Nippon Sharyo bilevels for Amtrak corridor trains

Backshophoss wrote:CAF is building the 2nd gen Viewliners (Sleepers,Diners,Dorm-Bag,and Baggage) for Amtrak

Yeah, I was talking about the Viewliners when I mentioned CAF in my comment. I was speculating about the Amfleet replacements.

The Viewliner body shell might become the single level coach as well,after the other order is done.
Unless BBD can recreate the jigs needed to build 3rd gen Amfleet.

I suspect that the next generation corridor coaches will be based on the LRC coaches used by VIA, these coaches were the basis of the Acela coaches, and the LRC coaches in VIA service have proven very reliable and popular. Also the drawings that Amtrak has of next generation single level coaches basically show cars of this nature. Fortunately the LRC and Viewliners have very similar profiles.
Cheers,
Nick

Why are we turning a topic about multi level corridor cars to be ordered into a viewliner topic.
Did you guys all go to authistic class ?.
When we had a viewliner topic some nincompoops turned it into a superliner tread, WTF are we dislexic or something ????

Nippon Sharyo will build excellent bilevels for Amtrak. There, back on topic.

I don't think they ever built cars for Amtrak.

are there any pictures or drawings as to what these cars are going to look like (exterior and interior)? Should we assume they are going to look exactly like the prior Nippon Sharyo's gallery cars built for Metra or closer to the "Superliner based" bi-levels built for Caltrans / aka "Amtrak California"?

A while back I remember reading the specifications issued by Amtrak in their bidding proposal request for new bi-level cars but as I understand these cars are being ordered by the state of Illinois, not Amtrak so I assume they are based on a completely different specification.

I think the distinction between Amtrak ordering new bilevels, and the states ordering new bilevels for Amtrak, doesn't deserve the hair-splitting treatment you're giving it, Dutch. It's not as though these cars are going to Metra, after all. Once completed, they'll be staffed by Amtrak conductors and maintained by Amtrak shop personnel, presumptively at Beech Grove. The riders will be buying tickets on amtrak.com and paying Amtrak fares. So for the 99% of us who aren't accountants, can we let some of the imprecision slide?

That said, can we get some mod cleanup in here for the single-level derp? This is not a Viewliner II/Amfleet III thread.

I'm looking forward to seeing these new cars out on the road in a few years. It's good to hear that the Metra EMU order is going well; it means that there's minimal risk of problems with the Highliners jamming up the factory, which is what is happening to MBTA with their order from Rotem.

CComMack wrote: I'm looking forward to seeing these new cars out on the road in a few years. It's good to hear that the Metra EMU order is going well; it means that there's minimal risk of problems with the Highliners jamming up the factory, which is what is happening to MBTA with their order from Rotem.

The Highliner order is supposed to be split in two. Some cars will be built, then they're taking a break and building cars for another agency (a smaller order - I think some LRVs for an agency out west?). Then they'll go back to building the rest of the Highliner order. Some of the news articles published about the new cars indicated N-S's quality control is pretty solid.

Bombardier may start losing business to these guys. They've had some well-publicized quality control issues with the new CTA "L" cars being delivered - including an effort on their part to try and cheap out on replacing wheel bearing housings known to be defective. I bet there are some people at the CTA wishing Nippon-Sharyo had setup shop in IL when that order was placed several years ago.

Bombardier has lost plenty business to Nippon Sharyo - 600+ cars over 30 years, including the account with the largest gallery car buyer in the world. That said, CTA and Metra have totally separate purchasing departments and processes. If Metra made a rule tomorrow that there was to be no more BBD products, CTA could go out and buy them tomorrow.

I'm really looking forward to this order as its the first Amtrak order in a long time that isn't going to be a from a total "science experiment specification".

ngotwalt wrote:I suspect that the next generation corridor coaches will be based on the LRC coaches used by VIA, these coaches were the basis of the Acela coaches, and the LRC coaches in VIA service have proven very reliable and popular. Also the drawings that Amtrak has of next generation single level coaches basically show cars of this nature. Fortunately the LRC and Viewliners have very similar profiles.
Cheers,
Nick

Aren't the LRC couches aluminum and the Acela coaches stainless steel? From a structural standpoint they wouldn't have much in common. Aluminum and stainless steel have very different properties.

dizelinr wrote:are there any pictures or drawings as to what these cars are going to look like (exterior and interior)? Should we assume they are going to look exactly like the prior Nippon Sharyo's gallery cars built for Metra or closer to the "Superliner based" bi-levels built for Caltrans / aka "Amtrak California"?

A while back I remember reading the specifications issued by Amtrak in their bidding proposal request for new bi-level cars but as I understand these cars are being ordered by the state of Illinois, not Amtrak so I assume they are based on a completely different specification.

The specification for these cars was developed based on a process set forth by PRIIA, and managed by ASHTO. Go to the ASHTO site to see the specification - all 500 or so pages of it - in gory detail.

they will look like the California superliner commuter cars.

DutchRailnut wrote:they will look like the California superliner commuter cars.

Which commuter agency in CA uses the superliners?

DutchRailnut wrote:they will look like the California superliner commuter cars.

Actually the Surfliner cars. Thiose were sort of used as the template for the specification by the ASHTO team.