Illinois Amtrak Service

[eolesen]

Some of those are cabs, no? Even better for the Hiawathas.

[F40CFan]

Just as long as they don't use those craptastic fixed seats that Metra is using. It's worse than Spirit airlines.

[dgvrengineer]

Tadman you are making way too much sense. Makes me sure it will never happen.

I don't know that they have that equipment anymore. They sold off a lot of stuff in the last decade or so. Some of it was wise - small fleet size and antiquated. Some of it was not wise. You have tourist operators and Mexican railways moving Amfleets and Horizons now.

That Sumitomo gallery car fleet is a large homegenous fleet of very reliable cars. You could immediately put ten into Hiawatha service without even changing the seats and free up ten Horizons for 4-5 hour runs. You could put another ten into downstate CN axle-count service. Now you have 20 free passenger cars to run in medium corridor service.

[RandallW]

What's the MAS for the Gallery cars?

[west point]

I'm sure they could find some other equipment to fill out the car count and put the Superliners into revenue service.

Like the raft of Caltrains gallery cars being put into storage that are relatively modern. Of course they won't do it.

Those cars only need to be road worthy not passenger worthy. The rear car will need to be conductor friendly for any back up moves. As far as road worthy a few extra axel sets and maybe a couple spare trucks. The main maintenance will be the dreaded COT&S and marker lights. Now is HEP compatible probably but not sure? Those cars would certainly have helped with the eclipse.

If Amtrak was really serious it would jump on the chance to cover short distance trains with those cars.
Only downside would be does Amtrak have enough storage space for those cars and for using to make up trains.?

[ryanwc]

I can't use the Illinois service to Spring-

Nevermind. I could swear I looked at this yesterday and the Eagle was scheduled for a different time. At any rate, I decided to leave a little earlier on Friday rather than a round-trip 7-8 hours of driving.

[Tadman]

What's the MAS for the Gallery cars?

I believe Metra has them at 79, not sure what the manufacturer says above that.

But also this does not have to be a situation where they drop directly into STL service and figure out how to run 110mph.

You can put 10ish into MKE service and not even modify the seats for a 90 minute ride, and get a cab car to free up a sprinter/cabbage.

You can put another 10ish into service as axle cars on the ex-IC and again not modify the seats, just run them in place of the random heritage baggages that were axle cars until recently.

Once that frees up ten useful cars, those can be moved over to 110mph lines and/or revenue service, easing the crunch.

Now that you have 10-20 free cars in revenue service that weren't once there, the shops can start to work on updating the gallery cars with standard seats at least downstairs.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Max speed over the FRA Class 4 BNSF Chicago Sub is 70 (how it ever got its "fanese" name of The Racetrack simply escapes me), although as Mr. Dunville notes, the METRA Gallery Cars could be rated for 79.

[eolesen]

I've GPS tracked them at 79+ on the grade separated portion of the UPNW a few times. That includes not only the NS cars but older PS and Budd cars.

Sent from my SM-S911U using Tapatalk

[ryanwc]

On the NB train now, a conductor was telling his colleague that the existing cafe car will go to the Borealis next week and this train will get a new cafe car. And if I understood, a full business class car. I may head back for a coffee refill and ask about that.

Riding the Lincoln Service remains impressive, piercing the morning farm country fog at 110 mph, watching the cars you’ve passed on the interstate disappear behind you into the mist.

75 people just boarded in Bloomington-Normal with a plurality wearing Cubs garb.

[dowlingm]

For those interested, a write up of the VIA Venture train includes a couple of pictures of their galley setups. So far as I know, VIA has ordered no dedicated food service cars.
https://timstraintravels.blogspot.com/2 ... -rail.html

[west point]

. And if I understood, a full business class car. I may head back for a coffee refill and ask about that.

A check with a single day reservations shows all trains except Eagle offering Business class $73 - 107.

[ryanwc]

With what looks like the old cafe car showing up in video of the new Borealis train, it would be interesting to hear from someone who sees a Lincoln Service train this week - have they replaced the old cafe car with a new Siemens Venture car?

[Gilbert B Norman]

Two observations today:

#380(14) Charger, two Ventures, Horizon, AmClub. "More or less OT".

#381 (14) Charger, four Ventures, AmClub. It was about 150ML. Wonder how that "sob" plays.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Observed 380 (15) "more or less" ZOT.

Charger, two Venrures. Horizon, AmClub


Still waiting for a Ventire Food Service, just like you all are awaiting an Avelia.