Does anyone know the status of the Caltrans Comet IB cars?

[X]

http://www.kustomseating.com/ maybe?

I can assure you that the seats are 100% Amtrak standard long distance seats, I'm told they're straight out of the Amfleet IIs, and similar to the Superliner / Amfleet I seats, except they don't rotate or have the calf rest.

Mr. X-

You're right. They're very similar.

It's Amtrak's standard short haul seat, which unlike the long haul seats don't have the calf rests or foot rests. Other than that they're very similar and do have a very generous recline.

In my opinion they're a lot more comfortable than the seats on the California cars and Surfliner cars.

Whoops, short haul seats, yes, that was it!

 

[X]

not sure about the california cars, but i hear that they don't recline... the seats on the refurbed comets will be the same ones found in the amfleet 2, iirc.

California Car seats recline in a way similar to a Superliner bedroom couch: reach under the center of the seat and pull the lever. The bottom cushion will slide forward a few inches and the lower end of the back cushion will pivot forward to match. The seat frame doesn't move.

California Car (8000 series) seats do NOT recline or slide, period. There is a pull cord under the seat cushion, but it's for removing the cushion only.

Surfliners (6xxx) have two different types of seats, Amtrak owned cars have seats that recline, while Caltrans owned cars (6x5x SoCal, 6x6x NorCal) have the seat where you pull the red handle and the seat cushion slides out.

 

[battalion51]

The challenge with starting with the Metrolink Bombardiers is they're not owned by CDOT, they're owned by SCRRA. Keep in mind when this whole adventure started the Metrolink Bombardiers were still in very active service. Additionally, the Bombardiers still wouldn't be compatible with the existing CDOT fleet since their passageway from one car to another is low, not high like the California cars. Granted some issues would have been moot like having automatic doors. They still would have likely gone with Horizon Food Service cars since converting a bi-level into a Food Service car would have been an extensive project to say the least.

The challenge with starting with the NJT Comets is they're not owned by CDOT, they're owned by NJT. Additionally, the Comets still wouldn't be compatible with the existing CDOT fleet since their passageway from one car to another is low, not high like the California cars. Granted some issues would remain like not having automatic doors. They still would have likely gone with Horizon Food Service cars since converting a Comet into a Food Service car would have been an extensive project to say the least.

I don't think you quite followed my point. Someone was suggesting they should have converted Metrolink Bombardiers instead of the Comets. My comments were regarding converting the Bombardiers, not the Comets.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

http://www.kustomseating.com/ maybe?

I can assure you that the seats are 100% Amtrak standard long distance seats, I'm told they're straight out of the Amfleet IIs, and similar to the Superliner / Amfleet I seats, except they don't rotate or have the calf rest.

I dug up an old thread that says the Amtrak LD Coach seats are made by ASI. The Sleeper seats may be Kustom Seating, but I'm not sure about the coach seats.

Is there a seating company known as ASI? If so, what does ASI stand for?

 

[Agent]

This video from October 19 was just uploaded and shows Amtrak #5(19) with cab/baggage car 90215. This train arrived in California today.

 

[rickycourtney]

This video from October 19 was just uploaded and shows Amtrak #5(19) with cab/baggage car 90215. This train arrived in California today.

I couldn't read the text on the side clearly... But I'm guessing AMTK 90215 was named Bakersfield.

 

[rickycourtney]

So does anyone know why Caltrans decided to operate the single level trainset on 711/718 instead of 712/717?

I thought they wanted it to be overnighting in Oakland... This turn will have the trainset overnighting in Bakersfield (although it will spend most of the daylight hours in Oakland (11am-5:50pm).

 

[X]

http://www.kustomseating.com/ maybe?

I can assure you that the seats are 100% Amtrak standard long distance seats, I'm told they're straight out of the Amfleet IIs, and similar to the Superliner / Amfleet I seats, except they don't rotate or have the calf rest.

I dug up an old thread that says the Amtrak LD Coach seats are made by ASI. The Sleeper seats may be Kustom Seating, but I'm not sure about the coach seats.

Is there a seating company known as ASI? If so, what does ASI stand for?

I suspect that poster meant AMI.

http://waidephoto.smugmug.com/Trains/Vintage-Railroad/14655704_xRs6bD#!i=1936463204&k=HQBQX29

Confusingly a company named Multina, formerly known as AMI USA Inc, made the original Surfliner seats, I'm not sure if they were the same company.

And yet another now gone company that made Amtrak seats was Coach & Car.

 

[X]

Wow, smugmug is a real PITA to link to...

Hopefully this works:

http://waidephoto.smugmug.com/Trains/Vintage-Railroad/i-HQBQX29/0/X3/1976%20AMI%20Amtrak%2016-X3.jpg

 

[R30A]

The 481 series AmClub seats are new from their recent rebuild.(As are the Horizon club seats) Kustom seats also built the new seats which a number of Superliners received.

I highly suspect that the seats taken out of the Superliners (Most of which are identical to Amfleet 2s) are the ones which were installed on the California Comets and Amfleet Cafe to Coach conversions. I have not seen any Amfleet 2 cars with the new seat frames, so outside of wrecks, I doubt any gave them up. (I would also be very unsurprised if some of these frames are from the Heritage LD cars converted for baggage.)

