Amtrak Heritage Diners Thread

The locomotive and Acella II orders have nothing to do with the late delivery of the Viewliner II order. Chalk that up to CAF incompetence or excessive Amtrak interference in the manufacturing process, whichever fits your view of the situation.

Mr. Chicago Heights Terminal Transfer is on mark regarding Amtrak interference.

Who knows to what extent there has been gross incompetence by CAF, but I have a feeling there has been plenty of the latter.

When will there be an equipment procurement in which the contractor will have the "spheres" to stand up to Amtrak as did Budd with the A-I's. "OK kiddies; this is what you will get two years after you sign on the dotted line; take it or leave it. Now go back to your sandbox at Elephant and play I'm The King of the Castle, but stay away from us".

Gilbert B Norman wrote:When will there be an equipment procurement in which the contractor will have the "spheres" to stand up to Amtrak as did Budd with the A-I's. "OK kiddies; this is what you will get two years after you sign on the dotted line; take it or leave it. Now go back to your sandbox at Elephant and play I'm The King of the Castle, but stay away from us".

How much was that the case with Bombardier and the Horizons? Comets were the only single-level, domestically-produced game in town.

Hoping Siemens offers up their Brightline coaches essentially as-is; same with Alstom's Avelia Liberty cars, if they are FRA-compliant as singles.

Budd was not take it or leave it, nor was Pullman, these companies had made custom to order per railroad cars from the start of their time based off base chassis designs. If you look at amtraks heritage cars most of them are all different based on their original railroad. The whole reason budd, St louis, pullman etc went under is because of the extensive requirements that the NYCTA had on subway cars in the late 60s early 70s to have air conditioning and modernized truck designs. Does anyone know about the Rockwell International truck problem they had on of of the car types? How about the AC problems that still plauge the ever so well made and long running R32 Budds?

No company as far as I know in the last 20 years has put anything on the tracks wheels turning with zero issues as far as I know. Everything has had some kind of stuff it had to go thru. The NJT Comet IVs I know had a lot of computer stuff they had to deal with since they were the first trains to try and utilize the wire train bus for the digital announcements. It took transit years in to the 2000s to make that work right. The AEM-7s had to be de rated right from the get go because they were actually too powerful and were blowing up traction motors. ALP44s had their issues in and out, some that never got corrected. Multilevels, lets not even go there with the derailing at exactly 9MPH with 100% success rate.

Amtrak had their issues with the acela trains etc, they are very fortunate that the ACS-64 delievery went very well and for the most part any issues they still have are minor mostly software glitches or cheap cab hardware issues. The propulsion system has been rock solid. The trucks still ride well with mileage on them and there aint too many funny noises coming from underneath yet.

If Amtrak wasn't so adverse to Mid trip switching , the shortage could be alleviated by switching the Diner in/out enroute. This would save at least one diner per route. For e.g the LSL diner is switched out at Buffalo( from NYP), returns on the next mornings train to NYP. The only dining meal missed out on is one breakfast into Chicago.

David Benton wrote:If Amtrak wasn't so adverse to Mid trip switching , the shortage could be alleviated by switching the Diner in/out enroute. This would save at least one diner per route. For e.g the LSL diner is switched out at Buffalo( from NYP), returns on the next mornings train to NYP. The only dining meal missed out on is one breakfast into Chicago.

That would require a crew in buffalo and an engine to remove the diner, set it out, mechanical to inspect it. Waste of money. And then when they go to add the car back in the car needs an air slip and the train will need another brake test to be sent on its way. So now thats more delays enroute or possible points of failure. Its more cost effective to just do it the way it is.

Now what happens if a diner is shopped in buffalo? DH it to NY? Albany? Chicago? Where will the replacement come from?

The nearest Mech is the contract crew at Niagara Falls,that can only do basic running repairs,Amtrak's unions would not be happy of about a remote control switcher,you need a ground power plug in to keep the fridges and freezers working, along with a ground air compressor for the air brakes,and a contract food supplier to replace spoiled supplies
A robot switcher,NOT EVEN a bright idea,the current remote controlled switchers are NOT that reliable!
AM is right,it's better to run the diner to Chicago.

BUMP....

Just wondering if there have been any further dispositions of Heritage Diners, i.e. have they been sold, etc.

This was the last I could find, back in 2018.

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... -donation/

No clue... I would assume they would of been sold, donated, or scrapped.

Still, I kinda wonder about getting one and rebuilding it into an "apartment car"...

All of the diners have long since been sold. Have they all left beech grove? im not sure.

At least one has been preserved and shipped to the Northern Pacific Railway Museum up here in Toppenish, WA, although they didn't really have it on display last time I visited.

I believe you will find one of the '58 vintage NP Budds in Uncle Warren's Execufleet.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 9:47 pm I believe you will find one of the '58 vintage NP Budds in Uncle Warren's Execufleet.

Considering NP—->BN—->BNSF, that makes sense. I don’t remember it at the business car tracks at Murray Yard, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. BN had a healthy executive fleet before merger.

This is a public group, so the FB post should come through:

If the car immediately noted is what I think it is, that's an ex-NYC Diner-Grill. According to Wayner, such was a '47 vintage from Budd. After the Century added Coaches during '58, it was added to the consist, serving "popular priced" fare so that The Peasants need not mingle with The Aristocracy.