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Why baggage cars at all?

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Posted by John WR on Friday, February 22, 2013 8:56 PM

erikem
The vibrations transmitted through the water couldn't be any worse than what people endure body-surfing

Erik,  

Maybe the vibrations will feel like laying in one of those vibrating beds feels.  

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Posted by oltmannd on Thursday, February 21, 2013 6:21 PM

erikem

Paul Milenkovic

The train vibration on the C&O Chessie Train killed the fish in the aquarium.

So you are going to need an airtight alibi.  Either that or an Amtrak crew member with strong arms to run one of those skimmer nets over the top of the swimming people to skim off the deceased passengers who float to the top Crying

The vibrations transmitted through the water couldn't be any worse than what people endure body-surfing - I had one aunt who was body surfing daily in her 70's. Though I suspect that motion sickness would result in some unpleasant additives to the pool water. Ick!

- Erik

P.S. I'd probably also need a Las Vegas wedding and a Mexican divorce to go with the airtight alibi... or maybe an autographed picture of Randy Mantooth Mischief

or a Winnebago, heck a herd of Winnebagos, we're givin' 'em away!

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Posted by John WR on Thursday, February 21, 2013 5:54 PM

schlimm
uch to cheap to cover the extra car and personnel.  No free checked bags, $25 each.

You're a hard man, Schlimm.  You probably wouldn't let me check my piano either.  

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Posted by John WR on Thursday, February 21, 2013 5:35 PM

erikem
P.S. I'd probably also need a Las Vegas wedding and a Mexican divorce to go with the airtight alibi... or maybe an autographed picture of Randy Mantooth

Erik,  

May I suggest you get the Mexican divorce before the Las Vegas wedding.  

John

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Posted by erikem on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 10:11 PM

Paul Milenkovic

The train vibration on the C&O Chessie Train killed the fish in the aquarium.

So you are going to need an airtight alibi.  Either that or an Amtrak crew member with strong arms to run one of those skimmer nets over the top of the swimming people to skim off the deceased passengers who float to the top Crying

The vibrations transmitted through the water couldn't be any worse than what people endure body-surfing - I had one aunt who was body surfing daily in her 70's. Though I suspect that motion sickness would result in some unpleasant additives to the pool water. Ick!

- Erik

P.S. I'd probably also need a Las Vegas wedding and a Mexican divorce to go with the airtight alibi... or maybe an autographed picture of Randy Mantooth Mischief

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Posted by schlimm on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 8:19 PM

Much too cheap to cover the extra car and personnel.  No free checked bags, $25 each.

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Posted by John WR on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 7:41 PM

schlimm
 If folks insist on traveling on LD trains as though they were carrying a trunk 80 years ago, maybe Amtrak could accommodate them at 25 bucks per bag?

Actually, Schlimm, Amtrak does do this.  No piece of luggage can be more than 50 pounds and 75 linear inches.  You can carry on two pieces of luggage and check 2 more at no charge.  You can check 2 more for $20 each.  That's it.  

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Posted by schlimm on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 6:38 PM

No baggage cars works fine overseas.  And fewer and fewer people check luggage on air flights.  If folks insist on traveling on LD trains as though they were carrying a trunk 80 years ago, maybe Amtrak could accommodate them at 25 bucks per bag?

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Posted by henry6 on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 12:40 PM

Ya gotta have a closet someplace, especially when you have hundreds of people with all their stuff....can't hide it all in the luggage racks overhead or under the seats...unless you want to hold it in your lap for me...

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Posted by oltmannd on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 12:19 PM

Overmod
(A good use for all that negative-cant-deficiency technology Amtrak paid for but doesn't use!)

Gotta keep the baggage comfortable, you know....

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Posted by Paul Milenkovic on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 11:57 AM

The cruise lines?  You'll be swimming in something else besides chlorinated swimming-pool water.

If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?

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Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 5:09 PM

Paul Milenkovic

The train vibration on the C&O Chessie Train killed the fish in the aquarium.

