All things Pennsylvanian AND Keystone West

I am considering taking the Pennsylvanian (Trains 42/43/44) to go across Horseshoe Curve and visit relatives in Pittsburgh.

My question is: What is everyone's experience on business class on the Pennsylvanian? Is it usually 2-1 Club Car/2-2 Amfleet II seating or 2-2 Amfleet I seating? Or is it as much of a crap shoot as the NEC?

Business class on #42/43/44 is pretty much like business class on Amfleet NEC service. Typically, the seating is the 2+2 variety in a Club/Dinette, like this one, photo courtesy Railfan.net ABPR Archive. Coffee and small cans of soda pop are included. Business class has a way of selling out on this line, so reserve early to avoid disappointment.

Until you hit 30th street and the engine change, you ride backwards next to the motor from NYP. From 30th Street until Pittsburgh, the club/dinette car is the last car in the train.

This is not to say the other types of cars do not turn up once in a while on #42/43/44. A friend of mine who made a recent trip to 30th Street told me his seating was in a 60-seat business class car. Apparently, the normal car was bad-ordered, and Sunnyside Yard had To Do Something, and substituted a full dinette and business class car.

The business class car of the Pennsylvanian is typically 1/2 dinette and 1/2 business class seating. It's 2+1 seating. You'll either have the leather styled reclining chairs or the newer cloth styled reclining chairs. Leg rests, arm rests, drink holders, etc. Either way, these types of cars were recently overhauled, and thus received a newer seating style. The one's with leather seats are my favorite of the Amfleet Business Class series. I always take this train in business class. Very comfortable ride.

Yes the usual is a 1/2 club tables one end the other end seats with leg rests.

I did that Bussiness Class when it was still the 3 rivers and let me tell you that that curtain was a lifsaver when it came to being able to stand in the rear vestibule trough important areas. Also, you'll get general photo ops out the back.

I've gotten the 2+1 cafe car w/leather seats every time I've ridden the Pennsylvanian (except once, when I sat in a 60-seat business class car).

The fare includes free soft drinks, which IIRC, includes soda, coffee and bottled water. I was pretty disappointed that Yoo Hoo wasn't included.

I remember passing through Pittsburgh and occasionally seeing an extra Genesis - P42 - loco in the station area. This is post discontuance of the Three Rivers etc. I don't think it's a regular basis to keep an extra P42 in Pittsburgh. I'll gladly stand corrected though! Not sure if they were positioned in Pittsburgh on purpose for shuffling to/from Philly and Chicago via the Capitol Limited or for other purposes.

The Three Rivers that I rode from Philly to Pittsburgh on March 27 left Philly with two P42's. The lead engine was removed at Harrisburg; it was a ferry move for #138. The trip from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh was accomplished by #13 alone.

Bob

Two locomotives MUed is not a double header, A double header has two engines each with its own crew, like in steamdays

My presumption would be it would be cut off in PGH and attached to the Capital Limited to Chicago. The Pennsylvanian is the only Amtrak Diesel go in and out of Philadelphia. There is no other Diesel going in and out of PHL, thus no other way for the diesels for 42 43 44 to be swapped out. Running them to/from PGH and then to Chicago via 29/30 seams like the best way to go. Definitely easier than running it lite to Washington to swap out.

Rail Boy wrote:There is no other Diesel going in and out of PHL

I'm not sure that's the case - there are often some P42's at the Race Street Engine Terminal just north of 30th Street in Philly along with the usual smattering of electrics, switchers and MoW engines. How they get there, I don't really know, but I would imagine it's possible that some longhaul trains change engines there, rather than in Washington. It's also possible that diesels could come out of Wilmington shops or Bear DE, and a P42 normally sits attached to some MoW equipment at Wilmington's West Yards, just west of Wilmington station visible from I-95. The engine attached frequently changes.

Also, does a P42 still haul a single reefer car from Philly to DC? I recall seeing it last year once while riding SEPTA, and thought it quite strange, but it was related I believe to ExpressTrak contracts, though they're now out of business.

khecht wrote:

Rail Boy wrote:There is no other Diesel going in and out of PHL

I'm not sure that's the case - there are often some P42's at the Race Street Engine Terminal just north of 30th Street in Philly along with the usual smattering of electrics, switchers and MoW engines. ...

Here's a recent example

There's also been a P42 parked at Harrisburg for the past few weeks. My guess is to provide protection in case of power outages and oopsies.

Saw the westbound Pennsylvanian (destination Pittsburgh) today at Philly 30th St. Station, as my train bound for DC was passing through (southbound).

Power was being switched on the Pennsylvanian and it had TWO (P42) Genesis units on the headend. So not sure what is going on with the operation of this train. Overall the Genesis units (P42's) have dwindled in number (or vanished completely) at the former 30th St Station Coach Yard. Obviously there used to be a number of them here when power was swapped at Philly for the Keystone trains. Today, I largely noticed a few MOW cars and engines and a maybe two of those new switch engines.

I also happened to notice an increased number of Amfleets at the Delaware Amtrak facility (the main one - Bear?). They were in the back storage tracks. At one time you could see nearly 60-70 coaches in storage here. Then it dwindled, as some were deployed to New Orleans to act as a backup train in case an "evac train" was needed from New Orleans. Now the Amfleets seem to be on the rise again at the Delaware shop. All the cars that I could see where in the latest Amtrak paint scheme. Granted, I could see some Amfleets (coach and cafe cars) with broken out windows!