schlimm I wonder if anyone ever observes the loading/unloading of baggage cars on LD trains? Most folks travel much lighter today than 50 years ago. Who uses a trunk?
I wonder if anyone ever observes the loading/unloading of baggage cars on LD trains? Most folks travel much lighter today than 50 years ago. Who uses a trunk?
Johnny
eagle1030How essential are the baggage cars on the long-distance Superliner runs? I would think a couple of Coach-Baggages could replace those.
I think that depends on the situation. When I was in the Army an awol bag could easily fit on the luggage rack but my duffle bag had to be checked.
How essential are the baggage cars on the long-distance Superliner runs? I would think a couple of Coach-Baggages could replace those.
I check my bags if I plan on staying at the destination longer than 3 days. I would propose that Amtrak change it's boarding procedure for long distance trans to be the following.
1. Keep the baggage car on the head end or convert part of a coach to carry baggage.
2. At small station stops make the passengers get on the forward car against the baggage and detrain there as well. One 3-4 min stop per train per station. Keep some seats open and reserved for those waiting to check their bags or get them back prior to the station stop.
3. Check the bags on the train or dispense them prior to the small station stop. Hand carry into the baggage part of the car.
Sleeping car passengers that board at the small stop can easily walk to the sleeping car with their carry-on bags, if they can't then the sleeping car attendent or porter can help them for a small fee.
Convert (or better still, change before the are finished) the new baggage cars to combines, either half coach half baggage or some other configuration, such as 1/3 baggage, 2/3 coach seating.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
How much usable space is there under a passenger car, with air brake equipment, Air Conditioning equipment, septic holding tanks, etc? If you could fit all the baggage for the entire train under one car, then you would have something. However, if you needed the space spread out over several cars it would be a baggage handling nightmare. Remember the space must also accommodate the Congressionally mandated gun safe.
schlimmI wonder if anyone ever observes the loading/unloading of baggage cars on LD trains? Most folks travel much lighter today than 50 years ago. Who uses a trunk?
..and how many backs are bent out of shape getting baggage on and off the cart/car?
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
PS. Maybe it is time to reconsider Amtrak Express Service. I know the idea was tried and abandoned as it was not profitable. But perhaps with more careful planning the idea could be profitable.
oltmannd Why have baggage cars at all for single level trains.
Why have baggage cars at all for single level trains.
To my mind one of Amtrak's advantages is its generous baggage allowance. Even with the recent restrictions Amtrak will accept a lot more baggage than planes or buses. Because trains by there nature are large Amtrak can afford to do this. While most riders do not check baggage some do and it can be important to those who do use the service.
As I understand the point, there are costs to hauling around a baggage care and often baggage cars are almost completely empty.
Under car baggage compartments do make sense except at stations with high level platforms. I can only wonder how a baggage handler could get to an under car compartment at New York Penn Station.
What occurs to me is that there doesn't have to be a whole baggage car. A section of any kind of car could be used for baggage and the rest could be a coach or a sleeping care. But when Amtrak has baggage cars it may make more sense to use them rather than buying a new combination car.
I've often thought the same. One advantage would be that in cases where some cars are switched in or out of a train (rarely done any more, I think), the baggage would automatically go with it's owner.
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Today's out-of-left field idea:
Why have baggage cars at all for single level trains. Just build baggage compartments under the floor like a bus. Lots of unutilized space down there. Would allow checked baggage service at every podunk flag stop in the network.
The big show stopper would be places with high level platforms, but even that could be solvable... Money you save by not owning or operating could fund quite a bit of platform reconstruction.
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