Southwest Chief News & Future Operations

[railiner]

The "Good ole days"....

http://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track1/cityneworl194706.html

http://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track5/panamaltd196801.html

http://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track5/broadway195607.html

http://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track2/orangeblossom194112.html

 

[railiner]

The City of New Orleans, back in Illinois Central days, operated at 100 mph through certain areas in Illinois.

I was on an Amtrak City of New Orleans in the Christmas 1981 time frame (In Other Words, the statute of limitations has long since expired), and we pulled into Carbondale 45 minutes late. The crew changed, and when we resumed our way south it was obvious that we were traveling faster than (at that time) I'd ever done on rails before. I sought out the conductor and asked him, privately, "How fast are we going?"

He answered, "The speed limit on this section of track is ninety miles per hour."

I said, "I didn't ask that. I asked, 'How fast are we going?'"

He said, "Knowing this engineer...probably about one seventeen!"

We were early into Cairo....

The road of:

 

[cpotisch]

The City of New Orleans, back in Illinois Central days, operated at 100 mph through certain areas in Illinois.

I was on an Amtrak City of New Orleans in the Christmas 1981 time frame (In Other Words, the statute of limitations has long since expired), and we pulled into Carbondale 45 minutes late. The crew changed, and when we resumed our way south it was obvious that we were traveling faster than (at that time) I'd ever done on rails before. I sought out the conductor and asked him, privately, "How fast are we going?"

He answered, "The speed limit on this section of track is ninety miles per hour."

I said, "I didn't ask that. I asked, 'How fast are we going?'"

He said, "Knowing this engineer...probably about one seventeen!"

We were early into Cairo....

That would have been running F40s and Superliners, right? How would anything even close to that be possible?

 

[ehbowen]

The City of New Orleans, back in Illinois Central days, operated at 100 mph through certain areas in Illinois.

I was on an Amtrak City of New Orleans in the Christmas 1981 time frame (In Other Words, the statute of limitations has long since expired), and we pulled into Carbondale 45 minutes late. The crew changed, and when we resumed our way south it was obvious that we were traveling faster than (at that time) I'd ever done on rails before. I sought out the conductor and asked him, privately, "How fast are we going?"

He answered, "The speed limit on this section of track is ninety miles per hour."

I said, "I didn't ask that. I asked, 'How fast are we going?'"

He said, "Knowing this engineer...probably about one seventeen!"

We were early into Cairo....

That would have been running F40s and Superliners, right? How would anything even close to that be possible?

The train was running Heritage equipment...I believe it was recently refurbished (HEP) Heritage equipment. I don't know what locomotives were being used, but with 90 MPH limits it means that Cab Signals/ATS was still in service. I feel confident that the locomotives regularly assigned were equipped and geared accordingly.

 

[frequentflyer]

The City of New Orleans, back in Illinois Central days, operated at 100 mph through certain areas in Illinois.

I was on an Amtrak City of New Orleans in the Christmas 1981 time frame (In Other Words, the statute of limitations has long since expired), and we pulled into Carbondale 45 minutes late. The crew changed, and when we resumed our way south it was obvious that we were traveling faster than (at that time) I'd ever done on rails before. I sought out the conductor and asked him, privately, "How fast are we going?"

He answered, "The speed limit on this section of track is ninety miles per hour."

I said, "I didn't ask that. I asked, 'How fast are we going?'"

He said, "Knowing this engineer...probably about one seventeen!"

We were early into Cairo....

That would have been running F40s and Superliners, right? How would anything even close to that be possible?

Heritage cars with F40s or P30s on the head end in the early 1980s. A F40 would run like a spotted ape.

 

[frequentflyer]

The City of New Orleans, back in Illinois Central days, operated at 100 mph through certain areas in Illinois.

I was on an Amtrak City of New Orleans in the Christmas 1981 time frame (In Other Words, the statute of limitations has long since expired), and we pulled into Carbondale 45 minutes late. The crew changed, and when we resumed our way south it was obvious that we were traveling faster than (at that time) I'd ever done on rails before. I sought out the conductor and asked him, privately, "How fast are we going?"

He answered, "The speed limit on this section of track is ninety miles per hour."

