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Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1541704  by John_Perkowski
 
Matt Johnson wrote: Mon May 04, 2020 4:54 pm any switch to single level equipment would lead to the boarding complications of using traps, though that obviously didn't stop Siemens from replacing the most recent bilevel order with single level equipment.
Not necessarily. Fixed steps were rhe standard until the streamline era, and some roads (SP comes to mind) ordered some of their LW cars with fixed steps.

Traps were sprung or piston equipped pieces of 1/4” sheet metal.
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 #1541771  by mtuandrew
 
Retractable traps have been in use for decades, any manufacturer should be able to reverse-engineer one that works in any condition. Automatic ramps or lifts, less so, but Siemens has a workable design for platform extenders and there are a number of companies that make suitable lifts for buses and mobility vans.
 #1573943  by Pensyfan19
 
No new Superliners (for now). Amtrak's refurbishing their existing Superliners.

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... interiors/
CHICAGO — Amtrak has begun a two-year project to refurbish interiors of its Superliner fleet, showing off the first car to be completed at an event earlier this week at Chicago Union Station. Along with the coach completely refitted with new seats, carpeting, and curtains, the company provided previews of the look for Sightseer Lounge and sleeping cars.

Superliner dining cars will also receive the new look, which carries the color scheme, fabric selections, and design elements across all car types, as will Viewliner I sleeping cars. Overall, the project will cost close to $30 million.

The new seats reflect but do not duplicate those used in the Acela fleet, making use of the same materials. “So we know it’s wearing really well,” says Roger Harris, Amtrak executive vice president, chief marketing and revenue officer. “The Acelas …  were done about 2½ years ago, and they look new, still. So we think it’s going to be a big step forward in terms of maintainability.”
As with any government agency, Amtrak is only going to get a limited amount of funding, with the "unprofitable" LD routes getting the bottom of the barrel with frequency and quality. This has me thinking, what if all intercity routes were to be given to private companies like Brightline, and Amtrak were to run the LD routes and invest most of their funding to improving service on those lines? This would allow them to purchase new cars instead of refurbishing the same 50+ year old Superliners (or even HSTs) and increase frequency to desirable levels on busy corridors, such as Chicago to LA, and NY to New Orleans? (Not west coast, but general discussion of LDs)
 #1573944  by lordsigma12345
 
While brightline is an exciting project - the jury is still out on whether brightline’s model will actually work. Can it make enough money for them to get a return on their investment? That’s still not known. I wouldn’t look to them as the be and end all of operating corridors. Contract operators such as Keolis or Hertzog or of course an option.
 #1573945  by Arborwayfan
 
You've got the thing about availability of money for new cars backwards.

Private companies will not invest in equipment for trains where the fares don't even cover the operating costs. Private companies wouldn't even run the LD trains if Amtrak gave them the equipment for nothing.

Congress, on the other hand, might find it useful to appropriate money for Amtrak equipment.
 #1573954  by ExCon90
 
It's important to remember (see earlier posts) that Brightline's objective from the beginning was to use the rail service to enhance the value of its adjoining real estate, somewhat on the Japanese model. That's where the money is, according to the plan.
 #1573962  by electricron
 
ExCon90 wrote: Thu Jun 17, 2021 8:56 pm It's important to remember (see earlier posts) that Brightline's objective from the beginning was to use the rail service to enhance the value of its adjoining real estate, somewhat on the Japanese model. That's where the money is, according to the plan.
Which is great for Brightline's parent corporation, but not so for Amtrak. Amtrak's parent is not a private corporation at all, but the US government. Should Amtrak be in the real estate mogul business. Should the US government enter the "for profit" real estate business?
 #1573963  by electricron
 
Will Amtrak be refurbishing Superliner 1, Superliner 2, or both?
They have recently refurbished the Superliner 1 sleepers, but not the 2 sleepers.
Here's a recent listing of their Superliner fleet roster.
Superliner 1
Coach/Baggage 31000-31047 42
Sleeper 32000-32069 58 (already refurbished)
Lounge 33000-33024 19
Auto Train Lounge (ex-diners) 33100-33104 5
Coach 34000-34101 69
Coach California-funded Repairs* 31934, 34943, 34951, 34953, 34960, 34967, 34981 7 (already refurbished?)
Snack Coach (ex-coach) 35001-35011 6
DinerLounge 37000-37016 14 (The universally disliked Cross Country Club cars)
Diner 38000-38034 12

Superliner 2
Sleeper 32070-32118 46
Deluxe Sleeper 32500-32505 6
Lounge 33025-33049 23
Coach 34102-34139 30
BusinessClass (previously Family/Kiddie Car) former (341xx Coaches) 34504, 34508, 34510, 34512, 34515 5
Diner 38039-38068 30
Trans. Dorm/Sleeper 39000-39046 41

After reviewing the linked article, it is not a heavy maintenance refurb, just the carpets, seats, and bedding being refurbished. So most likely all the Superliners will get these refurbs.
Last edited by electricron on Thu Jun 17, 2021 10:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 #1573964  by R&DB
 
Ron wrote:
Should the US government enter the "for profit" real estate business?
Perhaps, just to reduce taxes and subsidize Amtrak. :wink:
 #1573974  by RRspatch
 
Well it's nice to see those old tired "dropping like flies" Superliners are finally getting an upgrade. This should hopefully help them to last a while longer until a Superliner III order can be made.
 #1573981  by eolesen
 
Carpet and upholstery are quick upgrades that don't cost a whole lot, especially since both need to be swapped out occasionally for cleaning/laundering and shelf stocks need to be continually backfilled due to spoilage e.g. stains that simply won't come out or involvement with biohazards like bodily fluids....

On airplanes we would do a complete swap every 90 days or so during a long sit. It's an overnight job (approx four hours on a 737) to do both.

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 #1573984  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Mr. Olesen, from the ServiceMaster Crew Chief of such that does an "annual top to bottom" cleaning of my house, I've learned that they hold a contract to do such change out work for Delta at ORD.

Believable, in that ORD is not any kind of hub for Delta, but aircraft do sit there overnight. Naturally at ATL, their own people would do that kind of work, but at ORD, an outside contractor is more matched to the volume they'd have.
 #1574015  by eolesen
 
Sometimes that work is driven by the availability of an industrial laundry and the necessary equipment to properly clean the carpets via an assembly line.

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