Passenger Trains > Normal consist returns to Silver Meteor - others not

SILVER METEOR #98 leaving Miami Mar. 1 returned to its normal 10-car consist (a coach was taken off after New Years for the winter lull),
Also the SILVER STAR got its 4th coach back
I checked LAKE SHORE LIMITED #49 by the Chesterton camera today and found it still has 11 cars and two engines (that's only one Boston coach - normal consist has two).
Not sure if the CARDINAL and CAPITOL are still running reduced consists.
Andy

Thanks for the update!  Will check out the Silver Service when I am up on the mainland in two weeks.
 

Spring break is starting soon...good to see the consists beefed up a bit.

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Silver Star train 92-02 with AMTK 202, four coaches, cafe, two sleepers, and bag, photographed departing Fort Lauderdale on time.

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Could never understand why academia has "Spring Break" towards the end of the winter.
Did Amtrak do a thing for NOL Mardi Gras ?

twropr Wrote:
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> SILVER METEOR #98 leaving Miami Mar. 1 returned to
> its normal 10-car consist (a coach was taken off
> after New Years for the winter lull),
> Also the SILVER STAR got its 4th coach back
> I checked LAKE SHORE LIMITED #49 by the Chesterton
> camera today and found it still has 11 cars and
> two engines (that's only one Boston coach - normal
> consist has two).
> Not sure if the CARDINAL and CAPITOL are still
> running reduced consists.
> Andy

Watch the Sandpatch cam for the Capitol Limited.  well the eastbound one. 

Michael Fair
Royal Oak, MI

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Could never understand why academia has "Spring
> Break" towards the end of the winter.
> Did Amtrak do a thing for NOL Mardi Gras ?

Spend 27 hours each way on a train, or take an 8am flight and be on the beach by noon time...

I'd hate to be riding in that first coach, right behind the one engine, and try to sleep..........

Jimbo Wrote:
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> I'd hate to be riding in that first coach, right
> behind the one engine, and try to sleep..........
Starved for food and sleep!  LOL!

twropr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SILVER METEOR #98 leaving Miami Mar. 1 returned to
> its normal 10-car consist (a coach was taken off
> after New Years for the winter lull),
> Also the SILVER STAR got its 4th coach back
> I checked LAKE SHORE LIMITED #49 by the Chesterton
> camera today and found it still has 11 cars and
> two engines (that's only one Boston coach - normal
> consist has two).
> Not sure if the CARDINAL and CAPITOL are still
> running reduced consists.
> Andy

I mentioned this in an earlier thread, but I was on 98 that arrived into Newark on February 26th. The train had 11 cars, 1 of which, a coach car, was just along for the ride behind the baggage car. Train was sold out and everyone in the dining car was upbeat and happy to be on Amtrak. Very different from the mood in general on this site.. Anyway, Amtrak would have sold out 2 more coaches and another sleeper if they advertised it. Not too long ago,Amtrak swelled it's Florida consists to accommodate the many Northeastern states winter break which takes place President's Day week. Not the last few years. Oh well, it was a great trip as always, and arrived into Newark 45 mins early...

I miss the very long consits they used to have, up to 18 cars long on both the Meteor and the Star!

I miss the real 18 car Silver Meteor, run by SAL or SCL.
Which included a diner for each class; the sleepers up front with the Sun Lounge;
and coaches in the rear with the Tavern-Obs. I spent most of the trip in the
Observation - watching the tracks disappear.
 

jeff56 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I miss the real 18 car Silver Meteor, run by SAL
> or SCL.
> Which included a diner for each class; the
> sleepers up front with the Sun Lounge;
> and coaches in the rear with the Tavern-Obs. I
> spent most of the trip in the
> Observation - watching the tracks disappear.
>  

Exactly!!!

But let's intpret a different way - what trains need cars right now that may be hitting their demand/supply limit. Amtrak should be advertising train travel to Florida like a vengence - Auto Train, Silver Star, Silver Meteor. If any of these trains are at capacity on any day during the week - they need a coach and/or sleeper.

Amtrak has killed its Florida market by essentially running two trains out of NY that trail each other through Florida and one that operates as a day train in two sections (e.g. the Silver Star).

I feel sorry for Tampa passengers wanting to get north in some sort of style. They have to endure a Diner Lite Cafe Car.

How about experimenting with overnight service on the Northeast Corridor once again.  

It's sad that we have to track "Normal consists and others not." Trains of the past back in their streamliner age etc. would shift some of their fleet so it would get into the "southern market." Even the "Canadian Pacific" sent some Manor sleeper cars down on the Montrealer for forwarding to Florida.

I may get a chance to get up in the Orlando area later this week.  I can take a look at train lengths on Auto-Train. They should be on the upswing over the next few weeks.

Although people talk about Spring Break traffic, and Amtrak definitely gets the mini-van and family crowd to Walt Disney World, I don't have a good sense of how big that is.   I'd be amazed if many college kids would forgo a three hour flight for a 25-30 hour one way trip to the beaches.