V-Bags; Could They.....

[Gilbert B Norman]

Indeed noted, Mr. Dunville.

That of SP 102 appears to be circa July 1968, when I rode from Sacramento to Ogden after returning from 'Nam. I was asleep before Auburn, and awoke next morning X-ing Great Salt Lake. Even though I had 30 days leave, I wanted to "check out" my next duty station, Hill AFB.

But your point is taken; forty of Amtrak SDP-40's lived out their service lives on the ATSF. But the other 110? Well, I guess there were some parts that could have been applied to the replacement F-40's, but much became "to look sharp, and feel sharp too".

[Red Wing]

Amtrak would of course like to discontinue Baggage service on more routes, as well as more LD trains themselves. Further, if not already, they should be making best use of the Coach Baggage cars, such as permanently eliminating the Bagg line on 3-4, Chief, which is what they have done for the COVID duration.

I thought 3-4 did a very good baggage business with all the Boy Scout's going to Philmont during the summer?

[Arborwayfan]

Equip a certain number of the cars with self-serve bike racks and automatic doors and offer self-serve bike service between all high-platform stations on the NEC, at least during certain seasons. Allow pax to board with bikes, rack them up while train starts, and walk through train to seats. I suspect Amtrak could charge enough for bikes AND get enough additional pax because of the bike service to offset the cost. Maybe we're not looking at the NYP to PHL market here, but a lot of intermediate city pairs would work for a bike-train-bike trip.

Include ski racks above or alongside or as part of the bike racks and run the cars on ski routes in winter.

If structurally feasible, convert some into coach-baggage combines. Or coach-ski/bike combines.

[mtuandrew]

I’m with the “keep them as-is” crowd. Amtrak won’t get a chance to replace bags until I’m drawing SSI (if that even exists by then.) They can always order more LD cars, again given funding.

[DutchRailnut]

V bags no they can't, other than 480 volt HEP lines and a minimum electrical system for lights, battery charger and small exhaust fans. they have nothing , no ceiling baffles for air ducts , no AC no full Heating system, no doors other than big baggage doors. its a basic shell on trucks.
No toilet systems or water tanks etc etc etc

[Jeff Smith]

Equip a certain number of the cars with self-serve bike racks and automatic doors and offer self-serve bike service between all high-platform stations on the NEC, at least during certain seasons. Allow pax to board with bikes, rack them up while train starts, and walk through train to seats. I suspect Amtrak could charge enough for bikes AND get enough additional pax because of the bike service to offset the cost. Maybe we're not looking at the NYP to PHL market here, but a lot of intermediate city pairs would work for a bike-train-bike trip.

Include ski racks above or alongside or as part of the bike racks and run the cars on ski routes in winter.

If structurally feasible, convert some into coach-baggage combines. Or coach-ski/bike combines.

I like the bike/ski idea... and congrats on your recent 1,000th post! That would have been the one in the Roadshow MOW topic... and thanks for being a member for so long.

[Arborwayfan]

Well, that was a special surprise!

I like it here. People are nice. People disagree without pounding the table. People present facts and interpretations and cite sources or explain special personal knowledge. There are people with all different experiences and expertise (mileage collectors, photographers, authors, modelers, both kinds of engineers, head office RR people, other RR workers, general fans, people wanting travel advice, etc.) and everyone shares what they know.

My compliment to all of you is this: When I have to use online forums for classes, I try to come up with questions that will get the kind of discussions we get here, because I have seen how well online discussions can work if people's hearts and brains are in it.

Some stuff online makes me agitated, angry, depressed. Railroad.net usually makes me happy, except that too often I think "I should not have spent so much time on that..."


And, back on topic, V bags with bike/ski racks would still be baggage cars, too, with just some unbolting or cutting of the racks, if ever needed.

[David Benton]

My wife thinks I spend to long on here.she's probably right as usual
While the framing probably has spacings for Windows, the same as the sleepers, stainless sheet is hard to cut and weld without buckling or distortion. Its a specialist job and wouldn't be cheap.

[Backshophoss]

The given is the bag-Dorms and the Bags already have bike racks installed(a limited amount)having a moduler Bike/Ski Rack setup
that attachs to mount points on the walls could be useful,however,not to be ghoulish in the covid -19 era,the baggage is "last ride
home" for caskets to final resting place.

[Tadman]

But your point is taken; forty of Amtrak SDP-40's lived out their service lives on the ATSF. But the other 110? Well, I guess there were some parts that could have been applied to the replacement F-40's, but much became "to look sharp, and feel sharp too".

I think quite a few of those 110 had their prime mover and generator used for F40PH as a trade in. Can't remember for sure.

It would be an educated guess that none of those 110 went fully to scrap. The prime movers were maybe 5-ish years old, as were generators and traction motors. If they didn't go into locomotives, they went into tugboats and oil rigs. Many tugs have EMD and GEVO prime movers and the oil rigs love EMD traction motors.

[Backshophoss]

The SDP-40F's had yeilded their Prime movers,traction motors, main and aux generators,and wheelsets for remanufactuering into the F40PH's.
the remains went to scrap or the parts room

[Tadman]

Amtrak would of course like to discontinue Baggage service on more routes, as well as more LD trains themselves. Further, if not already, they should be making best use of the Coach Baggage cars, such as permanently eliminating the Bagg line on 3-4, Chief, which is what they have done for the COVID duration.

I thought 3-4 did a very good baggage business with all the Boy Scout's going to Philmont during the summer?

They sure did at one time. I once rode to Lawrence with 100+ boy scouts. I feared a bunch of rambunctious young men but the group was really well behaved model citizens, I was certainly impressed.

[bdawe]

once rode to Lawrence with 100+ boy scouts. I feared a bunch of rambunctious young men but the group was really well behaved model citizens, I was certainly impressed.

That's not that surprising. Philmont is for the "superscouts"

not really even at the level of rambunctitude that I'd see back in my camp councillor days, much less the general population of groups-of-teenagers

[SouthernRailway]

The Wall Street Journal reports that due to massive cutbacks in passenger flights, air freight capacity is down significantly. Air freight shippers are searching for additional capacity and are shifting to other modes of shipping freight, and air freight pricing is going way up.

In this market, why isn't Amtrak heavily marketing itself as an alternative to air freight, and using these baggage cars more?

[DutchRailnut]

unless its small palatalized stuff it would violate agreements with freight railroads.