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  • Amtrak DMU / RDC Potential Operation Discussion

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

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1544905  by gokeefe
 

mtuandrew wrote:I wish I had the answer to when an AC is needed - maybe the Heartland Flyer is comparable? - but yes staffing is a big question. A crew of two would make such a service relatively reasonable, but three crew starts to eat up the revenue and increase the deficit even more.
Anything more than five working cars requires a second assistant conductor added to the original crew of two. Then as I recall it's one more assistant conductor for every three additional working cars. Cafe cars are counted as "working cars" from what I understand and recall. "Those who know" can of course provide more reliable information.


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 #1544931  by mtuandrew
 
Thanks for that info, George! Are you sure there aren’t other car attendants?

If a crew of two + one cafe attendant can handle a single train, I think I misjudged what Amtrak should consider. For instance, Stadler has a full stable of products that could be mixed-and-matched. Specifically, I’m looking at the FLIRT200 platform (the high-level variant) with traps installed and walk-through cabs if possible, but using a souped-up version of the FLIRT160 diesel power pack as used in Texas. A four-car set would do nicely, or a three-car set if Amtrak would prefer to triple the consists.
 #1544943  by gokeefe
 
As I understand it car attendants were provided on the Long Distance services. I have never heard of them on the state supported routes.

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 #1545186  by R36 Combine Coach
 
Regarding DMUs, I'm familar with London Underground's D stock converted into DMUs for low density service. One thing I thought is NYCT's R32s converted to DMUs for branch line and low density much like the D stock. The main issue is the end crash specs (never sure if the R32s were rated to the ICC end buff load in their day), but the fact that one Sperry railcar (SRS 140) was built from a leftover NYCT IRT R33 shell in 1965 hints it may be possible after all.
mtuandrew wrote: Sat Jun 06, 2020 1:43 amUnless you’re talking about mainline service that happens to be eight DMUs, the average 2-car train in Britain would probably be served by either a coach bus or a full-size train here. For the concept to be useful here, it needs to serve odd places (worse highway, better railroads), be an off-hours version of a full train, or be a section of a train that would allow passengers a one-seat ride instead of a forced transfer to a bus.
VIA uses the short DMU format in Northern Ontario local service (really only one car since the RDC4 is baggage/express only).

MUs (Arrows) seem to work the the Gladstone Branch fine and back in the Lackawanna regime and into NJDOT, the 1930 Lackawanna electrics could be combined or split at Summit to and from Dover trains, allowing through one-seat rides to Hoboken Terminal, illustrating the beauty of MU operation.
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