Passenger Trains > Amtrak 964 - Chicago to Beech Grove Special

Special train running in 50's operating slot Chicago to Beech Grove tonight. 

331 - ALC42
GP38-3
Viewliner II
Viewliner bag - buffer
Superliner diner
Superliner coach-baggae
Superliner diner
Superliner coach
Superliner Sleeper
Superliner Sighteer 
Superliner Coach
Superliner Diner
​519 - Dash-8 nose out trailing

Thanks for keeping track of these moves.  That's a lot of SuperLiner equipment. I wonder what's up?

Is the Amtrak shop there still doing work?  These could be damaged cars going for repair or overhaul, aka a hospital train.

The slow season is upon us. A good time to reduce some consists and run equipment through the shop for repairs and refreshes. Glad to see that Amtrak is taking advantage of the period to do some work at a time when traffic is entering the post-holiday lull.

MC

Thank you Seth !

I wonder if Amtrak can spare three Superliner coaches right now with three Superliner coaches and three Superliner coach-baggages now assigned to the Denver ski train.  I suspect a long-distance train somewhere is going to be turning away passengers unnecessarily even though this is the slow season, and that shouldn't be happening.

NPRocky Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder if Amtrak can spare three Superliner
> coaches right now with three Superliner coaches
> and three Superliner coach-baggages now assigned
> to the Denver ski train.  I suspect a
> long-distance train somewhere is going to be
> turning away passengers unnecessarily even though
> this is the slow season, and that shouldn't be
> happening.


Not the builder lol

Posted from Android

Auto Train is running full out, with 48-50 passenger and auto carriers.

Posted from Android

I think they can run 3 coaches on the Zephyr east of Denver, especially now that Burlington Trailways is gone. It was always the busier half of the run. But Amtrak does not want the business. 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/26 05:53 by joemvcnj.

All true. But this forum is also constantly asking about rebuilds and refreshes, and some complain regularly about the condition of the cars in which they have traveled, insisting upon a more aggressive rebuild and refresh schedule. So the work must be done sometime, doesn't it? The slow season now would logically seem to be a good time to do this work, when consists can be reduced more readily and with fewer undesirable effects than during peak the peak summer season, or the increasingly positive traffic-growth "shoulder" seasons in spring and fall.

You can't have it both ways. There's no magic wand to wave while the cars are in daily service that will get rebuild and refresh work done. They have to be taken out of service and moved to Beech Grove.

Management is always, inescapably, about making choices between various options. Seldom are the choices perfect, easy and friction-free, and there are many of us here who have been managers who know that from our careers. Amtrak seems to be making a choice here that one would logically think that this forum - which also is constantly asking Amtrak for better management - would support. Logically. But logic doesn't always prevail here. Unfortunately.

MC



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/26 06:56 by ironmtn.

ironmtn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> All true. But this forum is also constantly asking
> about rebuilds and refreshes, and some complain
> regularly about the condition of the cars in which
> they have traveled, insisting upon a more
> aggressive rebuild and refresh schedule. So the
> work must be done sometime, doesn't it? The slow
> season now would logically seem to be a good time
> to do this work, when consists can be reduced more
> readily and with fewer undesirable effects than
> during peak the peak summer season, or the
> increasingly positive traffic-growth "shoulder"
> seasons in spring and fall.
>
> You can't have it both ways. There's no magic wand
> to wave while the cars are in daily service that
> will get rebuild and refresh work done. They have
> to be taken out of service and moved to Beech
> Grove.
>
> Management is always, inescapably, about making
> choices between various options. Seldom are the
> choices perfect, easy and friction-free, and there
> are many of us here who have been managers who
> know that from our careers. Amtrak seems to be
> making a choice here that one would logically
> think that this forum - which also is constantly
> asking Amtrak for better management - would
> support. Logically. But logic doesn't always
> prevail here. Unfortunately.
>
> MC

Great reply/comment ironmnt!! I totally agree! The more time these cars spend in Beech Grove the better they can perform.  
The other issue is just not ordering enough rolling stock or having a source of continuous supply to replace wreck and other (Horizon corrosion) losses or even (Heaven forbid) expansion. 

G600DRVR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The other issue is just not ordering enough
> rolling stock or having a source of continuous
> supply to replace wreck and other (Horizon
> corrosion) losses or even (Heaven forbid)
> expansion. 


Well they did order enough rolling stock when they ordered it but 40 plus years service with more then a few wrecks has thinned the herd a bit.

G600DRVR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ironmtn Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > All true. But this forum is also constantly
> asking
> > about rebuilds and refreshes, and some complain
> > regularly about the condition of the cars in
> which
> > they have traveled, insisting upon a more
> > aggressive rebuild and refresh schedule. So the
> > work must be done sometime, doesn't it? The
> slow
> > season now would logically seem to be a good
> time
> > to do this work, when consists can be reduced
> more
> > readily and with fewer undesirable effects than
> > during peak the peak summer season, or the
> > increasingly positive traffic-growth "shoulder"
> > seasons in spring and fall.
> >
> > You can't have it both ways. There's no magic
> wand
> > to wave while the cars are in daily service
> that
> > will get rebuild and refresh work done. They
> have
> > to be taken out of service and moved to Beech
> > Grove.
> >
> > Management is always, inescapably, about making
> > choices between various options. Seldom are the
> > choices perfect, easy and friction-free, and
> there
> > are many of us here who have been managers who
> > know that from our careers. Amtrak seems to be
> > making a choice here that one would logically
> > think that this forum - which also is
> constantly
> > asking Amtrak for better management - would
> > support. Logically. But logic doesn't always
> > prevail here. Unfortunately.
> >
> > MC
>
> Great reply/comment ironmnt!! I totally agree! The
> more time these cars spend in Beech Grove the
> better they can perform.  
> The other issue is just not ordering enough
> rolling stock or having a source of continuous
> supply to replace wreck and other (Horizon
> corrosion) losses or even (Heaven forbid)
> expansion. 

I agree - and I sure hope that Amtrak is doing proactive maintenance etc. Most of the Superliners have already had their interior refresh. But there are still regular maintenance and inspections to be done! The Viewliner I sleepers have not, and they are in DESPERATE need of a refresh. I wish Amtrak would allocate money to refresh them! The Viewliner I sleepers coming out of Beech Grove with Phase VII livery are not getting an interior refresh - just an exterior Phase VII. The Viewliner II Sleepers are having lots of plumbing issues - specifically hot water and the vacuum toilets, despite the plumbing being a lot "simpler" than the Viewliner I's. There were mock ups of the refresh Viewliner I Sleepers, but they were taken down on Amtrak's website and the money either saved or diverted.

Rode the Lake Shore and Floridian last month and the interior of the cars were really tired and dirty, let alone the exteriors and windows. I washed the windows myself and the conductors on both trains said - it's sad that it has come to this! 

I stil think a 3rd Zephyr coach east of Denver should take priority over 2 extra Ski train coaches. 

Yes, the CAF Viewliner sleepers are junk. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/26 09:35 by joemvcnj.

You must be thinking of some other Amtrak, becuase I've never experienced or heard of this one.


ironmtn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Glad to see that Amtrak
> is taking advantage of the period to do some work
> at a time when traffic is entering the
> post-holiday lull.