Amtrak's Shortest Train

[OlympianHiawatha]

It looks like the title of Amtrak's Shortest Train now goes to the Heartland Flyer which has been running with only 2 Superliner Coaches (including the Snack Coach) the past few weeks. She still has a P42 on one end and a NPCU on the other.

Of course later this week she'll lengthen out quite a bit when she picks up the extra Coaches and maybe a Sightseer for the OU-Texas Game Train.

But a small train is still better than no train!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Amtrak is marketing the "Big Game Train" heavily here in Austin!

They are offering a Special RT Fare from AUS-DAL-AUS of $50, but this would be on the Texas Eagles #22/#21, not the Heartland Flyer.

The Flyer is Reserved for Okies coming down to Dallas for the annual War @ the Cotton Bowl, not sure if they offer a Special Fare for Sooner fans,?

The Cafe Car always runs out of stuff, especially Beer, before the Train gets to Ft. Worth!!

 

[MattW]

Nope, the New Haven-Springfield shuttles I believe still occasionally run with one car, even so, they only run with two Amfleets which are smaller than Superliners!

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Amtrak is marketing the "Big Game Train" heavily here in Austin!

They are offering a Special RT Fare from AUS-DAL-AUS of $50, but this would be on the Texas Eagles #22/#21, not the Heartland Flyer.

The Flyer is Reserved for Okies coming down to Dallas for the annual War @ the Cotton Bowl, not sure if they offer a Special Fare for Sooner fans,?

The Cafe Car always runs out of stuff, especially Beer, before the Train gets to Ft. Worth!!

It's $55 RT on the Flyer and that takes you right on into Dallas Union via the TRE.

 

[railiner]

Does anyone recall if Amtrak ever ran a one car MU or a Budd RDC or SPV in the past? If so, that would have been the shortest....

 

[Steve4031]

The river cities operated with 1 engine and one heritage fleet coach between Carbondale and stl back in the 80s.

 

[Palmetto]

Does anyone recall if Amtrak ever ran a one car MU or a Budd RDC or SPV in the past? If so, that would have been the shortest....

Yes. The Boston and Maine ran single Budds, and I think they required that an absolute block had to be established behind them because they didn't always shunt. [meaning the train did not always display on a dispatcher's or a tower operator's control board].

 

[fixj]

I remember taking the River Cities from Saint Louis to Carbondale, and remember it as a single coach and engine.

 

[Evan's Trains]

Springfield Shuttle and tge Flyer are equal but counting locos the Shuttle would be the smallest

 

[rrdude]

Amtrak is marketing the "Big Game Train" heavily here in Austin!

They are offering a Special RT Fare from AUS-DAL-AUS of $50, but this would be on the Texas Eagles #22/#21, not the Heartland Flyer.

The Flyer is Reserved for Okies coming down to Dallas for the annual War @ the Cotton Bowl, not sure if they offer a Special Fare for Sooner fans,?

The Cafe Car always runs out of stuff, especially Beer, before the Train gets to Ft. Worth!!

I'm surprised ANYONE from Austin, or any Longhorn fan, (if they aren't wearing a paper bag over their head) would want to travel to the slaughter this year. (btw, I am one of those Lionghorn fans!) "Hook 'em Horns!"

 

[dlagrua]

If I may expand on the definition. I believe that the shortest Amtrak long distance overnight train (at certain times of the year) would be the Cardinal. The consist would be a single engine, baggage, cafe/diner lite, 3 coaches and one Viewliner sleeper. We've been on the train during the month of May when this was the consist. .

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Amtrak is marketing the "Big Game Train" heavily here in Austin!

They are offering a Special RT Fare from AUS-DAL-AUS of $50, but this would be on the Texas Eagles #22/#21, not the Heartland Flyer.

The Flyer is Reserved for Okies coming down to Dallas for the annual War @ the Cotton Bowl, not sure if they offer a Special Fare for Sooner fans,?

The Cafe Car always runs out of stuff, especially Beer, before the Train gets to Ft. Worth!!

