Siemens Venture cars in revenue service on Lincoln services

This should be in the Siemens Single Level Cars for CA/IL/Midwest discussion, but since that is closed for maintenance:

I saw this good news in the draft 2022-01-25 minutes of the AASHTO Section 305 Executive Board:

John Oimoen, IDOT, announced that new Venture cars will be put into revenue service for the Lincoln service next week.

Source: http://www.highspeed-rail.org/Documents ... 0draft.doc

Rumor is tomorrow, Tuesday, February 1, 2022, on the Lincoln Service trains #303 and 306 between Chicago and St. Louis. 301 leaves CHI 9:30 AM and arrives STL 2:50 PM. 306 Leaves STL @ 5:40 PM and arrives CHI 11:05 PM. Someone on another board will be aboard and providing a report.

Confirmed by Trains so-called Magazine to be on 303 (1) with a photo

Not the greatest picture, but nice to see them actually in service.

Here's an interior photo located at another site.

Somewhat not surprising to see them on the Lincoln Service considering that's the fastest Midwest service with 90mph speed limits when compared to 79 for the rest of the region. Good to see these coaches finally in service, with a much better interior than the Amfleets might I add. Also interesting to see that there's a lone amfleet cafe car in the consist. Are the Venture cafe cars not built yet?

Pensyfan19 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 01, 2022 7:01 pm Also interesting to see that there's a lone amfleet cafe car in the consist. Are the Venture cafe cars not built yet?

Apparently Amtrak wanted changes from the original design so they're delayed but are under construction now.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Tue Feb 01, 2022 1:48 pm Here's an interior photo located at another site.

Mr. Norman, thanks for posting that. It seems that through the history of rail photography there has been a lack of interior photographs which doesn't become apparent until 30 or so years later when you're looking for some.

Pensyfan19 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 01, 2022 7:01 pm Somewhat not surprising to see them on the Lincoln Service considering that's the fastest Midwest service with 90mph speed limits when compared to 79 for the rest of the region. Good to see these coaches finally in service, with a much better interior than the Amfleets might I add. Also interesting to see that there's a lone amfleet cafe car in the consist. Are the Venture cafe cars not built yet?

Fastest midwest service is the Wolverine, with 110 mph limits.

303(1) arriving St. Louis:

https://youtu.be/W76JqYidqjE

At the trailing end of each car is what appears to be a "blind" vestibule with a blank door and no retractable steps. At 1:03 it can be seen that on the last car there are no steps under the door on the right but there appear to be on the left, and at 1:08 there is a window visible in the left door. I never saw that in previous photos; does it mean that the "blind" doors on each car can be opened at high-level platforms at (future) stations so equipped, or is there some other explanation?

These cars have a single entrance on each side, but they are not across each other on the car. IIRC, these cars have integrated wheelchair lifts (instead of relying on stations having a lift stored on the platform), so it may be that fitting that lift in means they needed two vestibules, each with one step/lift equipped door.

So it appears, that this order will within a few months free up 42 Amfleets.

Thoughts on if they'll simply be added to existing routes, retired, or are there any routes close enough to the planning stage where Amtrak could roll them out for them (say extending some more trains into Virginia?)

Greg Moore wrote: ↑Wed Feb 02, 2022 11:15 pm So it appears, that this order will within a few months free up 42 Amfleets.

Thoughts on if they'll simply be added to existing routes, retired, or are there any routes close enough to the planning stage where Amtrak could roll them out for them (say extending some more trains into Virginia?)

Any planned corridor that has the infrastructure save for the stations? That's 4-8 trains, depending on consist size... just add engines. All they would need to do is build the stations with a platform, a truly temp "Amshack", and a parking lot.

>>>"So it appears, that this order will within a few months free up 42 Amfleets."<<<

Small detail but wouldn't some of the cars freed up actually be Horizon coaches?