Amtrak Cascades NPCU 90230

[Ypsi]

Has anyone seen Amtrak 90230, the cascade NPCU? I have not seen it in over a year. Has Amtrak sent it back to Cascades services, or is it still floating around the midwest?

[cnw8835]

Spotted it in Chicago on June 4th.

[GTW6401]

Its mostly used between Chicago and Milwaukee since it lacks the required cab signals on Amtraks line into Michigan.

The cab signal system was shut down for a time during early 2009, which is likely when you saw it.

[cmcw22]

I think that the amtrak route between Chicago and Milwaukee is one of the few routes that actually uses the baggage compartment, or at least the schedule says that the train has baggage service, 90230 does not have a baggage door so I think it can only be used on the Illinois trains out of Chicago.

[EJ&ESDM809]

I think that 90230 is probably undergoing some kind of maintenence in Chicago if I had to guess. I know it hasn't been sent back out west. From what I have heard, 90230 is permanently assigned to Midwest trains now. It also occasionally gets used between Chicago and St. Louis, as they use NPCUs on that route now. It also ran on the Illinois Zephyr between Chicago and Quincy for a while until Amtrak quit using NPCUs on that train.