Unusual Coast Starlight Consist

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

On New Year’s Eve, I was at Diridon Station in San Jose to board a Capitol Corridor when I saw #11, the southbound Starlight way way late (over 8 hours). But more unusual than that sight was its consist. Tacked on the last Superliner car was a Heritage baggage car and a string of Horizon cars–maybe four or five. Was this for holiday overflow? Was it a private party? I have seen some Superliner consists in the past with an Amfleet or Horizon up front of the train (so the passengers can move through the train via the Transition Dorm/Sleeper). I have never seen a consist where a second baggage car was tacked on the end like that. The cars were lighted and there were passengers aboard–they were not dead-heading.

Any Bay Area railfans know what was up here?

Also, if it was holiday overflow, would it not suck then to be stuck in the back and away from the Diner, Lounge, etc?

2

Can I add another question to this interesting post? What are Horizon cars? Older Amtrak cars?

Dave

3

Horizon cars were bought I think in the late 1980s from Bombardier…they are for middle to long distance runs. They are similar to the cars that CDOT and I think NJ Transit use. They are boxy looking things. Out on the West Coast, Amtrak use them for the San Luis Obispo-LA Surfliner runs and on the Reno Fun Train. I think you mostly see them though, on the Midwestern runs like the Illinois Zephyr.

4

Yes they were brought in 1989 and delieverd in 1991. I think the cars you saw were a stub train.

5

What is a stub train?