Your bag maam?

[JoeKoh]

Just curious if everyone got their luggage in Chicago Saturday.While waiting for Nora in bryan ohio an amtrak came by with the baggage car doors open[:0]
just curious
stay safe
Joe

[Anonymous]

Not sure about that particular train's baggage car. I sometimes take trips by bicycle and often combine an Amtrak ride in the trip. On one trip, the conductor came back to get me since he was unable to secure my bike in the baggage car bike racks due to the panniers being in the way. (Sort of saddle bags for bicycles.) He needed me to remove one so the front wheel would lock in. Following him into the baggage car on the now moving train, I couldn't help but notice the big doors were still open. Nothing seemed to be in any danger of sliding out however. And it was fun to see the landscape go by the open doors.

Are there work rules about keeping these doors closed at all times?

Wayne

[Anonymous]

I once read that this was done because the baggage cars had no airconditioning, so the attendants would leave the doors open to keep the car cool.
-Daniel

[BentnoseWillie]

Bingo - ventilation. In the summer it's commonplace to see VIA's stainless baggage cars operating with the doors open. I know one trainman who used this to perpetrate a gag on his conductor. Al planted an old suitcase in the car when the conductor wasn' around, waited till he and the conductor were both present, then "tripped" over it and threw it out the open door in a fiegned fit of pique. The conductor freaked...[:o)]

[Anonymous]

thats interesting i will have to remember that for modeling if i ever model amtrak