Baggage car removed from Sunset Limited / Texas Eagle

[juanee]

Hello Everyone,

FYI... I was at El Paso Union station today to inquire about shipping a small package via Amtrak Express and was advised by ticket staff they no longer offer the shipping service... the baggage car has been removed indefinitely from the Sunset Limited (1 / 2) - Texas Eagle (421 / 422) combined train. Somewhat disappointment that the newest rail car Amtrak has (the baggage car)... they won't be using anymore, go figure.

Perhaps someone in the know can share more details.

I lurk around this forum all the time... I felt this is somewhat important and wanted to share and contribute the info with all of you.

Kind regards,

Juan

 

[daybeers]

Very unfortunate if this is true, though I don't know how popular the baggage car was on those trains. Thanks for sharing, Juan!

 

[niemi24s]

Something just doesn't sound right here. No baggage car on the longest long distance train in the nation means no checked baggage service for it.

Not sure Amtrak can be that stupid so suspect something the station agent at El Paso was misunderstood or he had been misinformed - maybe. But perhaps Amtrak really can be that stupid.

 

[ehbowen]

Something just doesn't sound right here. No baggage car on the longest long distance train in the nation means no checked baggage service for it.

Not sure Amtrak can be that stupid so suspect something the station agent at El Paso was misunderstood or he had been misinformed - maybe. But perhaps Amtrak really can be that stupid.

Not necessarily. In the past the Sunset Limited has sometimes operated with a Superliner Coach-Baggage in use to carry checked baggage. Amtrak may well have decided that this offers sufficient capacity for passengers' luggage, but not enough capacity to offer Amtrak Express service (I'd hate to see someone trying to load a casket aboard a Coach-Baggage!).

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

I get dining cars are labor intensive and that whole debate but baggage cars? Especially if your still going to have checked bag service.

Whats the cost of running them, being brand new Id assume upkeep is minimal. Giving up all Amtrak Express parcel revenue seems insane but thats Anderons MO, take away as many revenue sources from LD trains as possible. More brand new million dollar cars for axle counts.

 

[niemi24s]

In the past the Sunset Limited has sometimes operated with a Superliner Coach-Baggage in use to carry checked baggage.

Thanks. I forgot about those things.

 

[TiBike]

Just checked Tucson to LA for several dates in October and November. Zero bicycle space is available. Either there's a mass escape of desert cyclists to the coast, or there's no Viewliner 2 baggage car. The online system indicates checked baggage service is available, though. Assuming that's correct, there's some kind of baggage car on the train.

 

[jis]

Coach-Baggage Superliner cars have been used in the past to provide checked baggage service.

 

[TinCan782]

I'll take a look in a couple of weeks while on #2. Its been several years since I rode 422 from LA to Chicago.

Also, the SL baggage (when there was one) stayed on the SL. The TE had its own (coach/baggage). This is based on the "old" consist listings here on AU.

 

[cpotisch]

The Sunset and Eagle almost always run with at least one coach-baggage, usually (but not always) along with a baggage car. Even if they are removing the baggage car itself, that doesn't mean the end of checked baggage. And over the years I've learned that what a lot of station agents say–especially when it comes to baggage–is frequently nonsense.

 

[KnightRail]

Confirmed. No 61000 series dedicated baggage car going forward until/if changed. Baggage handled in the 31000 series coach-bag car. Bicycles only handled in bike boxes. No Express shipments. This applies to trains 1/2 only. Trains 21/22 are not affected and continue to have a 61000 series(Viewliner II).

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

Lets take the weakest LD train and siphon more revenue away from it. Im sure Express shipments werent much but its not like they dont have excess baggage cars.

 

[ehbowen]

Lets take the weakest LD train and siphon more revenue away from it. Im sure Express shipments werent much but its not like they dont have excess baggage cars.

Yep, fourth largest city in the nation, connected by a direct rail line to #2, #5, #7 and #22. No possible potential market there at all, right? Oh, and if you look at north-south potential from my home town, you're also looking at #3, #9, #15 and #27 before you drop out of the top 30. Move along, folks; nothing to see here!

About fifteen years back the Texas DOT was planning to tear up an east-west rail line (the former Katy, abandoned by UP in 1997 following a merger which immediately precipitated a total melt-down in freight and passenger service all along the route) in order to widen Interstate 10 from 6 lanes to 10+. The "success" of this expansion can be seen in the fact that the freeway is now MORE congested and trip times take longer than when the expansion began! It just so happens that I was at a political shindig talking with a local representative when this was being planned and I told him, "We're tearing out a rail line to expand a freeway? I have two words for that...in-sane!" He cleared his throat and said something about how it was all for the better because this region had an "automobile culture." I wanted to grab him by the throat, shake him, and say, "Of course we have an 'automobile culture'; WHAT CHOICE DO WE HAVE?!?!"

But, I didn't. Sigh.

 

[TiBike]

I never tried to figure out the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited combination before. What I think I'm seeing in the reservation system, based on bicycle space availability, is that the TE runs a V2 baggage car between Chicago and San Antonio. On days when it combines with the SL, it drops the baggage car in San Antonio, along with whatever else, if anything, doesn't continue to LA. So whatever baggage is in the V2 is transferred to whatever baggage car is on the SL. Is that how it goes?

Confirmed. No 61000 series dedicated baggage car going forward until/if changed. Baggage handled in the 31000 series coach-bag car. Bicycles only handled in bike boxes. No Express shipments. This applies to trains 1/2 only. Trains 21/22 are not affected and continue to have a 61000 series(Viewliner II).

