Siemens Brightline Equipment/Train Sets

UP crew picked up first Brightline train for Florida at Siemens plant today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELkw306DaCo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

UP symbol SFLNO-08

UP 4418
SIIX 101 Charger SC-44
SIIX 201 Coach
SIIX 431 Coach
SIIX 432 Coach
SIIX 401 Coach
SIIX 102 Charger SC-44

Anyone know the routing for this move?

Supposedly the UP Sunset Route to New Orleans, then CSX over to Jacksonville. South of there, I do not know. Most likely FEC.

with the cars not yet approved, should it not be heading for Pueblo for testing ?

A report on Trainorders puts it east of Indio, CA, on the Sunset Route. Doesn't mean it can't go to Pueblo, though.

And the latest from over there:

"No, the Chargers are already 125mph qualified. The coaches are qualified to 79mph and will be speed upgraded to 125mph in Florida."

UP Sunset Route to NOL, then CSX to Florida.

Viewing opportunities:

Scheduled Arrival Yuma, AZ 12/09/16 14:55
Scheduled Departure Yuma, AZ 12/09/16 15:55
Scheduled Arrival Tucson, AZ 12/10/16 00:55
Scheduled Departure Tucson, AZ 12/10/16 02:00
Scheduled Arrival Santerrt, NM 12/10/16 10:50
Scheduled Departure Santerrt, NM 12/10/16 12:40
Scheduled Arrival Alpine, TX 12/11/16 00:20
Scheduled Departure Alpine, TX 12/11/16 01:20
Scheduled Arrival Delrio, TX 12/11/16 09:20
Scheduled Departure Delrio, TX 12/11/16 10:20
Scheduled Arrival Kirby, TX 12/11/16 19:20
Scheduled Departure Kirby, TX 12/11/16 21:05
Scheduled Arrival Dyersdale, TX 12/12/16 07:05
Scheduled Departure Dyersdale, TX 12/12/16 08:05
Scheduled Arrival Beaumont, TX 12/12/16 11:15
Scheduled Departure Beaumont, TX 12/12/16 11:50
Scheduled Arrival Livonia, LA 12/12/16 19:35
Scheduled Departure Livonia, LA 12/12/16 20:35
Scheduled Arrival Neworlean, LA 12/13/16 05:25

Lets hope there's a rider onboard to prevent UP or CSX from flatwheeling the set enroute!

Nice looking train. I'm surprised that Siemens didn't make the nose shroud retractable. Even if an Acela style retraction into the nose was too Rube Goldberg, having it retract up as with the RTL-III Turboliner seems like a convenient option.

http://railpictures.net/photo/598835/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://railpictures.net/photo/450009/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

more on it here : http://gobrightline.com/siemens-complet ... acramento/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
including video link in text.

DutchRailnut wrote:with the cars not yet approved, should it not be heading for Pueblo for testing ?

The sets will be tested in Florida prior to revenue service.

Thoughts: Will Brightline need more rolling stock when service to Cocoa starts ? Seem to have heard that loads were higher than thought on the Palm Beach - MIA before ovid-19 ? Is Siemens production running ahead or behind in deliveries. If ahead then maybe some Amtrak or other deliveries could be slotted in ? Know Siemens is still hiring.

Brightline/Virgin was supposed to expand the 4 car sets to 7 cars and order a couple more 7 car trainsets for Phase II to Orlando as I recall.

Would anyone know when the next trainset is going to look like when it arrives and how many cars it will have? I heard it's arriving in Sep. 2021.

What a seven car consist will be and what they proposed it would be years ago may end up being different. But they did suggest years ago in the FEIS the following:
"The intercity passenger rail service would operate with new diesel-electric locomotives and single-level coach trains. The rolling stock for the Project would consist of ten train sets. Eight train sets would be required to be in concurrent operation along the AAF route to deliver regularly scheduled, hourly-service frequency. Each train set would be comprised of two locomotives, and seven coach-type passenger cars (two Business Cars, a Café/Economy Car, four Economy Coach Cars). In addition, AAF would procure one spare locomotive and one spare café car. The two-locomotive arrangement provides redundant push/pull operation and would assure smooth operations up to the maximum speed of 125 mph even with an expansion of the train set to nine cars, if needed. The fleet and all facilities (stations and maintenance) are designed to accommodate expansion to nine-car trains."
Source = https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot ... _I_OPT.pdf

p.s. A great place to search for detailed answers on new transportation projects is the EIS. I hope this helps.