So you are going to need an airtight alibi.  Either that or an Amtrak crew member with strong arms to run one of those skimmer nets over the top of the swimming people to skim off the deceased passengers who float to the top

Nawwwww -- do what the cruise lines do.  Roll stabilizers!  (A good use for all that negative-cant-deficiency technology Amtrak paid for but doesn't use!)

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Posted by Paul Milenkovic on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 4:57 PM

erikem

John WR

oltmannd
Swimming pool,

That's want I want.  A swimming pool car.  It's my right as an American citizen.  I want it now.  

Along with a foolproof plan and an airtight alibi???

The train vibration on the C&O Chessie Train killed the fish in the aquarium.

So you are going to need an airtight alibi.  Either that or an Amtrak crew member with strong arms to run one of those skimmer nets over the top of the swimming people to skim off the deceased passengers who float to the top Crying

If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?

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Posted by schlimm on Friday, February 15, 2013 11:33 AM

I wonder about that story, too.  Someone involved should know the brand was/is Marlboro.

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Posted by John WR on Friday, February 15, 2013 10:32 AM

Thomas 9011

had never seen anything like it in my life. Brand new finished passenger cars built from the ground up getting cut up by a mobile shear. It was a colossal waste of time, energy, and money.

Thomas,

Do you have any insight into why Marlborough decided to build the train in the first place?  If I were to decide to build a train I would make it a point to be sure I wanted to go through with the project before I began.  Cost over runs are not unusual in this world.  What the private sector is supposed to offer us is cost efficiency but it is hard to understand how these two decisions contribute to that goal.  

With best regards, John

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Posted by Paul Milenkovic on Friday, February 15, 2013 10:13 AM

oltmannd

Thomas 9011

Many years ago I was involved in building a special train for Marlborough cigarettes. It was going to be a party type train. The train had cars with dance floors, hot tubs, casino, bar, and everything else you could imagine. It was designed to be a 18 car train. It went over the 20 million budget with three cars left to be produced. After it went over budget, Marlborough was so angry they had nearly ever car cut up on the spot.

I had never seen anything like it in my life. Brand new finished passenger cars built from the ground up getting cut up by a mobile shear. It was a colossal waste of time, energy, and money.

Did they have a solid gold Kama Sutra coffee pot?

OK, so Marlboro Cigarettes (Philip Morris, I guess) spent 20 million dollars to build 15 passenger cars (3 short of 18) from the ground up?

1.3 million per passenger car with custom interiors sounds like a bargain, whether they are build new or are top-to-bottom rebuilds.  I had read in Trains that (the now defunct) Colorado Railcar was building those Superdomes and other cars starting with old Southern Pacific commuter gallery cars, but their product looked like completely new designs when they were done.

So, could Amtrak contract out to Philip Morris for their new passenger car buy?

If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?

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Posted by oltmannd on Friday, February 15, 2013 9:36 AM

Thomas 9011

Many years ago I was involved in building a special train for Marlborough cigarettes. It was going to be a party type train. The train had cars with dance floors, hot tubs, casino, bar, and everything else you could imagine. It was designed to be a 18 car train. It went over the 20 million budget with three cars left to be produced. After it went over budget, Marlborough was so angry they had nearly ever car cut up on the spot.

I had never seen anything like it in my life. Brand new finished passenger cars built from the ground up getting cut up by a mobile shear. It was a colossal waste of time, energy, and money.

Did they have a solid gold Kama Sutra coffee pot?

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by oltmannd on Friday, February 15, 2013 9:08 AM

Nat S

I work as a station host at a fairly busy CA station and there is no dout that baggage storage under cars simply won't work.  The amount of stuff that people bring aboard is amazing.  The time i would take to stow it just wouldn't make sense.  Sorting it out at each station would be nearly impossible.  I don't think that most responders realize that virtually no one use regular suitcases or duffel bags any more.  Virtually every one uses wheeled suitcases which present wholly different  storage issues.  Under the car just wouldn't work even if there was room which there isn't.  

The idea was for checked bags, not to replace overhead storage for carry-on.

