Viewliner - 2 delivery, testing, and service

[blue streak 1]

Several unconfirmed reports that there will be some number of V-2 baggage cars delivered from factory.  Reports may be from just one source. Report Wedensday and Friday morning from factory to Albany.  One set suppposedly going to Hialeah ( MIA ) directly as a complete train set.  If so get your pictures.

Any one with more information, sightings, or photos keep us posted.

 EDIT one trip may be today Tuesday !!

[081552]

Check the local paper link below for photos of fifteen baggage cars leaving Elmira. Cool photos! Hopefully the railfans in NY will post some photos of the train travelling to Florida.

http://www.stargazette.com/story/news/local/2014/12/17/caf-amtrak-train-elmira-heights-contract/20529593/

 

[blue streak 1]

081552

http://www.stargazette.com/story/news/local/2014/12/17/caf-amtrak-train-elmira-heights-contract/20529593/

 

The Amtrak PR persons who wanted to have all train cars including PV be painted the same have finally gotten their wish for a consistent appearing consist..  Just 43 years later ?

 

[blue streak 1]

A lot of different ways to get the cars to MIA. 

1.  Few cars at a time on the rear of Empire trains to NYP.

2.  A special train to NYP then to Sunnyside.

3.  Either 1a. or 2a.  Build train at Sunnyside for train to WASH behind ACS-64.

4.  Special train to NYP then immediately coupling an ACS-64(s) to other end and pull to WASH after brake test. .

Then

6.  Attach to end of Meteor with extra locos to pull a 27 - 30 car consist.

7.  Or Special train WASH - MIA. ( costs more for crews and track time )

Or

11.  May send some to Chicago ? 

 

Any idea what MIA has to do to get these into service ?  Will MIA service all V-2 baggage system wide?

Star not a choice because of the back up move into Tampa.

  

[blue streak 1]

Oops my bad. Amtrak has announce the ferry schedule.  Unfortunately the ALB - NYP leg is not shown.  Don't know why PHL stop now understand it is to pickup 2 bags that were tested on NC and  maybe diesels will be added to train there.  If track a train can be activated for this train with a train number will help you photos.

The late NYP operation will prevent the train from tying up tracks 5 - 9 which are shorter than this train. 

 

 

http://blog.amtrak.com/2014/12/amtrakforward/

 

 

 

[blue streak 1]

You tube video of 18 cars.  really clean train. Guess the Amfleet-1 car (?) on end is for a crew member ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTIwb7NHN3w

[blue streak 1]

Anyone know if this ferry move will be carrying spare parts for the baggage cars ?  Could easily carry the parts in one or more cars.  Good way to help Hieleah to prep the cars. 

Once a car(s) is finally had preparation work it may be placed on a silver service train and the Heritage baggage it replaces attached to end of silver train.  Hialeah might keep one or more Heritage baggage cars as spare.  At WASH Heritage bag removed and placed on Cardinal to go to Chicago to be a spare for western trains or if one of the bad boys left at Beech Grove.

[blue streak 1]

Additional unconfirmed reports. 

1.  Train #855

2.  The 2 diesel units took train to NYP ( no dual mode ) onto Sunnyside and looped there and back thru NYP and onto PHL.  ( this item very suspect as the diesel fumes would be bad but ? )  This would be the reason for th late NYP arrival and departures.

3.  Layover at PHL to add other 2 baggage cars plus two office cars onto the rear. 

4.  Train will then go to WASH quick change of crews and proceed south.

5.  The PHL stop and addition of the 4 cars will allow for one brake test there.  Is there another 1000 mile check needed before MIA? 

[D.Carleton]

blue streak 1

2.  The 2 diesel units took train to NYP ( no dual mode ) onto Sunnyside and looped there and back thru NYP and onto PHL.  ( this item very suspect as the diesel fumes would be bad but ? )  This would be the reason for th late NYP arrival and departures.

There is catenary all the way through the Empire Connection. Suspect they had a motor waiting for them before the tunnel for the trip to Sunnyside and back before cutting the motor at Manhattan Transfer (or whatever they call that area these days).

blue streak 1

5.  The PHL stop and addition of the 4 cars will allow for one brake test there.  Is there another 1000 mile check needed before MIA? 

Alteration of the brake pipe (adding or removing cars/locomotives) require the minimum of a Class 2 brake test. And at 1300 miles between PHL and MIA there is certain to be another inspection, probably JAX.

