A The Empire Builder once required five trainsets until recurring en route delays forced Amtrak to add a sixth set earlier this year, and West Coast turns were cut to less than two hours. One way to determine how many sets of long-distance equipment Amtrak needs west and south of Chicago is to pick the time of a train’s departure from a terminal (say, 2:15 p.m.), then count the number of trainsets scheduled to be operating at that time of day, including sets that have just arrived at or are ready to depart from their destination. But there are some wrinkles: The triweekly Sunset Limited equipment arriving in New Orleans turns the next day but must wait two days to turn at Los Angeles, owing to triweekly operation. Similarly, a Texas Eagle coach and sleeper lay over at San Antonio, Texas, seven days each week without earning revenue as a result of the same inefficiencies. Single-level trains converging on New York engage in a complicated consist swap. – Bob Johnston
For a time the Empire Builder and City of New Orleans was actually one thru train. The main maintaince for equipment was in New Orleans. The
Empire Builder would stop on the run thru track at Chicago Union Station be cleaned, restocked and recrewed then head for New Orleans. This would cause 1 or 2 empty cars to make the run to and from New Orleans empty. When I talked to the crew I was told that less sets of cars we needed and it took a lot of pressure off of the Chicago service facilities. I learned this because we would take the Empire Builder to Chicago then the City of New Orleans to New Orleans a couple times a year.
Seems strange, to me, that if Amtrak has an equipment availability issue, how they can continue to loan/lease out trainsets for special trains and events. That is a ‘private sector’ job, no? Wick (I assume you are on the job): don’t cry ‘poor mouth’ , unless you can prove it. “Bunker” Boardman didn’t seem to know, or care, ensconced in DC, as he was. Suggestion: get out on-the-road. I loved it, when David Gunn came thru town! He was the best Amtrak CEO, so far. You have a job ahead of you! Best wishes!