Rohr RTL III Turboliners: Status, Location, Disposition

[DutchRailnut]

except the cars CT rail uses are only on short term lease.

[BandA]

Yes! Put Turbo seats into the MBB!

[Backshophoss]

The MBB's have been "rebuilt" on ConnDOT's dime already, NOT worth it!!
As it is, Amtrak could have used the cars between the power units as regular passenger cars, instead due to Super Steel's screwups,
they are scrap fodder, after all the local Swat/ESU's destroy the interiors for training purposes.
So ends the legacy of the Rohr turbos, as scrap.

[John_Perkowski]

ADMIN NOTE:

Stay on current usage of this equipment, please.

[ApproachMedium]

There will be no useage of the seats from these trains for anything else. Its amtrak owned, the seats need to stay as part of the "simulations" Amtrak is not parting these out, and they arent scrapping them. End of story. Done. Maybe the topic can just get locked now.

[eolesen]

Agree people are grasping at straws on any hopes for this equipment.

Locking might be appropriate, but then we'd need a new thread when they're actually scrapped or maybe selected for preservation somewhere...

[Nasadowsk]

There's a chunk of one (or an RTG, I don't remember) on display in Mulhouse. The engine to it is tiny. Beyond that, it's a pretty ho hum 60's 70's vintage French railcar.

[Jim Kaufman]

Worked these Turbos for years out of ALB...Montreal/NFL/NYG-NYP/SYR. The State of New York, along with Amtrak, got their monies worth out of the 7 "6 car sets", nearly 30 years. Pax loved these trains for the extra large windows. BUT very expensive to operate. In first years, fuel was jet aviation (motive power was a hybrid jet helicopter engine); then the engines were taken out and replaced by TurboMeca engines from France that ran on No.2 fuel oil.Also had Amtrak technician on board at all times on trips on the road.
Operating crews also liked working these turbos (I know I did), missed them when they went to Bear. The two that were "re-made" at Super (Stupid?) Steel in Schenectady were "junk" from the start, tough to work in coaches, seats were like bus seats (pax hated the seating arrangements), cafe car was smaller, "Business Class" had same seating as coaches (no 2-1 seating as in the Rohr seats or in RTG sets)...so why pay extra fare were the comments I heard.
NYS sold this refurbishment "idea" to Amtrak to "upgrade" service! What baloney!
I was CDR on one of these Super Steel remakes on a cold Dec back in 2002 or '03, coming into CP 125. TK 2...we came to a stop, the air had equalized account speed restriction automatic braking reduction, and three pax FLUSHED toilets at same time! Tech advised that we close (lock) three unisex restrooms to keep brakes from applying in normal running!
Someone should have went to jail for these remakes at "Stupid Steel".

[Matt Johnson]

Wow, thanks for sharing your insights! I had read something about the toilet flushing causing brake issues once before, but I dismissed it, saying nah, that can't be true! But maybe that's what caused our stop when I first took the train in June 2003. I assumed it was just a signal restriction, but we actually came to a stop on the high speed stretch between Hudson and Albany, and as a result topped out at around 90 mph on the 110 stretch.

One minor correction though: the business class section did in fact have 2-1 seating. And I think the seat pitch was greater, but otherwise the seats were the same as those in coach. Here's photographic evidence:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeMNcHxlAHE/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bostontrainguy]

Actually two sets were used. I rode aboard the first one in June 2003 and aboard the second set in October 2003.

Here are a couple of shots from that second trip:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSZGHr2FKih/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeLkybOl5xt/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On that trip we also spotted the newly delivered third set hiding out with the first over by the Rensselaer shops:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSZCbZSFl7q/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So weird how modern and sleek they still look!

[Jim Kaufman]

Matt, thanks for correction on BC seating, both power cars had this seating...which caused some confusion on BC pax who paid extra, and coach pax sitting in other BC accommodation, which only regular coach fares were required.

[Matt Johnson]

Hopefully this link will work, as it shows a better view of the power car 2-1 seating. I guess I can see how it was a little less inviting than the Amfleet seating. I don't know what vendor provided those seats but I haven't seen them on any other vehicles (trains, ferries, etc.) that I've come across so far. The seatbacks reclined into that fixed seat plastic shell thing, so that the seatback didn't move back into the passenger space behind it. I guess that's a decent idea. But yeah, they looked a little chintzy.

[Backshophoss]

After all the paintball slinging, the interiors will be toast! As a reference, watch the training sim scene from the movie reboot of SWAT
so as to see what's left of the 747 interior.
Sad that Super(stupid) steel did such a hack job on the trio of rebuilt sets, it would have taken ages for Albany Turbo Shop to repair the screwups!
As built they rode well and enjoyed the wide windows, seats were great. for a round trip joy ride from Harmon to Albany and back.
Add to that how LIRR's DM/DE 30's were built by them as well with EMD's Guidance,that required a side trip to CR's Altoona shop for rebuilding/
debugging due to their "work"

[bostontrainguy]

Hopefully this link will work, as it shows a better view of the power car 2-1 seating. I guess I can see how it was a little less inviting than the Amfleet seating. I don't know what vendor provided those seats but I haven't seen them on any other vehicles (trains, ferries, etc.) that I've come across so far. The seatbacks reclined into that fixed seat plastic shell thing, so that the seatback didn't move back into the passenger space behind it. I guess that's a decent idea. But yeah, they looked a little chintzy.

Isn't that the way the new Brightline (Virgin) seats work?

[ApproachMedium]

It is how they work. but they are much larger and more comfortable than these cheapo turbo seats