Viewliner II Delivery/Production

Chuck Schumer loves anything that gives him a platform for more TV time.

I've sat across from him in first class on the US Airways Shuttle from DCA-LGA. So much for his interest in rail.

SouthernRailway wrote:Chuck Schumer loves anything that gives him a platform for more TV time.

I've sat across from him in first class on the US Airways Shuttle from DCA-LGA. So much for his interest in rail.

And what was YOUR excuse?

HAHAHAHA!!!

bostontrainguy wrote:

SouthernRailway wrote:Chuck Schumer loves anything that gives him a platform for more TV time.

I've sat across from him in first class on the US Airways Shuttle from DCA-LGA. So much for his interest in rail.

And what was YOUR excuse?

My flight on the Shuttle was a connection from "flyover land". If I were traveling DC to NY only, I'd of course be on Amtrak.

bostontrainguy wrote:Looks like Brightline really knew what they were doing when they went with Siemens. That whole project's speed and design is nothing short of amazing compared to every other rail project out there.

More likely, since FEC has effectively zero experience with passenger rail equipment, and didn't maybe hire the standard consultants, Siemens basically said "This is what you're getting", and they took it.

I've dealt with a few projects in water/wastewater where the customer thought they knew better, and also took a long time making up their mind. You can bet we add a bit extra to our bids the next time around.

So does everyone else.

I can't imagine rail equipment is any different...

Long story short: the only thing worse than picky customers are their contractors.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: Now what has to be of concern is awarding the Acela II order to, again, a UNY builder and with "not much in the way" of experience dealing with Amtrak - an Agency that I think builders must consider "a most difficult customer".

On the one hand Alstom is a proven high speed train manufacturer putting together what essentially amounts to a TGV/AGV/Pendolino hybrid, but on the other hand the Viewliner is a proven design for a conventional 85 ft stainless steel passenger car and CAF is still having all sorts of issues. So, apparently you don't need F-35 level complexity to have procurement issues!

Gilbert B Norman wrote:Mr. Scoostraw, at this time I think the V-II order will be considered to be the "champ" of procurement fiasco.

You would rate CAF's performance, which is actually delivering the cars ordered (albeit slowly), lower than Nippon-Sharyo, which never actually built a single completed car and appears to have since thrown in the towel?

Having CAF build a Viewliner is like asking Suzuki to build a 1983 Dodge Diplomat with a modern V-8 drivetrain. It can be done, they're smart people, but they've never built anything quite like it even in the old days.

...and appears to have since thrown in the towel?

Maybe you need to do a little research before you make such a claim. They are alive and well, doing what they do.

jmlaboda wrote:

...and appears to have since thrown in the towel?

Maybe you need to do a little research before you make such a claim. They are alive and well, doing what they do.

Really? So, exactly when are the first bi-level cars - ordered by California and the Midwest states - now scheduled to be delivered? If things are still ongoing, why has the AASHTO executive board ceased releasing updates on the bi-level procurement and gives evasive, meaningless answers when questioned about it?

The bi-level car order (and design) is very far from alive and well; At best, its on life support.

Gilbert B Norman wrote:Mr. Scoostraw, at this time I think the V-II order will be considered to be the "champ" of procurement fiasco. Somehow, I think Chuck and Kirsten were "less than happy" that a major procurement (ACS-64) for Northeast equipment went to a California builder rather than one a bit more "domestic". I'd guess the V-II's were their "consolation".

Given the V-II order was done in July of 2010 and the ACS in October of 2010, I don't think one can view the V-IIs as a consolation.

And I'm with the others, while it's been extremely problematic, the first cars were only two years late. Here we are 5 years later, and as far as I know the ONLY shell built failed its compression test. I'd call that order far more of a fiasco.

Right now I think it's a race to see what happens first, the last of the current Viewliner order or the first (if ever) of the bilevel order.

Yep... did a little more reading and I see what you are saying about the new Bi-levels delivery. Only time will tell how all of this will pan out. I just hope that the money doesn't dry up before they can do something towards getting the order underway.

mtuandrew wrote:Having CAF build a Viewliner is like asking Suzuki to build a 1983 Dodge Diplomat with a modern V-8 drivetrain. It can be done, they're smart people, but they've never built anything quite like it even in the old days.

The Europeans generally don't build using stainless steel , good analogy.

The Europeans have occasionally used stainless steel, but lets also remember the longest service life of European equipment is probably about thirty years then its off to become razor blades. On the other hand, its not unusual to milk forty to fifty years out of equipment. I don't think railcars built with regular steel will hold up that long. Could you see any piece of non stainless European equipment still in regular heavy service at seventy years of age, like Amtrak's single level dining cars?
Cheers,
Nick