Any currently operated one or two car Amtrak trains around?

[rms492]

Hi, I love short trains (and long ones too!), are there any one-or two-car Amtrak trains being operated currently on the Amtrak System? (or for that matter, lets count VIA and Alaska RR as well).
Thanks!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Hi, I love short trains (and long ones too!), are there any one-or two-car Amtrak trains being operated currently on the Amtrak System? (or for that matter, lets count VIA and Alaska RR as well).
Thanks!

The Heartland Flyer regulary has 2 Superliner Coaches, ( a Snack Coach is 1 of the Cars)but does have 2 Engines( one on each end) since it cant be turned in OKC.

During the Oklahoma/ Texas Big Game a Sightseer Lounge is put into the consist, it is Wrapped with a Big Game Wrap and a Special "Big Game"P-42 is used.

 

[jiml]

VIA Rail's Northern Quebec services consist of an F40, baggage car and one coach (except during peak periods). One train tows the other as far as Hervey, QC, where they are separated to run in different directions to their final destinations.

Historically there are several others, but VIA like Amtrak seems to prefer fixed consists that can be used on multiple routes. Whether all cars are open for occupancy is another matter.

 

[jiml]

The Heartland Flyer regulary has 2 Superliner Coaches, ( a Snack Coach is 1 of the Cars)but does have 2 Engines( one on each end) since it cant be turned in OKC.

During the Oklahoma/ Texas Big Game a Sightseer Lounge is put into the consist, it is Wrapped with a Big Game Wrap and a Special "Big Game"P-42 is used.

I've seen video where one of those engines is a converted F40 NPCU, but more recently two operating locos has been the norm.

 

[OBS]

The Springfield shuttles between New Haven and Springfield Mass. are usually 2 cars...occasionally one car.

 

[Seaboard92]

At one point last year when they weren't using state equipment for the Piedmont it was a two car Amfleet train.

As far as the shorter trains here is the list that I'm aware of.

Amtrak
-Heartland Flyer (2 Power Units, 1 Superliner Coach, 1 Superliner Coach/Cafe)
-Pere Marquette (1 Power Unit, 2 Superliner Coaches, 1 Superliner Coach/Cafe)
-Empire Builder Portland Section (1 Power Unit, 1 Sightseer Lounge, 1 Superliner Coach/Bag, 1 Superliner coach, 1 Superliner Sleeper)
-Capitol Limited (Pandemic Consist) (1 Power Unit, 1 Superliner Sleeper, 1 Superliner Cross Country Cafe, 1 Superliner Coach/Bag, 1 Superliner Coach)
-Lake Shore Limited Boston Section (2 Power Units, 1 Viewliner Sleeper, 1 Amfleet I Cafe, 2 Amfleet II Coaches
-Springfield Shuttles/Valley Flyer. I believe those are 1 power unit and two cars.

VIA Rail
-Quebec Rural Trains (1 Power Unit, 1 Bag, 1 HP1 Coach) Occasionally one of these trains will be longer when they are doing the excursions in Senneterre which will give the train a Park Car too. Runs combined to Hervey Junction
-Train 85/88 Toronto-London Turn is usually 1 Power Unit, and two HP2 Coaches
-The Skeena (1 Power Unit, 1 Bag, 1 HP1 Coach, 1 Park Car) one consist also has a Panorama Car.

Alaska Railroad
-Aurora Winter Train (2 Power Units, 1 Bag, 3 Coaches, plus some freight)
-Glacier Discovery Train (1 Power Unit, 1 Bag, 2-4 Coaches, 1 NPCU)
-Hurricane Turn (2 Power Units, 2-3 Coaches)

And for an honorable mention abroad.

Russian Railways

Irkutsk-Port Baikal (2 Steam Locomotives, 2 Coaches) Talk about overpowered. Runs every other day.

 

[Shortline]

When I live in Anchorage, in the mid-90’s, the ARR Hurricane Turn, was a single RDC coach/baggage. Was cool, back then, they’d leave the cab control door open, and didn’t mind you riding up there. Was one of the things that got me into Railroading work, after I got bored playing with airplanes,

 

[jis]

The winter Aurora I was on had 3 Coaches, a Food Service Car and a Baggage Car, and no freight. This was a few years back.

