Philadelphia Inqurer has piece slaming rapid turnover of senior management.
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20150712_Turnover_at_the_top_hits_Amtrak_at_a_critical_time.html
My favorite quote:(emphasis mine)
Steven Ditmeyer, a former Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) executive and now an adjunct professor in railway management at Michigan State University, said: "Rapid changes in management are never good, unless they're aimed at getting rid of nonfunctioning people.
Now, Don Phillips would say that Boardman is the "non-functioning" person, but who knows? If you're managing part of a marginally functional outfit, maybe the managers are to blame.
I'd guess that Amtrak, having "siloed" managment, changing the top of each silo won't change much. They've got the "sell what we run" dept. and the "run the trains dept." and nobody ever asks "what should we run?"
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
oltmannd My favorite quote:(emphasis mine) Steven Ditmeyer, a former Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) executive and now an adjunct professor in railway management at Michigan State University, said: "Rapid changes in management are never good, unless they're aimed at getting rid of nonfunctioning people. Now, Don Phillips would say that Boardman is the "non-functioning" person, but who knows? If you're managing part of a marginally functional outfit, maybe the managers are to blame. I'd guess that Amtrak, having "siloed" managment, changing the top of each silo won't change much. They've got the "sell what we run" dept. and the "run the trains dept." and nobody ever asks "what should we run?"
Ossified corporate cultures lose sight of the bigger picture.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
I would agree that Boardman is useless ever since I watched him on YouTube standing in front of the new baggage cars attempting to explain the "Amtrak America" branding which actually confuses the Amtrak brand more. He came across as an aloof idiot and any used car salesman hired off the street on commission could do better, in my opinion. Why they are using this guy in sales videos to the public is another question for Congress to ask.
A good man who has done some good things. Buying so many new baggage cars was not one of those.
schlimmA good man who has done some good things. Buying so many new baggage cars was not one of those.
Unless they are equipped with business-class shackle mounts.
Meanwhile, the lights seem pretty dim at 50 Massachusetts Avenue.
wanswheelso having a sufficient number of presentable baggage cars that can go fast and carry bikes is a selling point.
Or, you can just make space in existing coaches for bikes at fraction of the cost doing what they do all over the world. Amtrak is the only one building new non-revenue equipment to handle bikes.
oltmanndOr, you can just make space in existing coaches for bikes at fraction of the cost doing what they do all over the world. Amtrak is the only one building new non-revenue equipment to handle bikes.
Well in my view they have additional improvements besides the bikes.
1. Better lighting. Nice to see they are brightly lit instead of the dungeon effect of current Heritage fleet. Along with that of course is probably an updated electrical cabinet.
2. Racks for the luggage instead of just piling them up in a heap there looks to be the first steps of organization to luggage carrying. Eventually this might lead to some baggage access while the train is in route as the conductor would not have to dig through piles of baggage if they are stored by arrival city on the racks.....just an opinion here not saying they will do that.
3. Two sliding doors instead of one large one at each entry. Got to be easier on a baggageman I have slid those large doors myself on the older DB baggage cars in Germany and they are really, really heavy even for a 18-22 year old in the Army....plus the tracks got dirt in them mixed with the grease so the sliding is not exactly resistance free and the door jams sometimes at points. Of course I am comparing DB experience to however the American baggage cars work which I presume to be similar.
4. Standardized the supply of spare parts for the single level fleet. Seems to be this was the main driver here of buying so many new cars as replacements.
5. Calling them non-revenue when Amtrak charges to carry packages and the fact that luggage stored up front frees up revenue space in the rear.....I think that is a little disingenious.
Who knows what they did underneath the car itself to simplify maintenence.