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Posted by Thomas 9011 on Thursday, February 14, 2013 10:52 PM

Many years ago I was involved in building a special train for Marlborough cigarettes. It was going to be a party type train. The train had cars with dance floors, hot tubs, casino, bar, and everything else you could imagine. It was designed to be a 18 car train. It went over the 20 million budget with three cars left to be produced. After it went over budget, Marlborough was so angry they had nearly ever car cut up on the spot.

I had never seen anything like it in my life. Brand new finished passenger cars built from the ground up getting cut up by a mobile shear. It was a colossal waste of time, energy, and money.

 

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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, February 14, 2013 9:55 PM

Yes, wheeled suitcases are quite practical, especially those with just two wheels. When the first ones, with four wheels, came out close to sixty years ago, even they were a great advance from those that required the user to lift the suitcase clear from the ground. When my wife went to Germany in the fifties, using one of the new styles, a German lady, upon seeing it, exclaimed "Wie practikt," (or something like that). You had to pack those with four wheels carefully, lest they be heavy on one side and fall over as you pulled them along.

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Posted by John WR on Thursday, February 14, 2013 9:17 PM

Nat S
Virtually every one uses wheeled suitcases which present wholly different  storage issues.  Under the car just wouldn't work even if there was room which there isn't.  

Interesting point.  Actually, I wonder why it took so long to develop wheeled suitcases.  But you are right about them.  

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Posted by sno-cat on Monday, February 11, 2013 6:42 PM

A casino car could help Amtrak pay more of its own way. Bring it on!!!Big Smile

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Posted by Nat S on Monday, February 11, 2013 4:20 PM

I work as a station host at a fairly busy CA station and there is no dout that baggage storage under cars simply won't work.  The amount of stuff that people bring aboard is amazing.  The time i would take to stow it just wouldn't make sense.  Sorting it out at each station would be nearly impossible.  I don't think that most responders realize that virtually no one use regular suitcases or duffel bags any more.  Virtually every one uses wheeled suitcases which present wholly different  storage issues.  Under the car just wouldn't work even if there was room which there isn't.  

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Posted by schlimm on Thursday, February 7, 2013 11:11 AM

BTW, I just took a look at Don Oltmann's 's blog listed at the bottom of his page and strongly recommend it!

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Posted by oltmannd on Thursday, February 7, 2013 8:01 AM

So, what do you want from life?

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Posted by schlimm on Thursday, February 7, 2013 7:19 AM

This thread has been a good example of an unintentional reductio ad absurdem.  Baggage cars are an anachronism in modern passenger railroading.

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Posted by oltmannd on Thursday, February 7, 2013 6:52 AM

erikem

John WR

oltmannd
Swimming pool,

That's want I want.  A swimming pool car.  It's my right as an American citizen.  I want it now.  

Along with a foolproof plan and an airtight alibi???

...and a baby's arm holding an apple.

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by erikem on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 11:51 PM

John WR

oltmannd
Swimming pool,

That's want I want.  A swimming pool car.  It's my right as an American citizen.  I want it now.  

Along with a foolproof plan and an airtight alibi???

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Posted by John WR on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 7:38 PM

oltmannd
Swimming pool,

That's want I want.  A swimming pool car.  It's my right as an American citizen.  I want it now.  

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Posted by Overmod on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 3:53 PM

Deggesty
Yes, there was a train with a swimming pool. Do you remember the televison show "Super Train" (or something like that) of 20-30-years ago?

Ah yes, Fred Silverman's version of 'The Love Boat' just enough removed from the maritime context to evade... unsuccessfully, as I recall ... being considered a rip-off.  (And as dated in its Seventiness as the "Man from Uncle" now seems to be in Sixtiness...)

If you must consider what's possible, go look at the interiors for the 'Breitspurbahn' proposals of the Thirties and early Forties.  I'm not going to Godwin this, and I hope nobody else does, but on a 3-meter gauge many things become feasible...

... swimming pools, however, not so much.  And Fred even had the contemporary SDP40F follies to advise him why a pool in a railroad car was a Bad Idea, even with chippies galore jiggling therein.  Who can be first to tell me why this is so?  (Line forms at poolside...)

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