March 19 205PM CT; EB Grand Luxe Just Passed 18.34

Just moments ago, an EB Grand Luxe consist comprising 3 P-42's and 13 GL cars passed. I had just left my home for my walk so my view was sort of "distant'.

However, I could clearly note the consist had a Great Dome and the 'Sandy Creek" obs.

Mr. Norman,

Was the GL on a special charter trip East? ... or a ferry move to begin the next week's Antebellum tour out of DC to NO?

Nice to see GL still operating despite the animadversions on this forum.

The number of cars suggests a fair passenger load for the opening tour of the GL season. If we remove the obs, the dome, the diner and the crew dorm from the car consist of 13, that's 9 sleepers.

Sounds to me as if it's a positioning move Mr. Norman saw. According to the GL website, (http://www.americanorientexpress.info/a ... html#dates), the season is to begin with a New Orleans-Washington trip on March 23 -- that's Sunday. This suggests the train will move from Chicago to New Orleans (on the Chicken Bone Special route?) by Saturday.

Apologies for not knowing how to get HTML to appear in these messages.

http://www.americanorientexpress.info/a ... html#dates

Of interest, GL did not appear interested in selling space on this apparent Denver to New Orleans positioning move.

Likely, the staff other than a "messenger' is flying into New Orleans from "wherever"; trust the Amtrak Train crews (C & AC) enjoyed the "lux".

What does "C&AC" mean? All this alphabet soup confuses me.

C&AC - Conductor and Assistant Conductor
C & E - Conductor and Engineer

The term Train Crew refers to the Conductor and Assistants. In this instance, the cab of a P-42 is "appointed" same regardless of what is behind. Engine Crew of course means the Engineer and (where applicable) Assistant.

T & E or Train and Engine, means all Operating Employees assigned to the train.

The term Train is also defined in any Rule Book, but I'm too lazy to dig out my outdated Consolidated Code to recite such. Besides we have active Rules Qualified employees here at the forum - and i should best defer to them.

I read on another board that the routing will be #30 to Charlottesville and #19 to New Orleans, account flooding in Southern Illinois.

Thank you for the explanation, Mr. Norman. There are also certified ignoramuses like me on the forum, and we need to be spoon fed.

I wonder if GrandLuxe thought about trying to sell space on the move from Colorado to New Orleans. Maybe there was a good reason they chose not to. But I cannot imagine what that might be.

Moderator's Note:

Moved to Mr Benton's Rail Travel and Trip Reports Forum