Passenger Trains > Fewer Sleepers on the Auto-Trian

The Autotrain has been running 7 sleepers up until the last day or two.  It now is running with 6 sleepers on both sets.  Not sure how easy it is to transfer these to what might be needed in the west due to the derailment of the Southwest Chief last week.  I thought these sleepers has special brakes that need to be changed out to run on other trains?  Never-the-less Amtrak wasrunning 8 sleepers up until about 5/1, and from 5/1 to 7/1 7 sleepers, and now 6 sleepers.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/22 07:14 by amtrakbill.

Amtrak usually trims the number of cars on the Auto-Train as the Summer doldrums take hold, but the need for sleepers (and coaches) elsewhere may make this necessary. But, equipment doesn't usually leave the dedicated pool.

People on TrainOrders have said the conversion of the Auto-Train equipment to conventional Amtrak equipment isn't difficult.  Others have disputed that.

Ok I'll bite.

What would be so difficult about using Auto Train equipment in the general Amtrak fleet? 

Besides setting the brakes to gradual release, instead of direct release - what else would there be?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/22 05:19 by restricted_speed.

What I heard years ago was that with Superliner ones, surgery was required to convert the brakes to freight schedule but that only a throw of a switch, basically, was necessary to convert Superliner Twos.

takes about 10 mins

 

So a lot easier compared to when it ran with the Heritage Fleet!

Posted from Android

ProAmtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So a lot easier compared to when it ran with the
> Heritage Fleet!

Wasn't it the same?

Just switch the brake valves to graduated release on each car?

restricted_speed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ProAmtrak Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > So a lot easier compared to when it ran with
> the
> > Heritage Fleet!
>
> Wasn't it the same?
>
> Just switch the brake valves to graduated release
> on each car?


That's what I remember. Apparently ProAmtrak knows something we don't.

They deadhead Autotrain equipment back and forth between DC and Chicago on the Capitol Ltd (or the Cardinal). Obviously converting the brakes can be done quickly.

Just an adjustment on the car's brake valve. Consider when a passenger train has a locomotive failure and freight engines are borrowed to keep moving. Most freight locomotives don't have graduated release....so the pax condutor has to go down the trainline and flip each car to direct release...a quick class 3 brake test and away they go!

Thanks!

When the Three Rivers was mostly a freight train, heritage baggage, sleeper, Amfleet-1, Amfleet-2, and Horizon cars all had to be flipped to freight braking. 

Besides whatever brake issues there are, the AT sleepers are all Double Bedrooms, no roomettes. In theory, the IT issues should be easy to update in the res system, but that might be a barrier also.

nonamemal Wrote:
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> Besides whatever brake issues there are, the AT
> sleepers are all Double Bedrooms, no roomettes. In
> theory, the IT issues should be easy to update in
> the res system, but that might be a barrier also.

There are only 6 Deluxe Sleepers. The majority of the sleepers on thr Auto Train are standard Superliner II sleepers.