I'm surprised ANYONE from Austin, or any Longhorn fan, (if they aren't wearing a paper bag over their head) would want to travel to the slaughter this year. (btw, I am one of those Lionghorn fans!) "Hook 'em Horns!"

One of the commentators on a Sports Radio in the Sooner Nation gave a perfect description of theTexas Longhorns this morning. They are a big dog that people have been teasing, pulling its tail and jerking its paws the past 5 weeks. Now the Sooners are coming along this weekend and if they continue to tease the dog and get too close to its mouth, they are going to get bit and get bit HARD. This will be a closer Game than many folks think.

I just looked and seats are still available on the Big Red Game Train from Norman for $91 RT; that dumps you off right at Dallas Union. Low Bucket was $55 RT but those are long gone.

 

[railiner]

If I may expand on the definition. I believe that the shortest Amtrak long distance overnight train (at certain times of the year) would be the Cardinal. The consist would be a single engine, baggage, cafe/diner lite, 3 coaches and one Viewliner sleeper. We've been on the train during the month of May when this was the consist. .

Don't forget the former "Shenandoah"....it ran with an engine, (not sure if a baggage car), an Amfleet coach, an Amdinette, and an 'Ampad' coach/economy sleeper.....

 

[DSS&A]

Hi,

The Chicago to Milwaukee Hiawatha train ran in 1986 with two and sometimes three former Chicago & Northwestern bilevel intercity cars. The short-lived Chicago to Janesville Lake County Limited ran with two coaches just before it ended. The LCL business never took off well. During some of the earlier months of the train service, it had one or two of the LCL boxcars on it.

 

[DSS&A]

I have seen photos of the Blackhawk that ran between Chicago and Dubuque, Iowa with 3 RDCS and also 2 coaches and a locomotive.

 

[JoeRids]

Another honorable mention would be the Washington-Harrisburg section of the National Limited, which I believe in later years ran with an engine and single coach.

 

[keelhauled]

Does anyone recall if Amtrak ever ran a one car MU or a Budd RDC or SPV in the past? If so, that would have been the shortest....

Indeed.

From http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=230588

 

[JoeRids]

Another mention was, back in 1999-2000 at least, the last Empire service departure from NYP. I believe it left around 11:45PM and consisted of a single Amfleet coach and engine. I can vouch for this as my dorm room overlooked the tracks and I remember seeing it go by.

 

[railiner]

Does anyone recall if Amtrak ever ran a one car MU or a Budd RDC or SPV in the past? If so, that would have been the shortest....

Indeed.

From http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=230588

The winner!

Nice shot....thanks for posting.....

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

The Heartland Flyer has fattened up nicely for the next several days, now consisting of 4 Coaches, a Sightseer, an NPCU on the north end and TWO P42s on the south (but not including the Big Game Train unit).

It would have been nice if they could have also included a CCC and offered Breakfast southbound and Dinner northbound; it may not have made money but considering many of this weekend's riders are new to Amtrak, it would have given a nice feel to what kind of service is available on other trains and likely generated some future Long Distance customers.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Mail 10 was known to operate with one car on occasions. An AEM-7 and an old MHC operating at 110mph.

Good times!

 

[Thirdrail7]

If I may expand on the definition. I believe that the shortest Amtrak long distance overnight train (at certain times of the year) would be the Cardinal. The consist would be a single engine, baggage, cafe/diner lite, 3 coaches and one Viewliner sleeper. We've been on the train during the month of May when this was the consist. .

It is amazing what a difference a few years can make. The Cardinal is now tied with the winter version of the Capitol Limited, which sports one or two diesels, two sleepers, a diner, a lounge and two coaches.

 

[Ryan]

Imagine it if were daily!!!

Better cut it though, so Philly can have a 17th option for getting to Ohio.

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

Has anyone mentioned the Hilltopper yet? It's like the Cardinal of the Cardinal.

 

[frequentflyer]

Does anyone recall if Amtrak ever ran a one car MU or a Budd RDC or SPV in the past? If so, that would have been the shortest....

YEs, I remember the SPV

http://hebners.net/Amtrak/amtSPV.htm