If Only Amtrak had the Money..... My plan to help Amtrak

If only Amtrak had the Money this is my plan to improve service and make America's Passenger Service better
New Cars
150 More Viewliner Sleepers
80 Viewliner Diners
350 Viewliner LD Coaches
500 Viewliner Corridor Coaches
70 Viewliner Crew Dorms
Now Superliners
Order 300 to 400 Superliners
More Service
Daily Cardinal with Superliners
Daily Susnet
New Routes
Chicago-KC-Oklahoma City-Dallas-Houston-would be combined with Twin Star Rocket in KC
MSP-KC-Oklahoma City-Dallas-Houston would run with the above after KC
Chicago-Indy-Nashville-Atlanta-Miami
Chicago-MSP-Billings-Seattle
Seattle-Billings-Denver-La Juanta-Dallas-Houston
Detroit-Miami
Reincrated Broadway Limited
Reincrated Pioneer
Reincrated Desert Wind
Bring LA-SFO Sevice
Midwest
Have 3 to 4 more Chicago to Detroit Trains Each Way 1EW a Super Express which would be non-stop
Have 6 to 12 More Chicago to Indy-CIN 4 EW would terminate in Indy Trains EW. 1EW Non-Stop from Indy and 1 Limited Stop between CIN-CHI only making Indy.
Have 6 to 10 More Chicago to St. Louis Ew. 2 EW Non-stop 1 Limited Stop only making Springfield
Have 3 to 4 more CHI-MSP Trains EW 1 EW Limited Stop Making Milwaukee, Madison, La Crosse.
Have 4 more CHI-CLV Trains EW 1 ew Limited Stop.
Bring Overnight Service on Chicago- St. Louis and Chicago- Detroit
Disclamier these don't include Intercity Service in the Midwest.
If you agree or don't agree please share your comments.

AmtrakFan

If they had the money they would not have problems they have now.

exactly dutchrailnut, but AmtrakFan, that was a good idea

Also, I see no signaling improvements over the new routes that "Fan" is suggesting. 79 mph is a top speed that quite a few 4-4-0s laughed at, you know...

I suggest more hub citites. I am not a fan of over long train routes whose timekeeping is next to impossible.

Also, I would like to see a new generation of usable single level coaches and sleepers to benefit Amtraks eastern routes

Personally, lets see if we can find the old Budd Company blueprints and freshen them up for the 21st Century.

Topic originator, AmtrakFan, and Club Car suggest 500 Viewliner corridor coaches ??? not enough ?? the big order of Amtrak Fan makes no sense however as Congress would never allow it.
Amtrak would be better served if it was able to order 100 cars per year devided equaly for different purposes.It would keep manufacturers bussy and would be easier to budget.

Oh well, since I appear to be "on a kick" of late for lyrics from "My Fair Lady", "Aow, wouldn't it be loverly?" if Amtrak simply had "trickle" production lines of both single and bi-level railcars "perpetually' coming into revenue service.

Both lines would roll out, say, six cars each per year. This would ensure a constant supply of "new blood" to compensate for wreck losses and hopefully traffic increases.
If your auto, God forbid, gets "totaled", could you accept waiting three years for a replacement? Could an airline if they, once again God forbid, were to loose an aircraft?

Why can't Amtrak do that now? Make a dedicated factory that does nothing but churn out, albeit slowly, new cars? Rather than farming it out to someone else, why not do it themselves?

Buy the old Budd plant in Philadelphia and have the plans drawn by an outside contractor. Everything could be done in the States.

... But, I would want to see more than six cars a year. Why not twelve? One a month does not seem to be that much of a problem.

I agree with Amtrak Fan, Amtrak needs new Rolling Stock, and if the Claytor Railroad Trust Fund Proposal ever gets rejuvenated and passed by Congress, perhaps a 3 Cents per gallon Federal Gas Tax be dedicated, with either a half or full cent dedicated to Rolling Stock Upgrades and purchases?

Mr. Norman, I agree, Amtrak should not have to wait 3 years to get a replacement coach or sleeper, when the Airlines get a new one quickly.

Well maybe I should of said 100 Cars a Year. Dutch Railnet How many Corridor Coaches do we need?

AmtrakFan

railfanofewu wrote:Mr. Norman, I agree, Amtrak should not have to wait 3 years to get a replacement coach or sleeper, when the Airlines get a new one quickly.

Airlines don't really get airplanes "quickly."

Lead time between placing orders and receiving deliveries can be at least a year, sometimes several years. If leasing companies have available equipment, or the manufacturer has a cancellation, then maybe planes can be obtained sooner.

What Amtrak needs is an influx of new rolling stock, designed by railroad.
No changes unless its federaly mandated and in sufficient amount of cars per year so in 25 years every car is replaced.
Would I want Amtrak to built these ?? heck no. The Budd plant in Philly you say ?? its long gone, buldozed to be made a golf course.
Spred the orders over many manufacturers, give everyone a slice of the pie, and if they don't perform give the slice to other manufacturer.
Same if cost overruns occur, give the slice to someone else.
Its of no use to order 500 cars now and nothing in next 5 years, it won't keep manufacturers in bussines and it won't help Amtrak in 5 years trying to get other manufacturer to gear up. this is what kiled the Budd company (aka transit America) all orders at same time and no follow ups.
Budd had to manufacture the M3's for LIRR and MNCR, The Baltimore cars, the Miami cars, and when they were done nothing was to be built, nada no orders and Budd went kaput.

DutchRailnut wrote:Topic originator, AmtrakFan, and Club Car suggest 500 Viewliner corridor coaches ??? not enough ?? the big order of Amtrak Fan makes no sense however as Congress would never allow it.
Amtrak would be better served if it was able to order 100 cars per year devided equaly for different purposes.It would keep manufacturers bussy and would be easier to budget.

I didn't say anything about Viewliner coaches.....500 or otherwise.

It's all well and good if Amtrak gets 100 new cars a year but one issue still looms over the Big A. The Class I railroads are stuffed to the brim with Freight, there is little to no room for Passenger trains. If Amtrak had the cash I feel a Amtrak only High Speed Rail line should be built Coast to coast (East to West). Perhaps even two. One North and one in the Modern south running near the sunset route. Built with modern everything (concrete ties, modern signals to Welded rail) The improved service offered would be the catalyst to stimulating a rebirth of passenger rail!

Oh Yes we forgot about Signilaling Improvements evey line in the Midwest will have Speeds up graded to 110 MPH and most of the LD routes will have Speed Limites 80 to 100 MPH. Also the Lines will have Concrede Ties, Welded Rail, modern Signals etc.

AmtrakFan