Viewliner II Delivery/Production

[Pacific 2-3-1]

i believe the comet / horizions were aliminuim .
Nz is going for stainless in its commuter cars too . they spend their whole life less than 5 miles from the sea .
any form of supposedly high speed train , i dont know for sure but i dont think they would use stainless .

Yes, Amtrak's Horizon cars are aluminum (not the underframe).

Unlike the Comet I (built by Pullman-Standard) and Comets II, III and IV (built by Bombardier-built using P-S patents), NJ Transit's low-level Comet V's were made of smooth-sided stainless steel by Alstom and completed in Hornell, NY.

The Comet V shells were constructed in Brazil at the former MAFERSA plant by Alstom, which had taken it over. MAFERSA in Brazil also built (as subcontractor to Tokyu Car) the original Virginia Railway Express low-level stainless steel cars that later went to Shore Line East.

It would seem at this time, if anyone's keeping score, that apart from Bombardier across the border in Quebec, the carbuilders that have the capability to produce a stainless steel carbody shell in the United States are limited to Kawasaki (the plant in Lincoln), MAYBE Alstom, and APPARENTLY CAF.

Another North of the border company, Canadian Vickers, constructed (to Budd patents) the Chicago-style bilevels ordered by the Canadian Pacific Railway for its Montreal commuter services. Canadian Vickers also fabricated the shells for the first Metro-North M-2 Cosmopolitan EMU's, and the stainless steel carbodies for the second order of Philadelphia-Lindenwold, NJ PATCO rapid transit cars. Budd built the first order of those.

[Greg Moore]

Yes, and the other sleeper prototype is behind the Wilington shops office building, hidden from normal viewing along NEC.

Why doesn't Amtrak do like they did with the diner and bring those back to active service as well?

I believe the diner was brought back partly to test some design ideas and also because they are so absolutely short of diners.

Whereas with these, at least one was being used for measurements and the like for the new contract and also, not sure where you'd put just 1 or 2 additional sleepers. Amtrak seems committed to having a fairly fixed consists, so 2 sleepers would throw that off a bit.

[Champlain Division]

"Boardman explained that the 130 single-level passenger rail cars are similar to the popular Viewliner model and includes 25 sleeping cars, 25 diners, 55 baggage cars and 25 baggage / dormitory cars for use primarily on long-distance trains."

The above quote is from Amtrak.com Archived News Releases.

Anybody got the scoop on exactly what these cars are gonna look like?

[DutchRailnut]

modified View liner
see :
http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 51&start=0

[Jersey_Mike]

Has anybody done a load study of Baggage cars on Amtrak? Do enough people check bags to make full baggage cars necessary or would Baggage/Coach cars be a better utilization of space?

[DutchRailnut]

If you read the thread link to new car discussion you would have found out that both will be constructed.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Judging from the amount of crap people seem compelled to bring on trips, the answer to Mike's inquiry is likely "they're needed". Fifty five Baggage cars will enable replacement of the existing "Heritage" fleet and sufficient to assign one to each Long Distance trainset System wide. However, there is adequate lead time before the first car is ready to be assembled for reevaluation of the cars configuration.

Who knows, maybe an additional 25 Sleepers could evolve and limiting the Baggages to thirty cars that would be assigned to Superliner sets with the Single level sets sufficing with the Bagg-Dorms. We certainy know it would not be hard to find assignment for those Sleepers.

Finally, allow me to note off topic that I have two upcoming trips during September - one and two nights out repsectively. First is CHI-303-STL-306-CHI and the second is KORD-KRIC-KORD. In both cases, my over the shoulder Flight Bag will carry anything I need. Of interest is Joe Sharkey's Business Travel column appearing in this past Tuesday's Times where he is addressing the overhead baggage situation (including Mr. Slater) aboard aircraft. Mine fits quite nicely under a Coach seat - 'been there done that" many times in this life (what the airlines really need to do is charge for overhead compartment use, yet allow one bag to be checked free).

[DutchRailnut]

bump

[ExNYC63]

Lest we forget, Amtrak still carries some express in its baggage cars. We sometimes forget this because there are no MHC cars anymore.

[Jersey_Mike]

I don't even think the current fleet of baggage cars have racks to more efficiently use the space. I would just hope that Amtrak has done a study on the issue instead of just implementing an upgrade to the status quo. For example if the baggage car experiences sharp demand peaks, some sort of convertible section might work The Superliner Coach-Baggage cars have always seemed like a clever design and something similar for a single level car could provide more value. Two ideas that come immediately to mind would be a first class lounge or a business class service for LD trains.

[Champlain Division]

What I meant was does anyone have access to drawings or artist conceptions depicting the new cars that they can post here?

[DutchRailnut]

not unless Amtrak starts posting the drawings, releasing propriatery info can get you in court.

[spacecadet]

What I meant was does anyone have access to drawings or artist conceptions depicting the new cars that they can post here?

Earlier in the thread, there was a quote from Boardman saying they weren't requiring the same shape as the original Viewliners. Later, someone else said they'd heard they will basically be as tall as a Viewliner but contoured like an Acela car and possibly without the second row of windows (I personally am having a hard time believing that last part).

So much for matched consists in the east... or at least getting it down to just two car types. Actually, fluted sides or not, one or two rows of windows, that stuff doesn't bother me so much, I just can't understand why they can't standardize on a basic *shape*. Do the railroad's needs change so much in 15-20 years that a few inches here or there or a contour vs. a hard corner really make a bit of difference?

[DutchRailnut]

They are, the Acela and Viewliner car are basicly same shape, and you won't see much different as the shape maximizes the useable interior space.

[Champlain Division]

Thanks Nut & Cadet,

I kinda sorta thought that was the case. I guess we'll just have to wait for Trains or Progressive Railroading to publish the drawings. I'll definitely be waiting with baited breath to see them. Especially the baggage cars!