Model Railroading > Amtrak Horizon Car Help

Howdy all!

I am about to place a pre-order tomorrow for the Amtrak Horizon Cars from Rapido.  I've already got a hefty pre order list for 2020 so I don't want to overspend but I'm having issues finding information regarding these cars.
I model Amtrak's present day California Zephyr, Empire Builder and Southwest Chief.  What cars do I need to mix into these consists?  They are mostly superliners but I have seen a few videos with these horizon cars in those consists.  Should I just get 1-2 coaches, and a dinette in Phase VIb?  

I also have a variety of Amfleet cars from Walthers so I'm not sure if the previously mentioned quantities would be good enough to make a correct Northeast train?  I've still got a lot to learn about Amtrak.
-James

For the trains you are modeling, the only time Horizon cars would be on the train is deadheading to and from Chicago/California. Amtrak's fleet of Horizon cars are used in the Chicago corridors and some in California. 

JLW2K Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Howdy all!
>
> I am about to place a pre-order tomorrow for the
> Amtrak Horizon Cars from Rapido.  I've already
> got a hefty pre order list for 2020 so I don't
> want to overspend but I'm having issues finding
> information regarding these cars.
> I model Amtrak's present day California Zephyr,
> Empire Builder and Southwest Chief.  What cars do
> I need to mix into these consists?  They are
> mostly superliners but I have seen a few videos
> with these horizon cars in those consists. 
> Should I just get 1-2 coaches, and a dinette in
> Phase VIb?  
>
> I also have a variety of Amfleet cars from
> Walthers so I'm not sure if the previously
> mentioned quantities would be good enough to make
> a correct Northeast train?  I've still got a lot
> to learn about Amtrak.
> -James

ST214 Wrote:
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> For the trains you are modeling, the only time
> Horizon cars would be on the train is deadheading
> to and from Chicago/California. Amtrak's fleet of
> Horizon cars are used in the Chicago corridors and
> some in California. 
>
> JLW2K Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Howdy all!
> >
> > I am about to place a pre-order tomorrow for
> the
> > Amtrak Horizon Cars from Rapido.  I've already
> > got a hefty pre order list for 2020 so I don't
> > want to overspend but I'm having issues finding
> > information regarding these cars.
> > I model Amtrak's present day California Zephyr,
> > Empire Builder and Southwest Chief.  What cars
> do
> > I need to mix into these consists?  They are
> > mostly superliners but I have seen a few videos
> > with these horizon cars in those consists. 
> > Should I just get 1-2 coaches, and a dinette in
> > Phase VIb?  
> >
> > I also have a variety of Amfleet cars from
> > Walthers so I'm not sure if the previously
> > mentioned quantities would be good enough to
> make
> > a correct Northeast train?  I've still got a
> lot
> > to learn about Amtrak.
> > -James

Thanks!

None used in the northeast U.S.?

I'm assuming that like myself initially, ST214 missed this reference at the tail end of your note.

As they mentioned, the Horizon cars rarely find their way onto the western long distance trains.  

Regarding the northeastern trains, I'm not sure of any that routinely use them, although I'm not that certain of their consists.  I looked up photos of the Cardinal and Lake Shore Limited to confirm, and they both seem to be exclusively Amfleet and Viewliners.  I think most all of the NE Regionals use Amfleet as well.

- Jeff Carlson 

JLW2K Wrote:
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> None used in the northeast U.S.?

Thanks!  I appreciate the feedback, it saved me some $!

JLW2K Wrote:
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> None used in the northeast U.S.?

In 30 years of living in Pennsylvania, I've never seen Horizon cars on the Broadway Limited, Three Rivers, Capitol Limited, Pennsylvanian or Keystone corridor trains.

>
> Thanks!
>
> None used in the northeast U.S.?

In the early part of this decade, the Vermonter was assigned one Horizon car per consist during the winter months.  The reason was that the normally assigned Amfleet cars occasionally experienced difficulty with ice build up making it difficult for crews to deploy the folding steps, while the Horizons have fixed steps.

Also, in the same era, trains 448/449 used a Horizon cafe car as a lounge between Chicago and Boston.  Neither of these trains currently uses Horizons.

Dave

Depending on what area you are modeling, you could always launch a train that does not exist. I will be doing that when my layout is built.

JLW2K Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks!  I appreciate the feedback, it saved me
> some $!

Hi James,

I need to place my order for the Horizon cars and here’s what I know. The cars were used on the San Joaquin trains between Bakersfield and Oakland, CA in the early to mid-90’s. They were also used on the Capital Corridor trains between San Jose, Oakland, and Sacramento, CA when those trains started in ‘91. The cars were eventually replaced by the double-decker California Cars starting in ‘95, but it took a while for all of those cars to be delivered. Usually they were solid consists, but I did catch an a Amfleet I mixed in once. For that timeframe, they were in Phase III paint, but there were some cars with narrow stripes and others with wider stripes to match the Superliners.

In Southern California, there has been a set of Horizon cars covering one of the Pacific Surfliner runs for years. They are in Phase IVb paint.

You could easily use a 3-5 car train for corridor service on your layout. Don’t forget the Dinnette car.

As others mentioned, you didn’t seem them in use on the Western long distance trains, just deadheading. But I did see a Coast Starlight in the early 2000’s that was all low level cars. It was dark when I saw it, so no photos. And I don’t remember the exact reason why the substitute equipment was needed, but you could use that “scenario” on your layout as well.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

I've seen the Cafe cars in use on the Empire service trains that run through NY State. But only once or twice in 20 years.
 

I model West Coast Amtrak for late 90s to about 2005 & here are 2 sites that helped me.
http://www.trainweb.org/amtrakpix/index.html 
http://www.hebners.net/

For what you are doing I would not use Horizon cars for your trains. 
I have ordered the 5 you were going to. (lol)
Remember the air brakes don't work on our models.
Have fun!

Tim
Hanesworth

Horizon cars have never had a major presence in the NEC. I think the last such use was one coach on the Vermonter in the winter time, and a dinette car on the Boston section of the Lake Shore Ltd, in each case only up until earlier in the decade.

Posted from Android

Photographic evidence tells a different story...  Grab a copy of "Amtrak Power in Color - Vol. 1" by Timko (Morning Sun) and take a look at page 20, as well as the spread on 22-23...

Bob

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> JLW2K Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > None used in the northeast U.S.?
>
> In 30 years of living in Pennsylvania, I've never
> seen Horizon cars on the Broadway Limited, Three
> Rivers, Capitol Limited, Pennsylvanian or Keystone
> corridor trains.

There were used on the Three Rivers, with a degree of regularity but not much more.  The would occasionally show up but only on something cycling through Chicago (LSL, Cardinal, Three Rivers), and might make a once in a blue moon trip on the Vermonter, but that is extremely unusual.