 

[ehbowen]

I never tried to figure out the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited combination before. What I think I'm seeing in the reservation system, based on bicycle space availability, is that the TE runs a V2 baggage car between Chicago and San Antonio. On days when it combines with the SL, it drops the baggage car in San Antonio, along with whatever else, if anything, doesn't continue to LA. So whatever baggage is in the V2 is transferred to whatever baggage car is on the SL. Is that how it goes?

Confirmed. No 61000 series dedicated baggage car going forward until/if changed. Baggage handled in the 31000 series coach-bag car. Bicycles only handled in bike boxes. No Express shipments. This applies to trains 1/2 only. Trains 21/22 are not affected and continue to have a 61000 series(Viewliner II).

Basically, yes. Unless you're going to run two separate baggage cars (as some of the NY-Florida trains did back in the day to serve Tampa/St. Pete & Miami), either you have to transfer all the Sunset Limited baggage to the Texas Eagle baggage car (and do something with the car from the Sunset) or else you transfer the TE through baggage to the SL's baggage or baggage-coach. Obviously, Amtrak chooses to do the latter.

 

[cpotisch]

I never tried to figure out the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited combination before. What I think I'm seeing in the reservation system, based on bicycle space availability, is that the TE runs a V2 baggage car between Chicago and San Antonio. On days when it combines with the SL, it drops the baggage car in San Antonio, along with whatever else, if anything, doesn't continue to LA. So whatever baggage is in the V2 is transferred to whatever baggage car is on the SL. Is that how it goes?

With the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle combo, one sleeper and one coach are transferred between the two trains in San Antonio. The rest of the train just runs CHI-SAS. Checked baggage is also transferred between the two trains, but the baggage car itself is not.

 

[Bob Dylan]

On today's #21/#321 out of Chicago with a Viewliner II Bag Car and a Coach Bag.

Passed a Late #22 coming into Chicago and it also had the same Consist.

Cant help with #1/#2 info re Bag Car.

 

[frequentflyer]

I never tried to figure out the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited combination before. What I think I'm seeing in the reservation system, based on bicycle space availability, is that the TE runs a V2 baggage car between Chicago and San Antonio. On days when it combines with the SL, it drops the baggage car in San Antonio, along with whatever else, if anything, doesn't continue to LA. So whatever baggage is in the V2 is transferred to whatever baggage car is on the SL. Is that how it goes?

With the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle combo, one sleeper and one coach are transferred between the two trains in San Antonio. The rest of the train just runs CHI-SAS. Checked baggage is also transferred between the two trains, but the baggage car itself is not.

Remember when the TE was tri weekly and two coaches and a sleeper made the connection to the SL.

On regards the baggage on the SL, With checked luggage only at four or five cities on the route, I can see why the baggage car was nixed. Less weight for the locomotives to pull which should mean more fuel efficiency. The SL is overpowered as it is with two locomotives for a six or seven car train east of San Antonio. I believe the two locomotives is because of the west Texas elevation changes. Maybe not using a baggage car, the SL may go to one locomotive.

 

[jis]

Or be able to run part of the way with one idling/ off. I believe they did that with the LSL for a period.

 

[cpotisch]

Or be able to run part of the way with one idling/ off. I believe they did that with the LSL for a period.

If they do that, wouldn't there be a lot of drag from the traction motors of the off or idling unit?

 

[jis]

No

 

[cpotisch]

No

How? Is it possible to disconnect the motors from the wheels when they're off or something? Because otherwise I feel like there would have to be drag (think about regenerative braking)...

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Traction motor a big box on the trucks with a electric motor that turns gears, that cause the wheels to rotate.

Will it cause drag when its pulled by another unit. Of course, will you notice it, not likely.

A yard crew had a south bound train set up in Albany with two locomotives. The yard crew set all the brakes. Hand, Engine, train line on the lead locomotive. The Out-Bound Hogger jump in the seat and only released the train line. Off he went to NYP. The brakes on the lead locomotive never released the wheels. With wheels lock and sparks flying, the Hogger made track speed with just the 2nd unit provide power. When the train was final stopped. (Hot Box, or someone notice the sparks). The lead Locomotive had flat spots on all 4 axles, and had to be taken out of service.

Pulling a dead in tow locomotive will impact your performance, but how much is it drag, and how much is it mass? Over short distances will you even notice?

 

[ehbowen]

As long as the motor is electrically isolated (by being in idle) and the brakes are released, the only drag will be the parasitic drag from the motor and axle bearings and the inertia of the armature (and the locomotive itself). For regenerative/dynamic braking, the motor is connected to a current path through the electrical power supply (regenerative) or dynamic braking resistors.

 

[railbuck]

With the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle combo, one sleeper and one coach are transferred between the two trains in San Antonio. The rest of the train just runs CHI-SAS. Checked baggage is also transferred between the two trains, but the baggage car itself is not

On today's #21/#321 out of Chicago with a Viewliner II Bag Car and a Coach Bag.

Passed a Late #22 coming into Chicago and it also had the same Consist.

Seems like the logical thing would be to have a coach-bag on #1/2 and a coach-bag on #421/422 so as not to have to transfer the baggage between cars (to be clear, two coach-bags west of SAS). Run a V2 bag and standard coach on #21/22 on the days it runs without #421/422.