[blue streak 1]

Interesting video.  Some comments.  The way shadows are on the baggage doors might cause some reports that a baggage door is open.  Does the green light on each car indicate that all bag doors are closed on that car or for whole train ? Noticed a FRED on end of train.  Maybe no qualified creman in Amfleet car?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jaW134UGJ0

 

 

[D.Carleton]

blue streak 1

Interesting video.  Some comments.  The way shadows are on the baggage doors might cause some reports that a baggage door is open.  Does the green light on each car indicate that all bag doors are closed on that car or for whole train ? Noticed a FRED on end of train.  Maybe no qualified creman in Amfleet car?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jaW134UGJ0

 

The green light should be the external indicator that the brakes are released and will change color (amber or red) for an application. The End of Train device is not necessary with operational marker lights, however, on a train of that length having an EOT that can dump the air from the rear is a big plus. Now that I think about it Amtrak does have an internal reg for having an EOT over a certain train length but I cannot remember how many cars that is at the moment.

[Overmod]

D.Carleton

Now that I think about it Amtrak does have an internal reg for having an EOT over a certain train length but I cannot remember how many cars that is at the moment.

Amtrak Air Brake Rules (quoted by Gene Poon):

An Amtrak train is NOT required to have a two-way EOT device if:
All cars in the train have an emergency brake valve accessible to the crew, OR:
The rearmost car has an emergency brake valve accessible to a crew member in radio contact with the engineer (such as Mail #13 which ran on the NEC in past years: an engine, and all MHC cars except one rider coach on the rear end).

Amtrak trains are REQUIRED to have a two-way EOT device if:
The train has 25 or more cars and the crew has no access to an emergency brake valve on the last car.
The train has 13 to 24 cars, and the crew has no access to an emergency brake valve on the last car, or farther back, of the front two-thirds of the consist.
The train has 12 cars or fewer, and the crew has no access to an emergency brake valve on the last car, or farther back, of the front half of the consist.

Here is the BLET's .pdf of the Amtrak rules.

These rules appear to derive from 49 CFR 232.407, the relevant sections of which for present purposes are (11) and (12)(ii):

(11) [A train is exempted from needing an EOT if it has] a car at the rear of the train, readily accessible to one or more crew members in radio contact with the engineer, that is equipped with an emergency brake valve readily accessible to such a crew member; and

(12) [also exempted are trains] that have twenty-four (24) or fewer cars (not including locomotives) in the consist and that are equipped and operated in accordance with the following train-configuration and operating requirements:

(i) If the total number of cars in a passenger train consist is twelve (12) or fewer, a car located no less than halfway through the consist (counting from the first car in the train) must be equipped with an emergency brake valve readily accessible to a crew member;

(ii) If the total number of cars in a passenger train consist is thirteen (13) to twenty-four (24), a car located no less than two-thirds (2/3) of the way through the consist (counting from the first car in the train) must be equipped with an emergency brake valve readily accessible to a crew member

 

(11) would be satisfied, I think, if there were rider(s) in that Amcoach with radio, but in a train of 18 bags, (12)(ii) probably wouldn't be, Amcoach or no.  Note the similarity between the bag train and Gene's described consist for Mail 13 (no passengers in the body of the train). 

 

Who can tell me the real-world difference between these two rules in this context?

[D.Carleton]

Pure speculation on my part but, looking at the latest videos of the move, the cafe car has been replaced with the heritage sleeper and the business car 10001 with no visible EOT. Maybe the EOT was deemed necessary for the move over freight only track?

[Jim200]

If the train follows  97 by 2 hours as per Amtrak, then it should arrive in Jacksonville at about 11:23 AM, do its inspection and possibly refuel. That should give some extra time for photos.

[blue streak 1]

8 more baggage reported left Elmira this morning with 48190 bring up the rear.  No other details yet.

[blue streak 1]

so 18 cars in first train from Elmira, 2 test cars added in PHL,and now 8 more cars.   As soon as all are in service maybe 28.  Maybe all east coast LD trains will have the new baggage cars?  As well either new trains  in the east with bags or maybe test runs attached to various western trains?  Since Fred F says many western trains will loose baggage for a while what exactly is going to happen ?

Edit:  Add to speculation refer to the October FY 15 performance report in the mechanical section.  There is no mention of work on any Heritage equipment even diners. Does that mean as any Heritage diners or baggage due for overhaul will be sidelined ?

Those in the know need to tell the rest of us.

