Passenger Trains > A Late 3 On Cajon

Friday's Chief was four hours late, putting it through Cajon in the daylight. This gave me a chance to pace it down the pass. 

1) Winding past Mormon Rocks
2) Passing an Intermediate 
3) Dumping out of the pass

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 I see the SWC has 7 cars...usually 8....Is this the winter consist?

Is it missing a Sightseer Lounge Car? 

I tried booking a sleeper in early May to/from West Coast and Chicago. SWC, CA Zephyr, and EB are all coming up tight in sleeper space, or at least in trying to book the same room all the way through. I've often had to change rooms three times to get to/from Chicago and Emeryville, but in the two days I have as possibilities, it's not working out too well - or so the reservation agents are telling me (another interesting nightmare!). I've also done some online booking research too and it is tight. The peak third sleeper is desparately needed on the CA Zephyr. But it doesn't seem to be hitting the reservation system in early May. The Empire Builder at least has retained two Seattle sleepers and the Portland sleeper, but the later is booked pretty solid eastbound. 

Looks to be a Diner Lounge substitution

sethamtrak Wrote:
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> Looks to be a Diner Lounge substitution

That's been happening somewhat frequently lately between both the Soutwest Chief AND CA Zephyr. These 37000 series cars (Diner/Lounge, Cross Country Cafe, whatever one wants to call them) are not appropriate substitutes for the Superliner Sightseer Lounge Car. Amtrak's got Sightseer Lounge cars operating on the Pacific Surfliner Corridor and Auto Train Route. Swap it. The Cross Country Cafe has tables just like the Sightseer Lounge on upper deck, which is the main reason why Auto Train likes it. Amtrak's getting a little too comfortable with this substitution on the CA Zephyr and Southwest Chief.