Passenger Trains > What a Difference a Day Makes

I had the opportunity to catch the eastbound Amtrak #6 in Agency, Iowa yesterday and today. Of course the weather was different each day, but that wasn't the only thing that changed.

On Monday, under sunny skies and the temperature about 62°F, the California Zephyr is led through Agency on Main 1 by a single engine. One of the reasons #6 is on Main 1 soon becomes apparent. Thanks to the notice here: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,3572713, I came out here to see the three private cars on the end. They are the BNSF business car Santa Fe, the BNSF full dome Bay View, and the Iowa Pacific Pullman Caritas. I believe these three were substituting for the two Iowa Pacific dome cars that derailed in Nebraska.

Then on Tuesday, the sky is cloudy, a light snow is on the ground, and the temperature is 29°F with a wind chill of 16°F. The Zephyr is back on Main 2 led by three units elephant-style. I think one of them is the engine dropped off by yesterday's #6 in Denver.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/14 06:55 by Agent.

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The cemetery mows the grass up to the ROW. So typical of Iowa. Nice video!

Very nice catches!
I LOVE the sound of a well-tuned Amtrak horn, coming AND going. Nothing on the rails like them.

Thanks,
Danny Harmon
Tampa

Agree. I well-tuned Amtrak horn in nice.

Amazing that the single unit can move the train as fast as it did. When you consider that a significant portion of the power from one unit goes to hotel power for the train, one unit probably has a third the moving power of two.

Stan Praisewater

The lack of power from a single unit is likely most apparent when starting and on long grades. Across relatively flat south Iowa, once the train gets up to speed, the single unit can maintain the speed attained.

My brother will be on that train next month.
I might be also.


Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

I notice they swapped ends with the consist.

For a while the sleepers was on the tail end.
But in this video the Sleepers was at the front and the coaches was at the rear.

Is this a seasonal change or what?

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

OK. You got me. I had to watch it a second time. "How can they run that freight that close to Amtrak?" I was just watching a train go by. I didn't pay attention to which track it was on. That was a great catch. "What a Difference a Day Makes?" What a difference several hours make. I left the house at 7:30 AM without a jacket. Twelve hours later it was down right cold. I saw where one city had about a 30 degree drop in one hour. Weather Channel is predicting about 40 below normal for Denver on Thursday. Guess we better get ready for Amtrak delays due to snow, broken rails, etc... along with some beautiful pictures of trains and snow.

To you guys that have to work out there, know that while individually you are unsung heroes, collectively your efforts are appreciated. Just stay safe out there.

John

GP25 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I notice they swapped ends with the consist.
>
> For a while the sleepers was on the tail end.
> But in this video the Sleepers was at the front
> and the coaches was at the rear.
>
> Is this a seasonal change or what?

They just changed this a week or two ago. The sleeper on the rear was on when the third sleeper was dropped off in Denver. To my knowledge, they stopped doing that at some point this summer. So, it appears this change to be like other long-distance Superliner trains might be permanent.

Why were the two BNSF Biz Cars running with Ed's Iowa Pacific car on this train (great video by the way)? Ed--or those in the know--please chime up? Did the Iowa Pacific actually lease the two BNSF Biz Cars? And under what auspices as I was unaware of "Western Ops" unless these Western Ops are more like "PV Deals" on a catch as/catch can basis (which can indeed be good business), as opposed to the regularly scheduled Pullman Rail Journeys/Iowa Pacific ops on the AMTK City of New Orleans?

Narr8rdanny Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Very nice catches!
> I LOVE the sound of a well-tuned Amtrak horn,
> coming AND going. Nothing on the rails like them.
>
> Thanks,
> Danny Harmon
> Tampa

Oh, you bet. The Nathan K5LA horn used by Amtrak (and also by the NS, KCS, and also the CSX on a whole lot of their units), what a wonderful-sounding horn whether from trackside or from back in the train or back in the train nestled in your sleeper listening to that melodious horn (which was purposefully designed to be reminiscent of a steam whistle in certain respects), that Nathan five chime horn is most particularly glorious to listen to ESPECIALLY from aboard a moving long distance passenger train from behind!!! :-)

I tie it with the "Old Casting" Nathan P5 horn (of which Ed Ellis has several of on his E-Units), as used predominantly--actually exclusively on every locomotive of the Rock Island from the 1950s until their shutdown--but by certain other roads as well. And I've heard those P5s from trackside and especially during my youth listening to "The Rock," and later even ran a couple of units with them (mostly a couple UPRR's EMD GP38-2s that had originally been built for the CRI&P but diverted to the MP, brand new, at the time of the Rock Island bankruptcy). And somehow, like overnight, the KCS converted from its Leslie S5s to the Nathan P5s and I suspect that the KCS got these from scrapped CRI&P units? (And the later standard for the KCS was the first horn mentioned, the "Amtrak Standard/Commuter RR Standard" Nathan K5LA). But golly, how I'd have loved to have ridded a passenger train BEHIND a Nathan "Old Casting" P5!!! Just go to YouTube and you can tell the difference and that both horns are beautiful in their own way, and that nothing else comes close to this horn (K5LA) in the video, or the older P5. Although since 2005, EMD and GE have mounted 5-Chime horns on their GEVOs, and the SD70ACe/SD70M-2 lines--which are quite beautiful--while all new-build psgr power in most instances still sport the "Amtrak-Style" Nathan K5LA horn as heard in this video. They sure beat the heck out of the older honk honk 3-Chime horns, don't they?

glcaddis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The lack of power from a single unit is likely
> most apparent when starting and on long grades.
> Across relatively flat south Iowa, once the train
> gets up to speed, the single unit can maintain the
> speed attained.


Since this was taken at the top of a significant grade,
out of the Des Moines River valley, this isn't totally
true. Don't think this is a tough grade, listen to the
freight on the other track as it passes.

I'm curious about the "Caritas". I thought Clark Johnson
of Minneapolis owned the car. Did Ed Ellis buy it or did
Clark and Ed make a deal for the latter to use it? If this
was reported on TO, a link to that would be appreciated.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Nice photo. Was it ever determined what caused those cars to derail? Remember this happened at low speed on the City of New Orleans, also.

Red Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And under what auspices as I was unaware
> of "Western Ops" unless these Western Ops are more
> like "PV Deals" on a catch as/catch can basis
> (which can indeed be good business), as opposed to
> the regularly scheduled Pullman Rail Journeys/Iowa
> Pacific ops on the AMTK City of New Orleans?

It's more a regular "PV Deal." Pullman Rail Journeys isn't the only use Iowa Pacific has for their cars: http://www.highirontravel.com/.

Agent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Red Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > And under what auspices as I was unaware
> > of "Western Ops" unless these Western Ops are
> more
> > like "PV Deals" on a catch as/catch can basis
> > (which can indeed be good business), as opposed
> to
> > the regularly scheduled Pullman Rail
> Journeys/Iowa
> > Pacific ops on the AMTK City of New Orleans?
>
> It's more a regular "PV Deal." Pullman Rail
> Journeys isn't the only use Iowa Pacific has for
> their cars: http://www.highirontravel.com/.

Thanks, Agent!

So the patrons who were originally supposed to ride in Iowa Pacific cars were, instead, treated to riding in two cars from the BNSF business car fleet?

Wow. What a deal!

Wow.....excellent stuff when you're in the right spot at the right time!