CMStPnP oltmannd Or, you can just make space in existing coaches for bikes at fraction of the cost doing what they do all over the world. Amtrak is the only one building new non-revenue equipment to handle bikes. Well in my view they have additional improvements besides the bikes. 1. Better lighting. Nice to see they are brightly lit instead of the dungeon effect of current Heritage fleet. Along with that of course is probably an updated electrical cabinet. 2. Racks for the luggage instead of just piling them up in a heap there looks to be the first steps of organization to luggage carrying. Eventually this might lead to some baggage access while the train is in route as the conductor would not have to dig through piles of baggage if they are stored by arrival city on the racks.....just an opinion here not saying they will do that. 3. Two sliding doors instead of one large one at each entry. Got to be easier on a baggageman I have slid those large doors myself on the older DB baggage cars in Germany and they are really, really heavy even for a 18-22 year old in the Army....plus the tracks got dirt in them mixed with the grease so the sliding is not exactly resistance free and the door jams sometimes at points. Of course I am comparing DB experience to however the American baggage cars work which I presume to be similar. 4. Standardized the supply of spare parts for the single level fleet. Seems to be this was the main driver here of buying so many new cars as replacements. 5. Calling them non-revenue when Amtrak charges to carry packages and the fact that luggage stored up front frees up revenue space in the rear.....I think that is a little disingenious. Who knows what they did underneath the car itself to simplify maintenence.
oltmannd Or, you can just make space in existing coaches for bikes at fraction of the cost doing what they do all over the world. Amtrak is the only one building new non-revenue equipment to handle bikes.
Have you ever taken a peak at exactly how much stuff Amtrak actually moves in a baggage car?
The entire order could have been for combines - even if you never sold a seat on a Superliner LD trains- and Amtrak would have come out ahead.
Or, they could have convered a handful of Amfleet cars to combines.
And, they could actually start using the coach/baggage Superliners for baggage.
CMStPnP3. Two sliding doors instead of one large one at each entry. Got to be easier on a baggageman I have slid those large doors myself on the older DB baggage cars in Germany and they are really, really heavy even for a 18-22 year old in the Army....plus the tracks got dirt in them mixed with the grease so the sliding is not exactly resistance free and the door jams sometimes at points. Of course I am comparing DB experience to however the American baggage cars work which I presume to be similar.
You are a little out of date. Separate baggage cars haven't run on DB for many years. I honestly can't recall when I last saw one on an IC train (formerly D-Zug). The only time one sees any now are ones used as maintenance storage cars or at museums.
Dedicated baggage cars are a dinosaur. Only Amtrak would have the lack of vision to purchase 70 new ones at this late date. Hopefully they are convertible to passenger coaches.
schlimmYou are a little out of date. Separate baggage cars haven't run on DB for many years. I honestly can't recall when I last saw one on an IC train (formerly D-Zug). The only time one sees any now are ones used as maintenance storage cars or at museums. Dedicated baggage cars are a dinosaur. Only Amtrak would have the lack of vision to purchase 70 new ones at this late date. Hopefully they are convertible to passenger coaches.
They were used during the Cold War on DB Troop Trains.....BN Movement by rail, approx 350-500 men each with a 4-5 foot duffle bag that had to be loaded in the Baggage Car......so yes they needed the seperate baggage car then.
They had IC trains in the mid-1980's I know what one is and I rode an actual ICE train in the late 1990s. BTW, disappearing baggage car might be correlated to the disappearing LD train over there. I don't think there are many European Passenger trains left with 48 hour running times end to end.
ICE trainsets do not now and never have had baggage cars. IC trains seldom have had baggage cars since the 1990s. The distance of a route has nothing to do with baggage cars. European cusomers prefer to take their bags with them, using overhead racks and end-of-car racks. The purchase of 70 new baggage cars represents one of Amtrak's stupidest decisions.
Curious why #79 AND 80 are not included in this list between the NE and Richmond since they are now carrying bikes between Charlotte and Raleigh and intermdiate stations in NC.
Customize your service to the bicycle trade -- that's a winner! (I'm surprised the airlines have been so slow.)
The rest of us, who quit riding bikes some time ago, would rather have a coach seat or bedroom. But I suppose that's old thinking.
dakotafredCustomize your service to the bicycle trade -- that's a winner! (I'm surprised the airlines have been so slow.)
+1
I wonder if the effect was similar (but stronger) to "drafting " behind a semi?
At the risk of angering the OTR driver, you can get the effect in a smaller car following a semi.
schlimm At the risk of angering the OTR driver, you can get the effect in a smaller car following a semi.
I am truly amazed at this ignorance on the part of many people I see so close to an eighteen wheeler. Of course, if you are behind one for some distance and cannot pass, it can be irritating having to stay back far enough before you can pass, especially as the ignorant cut in in front of you.
Johnny
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