Passenger Trains > Additional cars due to Thanksgiving travel?

I noticed this morning the train departing from Roanoke had 10 cars.I believe the norm is 8. Where would the 2 additional car been added the night before?
Also I didn't think Amtrak had all that many extra cars at their disposal in inventory.
Rich S

Amtrak has a lot of cars and locomotives being held for service which can be rescheduled for a few days. It's not a solution, but you can free up equipment for a few days.

When NJ Chamber runs its January train, Amtrak finds two motors and 18 cars. For two days.

Posted from Android

The north bound Silver Meteor this morning was seen at Ashland Virginia with 5 coaches and 4 sleepers and was deadheading another diner north. Impressive sight except people on the platform were waiting for a train that came 10 minutes later and were almost hit by the train as they thought the Meteor was their train and they walked right in front of it. You can see this near miss on the Ashland web cam at about 725am this morning on the replay.

See second post down, from Gene Poon. All the details for extra trains and augmented consists for the Thanksgiving period.

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,4418629,4418659#msg-4418659

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

I must point out that some trains run with more cars than the holiday program shows. For instance, a poster on another forum sighted the train leaving Roanoke, VA (#176) with 10 cars (the program had shown 7 coaches, 1 business class and 1 food service).
Also the LAKE SHORE LIMITED is supposed to have one extra coach (64 axles) but #49 on Monday and Tuesday nights reported 68 axles by the Ft. Plain, NY detector.
Andy

Ashland near miss is at 0710 ET in the AM now on the DVR for paid members on Ashalnd Railcam North.
They BADLY need a center platform for SIlge-side boarding at Ashland VA.
In single--side boarding ALL pax WAIT on MAIN STATION side until the train fully stops.
Then it is far far safer to step only a few steps farther to board the train if on 2nd track over.
This is the same platform configuration as La Plata MO currently has.
I beleive that Burbank CA downtown has this same platform arrangement as does Van Nuys California AMtrak .
That was waaay too close cfor comfort to see.
---Daniel

Berkeley, California, has a similar platform situation.

twropr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I must point out that some trains run with more
> cars than the holiday program shows. For
> instance, a poster on another forum sighted the
> train leaving Roanoke, VA (#176) with 10 cars (the
> program had shown 7 coaches, 1 business class and
> 1 food service).
> Also the LAKE SHORE LIMITED is supposed to have
> one extra coach (64 axles) but #49 on Monday and
> Tuesday nights reported 68 axles by the Ft. Plain,
> NY detector.
> Andy

Could the extra cars be deadheading positioning moves?

they are running extra trains here in the midwest corridor service

Southwest Chief seems to be up to 4 sleepers (incl. dorm) and 4 coaches.

I heard Regional #88 Richmond-Boston report 40 axles by the detector at Langford, VA Thanksgiving morning.
Andy

El_Duderino Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Southwest Chief seems to be up to 4 sleepers
> (incl. dorm) and 4 coaches.

Over Thanksgiving Week (approx Nov 20 to Nov 27), here's the additional sleepers "planned" on the overnight long distance trains:

- Meteor will max out with FOUR Viewliners (instead of three). Side Note: This could be sustained on a regular basis in the winter with some marketing behind it.
- Cardinal will max out with an extra Viewliner, for a total of TWO, instead of just one. Side Note: This train needs TWO Viewliners full-time even on a tri-weekly schedule.
- Southwest Chief will max out with THREE regular Superliner Sleepers along with the Dorm, instead of just TWO Sleepers and the Dorm.
- CA Zephyr, despite what may be happening in December, will max out the same as Southwest Chief with THREE regular Superliner Sleepers along with the Dorm.
- Coast Starlight will max out with FOUR Superliner Sleepers plus the Dorm, instead of just THREE Sleepers. CS will be second only to Auto Train with greatest number of Sleepers.
- Auto Train will run with an extra Superliner Sleeper on certain trips. I think it normally operates with six regular sleepers, but a seventh will be added.....

This means that Amtrak will haul out six additional Viewliners over the Thanksgiving Holidays (THANKfully), bringing the total number of Viewliners required for service from 38 to 44. SIX still being left in reserve......which is plenty on a regular basis. No doubt that most of those extra six in reserve will be down in Hialeah Florida. An extra on the Crescent between Washington DC and Atlanta would have been nice but still no way to "set-off" a sleeper at the Atlanta station......

Local traffic is supposed to be carried on the single level long distance trains while on the NEC when travelling NYP to WAS (southbound or railroad west).

Nice to see Superliner Sleepers added....... Empire Builder is still running with TWO Seattle sleepers and ONE Portland Sleeper, plus the Dorm as a regular consist - through the Thanksgiving Holiday at least. Surprised that the Capitol Limited didn't get an extra Superliner Sleeper.....sometimes that has happened and they've substituted a full service Superliner II Diner in - rather than the Cross Country Cafe (which functions basically as a regular diner while in tow on the Capitol Limited). But the full service diner does seat more passengers.