How many trains run as the California Zephyr?

[TrulyTracy]

We are departing on the California Zephyr out of Chicago on Monday, July 25 at 2PM. I have been watching the on-time performance and am trying to figure out where the train that we will be riding is currently. (Did that sentence make sense?) It looks to me like they must have at least 7 physical trains that make this trip, with an extra long layover in Chicago to make up for any lost time on the last loop. Does that sound right? If so, then I think our train would be the one that got in way way late to Emeryville last night.

 

[Trogdor]

There are six sets required to run the Zephyr.

Under normal circumstances, the train departing on Monday would have departed Chicago the previous Tuesday, arrives in Emeryville on Thursday, departs Emeryville on Friday and arrives Chicago on Sunday. However, due to extreme lateness over the last several days, Tuesday's departure was terminated in Reno to turn for today's eastbound. Monday's departure, which was running 21+ hours late, will sit over and represent Friday's departure from Emeryville.

So, your train is currently sitting in Emeryville waiting to depart on its eastbound trip tomorrow.

 

[HoosierStater]

There are six sets required to run the Zephyr.

Under normal circumstances, the train departing on Monday would have departed Chicago the previous Tuesday, arrives in Emeryville on Thursday, departs Emeryville on Friday and arrives Chicago on Sunday. However, due to extreme lateness over the last several days, Tuesday's departure was terminated in Reno to turn for today's eastbound. Monday's departure, which was running 21+ hours late, will sit over and represent Friday's departure from Emeryville.

So, your train is currently sitting in Emeryville waiting to depart on its eastbound trip tomorrow.

Does anyone have similar numbers -- or a website -- for the other LD trains?

 

[The Davy Crockett]

There are six sets required to run the Zephyr.

Under normal circumstances, the train departing on Monday would have departed Chicago the previous Tuesday, arrives in Emeryville on Thursday, departs Emeryville on Friday and arrives Chicago on Sunday. However, due to extreme lateness over the last several days, Tuesday's departure was terminated in Reno to turn for today's eastbound. Monday's departure, which was running 21+ hours late, will sit over and represent Friday's departure from Emeryville.

So, your train is currently sitting in Emeryville waiting to depart on its eastbound trip tomorrow.

Does anyone have similar numbers -- or a website -- for the other LD trains?

Look here: http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/32610-line-numbers/page__hl__consist+sets

 

[HoosierStater]

Look here: http://discuss.amtra...l__consist+sets

Thanks.

 

[TrulyTracy]

There are six sets required to run the Zephyr.

Under normal circumstances, the train departing on Monday would have departed Chicago the previous Tuesday, arrives in Emeryville on Thursday, departs Emeryville on Friday and arrives Chicago on Sunday. However, due to extreme lateness over the last several days, Tuesday's departure was terminated in Reno to turn for today's eastbound. Monday's departure, which was running 21+ hours late, will sit over and represent Friday's departure from Emeryville.

So, your train is currently sitting in Emeryville waiting to depart on its eastbound trip tomorrow.

Thank you!

 

[RCrierie]

What's the rationale for the number of LD Consists for extremely long distance trains like the CZ?

Is it to have a ready reserve in case of equipment breakdowns or incidents (like the recent CZ Tboning by that truck)

Maintain scheduled service each day; e.g always departs westbound or eastbound from it's terminus even if the last train was delayed 7+ hours and thus can't be turned over?

 

[HoosierStater]

I think it's more the latter. The Cap Limited keeps an extra set here in DC. There's only about 3 hours between its scheduled arrival on a day and its scheduled departure the other way. I don't know that there's much in the way of extra equipment for Amtrak, especially given the needs and opportunities for improvement we've been able to point out on here (and surely, if we can see it, so can someone at Amtrak), like an additional sleeper on the Cardinal, daily service on those trains that don't have it, etc.

 

[Trogdor]

What's the rationale for the number of LD Consists for extremely long distance trains like the CZ?

The rationale is that's the minimum number required to provide service on the scheduled frequency.

It takes six days for one trainset to do an entire trip cycle, therefore it requires six trainsets to operate daily service.

 

[mikewrite]

This may be a silly question from a forum newbie, but - how many Zephyrs run simultaneously? Are there just a single No. 5 and No. 6 train running at any given moment, or more than that? I ask because the "track your train" page on Amtrak seems to show two of each, at different places on the line.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

This may be a silly question from a forum newbie, but - how many Zephyrs run simultaneously? Are there just a single No. 5 and No. 6 train running at any given moment, or more than that? I ask because the "track your train" page on Amtrak seems to show two of each, at different places on the line.

Since it takes 3 days to go from Chicago to Emeryville (and vice-versa) and trains leave daily.....

 

[jebr]

This may be a silly question from a forum newbie, but - how many Zephyrs run simultaneously? Are there just a single No. 5 and No. 6 train running at any given moment, or more than that? I ask because the "track your train" page on Amtrak seems to show two of each, at different places on the line.

