Gallery Commuter cars

[daveklepper]

The  new  MUs for CalTrain are the European-style muli-level variety and will rerplacde gallery cars:

Caltrain MU train enroute to Colorado. Photo – Lester Clark/Caltrain

 The prototype has arrived at the Transportation Technology Center Inc. in Pueblo, Colorado, for testi at high speeds under numerous conditions, as required by the Federal Railroad Administration, Eight months' testing will include braking, propulsion, ride quality, noise and vibration, door operation, positive train control and electromagnetic interference.  The train has seven cars compared with five or six now used by Caltrain behind or pushed bydiesels. Eight elecgtric motors are distributed throughout the train.

[SD70Dude]

daveklepper

And did not one of the luxury tour operators, possibly Rocky Mountain, have commuter galery cars rebuilt for sight-seing and meal sevice?

I think that was one of the Alaska operators, RMR's dome cars have all been built new, either by Colorado Railcar or in Europe.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

daveklepper

CSS:  The C&NW 400 gallery cars were designed specifically for 400 service but were also designed specifically for easy conversion to commuter coaches.

 But Amtrak did use them for a time.  Don't know whether lease or purchase, and what happened when they were replaced by French Turbos.

Amtrak purchased the cars and initially used them on various short-haul runs out of Chicago.  Eventually, they wound up on the Valparaiso suburban locals when Amtrak took over that service from Conrail.

[daveklepper]

And did not one of the luxury tour operators, possibly Rocky Mountain, have commuter galery cars rebuilt for sight-seing and meal sevice?

[daveklepper]

CSS:  The C&NW 400 gallery cars were designed specifically for 400 service but were also designed specifically for easy conversion to commuter coaches.

 But Amtrak did use them for a time.  Don't know whether lease or purchase, and what happened when they were replaced by French Turbos.

 

[SD70Dude]

Overmod

SD70Dude

Of course he later became rather infamous for other reasons.

You mean the conversion of 2100?

Yeah, that business.  At least the engine's in better hands now.

[Overmod]

SD70Dude

Of course he later became rather infamous for other reasons.

You mean the conversion of 2100?

[SD70Dude]

blue streak 1

IMO the cars should be held in storage preferrability in dry area.  That is in case there is a demand for rail capacity for some reason that  we cannot even predict.

You mean like these:

https://railpictures.net/photo/610802/

https://railpictures.net/photo/67852/

https://railpictures.net/photo/611412/

A comment on the third photo, TPHX = Tom Payne Holdings, some of you will probably recognize that name (the man himself passed away a couple years ago). 

In Canada he is best known for his career owning and operating the Central Western Railway in Alberta, which was Canada's first modern shortline.  Of course he later became rather infamous for other reasons. 

[charlie hebdo]

CSSHEGEWISCH

The "Peninsula 400" and "Flambeau 400" had long-distance 96-seat gallery coaches and some other cars that were specifically designed for the service.  They were not upgrades from suburban coaches.

 

Designed for 400 service,  primarily with different interior configurations (fewer, more comfortable seats for coaches and parlor cars) but the same basic design as the 1958 P-S suburban order.  

[blue streak 1]

IMO the cars should be held in storage preferrability in dry area.  That is in case there is a demand for rail capacity for some reason that  we cannot even predict.

[matthewsaggie]

NC has grants for new cars and locomotives.  We won't be taking any worn out gallery cars.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

The "Peninsula 400" and "Flambeau 400" had long-distance 96-seat gallery coaches and some other cars that were specifically designed for the service.  They were not upgrades from suburban coaches.

[daveklepper]

The newest ones might be rebuilt, reseated, for regional service to replace the oldest cars used in California, North Carolina and Virgina reginal services.

The last Chicago and Northwestern 400 trains show a possible pattern.

[mdw]

With Metra ordering 500 new cars to replace all of the their huge gallery car fleet, the question comes up of what happens to all of those soon to be retired gallery cars?  Sadly the oldest PS and Budd cars (well over 50 years) will likely be scrapped (hopefully IRM gets one), but what about the many, many newer NS gallery cars?  It would seem they are too new to be scrapped.  What is the future of gallery cars? With Caltrain replacing their whole gallery car fleet with new EMU's, that would leave VRE as the last major operator of those cars.  Is there a need for maybe over 500 unneeded gallery cars?