

1 Diner

2 Sleepers

Due to Expo 86 in Vancouver, both sleepers operated to Seattle that summer (as I was already booked in the PDX sleeper before it was dropped, I got a free lounge dinner the first night and then moved to my sleeper at Spokane). A separate lounge car operated SEA-Spokane between the coaches and the diner. So yes, much more extensive switching of the train at Spokane than I believe is done today.

 

[dburden]

We rode train #8 from Seattle to Chicago in July of 2000 (close enough?). According to the notes I took on the trip, this was the layout leaving Seattle:

31525 Coach

34018 Coach

38063 Diner

32022 Sleeper

32074 Colorado (Sleeper)

39030 Transition Sleeper

1701 US Mail

Eng 401

Eng 350

Eng 83

Eng 67


At Spokane they added 6 cars, A Sightseer lounge, 2 sleepers and 3 coaches.

Dave

 

[dburden]

Dug deeper into my notes and this is the layout after they combined the two trains together in Spokane:

(Back)

MHC

MHC

32044 Sleeper

31028 Coach + Baggage (Not sure what this means, I didn't make any other notes about it.)

34084 Coach

34004 Lounge Café

31525 Coach 812

34018 Coach 811

38063 Diner

32022 Sleeper

32074 Sleeper Colorado

39030 Transition Sleeper

 

[KmH]

Amtrak Superliner Coach/Baggage cars (62 seats) have a baggage compartment in lieu of the 15 coach seats on the lower level of a regular Coach car.

You can see the Coach/Baggage and Coach car layouts here - http://s4.zetaboards.com/amtkz/pages/cars/