The Zephyr has a pretty consistent order in its consist. After the power and baggage car, the train typically has a transition sleeper, two sleepers, a dining car, a longue car, and two or three coaches. On this afternoon, it turns out there is a transition sleeper deadheading on the tail end. If you are unfamiliar with the difference between a sleeper and a transition sleeper, this shot really demonstrates the difference. At one end of the car, the door between cars is actually on the first level, rather than on the second level. A transition sleeper is the housing for the Amtrak personnel that ride the train from Chicago to Emeryville (and back), in the case of the California Zephyr. When car attendants, chefs, etc are off duty, they have quarters in the transition sleeper. The door on the end on the first level allows Amtrak personnel to enter the baggage car from the train. It would also allow for a transition between two-level Superliners and single level cars, if there were such a train with that configuration.
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