 

[sportbiker]

The challenge with starting with the Metrolink Bombardiers is they're not owned by CDOT, they're owned by SCRRA. Keep in mind when this whole adventure started the Metrolink Bombardiers were still in very active service. Additionally, the Bombardiers still wouldn't be compatible with the existing CDOT fleet since their passageway from one car to another is low, not high like the California cars. Granted some issues would have been moot like having automatic doors. They still would have likely gone with Horizon Food Service cars since converting a bi-level into a Food Service car would have been an extensive project to say the least.

The challenge with starting with the NJT Comets is they're not owned by CDOT, they're owned by NJT. Additionally, the Comets still wouldn't be compatible with the existing CDOT fleet since their passageway from one car to another is low, not high like the California cars. Granted some issues would remain like not having automatic doors. They still would have likely gone with Horizon Food Service cars since converting a Comet into a Food Service car would have been an extensive project to say the least.

I don't think you quite followed my point. Someone was suggesting they should have converted Metrolink Bombardiers instead of the Comets. My comments were regarding converting the Bombardiers, not the Comets.

I followed it exactly. I was demonstrating that your reasons for dismissing the bi-levels apply equally to the Comets.

 

[Agent]

Here's a video of the first run of a single-level set on #718.

 

[Agent]

Another Comet coach is on Amtrak #5(28). This train is currently heading west through Colorado.

 

[roadman3313]

Has the set been out of service recently or just out of service on weekends? I have seen a standard bi-level set in the 718/711 slot the past few days and various Comet/Horizon/NPCU's around the yard...

 

[rickycourtney]

Has the set been out of service recently or just out of service on weekends? I have seen a standard bi-level set in the 718/711 slot the past few days and various Comet/Horizon/NPCU's around the yard...

I haven't heard that it was placed out of service. There was a incident on Sunday that delayed 711 by over two hours... but Amtrak blamed "freight interference" for that.

Right now there should be 1 or 2 Comet IB coaches, 2 Horizon Dinettes and 2 NPCU's sitting in the yard.

 

[daniel3197]

A different railfan discussion board reported that the Comet Cars for the San Joaquins were taken

OUT of service because of some sort of PA address system issue in the cars.

This defective PA system issue was said to be a major FRA violation of sorts (FRA== Federal Railroad Administration).

I am just relaying what I read elsewhere and I do NOT have any direct knowledge of this issue myself.

That would be a good POSSIBLE explanation on why this set is out of service.

---- Daniel

 

[roadman3313]

That would make sense as to why a bi-level was being used and why cars still have not been re-distributed yet on that and the CC.

 

[rickycourtney]

What's interesting is that the original NJ Transit PA system was replaced by the Amtrak standard PA system used on the Horizon cars... So that part of the Comet cars is brand new.

 

[rickycourtney]

So according to a report on Trainorders the reason the single-level trainsets are out of service are because of problems with the 3 Horizon dinette (café) cars. Apparently one car has a broken air conditioning system, one has a broken refrigeration system and the other car has a leak that allows water into the electrical cabinet.

My guess is that the parts needed to fix the problems with the cars are being shuttled out to Oakland from either the Chicago shops or the Beech Grove shops on the CZ. That obviously takes a few days.

According to the poster... there were indeed problems with the PA systems... but those have since been resolved.

 

[ACS-64]

Single level set is back today on #718, with NPCU 90215 leading, and therefore will be on #711 tomorrow.

 

[rickycourtney]

I've never seen NPCU 90215 out on the road. Did you happen to catch its name?

 

[rickycourtney]

So Caltrans and Amtrak are making good progress on the Comet car project. All the dinette cars and NPCU's have been delivered and the Comet cars are more than halfway there.

Here's my roster:

Comet IB Coach
Delivery Number Name Notes
5001
5002
5003
5004
5005
11/ 5006 “The El Dorado” (former NJTR 5163)
07/10 5007 “The Del Monte” (former NJTR 5164)
04/03 5008 “The Redwood” (former NJTR 5165)
10/ 5009 “The Valley Flyer” (former NJTR 5166)
5010
09/21 5011 “San Diegan” (former NJTR 5168)
10/ 5012 “The Feather River Express” (former NJTR 5169)
05/25 5013 “The Citrus Belt Limited” (former NJTR 5224)
08/17 5014 “Spirit of California” (former NJTR 5230)

Non-Powered Control Unit
Delivery Number Name Notes
10/20 90215 “Bakersfield"
03/04 90218 “Oakland"
06/27 90225 “Sacramento"

Horizon Dinette
Delivery Number Name Notes
07/17 53501 “Golden Horizon”
09/29 53505 “Pacific Horizon” (former "City of San Luis Obispo")
05/25 53510 “Western Horizon” (name not yet applied)

 

[ACS-64]

I've never seen NPCU 90215 out on the road. Did you happen to catch its name?

While not an inclusive list, here are what's been leading 718 lately.

90215:

November 10, 14-18

90218:

November 19-22

 

[rickycourtney]

90218:

November 19-22

ACS-64-

Do you know for sure that 90218 is in the consist tonight? There's some one on Trainorders who swears it's 90215.

 

[ACS-64]

90218:

November 19-22

ACS-64-Do you know for sure that 90218 is in the consist tonight? There's some one on Trainorders who swears it's 90215.

90215 is shopped with a roll up door issue.