Passenger Trains > Coast Starlights (No. 11 & 14) at Jalama Beach, CA Today

Today's (9/11/20) #14 crossing the trestle at Jalama Beach Co. Park, about 5 miles north of Point Conception. AMTK 191 and 506(?) with 8 cars in tow.

~ Mr. MRL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/20 18:41 by MrMRL.

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And a few hours later now... here is a clip of today's #11 over the same bridge heading for LA.


Mr. MRL ~ getting chowder in Pismo.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/20 01:32 by MrMRL.

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Why in the world are they running the baggage car on the rear of the train now???  I can think of zero logical reason why they would do that and it looks stupid.  Plus, it was really nice to have the baggage car as a buffer between the engines and the sleepers.  Who came up with this genius idea?

Nice video work Robby.
TC

HogheadMike Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why in the world are they running the baggage car
> on the rear of the train now???  I can think of
> zero logical reason why they would do that and it
> looks stupid.  Plus, it was really nice to have
> the baggage car as a buffer between the engines
> and the sleepers.  Who came up with this genius
> idea?

Putting the baggage car on train end behind the coaches puts the sleeping car occupants that much closer to the engines.
And note that the sleeper closest to the locomotives on both consists is oriented with its deluxe bedrooms at the front.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/20 19:43 by chakk.

HogheadMike Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why in the world are they running the baggage car
> on the rear of the train now???  I can think of
> zero logical reason why they would do that and it
> looks stupid.  Plus, it was really nice to have
> the baggage car as a buffer between the engines
> and the sleepers.  Who came up with this genius
> idea?

I've asked the same question to the "crack" management team over and over and get no intelligent answer.  The Chief's don't have a baggage car, City of New Orleans, no, a few pictures of the Builders lately show no, but the Zephyrs have a Baggage car and transition/crew car on the head end.  The transition car makes access to the baggage car on the head end possible. Otherwise, (when it's on the rear, like on 11/14) you have to climb in and out of the damn car at every baggage station.  It doesn't ,make any sense.  Maybe they aren't using a crew car on the other trains due to "skeleton" crews but unless you have a smoke deflector on the high door the smoke comes right thru the door.  

Your guess is good as mine..

Top Cat
 

Well this started under Andersen I think, Delta puts the baggage underneath the passengers, so maybe he just didn't know how a train was different? Although some bag/coach Zuperliners carry baggage in their tummies. When I worked for that circus, many Brass didn't know anything about trains because they never rode them. One didn't even know what a wheel flange was and how the engineer managed to drive down the skinny rails without spilling the train. That MBA was knocking down $150,000 plus bennies---including a pass that they never used--preffered the auto or plane travel! :))). 

They can't put the cover on up front to keep the smoke out of the baggage is up front.

Posted from Android

Maybe someone figures the coach passengers have the need for more baggage storage near them since they only have the reserved coach seat available? Someone with a sleeper car compartment could be stuffed with all their luggage with them inside their private little box? Just a random guess...

Mr. MRL

It was never a problem over the last 49 years. Another lame Amtrak excuse to piss off people with excessive noise in an over priced sleeper with meals that the box tastes better than what's inside of it. i will bring a Kimchi pot onmy next sleepr trip just to stink up the car.

goduckies Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They can't put the cover on up front to keep the
> smoke out of the baggage is up front.
>
> Posted from Android



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/20 15:40 by SP4360.

goduckies Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They can't put the cover on up front to keep the
> smoke out of the baggage is up front.
>
> Posted from Android

I asked this question of someone at Amtrak back in April and goduckies has the correct answer.  As explained to me, you can't couple a single level car to a regular Superliner and use the smoke deflector cover over the end door of the Superliner because the mismatched diaphrams rubbing against each other will in turn tear the smoke deflector cover to shreds.  Therefore you have two "bad" options if there is no Transition Sleeper in the consist between the baggage cars and the Superliners:  1) run the bag up front, don't use a cover over the door and let that first car fill with diesel fumes, or 2) run the bag on the rear so that you can use the cover but the folks in the first car have to listen to the horn all day and night.

niagara484

Maybe I missed something but why not KEEP the sleepers at the rear as they are supposed to be. This issue was an issue with "heritage baggage cars" coupled together with "Santa Fe HI-Level heritage coshes" on the front of early Amtrak Sunset Limited. I about croaked when I was assigned a  second row coach seat on an LAX-NOL trip eons ago. By the time I figured out the problem it was morning and I secretly changed my
"assigned seat" to one in the the next coach".   

The other thing being Amtrak pays host railroads by the axel count of each train. Since they're not running dorm cars for whatever reason (pennypinching instead of selling full revenue) the bag goes on the rear so the smoke shield doesn't fall off (and so they can still advertise they have checked baggage service). I agree that running the bag car like this is pretty pointless but with all the other trains using the Coach Baggage cars in their rotations (with the Zephyr being the exception), there's none left for 11/14. Apparently they save money by keeping the axel count low and not having to spend more on fuel by dragging around that one extra deadhead car....... even if that means allowing the bag in front where it belongs with essentially a car you can sell revenue space in after. Amtrak accounting at it's finest! 



niagara484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> goduckies Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > They can't put the cover on up front to keep
> the
> > smoke out of the baggage is up front.
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> I asked this question of someone at Amtrak back in
> April and goduckies has the correct answer.  As
> explained to me, you can't couple a single level
> car to a regular Superliner and use the smoke
> deflector cover over the end door of the
> Superliner because the mismatched diaphrams
> rubbing against each other will in turn tear the
> smoke deflector cover to shreds.  Therefore you
> have two "bad" options if there is no Transition
> Sleeper in the consist between the baggage cars
> and the Superliners:  1) run the bag up front,
> don't use a cover over the door and let that first
> car fill with diesel fumes, or 2) run the bag on
> the rear so that you can use the cover but the
> folks in the first car have to listen to the horn
> all day and night.
>
> niagara484



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/20 13:18 by SunsetLtd.

I've been a railfan  for the last 70 years, ridden all sorts of US trains from Boston to San Diego, Japan commuter, Tokyo-Yokosuka in the Navy. 
But i will NOT ride Amtrak these days for ANY reason, EVER!!! 
Should be featured on TV's Green Acres, Beverly Hillbillies. 8>]), any other  revived, awful hillbilly show!

Beyond pathetic.