You're the luckiest railfan I've seen! I wish I were you! the Coast Starlight Train with 4 engines, Single level cars and Bi-level Superliner cars are the are very rare and fantastic. I have never seen an Amtrak train like that. Thanks for posting this video on TH-cam.
I've seen that last private car at the end at the Fort Worth station, I guess waiting for a hitch because it was detached at the time. Nice looking. if it wasn't restored, it sure looks vintage. Those long trains like the auto train can carry some serious momentum. Love riding those trains.
Very nice video. This Saturday, I am going to chase an Amtrak Autumn train here in North Carolina. It's going to leave the North Carolina Transportation Museum, in Spencer, NC and head to Ashville, NC. It's going to be pulling 27 passenger cars, and half of them are privately owned.
Unfortunately, as of November 25th, AMTK 161 (Formerly a K3L/Canadian K5L unit & Newer Phase I) has been damaged beyond repair due to an ongoing investigation of a fire that broke out at DC's Amtrak Maintenance yard.
Holy Moley! Train lengths like when I was a kid 50 years ago, but much more head-end traffic then. On my recent trips from Chicago to the West, Union Station was packed, as it was back in 1959, say. Back then riding the MILW Morning Hiawatha North Shore Electroliner, NYC Wolverine, man these Amtrak trains give me hope that Trains are Back. Sincere thanks for these clear and exciting videos!
I've only seen one amtrak train with 3 engines, in 2007... got a OK shot of it. The rest have been with the common 2 engines. So pretty rare site and nice video.
Cool video. Love the departing shot of the Coast Starlight @2:57 onwards. PS you captured the atmosphere and quality of the daylight spot on - didn't need telling it was California tho' I've never been;)
Pac Surfliner 10th anniversary wrapped engine was really nice! Coast Starlight was cool, 2 dome cars & Cali Zephyr private car. The monster trains takes the cake! Looked like a Northeast Regional on the NEC for a little while there, Excellent video! 5*
Awesome video. Thanks for posting. Most passenger trains in India are 24 coaches long - usually hauled by 2 EMDs (GT46PAC designated WDP4 locally) and sometimes 2 ALCOs.
@jmdhintz Actually, there is a way to get from the Amfleets tp the Superliners. The first superliner is 39011, a transition sleeper, with a low diaphrapm at the Amfleet end and a high one next to the superliner end, permitting crew to get from Amfleets to Superliners.
That last train looked like an equipment move to me. There was no baggage car, the first 4 of 5 cars were cafe cars, there would be no way to get from those amfleets to the superliners... Just my guess. Great catch, none the less!
That retro streamlined car is most likely a rental. You can rent cars and have them tacked onto Amtrak trains. Its a bit more than a coach ticket. Like a whole lot!
Not sure, but my dad suspects that the 24 car train MAY have been the empty consist of the Reno Fun Train, which is chartered from Amtrak every year by a company called Key Holidays (he's a travel agent).
And, I think that they were probably moving all those cars to a shop or something. I also noticed an Amfleet Coach still in NortheastDirect paintscheme! :D
I Rode Silver Solarium on 7-2-11 during the 4449 special highballing to wishram and ive seen George M. Pullman the sleeping car twice! i caught the number and name! In fact the G.M.P car was one of the last sleeping cars ever made.
The first Superliner train had a Parlor Car and therefore was the Coast Starlight train. I haven't a clue what the second Superliner train was, but it was obviously transferring single level cars.
Fabulous trains. They must be travelling a long distance to have all these cars so do you know where the journey started and their destination as a matter of interest?
@singwith Okay, I have confirmation. Amtrak #974 broke down at Longview last night. The remaining two engines stopped working. Now all five engines are dead (BNSF 4727, AMTK 75/12/74/73). Should now have BNSF 8211 & 4500 on the point making for a total of 7 engines. Train moving north again passing thru Winlock, WA (30 miles north of Longview) now roughly 38 hours late.
@howardkevinm Oh, you're talking about Push Mode. It's a VERY common way to run trains in both directions without uncoupling the locomotives or using two locomotives. It is used by Amtrak as well as most commuter lines across the country. Push mode doesn't ruin the lifespan of the locomotive--they can work in both directions just fine. The alternative would be wasting money on two locomotives and two engineers per train.
