blue streak 1 We should wonder if Amtrak is concerened about finding another vendor for V-2 coach cars... ?
We should wonder if Amtrak is concerened about finding another vendor for V-2 coach cars... ?
Editor Emeritus, This Week at Amtrak
blue streak 1 BaltACD The V-2's seem to have a unique scream as they pass at speed.
BaltACD
The V-2's seem to have a unique scream as they pass at speed.
[/quote]One year later and now an OIG report, but nothing about this. At the time I thought that improperly lubed bearings was the cause, but apparently it wasn't a significant safety issue.
Unconfirmed report that 2 locos and lounge going to Elmira to ------ ?
1. Delivery of V-2 diners ?
2. Highly ulikely that maybe even some Bag - Dorms and / or sleepers also coming ? ? ?
Rumor has it two of each car will start testing soon: diners, dorms, sleepers and slumbercoaches.
And we're off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NcvZO_8m-U , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMrxWNfNui8
Facebook series of the cars. Note bag - dorm is not original car but diner and sleeper are.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1739696069403935&set=gm.971945012874431&type=3&theater
Extra X844 South with the 3 viewlines released for testing going south on MNRR territory.
http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/45804-viewliner-ii-production-status-photos/page-138
Today, I noticed that the w/b LSL, as seen on the Chesterton IN web cam, appeared to have a Viewliner diner. I didn't have the presence of mind to check the roof for the long "hatch", indicating a Viewliner I, but the car really stood out as being much newer and shinier looking than the sleepers. The 8400 (V I) used to appear on this train with some regularity, but I haven't seen it for quite some time. So, was it the returning 8400 or the one, new V II?
Unconfirmed that the three new V-2s in PHL are on their way to MIA ? Suppposed to have left PHL late this afternoon. Bag dorm, diner, sleeper.
Have not found any evidence of the lastest Viewliners heading south. But someone was nice enough to post this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJiCyha6w-E Five Viewliners and five Am-shells; the way it should have been...25 years ago.
blue streak 1 Unconfirmed that the three new V-2s in PHL are on their way to MIA ? Suppposed to have left PHL late this afternoon. Bag dorm, diner, sleeper.
They were oprated to Miami on a PX that left DC on the 6th.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Please tell me they did not run an extra just for three cars, especially with two scheduled trains a day to HIA.
D.Carleton Please tell me they did not run an extra just for three cars, especially with two scheduled trains a day to HIA.
Can't tell you that!
BaltACD D.Carleton Please tell me they did not run an extra just for three cars, especially with two scheduled trains a day to HIA.
Okay, make that a six car extra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3kq71y9lSk (I just knew if I posted something a video would pop up in under 24 hours.)
Actually, now that I think about it and the OIG's report on CAF USA, there is a good reason to run these in a quarantine move: these cars have not been accepted by Amtrak. If they were on the consist of 97 or 91 and the unthinkable were to happen, even if not the fault of the new cars, that opens a whole new door of liability. Amtrak “conditionally” accepted the new baggage cars only to move them to Hialeah for rework and acceptance testing. For the foreseeable future this appears to be de rigueur for the Viewliner II.
an Unconfirmed report is that the train set left Miami very early this morning. Here is the consist that went south although absolutely no guarantee it is the same one especially the loco.
Consist:
ACS-64 Locomotive 653 (PHL-WAS)
P42-8 Locomotive 174 (WAS-MIA)
Viewliner II Baggage 61035
Amfleet II Business Class 48176
Viewliner II Baggage Dorm Car 69001
Viewliner II Diner Car 68000
Viewliner II Sleeper Car 62500
Viewliner I Sleeper Car 62027
blue streak 1 an Unconfirmed report is that the train set left Miami very early this morning.
an Unconfirmed report is that the train set left Miami very early this morning.
And now they are back in Elmira: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-ozqLzBTc8
It's cool to see a "matched set" of new cars!
081552 It's cool to see a "matched set" of new cars!
Keep your chin up. It's highly likely, indeed it is planned, that all conventional speed rolling stock in the east will be Viewliner IIs.
Maybe they'll call them Viewliner IIIs by then.
In a pinch, they can insert Viewliner modules into those new baggage cars they managed to procure. Wouldn't that be a strange twist? But I predicted that the very large baggage order has a hidden ulterior motive just in case Congress won't authorize purchase of new coaches, so Amtrak can take steps to retrofit the baggage cars.
I mean, we all remember how the huge plan to order over 1,000 Viewliner cars in coach, sleeper, crew dorm, baggage/crew-dorm, cafe/automat, and diner configurations was cancelled at the last minute in the 1980s and again in the 1990s? It's a miracle the Viewliner II baggage cars were ever delivered if you ask me.
Agreed, it would be nice to see that. I noticed the paint scheme on the locomotives, and it's much nicer than the bland paint on the current fleet. Excepting the few heritage painted units, of course. Strangely, the original pointless arrow scheme which I dispised on the E units and SDP40Fs actually looks pretty good in the current locomotive.
V-2 coaches or whatever they will be called for are still in plans that have not changed in over three years. If you reference the FY 2014, 2015, 2016 budget requests the fleet strategy plans all list 100 more single level cars to be delivered in each year starting in 2019. Fairly consistent planning seems to be indicated for a 3 year's reports.
Have been patient but this delay for diners and sleepers has no excuse. Now Amtrak is going to remove diners from LSL and substitute Amfleet lounges ( anothr diner lite ? ) There are unconfirmed reports that among the problems is insufficient HVAC whatever that means ? Not enough BTUs, location of units, insufficient ducting, units unable to stand rough track, not efficient enough or any other items ? ? ?.
blue streak 1 Have been patient but this delay for diners and sleepers has no excuse. Now Amtrak is going to remove diners from LSL and substitute Amfleet lounges ( anothr diner lite ? ) There are unconfirmed reports that among the problems is insufficient HVAC whatever that means ? Not enough BTUs, location of units, insufficient ducting, units unable to stand rough track, not efficient enough or any other items ? ? ?.
information I was given by in the know ATK employees that I reported on earlier was that there was no modification on the underbody equipment from the baggage cars to reflect the different different weight distribution of the diners. This resulted in an unacceptable weight distribution on the prototype(s). Why this is taking so long to correct is as much a mystery as why we don't have an acceptable NS corridor car yet.
So wonder how or when the performance bond on CAF will cut in ? If the under body weight distribution is faulty that may also explain the HVAC problems as the unit(s) may need relocating ?
Unconfirmed report that Amtrak 132 & 520 have arrived in Elmira with one Amfleet at CAF this afternoon. More speculation is just one diner will be coming out tomorrow.
EDIT now confirmed on train orders pictures of units arriving CAF.
Reported as 68001 "Annapolis" is on the way. Plan is reported to be on Wedensday's train 97 Meteor.
OK so it sounds like that assembly line is moving again. Any news on the Midwest Cars stuck in limbo?
Now that Amtrak has replaced its baggage cars, have the placed them for sale or just scrapped them?
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