Western Railroad Discussion > Rocky Mountaineer on the Dunsmuir Camera

The 08.28.2015 Dunsmuir Camera at 1:25 pm and 1:31 pm shows a three car train arriving and departing, respectively, from the station.   The second car sure looks like a Rocky Mountaineer, for lack of a better description, low-level “dome.”  [There are upper curved windows in an otherwise non-dome or super-liner car.]
 

You're right, it's a Rocky Mountaineer car. What an extremely bizarre move! One of the oddest trains I've ever seen, like someone just bought all the model railroad cars that were on sale and threw them together. The full consist of the trains is:
Power: UP ES44AH #8014, a generic C45CCTE-family engine
Car 1: A run-of-the-mill 3-bay hopper car, the kind used for carrying grain, plastic pellets, or potash
Car 2: The Rocky Mountaineer car you described. It has wraparound windows like an Amtrak Sightseer Lounge, although it has only one level.
Car 3: A long, empty flatcar.

​Definitely the weirdest train I've ever seen. I was so intrigued that I called the Union Pacific Trace on it, which revealed that the train is heading to Lake Yard in Portland, Oregon, and it is "empty", but no other information. It remaineth a mystery! Maybe it's coming from the Siemens factory in Sacramento (I don't know if they make cars like that), though, if this is the case, it beats me why it needs its own little train.

Tor in Eugene

By Chiloquin, Or   6:05pm.

Steve Panzik
Chiloquin, Or

As strange as the consist was, its operation was the same. It stopped on the main south of Redding at the north end of Girvan siding. A west bound manifest and the Redding local both passed the train using the siding so the special could sit on the main, then it took off north.

Heard one of the cars has a big roller inside to clean the track...

Suspect the extra cars are to ensure the grade crossing detection circuits have enough of a train to detect. Possibly for braking as well, but I have no info on the empty car move.

Also curious.

I beleive Alstom on mare island has the contract to rebuild the rocky mountainerr cars. UP 8014 traces from suisun/fairfield to lakeyard.