Cascades 510 was a Superliner set this morning!

[Cascadia]

Was walking on the trail by the railroad tracks in Bellingham, WA today and saw the Cascades 510 heading north from Seattle to Vancouver, BC.

Was so pleasantly surprised and excited by the sight that I didn't note the consist but when I used to ride it before, I think it was a coach, a coach/baggage, and a sightseer lounge (not in that order)? What is the real name for that view/lounge car? Has a snack cafe in the lower level.

I had been told many moons ago that the 510/517 would be Superliners again while they refurbish and remodel all the Talgo Bistro cars. Does anyone know if this is the reason, and when it started, and how long we can hope to have Superliners on this route? I would have walked all the way down to the station to foam with the staff there and get the details but I was with someone else.

We were so fortunate to have Superliners on the 510/517 for about 3 years when I was riding regularly between Bellingham and Vancouver, BC. That was when they repaired and refurbished all the Talgo sets.

I hope I get many chances to ride this equipment while it is on the line!!!!!

 

[user 1215]

That's pretty cool! The car you speak of is called the Superliner Sightseer Lounge.

And they said there was no spare Superliner equipment!

 

[Trogdor]

And they said there was no spare Superliner equipment!

Who's "they"?

 

[Cascadia]

I just like how I used the verb "to foam" in my post

 

[jcepler1]

They are refurbishing the Talgo bistro and lounge cars. While each set is out of service, it is replaced by the set that normally runs 510/517.

This started March 16 and may run until "late spring 2012."

No business class, or bicycles in the baggage car while it runs with Superliners.

 

[Cascadia]

They are refurbishing the Talgo bistro and lounge cars. While each set is out of service, it is replaced by the set that normally runs 510/517.

This started March 16 and may run until "late spring 2012."

No business class, or bicycles in the baggage car while it runs with Superliners.

Thanks! I really want to make a point of taking the train to Seattle or Vancouver while it is still Superliners! Also it will be interesting to see how the bistro cars turn out - they had asked for comments on the proposed design a while back. The way they are now there is kind of a bottleneck where you stand in line. Hope the new design fixes that.

 

[afigg]

They are refurbishing the Talgo bistro and lounge cars. While each set is out of service, it is replaced by the set that normally runs 510/517.

This started March 16 and may run until "late spring 2012."

No business class, or bicycles in the baggage car while it runs with Superliners.

Once Oregon gets the 2 Talgo sets later this year and they are declared ready for revenue service operation, there should be no need to use Superliners as replacements for the next few years. Whether that is popular or not with everyone is not of concern to the state DOTs. The advantage to Amtrak is that they don't have to tie up Superliners to support the Cascades service anymore.

 

[saxman]

Yup, I'm taking 510 up to Vancouver on Monday to ride the Canadian. I had a Business Class ticket booked, but Amtrak later called and told me it would be switching to Superliner equipment, so no BC. So I got a refund of my upgrade. Oh well. I like Superliners, and it'll be fun to ride on that route.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

I just like how I used the verb "to foam" in my post

It's now official, your one of us.

 

[Cascadia]

I just like how I used the verb "to foam" in my post

It's now official, your one of us.

Thanks Alan, it's always nice to belong somewhere . .

 

[Cascadia]

Yup, I'm taking 510 up to Vancouver on Monday to ride the Canadian. I had a Business Class ticket booked, but Amtrak later called and told me it would be switching to Superliner equipment, so no BC. So I got a refund of my upgrade. Oh well. I like Superliners, and it'll be fun to ride on that route.

That will be a nice trip. You get such a great water view along the line. I have probably ridden it more when it was a Superliner set for 3 years than I did when it was Talgos the rest of the time. Seems that way anyway. One time they had a Pacific Parlor Car on there for about ten days and I only got to see it from the outside when it was at the station, it didn't work out with my schedule for me to ride when it was on there :-(

 

[Trogdor]

Yup, I'm taking 510 up to Vancouver on Monday to ride the Canadian. I had a Business Class ticket booked, but Amtrak later called and told me it would be switching to Superliner equipment, so no BC. So I got a refund of my upgrade. Oh well. I like Superliners, and it'll be fun to ride on that route.

I thought 510 was a bus on Mondays for a while.

 

[saxman]

Yup, I'm taking 510 up to Vancouver on Monday to ride the Canadian. I had a Business Class ticket booked, but Amtrak later called and told me it would be switching to Superliner equipment, so no BC. So I got a refund of my upgrade. Oh well. I like Superliners, and it'll be fun to ride on that route.

I thought 510 was a bus on Mondays for a while.

I'm taking it on a Tuesday though.

 

[fairviewroad]

Yup, I'm taking 510 up to Vancouver on Monday to ride the Canadian.

I thought 510 was a bus on Mondays for a while.

I'm taking it on a Tuesday though.

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

I saw the 517 last night operating with superliners didnt see the sightseer lounge though. How many snack coachs does Amtrak have again?

 

[AlanB]

I saw the 517 last operating with superliners didnt see the sightseer lounge though. How many snack coachs does Amtrak have again?

They have 8 Superliner snack coaches, 3 of which are generally assigned to the Heartland Flyer.

 

[Trogdor]

Only one assigned to the Heartland Flyer (only one consist on the route). There might be one as a spare in FTW, but certainly not two.

One assigned to 370/371 on a semi-permanent basis. Three see service on the Capitol Corridor as they don't have enough California food service cars to run all consists all the time.

The rest roam the system as spare coach capacity.

510/517, however, is using a 37000-series diner-lounge as its food service car during the temporary substitution.

Note: There were originally 11 built, but three have been wrecked over the years (most recent being one in last year's California Zephyr collision with a truck in Nevada).

 

[saxman]

I'm on 510 right now. It's two coaches and a CCC car. One of the coaches is a baggage coach.

 

[AlanB]

They have 8 Superliner snack coaches, 3 of which are generally assigned to the Heartland Flyer.

Only one assigned to the Heartland Flyer (only one consist on the route). There might be one as a spare in FTW, but certainly not two.

Ok, I should have said: 3 of which were equipped with the needed cabling to permit push/pull operations on the Heartland Flyer.

 

[Trogdor]

As far as I can tell, most, if not all, of the Snack Coaches have push-pull capability. Three of them are on the Capitol Corridor, which are push-pull, one on the Heartland Flyer, and a couple more that are on 370/371, which is push-pull.

A bunch more Superliners are also push-pull capable, though I wouldn't know what the total numbers are.

 

[amtraknovi]

Yup, I'm taking 510 up to Vancouver on Monday to ride the Canadian. I had a Business Class ticket booked, but Amtrak later called and told me it would be switching to Superliner equipment, so no BC. So I got a refund of my upgrade. Oh well. I like Superliners, and it'll be fun to ride on that route.

Guess that means I can stop looking for a business class seat to open up on 510 for my SEA - VAN trip! Also taking The Canadian from VAN.

 

[Trogdor]

I hope you're going to VAC and not VAN. VAN is in the other direction.

 

[zephyr17]

Yup, I'm taking 510 up to Vancouver on Monday to ride the Canadian. I had a Business Class ticket booked, but Amtrak later called and told me it would be switching to Superliner equipment, so no BC. So I got a refund of my upgrade. Oh well. I like Superliners, and it'll be fun to ride on that route.

Guess that means I can stop looking for a business class seat to open up on 510 for my SEA - VAN trip! Also taking The Canadian from VAN.

Have fun just across the river from Portland, OR!