 

[daybeers]

The Amtrak Springfield Shuttles are now called Hartford Line trains just like the CTDOT-run ones. Before the pandemic they started increasing lengths from 2 to 3 cars and that has continued over the past year.

 

[fdaley]

At one point last year when they weren't using state equipment for the Piedmont it was a two car Amfleet train.

As far as the shorter trains here is the list that I'm aware of.

Amtrak
-Heartland Flyer (2 Power Units, 1 Superliner Coach, 1 Superliner Coach/Cafe)
-Pere Marquette (1 Power Unit, 2 Superliner Coaches, 1 Superliner Coach/Cafe)
-Empire Builder Portland Section (1 Power Unit, 1 Sightseer Lounge, 1 Superliner Coach/Bag, 1 Superliner coach, 1 Superliner Sleeper)
-Capitol Limited (Pandemic Consist) (1 Power Unit, 1 Superliner Sleeper, 1 Superliner Cross Country Cafe, 1 Superliner Coach/Bag, 1 Superliner Coach)
-Lake Shore Limited Boston Section (2 Power Units, 1 Viewliner Sleeper, 1 Amfleet I Cafe, 2 Amfleet II Coaches
-Springfield Shuttles/Valley Flyer. I believe those are 1 power unit and two cars.

VIA Rail
-Quebec Rural Trains (1 Power Unit, 1 Bag, 1 HP1 Coach) Occasionally one of these trains will be longer when they are doing the excursions in Senneterre which will give the train a Park Car too. Runs combined to Hervey Junction
-Train 85/88 Toronto-London Turn is usually 1 Power Unit, and two HP2 Coaches
-The Skeena (1 Power Unit, 1 Bag, 1 HP1 Coach, 1 Park Car) one consist also has a Panorama Car.

Alaska Railroad
-Aurora Winter Train (2 Power Units, 1 Bag, 3 Coaches, plus some freight)
-Glacier Discovery Train (1 Power Unit, 1 Bag, 2-4 Coaches, 1 NPCU)
-Hurricane Turn (2 Power Units, 2-3 Coaches)

And for an honorable mention abroad.

Russian Railways

Irkutsk-Port Baikal (2 Steam Locomotives, 2 Coaches) Talk about overpowered. Runs every other day.

Does the Capitol Limited no longer have a Sightseer Lounge? And if so, is that a pandemic-related change, or something permanent?

 

[Seaboard92]

Does the Capitol Limited no longer have a Sightseer Lounge? And if so, is that a pandemic-related change, or something permanent?

There hasn't been a Sightseer on it all three times I rode it in 2020.

 

[fdaley]

There hasn't been a Sightseer on it all three times I rode it in 2020.

It was in the consist when I rode it in Feb 2020, just before the pandemic. With the dining service gone, I got a cup of coffee and a pastry and sat in the lounge watching Indiana go by, and I was thinking that the Sightseer was something that still distinguished that train from its eastern peers. Plus it arrived in Chicago early enough for me to get a real breakfast at Lou Mitchell's.

 

[Hytec]

When I live in Anchorage, in the mid-90’s, the ARR Hurricane Turn, was a single RDC coach/baggage. Was cool, back then, they’d leave the cab control door open, and didn’t mind you riding up there. Was one of the things that got me into Railroading work, after I got bored playing with airplanes,

Nothing to do with Amtrak or this topic, but you reminded me of my ride in a New York Central RDC-1 in 1952. It ran between Albany, NY and North Adams, MA. All pax except me got off in Pittsfield, MA. The motorman invited me to stand beside him for the 40+/- miles to North Adams. During that run we were running over rough weedy track, bouncing all over hellangone. I looked at the speedometer...WE WERE DOING 80 MPH!!!! This 17 year old's pucker string began singing High C. I then realized if he wasn't worried, why should I? The rest of the trip was an amusement park ride blast.

 

[jiml]

Nothing better than a cab ride in an RDC.

 

[user 14106]

The Springfield shuttles between New Haven and Springfield Mass. are usually 2 cars...occasionally one car.

3 cars these days.