In February 1998, Amtrak ordered 40 Surfliner cars that were delivered by Alstom between 2000 and 2001[2] (all numbered in the 6xxx series). The first cars started operating on the Pacific Surfliner in April 2000.
Not all winter, in fact I don't think they used them at all this winter. And another big reason for switching (and from my understanding, more the main reason) is that the exposed piping & such under the cars would freeze. It's the same reason the Viewliner Sleepers rotate down to FL during the winter.
Dear Passenger Train Journal Forum, I never thought your letters were real until this happened to me...I remember a trip in the summer of 1975 when I was heading to NYP to visit my girlfriend when I was stuck in SRO conditions. Then two very hot young ladies about my age invited me to share their seat. That was when I was a skinny college kid, and three of us fit very well in 2 seats. We had a great time talking, and it turned out that one of the girls was the daughter of a guy involved in the Watergate affair. Too bad I was on. the way to visit my girlfriend.
actually the pere marquette uses the double decker trains (are those the superliners?) all winter, all year long, though I did just take a train last week that was NOT the double decker and they said they were changing the equipment for the season - but they haven't done that in years. The Wolverine and Blue Water do NOT use the double deckers.
Yes, the superliner design is double decker, and is what you are seeing there and on every train going from the Chicago terminal to the west coast.
I've seen the PM use single level twice since I started riding in 2007. The first time, oddly enough was between Christmas and New Years about five years ago....second being a couple weeks ago (April 3).
The bulk of the MI fleet isn't Superliner'd. Here's how it's worked for years here in MI is as follows:
There are also superliner's in use on the California corridors as supplemental equipment.The bulk of the MI fleet isn't Superliner'd. Here's how it's worked for years here in MI is as follows
Wolveriene & Bluewater: Single-level fleet most of the year, Superliners for a short period during the winter (2 months at most) & backups.
As far as I know the PM is only 1 out of 2 short distance trains in Amtrak's system that uses Superliners year-round; the other being the Hearland Flyer. And of course this being Amtrak they could decided suddenly tomorrow to change all this.
peter
Exactly, as supplemental equipment, not as the primary equipment.There are also superliner's in use on the California corridors as supplemental equipment.The bulk of the MI fleet isn't Superliner'd. Here's how it's worked for years here in MI is as follows
Wolveriene & Bluewater: Single-level fleet most of the year, Superliners for a short period during the winter (2 months at most) & backups.
As far as I know the PM is only 1 out of 2 short distance trains in Amtrak's system that uses Superliners year-round; the other being the Hearland Flyer. And of course this being Amtrak they could decided suddenly tomorrow to change all this.
peter
By supplemental, I meant that they did not order enough cars to cover capacity needs, so they use superliners to supplement their consist's capacity.Exactly, as supplemental equipment, not as the primary equipment.There are also superliner's in use on the California corridors as supplemental equipment.The bulk of the MI fleet isn't Superliner'd. Here's how it's worked for years here in MI is as follows
Wolveriene & Bluewater: Single-level fleet most of the year, Superliners for a short period during the winter (2 months at most) & backups.
As far as I know the PM is only 1 out of 2 short distance trains in Amtrak's system that uses Superliners year-round; the other being the Hearland Flyer. And of course this being Amtrak they could decided suddenly tomorrow to change all this.
peter
