Gilbert B Norman wrote:Photo documentation posted "elsewhere" shows the "pickup" was Bag Dorms 68003 and 04.
More "tinker toys" - not likely to be assigned anywhere, anytime soon.
As I reluctantly saw as well!
Not even a wish and prayer as to where Amtrak would put such cars, other than playing hide and seek with them in Hialeah. God forbid the Viewliner II sleepers get deployed from CAF - something that potentially has some earning power for Amtrak. Summer consists out West and to/from Florida and Chicago are getting booked up pretty well in sleeper class. If Amtrak is going to operate the long distance equipment, they need to find capacity to do so.
Amtrak just as well send 30 Viewliner baggage cars BACK to CAF to be made into bagg/dorm cars as these Viewliner baggage cars operate with about a 25% load capacity within a system that is having its checked baggage staff handlers REDUCED.
The pennies that Boardman and company analyzed would be there have disappeared with the axing of positions. The Sunset Limited could easily get along with just a Superliner coach/baggage. Same for the Capitol Limited. A string of unused Viewliner Baggage cars were noted in Chicago Yards, and onthe Saluki and River Runner just to make axle count......such a waste. Spotted also - Heritage Diner in Chicago being used for axle count with its alleged cracked center sill.....Amazing how it still gets to be road worthy in other ways, which one would think it could still cause a catastrophe.