Dreamstar overnight train between San Francisco and Los Angeles?

[frequentflyer]

Didn't Stadler make some more Ultra Domes, that are taller than Superliners? Just buy some of them, should be cheaper than refurbing and renovating 75 cars with no parts supply.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Didn't Stadler make some more Ultra Domes, that are taller than Superliners? Just buy some of them, should be cheaper than refurbing and renovating 75 cars with no parts supply.

Yes Sadler did make oversized domes. They had to purposely build a new factory next to a port to fill that contract. No reason to built oversized when building custom equipment. You want fancy sleepers cars Stadler custom builds anything your heart desires for the right price.

 

[tgstubbs1]

Corridor Rail has/had quite a few of the ex-Santa Fe Hi-Levels. Probably enough to equip a daily LA-SF train. The website still features them prominently. I can envision some cases where putting them back in service as coaches could make economic sense. But, refitting them for sleeper service seems unfeasible.
https://corridorrail.com/

I wonder how many of these cars they have? They say on the web site they have 'zero age' -- so they are completely restored.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Those renderings are gorgeous to the point of being Japanese luxury/fantasy train fantastic. Even the European land cruise trains are all old school traditional that I can think of (suddenly have picture of 007 on train with Jaws attacking him and, I think, agent XXX, in a very chic and snazzy mod train from the 70's).

 

[Cal]

the a/c and other systems

The PPC's were still running I think smoothly on the Starlight back in 2018. With old cars like them, the body should be just fine and you should be able to overhaul them with everything else you need.

 

[GariYaMoshi]

The PPC's were still running I think smoothly on the Starlight back in 2018. With old cars like them, the body should be just fine and you should be able to overhaul them with everything else you need.

What is PPC?

 

[BlackDiamond]

What is PPC?

Pacific Parlor Car - exclusive to the Coast Starlight.
Pacific Parlor Car

 

[MARC Rider]

Those renderings are gorgeous to the point of being Japanese luxury/fantasy train fantastic. Even the European land cruise trains are all old school traditional that I can think of (suddenly have picture of 007 on train with Jaws attacking him and, I think, agent XXX, in a very chic and snazzy mod train from the 70's).

Those renderings look ridiculous. Maybe for some plutocrat's private car, but I sincerely doubt that such accommodations would make enough money to make the service financially sustainable. Besides, for those of us into the nostalgia trip of an overnight train run, half the fun of tiding is experiencing the cleverly designed traditional accommodations that make efficient use of available space, and allow the railroad to carry as many people as possible.

 

[MikefromCrete]

I wonder how many of these cars they have? They say on the web site they have 'zero age' -- so they are completely restored.

The high-level cars have been for sale forever. All kinds of operators have looked at them, but nobody has bought. They are just too old (built in the 1950's) and aren't handicap accessible. It would cost a fortune to turn them into sleepers.

 

[Asher]

I wonder how many of these cars they have? They say on the web site they have 'zero age' -- so they are completely restored.

James E Costen sounds like a snake charmer to me. Every thing he’s been involved with seems to be in the distant past except for the brochure with the wild ideas.

 

[Richard Hill]

A recent TRAINS magazine article:

https://is.gd/rPszbG

According to the article:

"Accommodations would include standard class, which the company compares to first class on an international flight, and three types of rooms with a private bathroom and shower: bedrooms, sleeping two; suites, sleeping two in a queen bed with extra space; and family, sleeping six (including two children)."

I assume that arrival and departure times, for San Francisco and Los Angeles, would be similar to that of the old LARK overnight train. The LARK departure and arrival times were 8:30-9:00 for both SF and LA.

 

[lrh442]

I wonder how many of these cars they have? They say on the web site they have 'zero age' -- so they are completely restored.

Corridor is claiming that they will effectively have "zero age" after heavy overhaul. None have been overhauled AFAIK, though.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Corridor is claiming that they will effectively have "zero age" after heavy overhaul. None have been overhauled AFAIK, though.

Where is the eyes roll like button....





Zero Age???

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

When your selling something your selling it.

 

[Harmon Shay]

Any chance they would be importing used rolling stock from Europe or Asia?

No. As far as I know, no European or Asian equipment meets the U.S. requirement that passenger railcars used here must be able to withstand 800-thousand pounds of end-to-end compression. I believe the European standard is only a little over half that. The now-scrapped Series 6 Talgo trains once used on the Amtrak Cascades between Vancouver, BC and Eugene, Oregon always operated on an FRA waiver. The newer Talgo Series 8s that still operate in Cascades service were built to that U.S. standard.

 

[tgstubbs1]

Where is the eyes roll like button....





Zero Age???

I was looking at his web site and it claims the Budd Company cars are virtually indestructible, 110 mph capable, Amtrak certified.
But I found a notice that the delivery takes 12-18 months, so the claim is kind of 'premature'. They are for the "Daylight Coast" so no sleeper cars.
I guess if these were any good for anything Amtrak would already be interested?

 

[Septa9739]

Regulations [FRA TEIR 3) have dispensed with the 800,000 lbs test 1) because it’s antiquated and 2) manufacturers were becoming more and more unable to do that and the other million th8ngs now required

 

[pschnebs]

Why do I get this vibe that this service is going to be another bit of “vapor rail” that’s going to create press releases and not much else?

 

[Cal]

Regulations [FRA TEIR 3) have dispensed with the 800,000 lbs test 1) because it’s antiquated and 2) manufacturers were becoming more and more unable to do that and the other million th8ngs now required

When was this? That means we could’ve gotten the original bi-level order…

 

[Septa9739]

https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra...t Generation of High Speed Rail Equipment.pdf

2017? The NS disaster and looming Acela II were key impetuses

 

[jis]

When was this? That means we could’ve gotten the original bi-level order…

No. The car has to have CEM crush zones and the safety cage still has to remain undeformed under 800klb buff load. The old cars would still have failed.

 

[Willbridge]

What is PPC?

Pacific Parlor Car -a popular extra feature on the Coast Starlight -- which also took some pressure off of the dining and lounge cars by serving light meals. Removed for "maintenance" and retired.

 

[njdon]

Pacific Parlor Car -a popular extra feature on the Coast Starlight -- which also took some pressure off of the dining and lounge cars by serving light meals. Removed for "maintenance" and retired.

I know maintenance must have been challenging but addition of that car and it’s services gave first class some real ‘classily’

 

[Eternityroad]

I was looking at his web site and it claims the Budd Company cars are virtually indestructible, 110 mph capable, Amtrak certified.
But I found a notice that the delivery takes 12-18 months, so the claim is kind of 'premature'. They are for the "Daylight Coast" so no sleeper cars.
I guess if these were any good for anything Amtrak would already be interested?

They also claimed the Titanic was indestructable. Not casting aspersion...just saying.

 

[Cal]

No. The car has to have CEM crush zones and the safety cage still has to remain undeformed under 800klb buff load. The old cars would still have failed.

Ah. Gotchya