Amtrak special, any info?

[jettrainfan]

I got an E-mail from a local railfan group i joined saying that Amtrak is delivering 15 coaches to Pennsylvania on a dead head move. From the latest update, they were delayed because of BNSF in Nebraska. They were due at Chicago last night and leave at 9 in the morning today. Anyone got any idea when it should come through Cleveland or any official update?

The E-mail i got...

Many of the American Orient Express / American European Express / GrandLuxe Rail / American Railway Explorer cars have found yet a new owner. Some of the cars are still painted AOE/AEE/GLR blue-and-white, some are in gray primer, and a few are in American Railway Explorer green-and-cream.

The 15 car Amtrak Deadhead Special will depart Denver Sat. (1/22) at 0800 running as Amtrak 940 with an eta Chicago of 0500 (1/23). It will then depart Chicago as Amtrak 942 at 1100 Sunday (1/23) with an eta in Reading,Pa. of 0600 ( 1/24), Greenbrier Express shop in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The train should be powered by a pair of AMTK P42's and the route should be:

Denver-Chicago - CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR route
Chicago-Pittsburgh - CAPITOL LIMITED route
Pittsburgh-Harrisburg - PENNSYLVANIAN route
Harrisburg-Pottstown - NS Harrisburg Line


Here is the proposed consist. The AOE/AEE/GLR names have been included; but some of the cars had been renamed by ARE, and some probably won't have any names.

800109 - sleeper VIENNA - nee UP 11DB 1510 PLACID WATERS
800246 - crew sleeper MONTEREY - nee C&O 5DB/buf/lng-obs 2507 WOLVERINE CLUB
800231 - sleeper MONTE CARLO - nee B&O 10-6 7045 OPEQUON
800757 - sleeper MONTREAL - nee UP 5DB/buf/lounge NORTH PLATTE
800310 - lounge SEATTLE - nee UP 14S sleeper ALPINE MEADOW
800753 - sleeper BAR HARBOR - nee UP coach 5539
800754 - sleeper CHARLESTON -nee UP coach 5494
800668 - crew sleeper GRAND CANYON - nee UP 11DB 1506 PLACID SCENE
800297 - sleeper ISTANBUL - nee SP 4-4-2 9119
800298 - sleeper PARIS - nee SP 4-4-2 9120
800768 - sleeper SANTA FE - nee UP 5DB/buf/lounge CHEYENNE
800740 - sleeper DENVER - nee UP coach 5490
800741 - sleeper SAVANNAH - nee UP coach 5500
800311 - lounge ROCKY MOUNTAIN - nee UP 14S sleeper ALPINE VIEW
800301 - diner ZURICH - nee UP diner/lounge 5004

[jward]

since i am on the route of the pennsylvanian i will look for it, but i am not expecting it in daylight.

[jettrainfan]

just an update from what i heard, around noon, the train stopped for a relief crew, which is expected in 7 to 9 hours, currently 10 miles away from Omaha Nebraska. I'm guessing they'll probably head up to Omaha or another near by station and call it a night. Any thoughts about this?

[jward]

at that rate they'll never get there. i can't see them leaving a train on the main waiting for a crew for 9 hours, especially as busy as the union pacific is. that would create a bottleneck. what conrail would do is call a dogcatcher crew to get the train to the next crew change point. get it in the yard and out of the way........i worked the dogcatchers many times, and we'd often rescue 3-4 trains in a shift.

[jettrainfan]

latest update is that its due to leave Omaha at midnight and run straight to reading.

[jward]

that should put them through cleveland sometime to-morrow afternoon. hopefully through pittsburgh after i get home from work.

[jettrainfan]

Another update and this one has probably put me out of the hunt. Arriving at noon to Chicago, going to change the second unit, refuel and leave at 6 PM. Due at Reading mid day tomorrow. I'm hoping i get one last chance tomorrow but its only going to happen if some major delay holds it back short of berea.

Good luck to anyone else trying to catch it 

[jward]

probably mid night at berea, and about 5am by me.....