You never know what you will see

[PaulM]

On Wednesday the 27th we were on enlarged and packed 92. We were stopped approaching the Petersburg station when a weird train passed us going the other way: 2 engines, 5 coaches, cafe car, and dining car. No sleepers.

Later we seemed to be stopped much longer than usual at Richmond, the next stop, despite arriving 2 hours and 24 minutes late . After about an hour, it was announced that an unruly coach passenger was being dealt with by the authorities. Soon after we departed 3 hours an 29 minutes late. We were in 9214, 7 cars from the rearmost coach; so we had no idea what was happening. And I doubt the incident would make the media, like unruly passengers on other modes of transportation

Could there be a connection between the two events?

 

[Cal]

I really doubt it, I see no connection with the two. But you were on 92 with another AU'er.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I doubt the incident would make the media, like unruly passengers on other modes of transportation

It may not make it on traditional media but if someone was acting belligerent or throwing a tantrum it would probably show up in someone's social media feed. If the authorities were involved then bodycam videos are also likely to exist. I believe you can get those with FOIA requests if you’re really curious.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

On Wednesday the 27th we were on enlarged and packed 92. We were stopped approaching the Petersburg station when a weird train passed us going the other way: 2 engines, 5 coaches, cafe car, and dining car. No sleepers.

Later we seemed to be stopped much longer than usual at Richmond, the next stop, despite arriving 2 hours and 24 minutes late . After about an hour, it was announced that an unruly coach passenger was being dealt with by the authorities. Soon after we departed 3 hours an 29 minutes late. We were in 9214, 7 cars from the rearmost coach; so we had no idea what was happening. And I doubt the incident would make the media, like unruly passengers on other modes of transportation

Could there be a connection between the two events?

The train was probably one of the Newport News trains. Or the Carolinian. Or the Palmetto. Not sure about the diner though.

 

[MARC Rider]

The train was probably one of the Newport News trains. Or the Carolinian. Or the Palmetto. Not sure about the diner though.

You mean the Norfolk train. The Newport News train doesn't go through Petersburg. The thing that made the train weird, at least if the OP is correct, was the presence of the dining car. Neither the Carolinian nor the Palmetto have a dining car. I presume the OP saw a Viewliner dining car. The OP also doesn't say whether there was a baggage car, which should be on all the Silvers, Palmetto, and Carolinian. It's possible the a Viewliner sleeper was mistaken for a dining car, and that particular train was running all it's food service from the cafe because of a bad-ordered diner.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Based on the tracking data from ASM, it looks like it was probably #79 (the Carolinian), which departed Petersburg only a few minutes before #92 arrived that day. If the OP mistook the business class car for a 5th coach and the baggage car for a dining car, the only difference from the standard Carolinian consist would be the 2nd locomotive.

 

[Big Iron]

It was the Carolinian. I watched it pass south of Petersburg and it did have two locomotives.

 

[PaulM]

It was the Carolinian. I watched it pass south of Petersburg and it did have two locomotives.

That solves the mystery. I think the two engines made me think long distance and Silver Star, The 5 coaches and cafe matched my expectation and had me thinking dining car next. But it must have been baggage.