Sunday’s Amtrak Crescent #20 included a couple of deadhead cars.
New Orleans to New York on the Amtrak Crescent #20
Amtrak’s incarnation of the Crescent continues one of the oldest “name train” routes in the country. Here’s #20, crossing the underpass at Canal Blvd., in the Lakeview neighborhood of New Orleans:
- AMTK 368 and 348, Siemens “Chargers,” in the lead
- 3 Amfleet II coaches
- Cafe car
- Diner “Albany”
- Viewliner sleeper
- Bag-Dorm
The most notable changes in the regular consist are the return of the diner cars, and the reduction to one sleeper car from two. While I’m not privy to Amtrak strategy, dropping the sleeper car seems logical. Roomettes are more expensive than a coach ticket, of course, and travelers flying long distances grow accustomed to strapping themselves into an airplane seat for 6-9 hours at a time. Now, the Crescent takes a day and a half to get from New Orleans to New York City, but the rider has options. Rather than being trapped in a plane, the rider enjoys the freedom to walk around a bit, sit in the cafe, and eat in the diner. Additionally, Amtrak offers a more-reasonable seating configuration than most airlines. So, if you can sleep on a plane, you likely can sleep on the train.
Deadhead
In addition to the regular consist, AMTK 62041, Viewliner I sleeper, “Middle River” and a baggage car deadheaded on Sunday. The sleeper is in the new passenger-car variant of the Phase VII locomotive paint scheme. Trains mentioned the scheme in December. Since then social media buzzed about it. The center stripe matches the blue/red of the Chargers, and a few re-painted Genesis locos. Additionally, a full baggage car brings up the rear. While the Sunset Limited’s consist still contains a baggage car, the Crescent uses the bag-dorms. The bag-dorm provides crew quarters, and the baggage requirements are less for the shorter route.
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