I said, "I didn't ask that. I asked, 'How fast are we going?'"

He said, "Knowing this engineer...probably about one seventeen!"

We were early into Cairo....

Ah, the days before "event recorders" in locomotives.

 

[ehbowen]

The City of New Orleans, back in Illinois Central days, operated at 100 mph through certain areas in Illinois.

I was on an Amtrak City of New Orleans in the Christmas 1981 time frame (In Other Words, the statute of limitations has long since expired), and we pulled into Carbondale 45 minutes late. The crew changed, and when we resumed our way south it was obvious that we were traveling faster than (at that time) I'd ever done on rails before. I sought out the conductor and asked him, privately, "How fast are we going?"

He answered, "The speed limit on this section of track is ninety miles per hour."

I said, "I didn't ask that. I asked, 'How fast are we going?'"

He said, "Knowing this engineer...probably about one seventeen!"

We were early into Cairo....

Ah, the days before "event recorders" in locomotives.

I had the chance to converse with a former Pere Marquette/C & O engineer named Sam Chidester, whose career spanned the 1920s to the 1970s. He told of an assignment, late in his career, where the dispatcher wanted him to get a late hotshot freight to its destination on time. He said, (not an exact quote, but close), "Sure I can, but I won't have time to load a fresh tape in the speed recorder!" Apparently there was already a tape in the recorder when he got to the cab, but he broke the seal, said, "Oops!", and yanked it out. He got the train to its destination on time and nobody ever breathed a word about the missing recorder tape.

 

[railiner]

I have ridden on UP's cab signaled speedway across Wyoming, on a late running SFZ No. 6., when in 90 mph territory, the mileposts were flying by every 36 seconds...

 

[DavidJustinLynch]

There is a Fire Anderson petition on change.orhlg

 

[jis]

That would have been running F40s and Superliners, right? How would anything even close to that be possible?

At that time it would have been F40 and Heritage Fleet. F40's are quite capable of 103-110mph. So no problem getting to those speeds.

 

[cpotisch]

Thank you everyone for clarifying the equipment. Didn't know that the CONO ever used Heritage equipment. You learn new things every day.

 

[Ryan]

Amtrak started in 1971.

The first Superliners entered service in 1979.

What do you think they did for 8 years?

 

[jebr]

Amtrak started in 1971.

The first Superliners entered service in 1979.

What do you think they did for 8 years?

I was hoping everyone got cab rides included in their fare.

 

[fredmcain]

There is a Fire Anderson petition on change.orhlg

Most interesting. Can you copy and paste a URL that would take us directly there?

Regards,

FMC

 

[NativeSon5859]

CONO didn’t see Superliners until

1994, or so, when the S2’s arrived.

Up until then it was Heritage fleet including the awesome Dome Coach. Not as awesome - the Dinette with the tray meal service.

 

[ehbowen]

CONO didn’t see Superliners until

1994, or so, when the S2’s arrived.

Up until then it was Heritage fleet including the awesome Dome Coach. Not as awesome - the Dinette with the tray meal service.

Yeah, and the coach I was assigned to had these funky leg rests which cut into the bottom of your thighs. An hour or two of that was about all I could take. When the conductor came through and announced, "There's space available in the sleeper!", I was the first one on my feet. Never regretted it...my only time in a Heritage roomette.

 

[KmH]

The early life of Amtrak is known as the Rainbow Era because the train consists were a mishmash of rolling stock contributed by the 20 passenger railroads Amtrak replaced.

By 1974 the new color scheme was painted on most Amtrak equipment.

The Amfleet cars were the first new locomotive-hauled intercity cars ordered by Amtrak, and the first new locomotive-hauled intercity cars built in the United States since 1965.

Amfleet I cars, designed for short-distance service, were built by Budd from the late 1970s and early 1980s.

An initial order for 57 cars in 1973 that were used to supplement the Metroliners on the Northeast Corridor grew to two orders totaling 642 cars, sufficient to re-equip all the services on the Northeast Corridor and many of the other routes around the United States.

Amfleet II cars, an order of an additional 150 cars completed between 1980–1983, were designed for long-distance service. They were the last intercity passenger cars built by Budd.

