See my post on the Viewliner thread on the Pasenger Forum. Some of the Metro-North, LIRR, and Conn-Dot mu cars now being retired would furnish excellent shells for Amrak baggage cars.
Let's see what would need to be replaced: trucks, couplers and draft gear, removal of the MU controls and related equipment, strengthen the floor to support more weight, etc., etc., etc. Also, the M-1's and M-2's date back to the early 1970's and have a lot of mileage on them already.
I doubt that floors need to be strengthened to support more weight. These cars were built for crush loads, three-and-two dense seating with standees packing the aisle and areas around the doors in addition. Many of the cars, M-3's and on to M-6 are younger, and I am only recommending using the stainless steel shells, which can save a bundle of money. Of course, new trucks, brakes, air-conditioning, communications and HEP wiring, but unlike some other shells of the period, they are already equipped to have this stuff added.
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