@jmdhintz actually this train is heading to the seattle area to do some testying with bnsf. i just saw it here in eugene, oregon a few hours ago, it was epic.
That last one does not look like an Auto Train. Those have Superliners for all passengers and Auto Racks the same height as the Superliners. Fleetliners and Superliners on the same train with 4 locomotives says to me that a train broke down and they combined them.
The single level cars are Amfleets, and nothing was broken down. It was an equipment move. Superliners and Amfleets typically can not be used in revenue service on the same train.
@howardkevinm Umm...Amtrak doesn't go running engines in reverse for no reason. That's not only stupid, but would give the freight railroads too much of a headache for it to ever work.
The train had 12 cars, which is normal for the coast starlight, it runs from LA all the way to Seattle WA. Thus this train is not rare what so ever. I've been on it 10 times.
Obviously the second train was deadheading equipment; could be because of an imbalance someplace or because they were being taken someplace for maintenance.
Gary the locomotive you see is actually pushing the train. It's called push-pull, a train will be pulled in one direction then will be pushed in the other. When the train is being pushed (as it is here) it is controlled from what is known as a CAB CONTROL CAR at the other end. Push-Pull most commonly used on short distance trains (like the Pacific Surfliner).
To my knowledge none of the Amtrak dash 8's are in the Pepsi paint anymore. Most are phase 5 or a few remain in phase 4. So all of them are former Pepsi cans. A lot of people still call them Pepsi's cans. I still call them that sometimes. It would be nice if one was still painted that way :-)
Aaron Long Amen indeed. I know one thing if you can get one in HO scale snatch it up. Please keep an eye out on my channel,you should see something regarding models or a model of these units soon ;-)
That last train had to be an equipment move. But it was still awesome to see Amfleets coupled to Superliners in one train :-)
You're the luckiest railfan I've seen! I wish I were you! the Coast Starlight Train with 4 engines, Single level cars and Bi-level Superliner cars are the are very rare and fantastic. I have never seen an Amtrak train like that. Thanks for posting this video on TH-cam.
I gotta admit - even though I'm not a huge fan of passenger service in general, that was pretty darned impressive! Great catch singwith.
Watched this when I was a kid! Ah old days.
The last train was awesome! Nice video shoot, great angles! Nice job.
I've seen that last private car at the end at the Fort Worth station, I guess waiting for a hitch because it was detached at the time. Nice looking. if it wasn't restored, it sure looks vintage. Those long trains like the auto train can carry some serious momentum. Love riding those trains.
Very nice video. This Saturday, I am going to chase an Amtrak Autumn train here in North Carolina. It's going to leave the North Carolina Transportation Museum, in Spencer, NC and head to Ashville, NC. It's going to be pulling 27 passenger cars, and half of them are privately owned.
+Ryan Shipp Thanks! 27 passenger cars? wow.
Snuffy's Cat Productions .
That's a Lot of cars right there
Unfortunately, as of November 25th, AMTK 161 (Formerly a K3L/Canadian K5L unit & Newer Phase I) has been damaged beyond repair due to an ongoing investigation of a fire that broke out at DC's Amtrak Maintenance yard.
Holy Moley! Train lengths like when I was a kid 50 years ago, but much more head-end traffic then. On my recent trips from Chicago to the West, Union Station was packed, as it was back in 1959, say. Back then riding the MILW Morning Hiawatha North Shore Electroliner, NYC Wolverine, man these Amtrak trains give me hope that Trains are Back. Sincere thanks for these clear and exciting videos!
The 10th Anniversary paintscheme looks super cool!
I've only seen one amtrak train with 3 engines, in 2007... got a OK shot of it. The rest have been with the common 2 engines. So pretty rare site and nice video.
Cool video. Love the departing shot of the Coast Starlight @2:57 onwards. PS you captured the atmosphere and quality of the daylight spot on - didn't need telling it was California tho' I've never been;)
@jmdhintz there was a transition sleeper within the superliners, the first one to be exact, so they could move from the amfleets to the superliners.
Pac Surfliner 10th anniversary wrapped engine was really nice! Coast Starlight was cool, 2 dome cars & Cali Zephyr private car. The monster trains takes the cake! Looked like a Northeast Regional on the NEC for a little while there, Excellent video! 5*
Awesome video. Thanks for posting. Most passenger trains in India are 24 coaches long - usually hauled by 2 EMDs (GT46PAC designated WDP4 locally) and sometimes 2 ALCOs.