 

[cpotisch]

Amtrak started in 1971.

The first Superliners entered service in 1979.

What do you think they did for 8 years?

Hi-levels?

 

[RPC]

Amtrak started in 1971.

The first Superliners entered service in 1979.

What do you think they did for 8 years?

Hi-levels?

Nah, those stayed on the Southwest Limited (which finally drags the thread kinda sorta back on-topic).

 

[Maglev]

Amtrak started in 1971.

The first Superliners entered service in 1979.

What do you think they did for 8 years?

Hi-levels?

The trains equipped with the ex Santa Fe El Capitan hi-levels

Amtrak started in 1971.

The first Superliners entered service in 1979.

What do you think they did for 8 years?

Hi-levels?

Nah, those stayed on the Southwest Limited (which finally drags the thread kinda sorta back on-topic).

They were also on The Sunset Limited and The Lone Star.

 

[cpotisch]

Amtrak started in 1971.

The first Superliners entered service in 1979.

What do you think they did for 8 years?

Hi-levels?

Nah, those stayed on the Southwest Limited (which finally drags the thread kinda sorta back on-topic).

I thought the Southwest Limited used single-level equipment, and the El Capitan used Hi-Levels...?

 

[bretton88]

There is an interesting Post on today's (7/07)trainorders by the Vice Chair of the Rail Passenger Association, Carl Fowler.

In addition to discussing all of the the known and speculative info about Andersons proposal for chopping up the Chief Route into 2 Day Trains with a Bustitution bridge, he mentions that Amtrak is in negotiation with UP to reroute the Zephyr through Wyoming between Denver and Salt Lake City, thus eliminating the current routing through the Colorado Rockies between Denver and Salt Lake City!

"Say it ain't so Joe!"

Bob,
You know, I have to say that this whole fiasco was created entirely by Congress. First they pass this PTC mandate but provide no funding for it. Then they yell and scream that they are losing Amtrak service in their Congressional districts. Duh!

You know, the thought has occurred to me - and this is ONLY a thought - that Anderson is doing this deliberately in a kind of "Trump-like" move to get a better deal.

How many "gaps" are there on the CZ route and are they expected to be temporary or permanent?

Regards,

Fred M. Cain

What Anderson is doing is a classic negotiating move in the private sector. In the airlines case: when they want subsidies/funding? Threaten drop service or kill the hub until they get the improvements or tax breaks. In sports teams case: Threaten relocation or folding until they get the tax breaks or bonds. It's not pretty or good PR, but it's been pretty effective for the private sector to get politicians to cough up funding. Maybe Amtrak will make good on it's threats, maybe it will back down, but I think there will be several more stages in this drama before we reach a resolution.

 

[jis]

I thought the Southwest Limited used single-level equipment, and the El Capitan used Hi-Levels...?

Southwest Limited is what El Cap and the Super Chief together became under Amtrak.
Before that Santa Fe operated those two trains together with a mix of Hi-LeveL Coach+Lounge and low level Sleeper+Lounge+Diner but segregated sections train.

 

[cpotisch]

I thought the Southwest Limited used single-level equipment, and the El Capitan used Hi-Levels...?

Southwest Limited is what El Cap and the Super Chief together became under Amtrak.
Before that Santa Fe operated those two trains together with a mix of Hi-LeveL Coach+Lounge and low level Sleeper+Lounge+Diner but segregated sections train.

Thanks. Thought that the Southwest Limited was the single-level first class train that was combined with the El Cap.

 

[Trogdor]

I thought the Southwest Limited used single-level equipment, and the El Capitan used Hi-Levels...?

Southwest Limited is what El Cap and the Super Chief together became under Amtrak.
Before that Santa Fe operated those two trains together with a mix of Hi-LeveL Coach+Lounge and low level Sleeper+Lounge+Diner but segregated sections train.

Thanks. Thought that the Southwest Limited was the single-level first class train that was combined with the El Cap.

That was the Super Chief. Amtrak kept the name for a little while, then Santa Fe forced Amtrak to drop the "Chief" name because the quality of service had declined, so the train became the Southwest Limited. Eventually, it became the Southwest Chief.