There's multiple - one 5 and one 6 leave each day from their endpoints, and since the run is longer than 24 hours there'll be multiple of each under normal operation.

I'm not sure how many total there are - they might've tried to slim it down to 5 train sets total but I'm not privy enough to the internal workings to say that with confidence.

 

[Trogdor]

Still 6 sets.

 

[Willbridge]

Still 6 sets.

One of the features of the California Zephyr is that it has been scheduled with scenery in mind. In theory it could be run with five train sets if sightseeing was sacrificed in one direction and terminal servicing staff increased. Currently it takes two nights and three business days. That could be turned into three nights and two business days in one direction, but scenery is a revenue generator.

In 2010 I rode the Russian Railways Tomich into Siberia, and it was scheduled in that way. We crossed the Urals in darkness eastbound. We crossed the Volga River in darkness westbound. This is fine if one makes a round trip, not good in the world of mixed mode trips.

I first learned about cycle times when I was a kid hanging around the Vancouver and Portland stations. Every fifth day the North Coast Limited arrived with a flat-top sleeper rather than the popular dome sleeper. I believe the fifth car was lost in the Paradise crash.

In the mid-60s the SP&S had eight hours to turn the combined Empire Builder / North Coast Limited in Portland. When lightweight diner 'Columbia' was late coming in on Train 1, I have seen heavyweight diner 'Willamette' go out on Train 2. In Seattle, the NP had only five hours to turn the NCL. I've seen it departing King Street Station an hour late. In 1967 I was on board when they made up half an hour between Jamestown and Minneapolis, so that five hours in Seatle must have worked most of the time.

 

[WWW]

I believe that the Empire Builder was themed for a daylight trip thru Glacier National Park in both directions -
Scenery was a major selling point in train travel.

 

[TinCan782]

This may be a silly question from a forum newbie, but - how many Zephyrs run simultaneously? Are there just a single No. 5 and No. 6 train running at any given moment, or more than that? I ask because the "track your train" page on Amtrak seems to show two of each, at different places on the line.

To see, at any given time, how many trains are running on any route, take a look at this site.
https://asm.transitdocs.com/I just looked as I was posting this link and there were two #5s and two #6s active on the CZ route at that time. You will see similiar for other routes.

 

[WWW]

To expound on mikewrite question - 4 train sets on the CZ and then 4 sets on the EB - 4 sets on SWC - 4 on the SL - 4 on CS
for daily operation
I don't know much of the mid-country or Atlantic seaboard train sets -
But for the western operation thats 20 train sets with ?s spares turns at the origin/destination stations -
That is a heck of a lot of rolling stock -
Consider the dent that it took with the Montana and Missouri accidents and Amtrak is having difficulty turning train sets timely !

And then the staffing issue - that is a whole lot of employees - engineers - conductors - and cabin service of various job descriptions.

This is no joke - it is a very serious enterprise running a railroad - the enormity of it all !!!

 

[jis]

To expound on mikewrite question - 4 train sets on the CZ and then 4 sets on the EB - 4 sets on SWC - 4 on the SL - 4 on CS
for daily operation

You have undercounted the number of sets required by a bit. E.g. CZ actually requires 6 sets.

 

[railiner]

This may be a silly question from a forum newbie, but - how many Zephyrs run simultaneously? Are there just a single No. 5 and No. 6 train running at any given moment, or more than that? I ask because the "track your train" page on Amtrak seems to show two of each, at different places on the line.

To further identify each individual train, Amtrak sometimes will show the train number, followed by the origin date in parentheses...such as:
"5(30)", meaning the CZ that departed Chicago on the 30th of the month. When trains are severely delayed, this helps identify them when one train 'catches up' to the previous day's train....

 

[AmtrakBlue]

You have undercounted the number of sets required by a bit. E.g. CZ actually requires 6 sets.

He may be only counting those that are "on the road".

 

[WWW]

You have undercounted the number of sets required by a bit. E.g. CZ actually requires 6 sets.

True - I was counting road consists -
Yes the CZ needs the 6 as well as the others for timely operation ?

Train sets actually on the rails - then the spares turns at the origin stations - - -

There have been times where there have been 5 - 6 sets on the rails of a specific route i.e. EB with no ability
to originate another because everything is out of the shop and on the road.
At times factor in adding or deleting cars from the consist because of servicing - car out of service -
Maybe not so much for coach cars but the sleepers can be a real issue and SRO is not acceptable.
What a nightmare of a job for the person responsible for this mess - - -

 

[PRR 60]

There is a period of each day when there are six CZ consists on the road at the same time. When the CZ departs from Chicago at 2pm CT, there is that consist in IL, another westbound in CO and a third westbound in CA. At that same time, there are three eastbound sets operating - one in CA, second in CO and a third in IL scheduled to arrive CHI at 2:50pm

 

[jis]

He may be only counting those that are "on the road".

Even then it is an undercount