Dang these are nice looking! Amtrak should buy these for their Surfliners, look a darn lot better than those cinderblock cabcars they use now.
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_15011142?source=rss
Have fun with your trains
As slick as the cab cars look they are not functional. The shovel nose Cab car has no way to be an intermediate car and the other one does not either. I can not tell you how often you see cab cars in the middle of a train on commuter services so the un needed cars are not run empty during non rush hour times. Looks great but not very economical!
In this case, Economics is not at all important while safety is.
I don't think they add that much of a safety factor while eliminating flexibility. There isn't much of a crush zone ahead of the cab. They don't look that good, either.
Well to each there own, but I think they look a fair lot nicer than these flatfaced aerobricks
And after the Chatsworth crash I'm pretty sure the engineers feel a whole lot safer with that 'crumple zone' in front of them.
vsmith And after the Chatsworth crash I'm pretty sure the engineers feel a whole lot safer with that 'crumple zone' in front of them.
Final repot not in on Chatsworth crashworthyness but suspect would have been same results due to speeds and happening on a curve.
Given that they ordered 117 cars (coaches and cab ends) I think the long term goal is to replace their aging coach fleet with newer "state of the art" cars, only time will tell how well they work out.
Chatsworth was such an unusual combination of events its hard to say if anything different on the head end would have resulted differently, certainly an F40 cabbage unit results would likely have been no different than with the F59, God only knows how much worse if it had been a cab end car. Better some sort of crumple zone than nothing at all. Which would you rather be in during a head on crash, a brand new Mercedes or an old Ford van?
vsmithWell to each there own, but I think they look a fair lot nicer than these flatfaced aerobricks And after the Chatsworth crash I'm pretty sure the engineers feel a whole lot safer with that 'crumple zone' in front of them.
NatarajI like these cars :D
Maybe but AMC sold alot of Pacers and Gremlins too.
vsmithNatarajI like these cars :D Maybe but AMC sold alot of Pacers and Gremlins too.
Natarajvsmith NatarajI like these cars :D Maybe but AMC sold alot of Pacers and Gremlins too. AMC?
vsmith NatarajI like these cars :D Maybe but AMC sold alot of Pacers and Gremlins too.
AMC was American Motors Corp, formerly Nash-Kelvinator. The main assembly plant was in Kenosha. They acquired Jeep from the remnants of Kaiser Industries sometime in the 1970's, I think. AMC was later absorbed by Chrysler, mostly for the Jeep division.
They look cool, but I wouldn't want to drive one. Now, a nice Alco "PA" nose would work, a true SUV destroyer! BTW, are all the controls/instructions bi-lingual? Didn't Eleanor Roosevelt buy AMC from George Romney? Questions, questions....
Hays, without a comment on "Mother's Day".
Can us railfans look out the front in push mode?
Rgds IGN
I don't know about Alcos, but have you ever seen photos of F units in wrecks? The nose was mostly sheet metal and bondo. They did not fare well in crashes.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
Interesting design. Of course it doesn't lend well to being in the middle of a consist, but if it increases visibility and safety for the train and her crew, I am all for it!
I'd really want to see one in person though... that makes all the difference. A cab ride would be even better!!
Sort of looks like a giant P42.
I don't know about the rest of the Southern California residents who frequent this board, but I really hate the new Metrolink paint scheme. Some have dubbed it the "tampon" scheme.
I'm also wondering how well these new bare metal finish cars will look with the white painted Bombardier coaches.
Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, COClick Here for my model train photo website
CSSHEGEWISCHI don't think they add that much of a safety factor while eliminating flexibility. There isn't much of a crush zone ahead of the cab. They don't look that good, either.
I think you're wrong. Having the cab in a higher position helps tremendously, whereas in the Bombardier cab cars, they were right against the nose of the UP loco. You stand a MUCH better chance of survival if you're not going to be hit head-on in a higher position. I doubt you've seen the schematics of how the crush zone works, you're just looking at the externals.
As for the looks, they're in the eye of the beholder. I suspect most people hate change but get used to things eventually, then hate it when something even newer replaces that later on!
Southwest ChiefSort of looks like a giant P42.I don't know about the rest of the Southern California residents who frequent this board, but I really hate the new Metrolink paint scheme. Some have dubbed it the "tampon" scheme. I'm also wondering how well these new bare metal finish cars will look with the white painted Bombardier coaches.
I'm from SoCal. I don't mind the new scheme. I do think Metrolink lacks an actual *logo* Right now they use a wedge shot illustration of the new cab cars, which I think is inadequate as a branding mark.
The usual cycle of corporate/organizational re-branding happens about every 10-15 years. The original Metrolink logo/scheme was unveiled in 1991 so it's due. And like all re-brandings, most people dislike the new one, then get used to it over time.
One question about the bi-levels as used on Metrolink, Coaster, GO Transit, and others: Why are they using this design instead of gallery bi-levels as used on Metra, Caltrain, NICTD and MUCTC (ex-CP)?
On gallery cars some people don't like to ride upstairs because they don't like people in the aisle below to look at their legs. Also, gallery cars generally have one center door for loading and unleading, while the lozinge-shaped double-deckers have two, one near each end on the single-level portion of the car. They are more expensive, but reduce station dwell times as compared with gallery cars.
The center doors on gallery coaches are at least double width and loading and unloading usually proceeds at a brisk pace. The number of passengers who don't like to ride upstairs must be minimal because I've found that the upstairs seats tend to fill up faster than the downstairs seats. Also, the engineer's cab on control coaches is located on the UPPER level.
On gallery cars some people don't like to ride downstairs because they don't like to have to look at people's legs in the seats above :)
Patrick Boylan
Free yacht rides, 27' sailboat, zip code 19114 Delaware River, get great Delair bridge photos from the river. Send me a private message
Are the new Metrolink cars gray or white?
Photo taken at Metrolink's new Colton facility.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
That looks like a wrap to protect the paint during delivery.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
IMHO, they look like someone converted a P42 into a cab car!
Not exactly hideous, but..... well, I suppose the important thing is they are safer for the engineer.
CSSHEGEWISCH One question about the bi-levels as used on Metrolink, Coaster, GO Transit, and others: Why are they using this design instead of gallery bi-levels as used on Metra, Caltrain, NICTD and MUCTC (ex-CP)?
Caltrain uses bombardier cars as well... They are used on their "baby bullet express" service.
They ride much better and are quieter than the gallery cars.
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