Sitting in the hot sun watchng trains with mountain views in the background. Sigh...
Bob Hope Airport, I like that...
I remember when the Southwest Chief used to have four locomotives. Back then, it had mail cars attached, which made it a pretty long train.
Coast starlight #14 has a EX-California Zephyr Baggage and EX-ATSF El Capitan Hi-level lounge #580 which is 39975 today.
nice video, I caught the #974 going through Tacoma, Wa. on Monday
Oh my god that train on the last scene was absolutely super duper ultra mega long this is crazy
@jmdhintz Actually, there is a way to get from the Amfleets tp the Superliners. The first superliner is 39011, a transition sleeper, with a low diaphrapm at the Amfleet end and a high one next to the superliner end, permitting crew to get from Amfleets to Superliners.
Damn that last train must have combined 2 different trains had like freaking 24 cars awesome video
That last train looked like an equipment move to me. There was no baggage car, the first 4 of 5 cars were cafe cars, there would be no way to get from those amfleets to the superliners... Just my guess. Great catch, none the less!
Thank you for your response. Trying to learn as much as I can, on the different types of locomotives, and there jobs.
That retro streamlined car is most likely a rental. You can rent cars and have them tacked onto Amtrak trains. Its a bit more than a coach ticket. Like a whole lot!
Sweet catch on these units!
Not sure, but my dad suspects that the 24 car train MAY have been the empty consist of the Reno Fun Train, which is chartered from Amtrak every year by a company called Key Holidays (he's a travel agent).
Cool to see 161 before its new heritage unit phase
Love that ex Santa Fe lounge car in the consist of the second train
24 car/ 4 engine amtrak, best catch i have ever seen!
And, I think that they were probably moving all those cars to a shop or something. I also noticed an Amfleet Coach still in NortheastDirect paintscheme! :D
I Rode Silver Solarium on 7-2-11 during the 4449 special highballing to wishram and ive seen George M. Pullman the sleeping car twice! i caught the number and name! In fact the G.M.P car was one of the last sleeping cars ever made.
i have never seen a passenger train that long. nice vid.
The first Superliner train had a Parlor Car and therefore was the Coast Starlight train. I haven't a clue what the second Superliner train was, but it was obviously transferring single level cars.
That is one long Amtrak train going by there.
that northeast regional cafe car is a little far from the northeast
MetroBostonRailways That is exactly what I said to myself. I had to rewind and pause the video to be sure.
true
The dash 8 on the coast starlight wasnt 510, it was 507. Nice catches.
WOW that is amazing i have never seen an amtrak that long! There's the auto train of corse but thats not the same! NICE VID!!!!! WOW
Fabulous trains. They must be travelling a long distance to have all these cars so do you know where the journey started and their destination as a matter of interest?
Amazing how long that Amtrak is. The ones by me are 14 at most!
Nufferz1 23 cars to be exact
Wow those trains are massive! Nothing like the ones here in the uk
@singwith Okay, I have confirmation. Amtrak #974 broke down at Longview last night. The remaining two engines stopped working. Now all five engines are dead (BNSF 4727, AMTK 75/12/74/73). Should now have BNSF 8211 & 4500 on the point making for a total of 7 engines. Train moving north again passing thru Winlock, WA (30 miles north of Longview) now roughly 38 hours late.
that last one was like a small village on weels. lol
Love Amtrak I love to go to Chicago all the time
The 24 car train was a test train that went to Seattle to test PTC.
wow - an original 'zephyr' back car. awesome!
Oh, wow, the _George M Pullman_, last Pullman-Standard built Superliner sleeper car was in that consist.
The George M. Pullman was the last ever car built by Pullman Standard.
@howardkevinm Oh, you're talking about Push Mode. It's a VERY common way to run trains in both directions without uncoupling the locomotives or using two locomotives. It is used by Amtrak as well as most commuter lines across the country. Push mode doesn't ruin the lifespan of the locomotive--they can work in both directions just fine. The alternative would be wasting money on two locomotives and two engineers per train.
Awesome catch!!!
Great catch!
