Siemens Venture cars in revenue service on Lincoln services

Who is questioning Siemens quality? There's a learning curve with all new equipment.

I got to walk thru one of Siemens' manufacturing plants in Germany 20 years ago. You could have eaten off the floor.

eolesen wrote: ↑Mon Sep 05, 2022 9:53 am Who is questioning Siemens quality? There's a learning curve with all new equipment.

I got to walk thru one of Siemens' manufacturing plants in Germany 20 years ago. You could have eaten off the floor.

It's well-known that there's no such thing as "off the shelf" equipment for the US market, with nearly every procurement containing an excessive number of customizations. ADA requirements aside (hence wide aisles and narrow seats), it's interesting to compare how different the Illinois cars are from California cars and others. Each tackles the problem of their unique market with a different number of vestibules, married pairs, cafe cars, and other amenities.

That said, I haven't heard of any reliability problems, other than the weird lead issue and the weird magnetic table issue. Not know knowing whether it's the design or the build quality causing the problem, it's hard to say what the cause is.

One comparison to look at will be the Caltrain Stadler KISS EMUs. There are four 7-car trainsets onsite, and with the catenary energized, it'll be worth paying attention to the types of problems we see with Stadler as the testing ramps up.

I guess those Caltrans Stadler are based upon these:

https://www.bahnbilder.de/1024/westbahn ... 608465.jpg

Rode such Salzburg-Munich when I "was over" last month.

Does anyone here have any insight on why the Venture business class cars are not in service?

I understand there have been numerous technical issues with the coach cars, but they seem to be largely solved. Is Amtrak waiting until all business cars have been delivered before rolling them out, or are there separate mechanical/technical issues with the business class cars?

Siemens noted in a press release that CalTrans has accepted their first set of Siemens Venture coaches.

I noticed that today's 303 had the new cars and took an $8 ride to Joliet and back. They ride well, even over diamonds. The seat was very comfortable but I can't say I'd love it for an 8-10 hour voyage. The big windows were a plus and I'm sure if it was a nice day I would be glued to the view. I'm riding 302 back now, which is mostly Horizons (with one Venture on the rear) and it is night and day with a strong, strong edge going to the Venture.

Aboard BNSF 1244

Just observed fourteen "Ventures not exactly on an adventure" at Lumber St.

I saw a note that the a Siemens Venture cafe car destined for Amtrak Midwest has been sent to Canada for cold-weather testing.

Not sure if there is a dedicated Venture topic, but at least two coaches were sunning themselves at Delaware Car in Wilmington today.

Observed 380(8)

Charger, 2 Ventures, Horizon Café.

I saw half a dozen Wolverines in Kalamazoo and Albion last week (March 31-April 2) and all of them had at least one Siemens car. I saw at least three different consists, a couple of which were mixed Amfleet-Horizon-Siemens and one of which was three or four Siemens and an Amfleet cafe.

The transition to Siemens Venture cars feels like it's taking forever with only a couple of new cars sprinkled across many routes.

These consists are also extremely short. Did anyone know what remains to be delivered before all of Lincoln Service and Wolverine run on 100% Siemens equipment?

I don't know how many cars have been delivered, but I understand that out of the 97 cars ordered from Midwest Service, none of the 3 cab cars (for Hiawatha services) and 34 in 17 married pairs of cafe + economy car have been delivered. Of the remaining cars 29 are single economy cars and 34 in 17 married pairs of economy and economy / business class, I don't know how many have been delivered. Since the Lincoln and Wolverines run with a cafe and business class, the cafe car pairs and maybe the business class pairs need to be delivered and accepted into service by Amtrak before the Lincoln or Wolverines can run pure Siemens consists.

Some of the business class cars are now showing up in service although they are not being used for business class just yet and coach passengers can sit in them without getting any attendant service. Believe these are semi-permanently coupled to another car so they are switched in and out as a pair--like has been done with some other non Amtrak passenger equipment for years.

Mr. St Lou Steve, here is a video taken of 383(9) @ LAG.

Even though the Business Class section could be "roped off", apparently what you immediately reported, is occurring.

Now what escapes me is the "unofficial" practice Amtrak Conductors have "streetcaring" (lifting tickets as they board) passengers. Here, boarding at the X-ing with the train on the 2 Track, as well as holding a METRA on the 3, such is tolerated by any level of Amtrak management.

Now why the BNSF Train Dispatcher could not have given 383 the 3 Track and held the METRA at Congress Park also escapes me. With a Conductor and Assistant (or is 383 assigned a Conductor only, Agreement notwithstanding?), two vestibules could have been opened (assumed that "sticky" vestibule problem noted earlier has been addressed) and just board the passengers more expediently.

Lift the revenue once underway.