Here’s what I’m working with. I’m looking to put the Walther’s/ Ft. Lauderrdale show Tracks in the Sand train (Basically, a beach scene painted onto Superliner cars) into a fictional service as a Rail Special between Chicago/Indy/Miami/FT Lauderdale (Whichever’s first). I’m using the Capitol Limited for a base and running the Superliner’s in this order:
heritage Baqggae (custom paintedto match) Transition Sleeper, sleeper x2, Lounge (Quiet Car/Standard Lounge) Diner, Coach Coach Baggage Lounge (used as an open car with big windows to do cruise type things. IE, Shuffleboard, in the sun).
Feel free to critique this setup. But where should Material Handling Cars and Autocarriers (double layer square, not the fullsize versions, if that matters) go, and where should the Private Varnish cars that are likely to be numerous on this train ride. Obviously connected to the Transition Sleeper, but the Heritage Baggage is usually up front, at least on the Capitol. Would the whole consist be flipped around so the Varnish is on the back? Or do they have to ride up front?
I have always seen private cars on the end of Amtrak trains (I believe that is how it has to be). I also don’t believe that passage is permitted from the private car to the Amtrak cars by the occupants of the private car and vice versa. I don’t ever recall seeing a transition car for the standard level private cars.
I have only seen MHCs at the end of the trains as well (private cars ahead of the MHCs). I have seen the SW Chief and Sunset in both circumstances more than once. As always, there are exceptions.
Hmm. It was my understanding that Private Varnish could get on board, especially if there wasn’t a dining option available for them. But for the life of me, I can’t find the Rule/Regulations, or even the AARPCO site I saved.I believe they were on the end much the same reason the MHCs are, so a switcher could get to them more easily.
Though I must admit, while I want to follow at least some kind of prototype, I would hate to leave the PV people out on what I;m trying to do as pleasure cruise type train.
Also, would it matter in what order the Autoracks and the MHCs went? Realizing autoracks have never ventured out past the safety of the Autotrain before…
I think private cars are kept at the rear more to keep ‘regular’ Amtrak people from going into the private cars, rather than keeping the private car folks out of the Amtrak cars. But I could be wrong, I wouldn’t be stunned to find out there is some Amtrak rule saying private car passengers have to stay in their car.
I suppose it would depend too on whether the private car has been converted to HEP etc. per Amtrak regulations and would be moving with people in it, or if it was being moved ‘dead’ to a destination with no one aboard. In the latter scenario I suppose it could be at the front or the back…although they might still keep it in back to make it easier to set out at it’s destination??
I have seen several PV movements tacked on the end of the Empire Builder over the years. There was no sleeper/transition car, so the PV folks had to stay in their car. Amtrak requires certain equipment featrures, and I suspect HEP cabling is one of them. Many PV cars have their own HEP systems as well. A number of years ago the ‘EB’ had lots of MHC’s and even ‘Road Railers’ on the back of the train. This made for easy switching at places like St Paul. Having ‘baggage’ cars on the rear can improve the ride for passengers in the last coach/sleeper, as they are not ‘cracking the whip’. Typical current ‘EB’ trains today has a couple of baggage/MHC type cars at the head-end, and the actual passenger cars behind. A few weeks ago there was a PV on the back of the train(round end observation painted GN and lettered ‘City of Spokane’). I suspect there might be a ‘charge’ for adding a ‘transition’ sleeper/coach so that PV passenger can access the rest of the train. Amtrak has a very severe shortage of Superliner sleeper available.
The placement of MHC’s often depends on how they are equipped. The 1400 and 1500 series MHC’s were equipped with HEP cabling and could be placed at the front of the consist right behind the motive power. The express boxes and express reefers in the various 70000 series were not equipped with HEP cabling and thus had to be placed at the rear of the train. Roadrailers had to be placed at the absolute rear of the consist behind any MHC’s or express boxes.
If there were a Transition Car Nother devious Idea here Then they’d be allowed?
Thanks guys, that helps. We’ll stick the baggae at the back ahead of the PVs with the G=baggae equipoped with a walkaround: Dual Levels, baggage PV, MHCs. Ipve decided to drop the Autotrain car.