 

[BaltACD]

Jim200

If the train follows  97 by 2 hours as per Amtrak, then it should arrive in Jacksonville at about 11:23 AM, do its inspection and possibly refuel. That should give some extra time for photos.

 

Amtrak 'non-revenue' equipment only extras are not afforded the same operational prioities on freight carriers as scheduled Amtrak trains.

[aegrotatio]

There is no catenary nor is there any third rail in the Empire Connection but for a tiny distance through the new tunnel under the Javits Center to get out of the Penn Station complex.  The Empire Connection is diesel territory.

 

[D.Carleton]

aegrotatio

There is no catenary nor is there any third rail in the Empire Connection but for a tiny distance through the new tunnel under the Javits Center to get out of the Penn Station complex.  The Empire Connection is diesel territory.

Yes, that is correct. To me the Empire Connection is the tunnel and the rest is still the West Side Freight Line.

Back to the green light on each car, in every video I've seen the light never changes even during a brake application. My guess is it's an indicator for the hand brake. I would still like to know what the external indicator is for the Class 1A brake test.

[D.Carleton]

blue streak 1

8 more baggage reported left Elmira this morning with 48190 bring up the rear.  No other details yet.

The equipment sent to retrieve the baggage cars were two P42s, two cafe cars and one GP38H. The P42s and one cafe car left with the first 18 cars. The GP38H and other cafe car left with the next eight. No clue why they could not leave all together.

[oltmannd]

D.Carleton

Back to the green light on each car, in every video I've seen the light never changes even during a brake application. My guess is it's an indicator for the hand brake.

It's doors shut, no?  Can't release the brakes and get going until the doors all show shut.

[oltmannd]

blue streak 1

Since Fred F says many western trains will loose baggage for a while what exactly is going to happen ?

Hopefully, they'll find out they don't need baggage cars, ever.  Then they can send the baggage cars back to Elmira to be fitted out as coaches.

[schlimm]

oltmannd

 

 

blue streak 1

Since Fred F says many western trains will loose [lose] baggage for a while what exactly is going to happen ?

 

 

Hopefully, they'll find out they don't need baggage cars, ever.  Then they can send the baggage cars back to Elmira to be fitted out as coaches.

 

As they should have done initially.   So much excitement over what are essentially non-revenue dinosaurs.

[D.Carleton]

oltmannd

 

D.Carleton

Back to the green light on each car, in every video I've seen the light never changes even during a brake application. My guess is it's an indicator for the hand brake.

 

 

It's doors shut, no?  Can't release the brakes and get going until the doors all show shut.

One of the videos shows the train moving with one of the 'french' doors open on the rear car whilst it's moving so, unless there is an overide, I'll stick with with the handbrake theory.

[D.Carleton]

schlimm

 

oltmannd

 

blue streak 1

Since Fred F says many western trains will loose [lose] baggage for a while what exactly is going to happen ?

  

Hopefully, they'll find out they don't need baggage cars, ever.  Then they can send the baggage cars back to Elmira to be fitted out as coaches.

 

 As they should have done initially.   So much excitement over what are essentially non-revenue dinosaurs.

 

Why did NRPC modify the order increasing the count of baggage cars and decreasing the number of baggage-dorms? Was it due to pressure from the bicycle lobby? Imagine, bicycles riders bullying a railroad.

[Jim200]

As I recall, someone in the government, questioned the number of cars ordered. Amtrak then had to justify the need. Unfortunately, they didn't have good info on the baggage car usage and could only say for sure that something like one route could use the baggage-dorm. Thus the order for baggage cars was increased.

[oltmannd]

D.Carleton

 

 

oltmannd

 

D.Carleton

Back to the green light on each car, in every video I've seen the light never changes even during a brake application. My guess is it's an indicator for the hand brake.

 

 

It's doors shut, no?  Can't release the brakes and get going until the doors all show shut.

 

 

 

One of the videos shows the train moving with one of the 'french' doors open on the rear car whilst it's moving so, unless there is an overide, I'll stick with with the handbrake theory.

 

 

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=76622

this sounds pretty definitive.  

[blue streak 1]

The second train had at its highest number car 61027.   Now if trains magazine could just drop the 6 to get 1027.  So the first 28 cars are all enroute or at MIA> 

[D.Carleton]

oltmannd

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=76622

this sounds pretty definitive.  

 

Uh, yeah.

[BaltACD]

Another group of 8-12 cars are scheduled to leave DC night of the 21st to Miami.