@jmdhintz actually this train is heading to the seattle area to do some testying with bnsf. i just saw it here in eugene, oregon a few hours ago, it was epic.
Amtrak Train No. 53 and 54 (Auto Train) have the longest set of cars ranging about 35-42 cars.
That last one does not look like an Auto Train. Those have Superliners for all passengers and Auto Racks the same height as the Superliners. Fleetliners and Superliners on the same train with 4 locomotives says to me that a train broke down and they combined them.
The single level cars are Amfleets, and nothing was broken down. It was an equipment move. Superliners and Amfleets typically can not be used in revenue service on the same train.
Longest Amtrak train I've ever seen!
Man, that Diesel sounder *sweet* pulling out... 0:46
The Auto Train runs from Virgina to Fl, there were no auto carriers in the last train.
i'm assuming the last trains cars were headed for the repair shops?
the movement is for some testing with bnsf over one of the passes...
I wonder the total number of passangers in the cars all together
What is that Vistadome doing tacked onto the back? It seems out of place, though I'd be delighted to find it in the consist if I were a passenger.
what was a northeast regional car doing there?
@alexander1485 I believe I've been on either a Zephyr or Starlight with 3 locomotives...
unusual to see 4 units on an Amtrak, usually only see 2, sometimes 3, but not often!!!
@howardkevinm Umm...Amtrak doesn't go running engines in reverse for no reason. That's not only stupid, but would give the freight railroads too much of a headache for it to ever work.
awesome video!
Did you know that 161 got repainted
And completely burnt recently
507 was the 2nd unit of the 2nd train. The 3rd train had to be an equipment move.
They were probably moving them to the amtrak beech grove shops
The last train must be a combination of two trains.No amtrak train is that long nowadays.
The train had 12 cars, which is normal for the coast starlight, it runs from LA all the way to Seattle WA. Thus this train is not rare what so ever. I've been on it 10 times.
Love those trains
so train 974 brought some Amfleet cars from the Northeast and Midwest to California
Nice video!
@singwith What were they testing
When can you make Amtrak auto train Bobbio
y does it say California zepher on the PV car
@jmdhintz This was a train bound for Washington for positive train control testing on the BNSF.
i am surprised only 1 person caught the North East Regional service car lol
What was the occasion of such a long train?
Obviously the second train was deadheading equipment; could be because of an imbalance someplace or because they were being taken someplace for maintenance.
really cool!
Is the last engine, idle just being pulled along, the Pacific Surf liner
Gary
the locomotive you see is actually pushing the train. It's called push-pull, a train will be pulled in one direction then will be pushed in the other. When the train is being pushed (as it is here) it is controlled from what is known as a CAB CONTROL CAR at the other end. Push-Pull most commonly used on short distance trains (like the Pacific Surfliner).
i thought dome observation cars are retired .
NIce catch!
why was the monster train had all those passengers
I rode it from San Diego to LA and back, very scenic along the ocean, not too fast around 80 mph , compfy though....free wifi....
Cool! Thank you!!
Where was 974's destination?
I've been through Burbank on the I-5
@TheAmtrakboy i counted 5 cafes unless the horizon cafe dont count
that first amtrak had a private car on it. Can you tell me what it was? Anybody?...
Trains N' Stuff That appears to be a California Zephyr dome car. Before Amtrak was born, these domes were common on California Zephyrs
@singwith You're welcome. I dont know anything about the BNSF unit.
nice job!
That's privately owned by someone or one or the RR's.
i like this train...!
What if there was an even longer Amtrak train they would need a bigger station
Nice Video
I don't see a Pepsi Can dash 8 on any of these trains. I see a dash 8 but it's painted regular. Where is Pepsi Can coloring?
To my knowledge none of the Amtrak dash 8's are in the Pepsi paint anymore. Most are phase 5 or a few remain in phase 4. So all of them are former Pepsi cans. A lot of people still call them Pepsi's cans. I still call them that sometimes. It would be nice if one was still painted that way :-)
Amen to that.
Aaron Long Amen indeed. I know one thing if you can get one in HO scale snatch it up. Please keep an eye out on my channel,you should see something regarding models or a model of these units soon ;-)
Awesome !!
that was the longest i have seen but amtrack autotrain is easily way longer its standard at 30 cars plus