RAILforum: The Amtrak Piedmont Equipment

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Posted by Superchief (Member # 3112) on :

What equipment is used on the piedmont and can i expect it to be on time?

Posted by dilly (Member # 1427) on :

Here's a trip report that someone wrote. It's slightly out of date, but will give you some idea of what to expect.

www.railroadinfo.com/triprprt/NC-Amtrak.html

Note: the ex-Milwaukee Road dome car the Piedmont was somewhat famous for has been pulled from service. It didn't meet the latest safety standards.

Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :

The Piedmont is equipped with a Heritage Fleet consist which the NCDOT had refurbished 8-10 years ago. The coaches were from an order delivered new to the Kansas City Southern in the mid-1960's. They were supurb when the Piedmont began service. They are beginning to show a little wear now but are still generally in far better shape than the amfleet coaches used elsewhere in the east and southeast.

You can expect the consist to include a lounge car and two or three coaches.

Timekeeping is generally decent and there is some padding.....ie: Train 74 could be 20-30 minutes late at Burlington but still reach Raleigh within 5-10 minutes of the scheduled arrival. The evening train (74) is pretty regularly delayed when the southbound Carolinian is running late......but still, the Piedmont is rarely more than 20-30 minutes late.

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David Pressley

Posted by Superchief (Member # 3112) on :

hey man
right on about the carolinan
the cars were nice and it was on time

i had a great time on the piedmont betweeen charlotte and durham

the coaches were longleafpine and the scotchbonnet

Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :

quote:
Originally posted by dilly:

Here's a trip report that someone wrote. It's slightly out of date, but will give you some idea of what to expect.
www.railroadinfo.com/triprprt/NC-Amtrak.html

Note: the ex-Milwaukee Road dome car the Piedmont was somewhat famous for has been pulled from service. It didn't meet the latest safety standards.

Very interesting. The author of this trip report b-t-w, was employed by the NCDOT Rail Division at the time......he may still be there.....and was involved in a number of the negotiations regarding service levels on the NC Amtrak trains. Interestingly, the idea of using a separate cooler in their coach for the business class complimentary beverages is one that has been enacted. At one point.....like 25 years ago.....he was a young Southern Railway trainmaster working out of Greenville, SC.

And Superchief, glad to hear you had a great time on 'our' train. I spent a couple of years as one of the volunteer train hosts on the Piedmont when I lived near Raleigh. I'm too far away from the area to do it on a regular basis now though.

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David Pressley

[This message has been edited by notelvis (edited 07-24-2004).]

Posted by Superchief (Member # 3112) on :

Hey... everythings better in North Carolina. And BTW in California where I'm from the trains are always late and the planes on time but back east it seams to be the opposite!