Passenger Trains > Amtrak LD Locomotives

Hey quick question for anyone out there that might know.  When a long distant train arrives at its destination (i.e., Southwest Chief, California Zephyr, Empire Builder…), what process does the Power Units go through, before they are ready to make their next trip out?  Time wise how long does this process take?  Thank you for your time in this matter, enjoy the rest of your day.

Steve White
Carthage, TX

bnsfrr805 Wrote:
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> Hey quick question for anyone out there that might
> know.  When a long distant train arrives at its
> destination (i.e., Southwest Chief, California
> Zephyr, Empire Builder…), what process does the
> Power Units go through, before they are ready to
> make their next trip out?  Time wise how long
> does this process take?  Thank you for your time
> in this matter, enjoy the rest of your day.

Assuming it's running well all it needs is fuel and sand as a freight locomotive would need. Amtrak generally knows WHERE their locomotives will need routine service so facilities are provided in those locations. At my yard's fuel facility...Amtrak has showed up with an unusual need for fuel, lube oil, water, sand...and coach water...and we do accomodate them. Undoutedly Amtrak has a deal with it's host roads to buy services on an ad hoc basis. But as a rule...the places where service will regularly be needed have those things available and routine service might only take minutes...assuming nothing extraordinary is needed. Brake shoes take more minutes...lube oil...cooling water....pretty sure that Amtrak will have routine service done in spots where whole trains are laid up for cleaning stocking and servicing. On the other hand at Washington Terminal where an inbound diesel powered train gets switched to electric...that's an ideal time to do routine service to the diesel engine...and certainly the electric locomotive has just come off the service track... and is ready to go. The reverse would also be true...when a train comes off NEC to go south...the electric engine would be removed...and freshly prepared diesel or diesel set would be added. The whole process is called service design...and it's a playbook...you know what happens where you are but you can only assume what happens elsewhere.

Let's not forget the pumping and servicing of the outhouse. Something that has delayed many a train as the roundhouse crew was "too busy" (lazy) to do it. That's not something you ever want to leave the initial terminal without it having been done.