Midwest Venture introduction

[Fenu S]

Amtrak 381 came into Galesburg this morning with two venture cars. Looks like they only used the horizon cafe car to board/deboard.

 

[TransitTyrant]

Amtrak 381 came into Galesburg this morning with two venture cars. Looks like they only used the horizon cafe car to board/deboard.

View attachment 29618

Amtrak/Siemens identified the issue with the steps and handrails but perhaps not all cars have been fixed yet.

 

[Dutchrailnut]

untill all in service are fixed the restriction on using those steps will stay .

 

[Fenu S]

Interestingly, they used the doors on the first venture car to board in Quincy. The mysteries of Amtrak!

 

[TransitTyrant]

untill all in service are fixed the restriction on using those steps will stay .

Rode on them a weeks ago, the steps were being used then.

 

[Steve4031]

The crew is simply boarding passengers in certain coaches based on the destination as they always have done. Perhaps there were business class passengers boarding in Galesburg.

 

[rs9]

The crew is simply boarding passengers in certain coaches based on the destination as they always have done. Perhaps there were business class passengers boarding in Galesburg.

This would seem to be correct - the business and cafe Venture cars aren't in service yet.

 

[Amtrak25]

Did they do something to fix the step mechanisms ?

 

[jis]

Did they do something to fix the step mechanisms ?

Whatever was the problem apparently does not exist any more, or is no longer considered a problem. As to whether some major mechanical fix was involved or a minor tweak, or merely changing documentation or doing nothing, is not clear. But the doors are all being used again.

 

[TRA_Thom]

The Ventures are running on the Pere Marquette now! Started yesterday. Right now it’s an Amfleet Business/Cafe and two Ventures. Steps work just fine.

 

[GDRRiley]

Brightline actually worked with Siemens to come up with a design for their Venture cars over a period of several years. I have been told that prior to the initial delivery of the first several trainsets, Brightline actually went through a QA/QC process with Siemens. This was instrumental in catching any production related issues before they were released from the factory. I have also heard that IDOT and CalTrans did not go through this process, perhaps due to lack of personnel or budget?

It isn't a new design, they modified a Euro design the Viaggio Comfort. The euro cars can and do hit 145mph in service with a 155mph option. while these are limited to 125 maybe 135mph.

Case in point is the issue of lead in the potable water on the Venture trains for the Midwest and California. I was told that this involved the substitution of brass fittings for the stainless steel fittings that Brightline specified. This was done at the behest of Amtrak engineering in order to standardize the new equipment with their existing fleet. Most likely the other issues can be traced back to deviations from the Brightline design specifications as well to meet Amtrak standards.

it was also a different subcontractor who made the system.

I also suspect that VIA Rail has also been more proactive as well following Brightline's lead. There have been very few if any reports of issues with their first trainsets so far during testing over the past 9 months.

I think thats more got to do with how tight VIA like many Candida operators is. We know HFR is something, it could be 220mph HSR or 90MPH service with a few more trains a day

I thought they were gonna go to the Capitol Corridor. Hhmmm, I mean the Surfline could probably use them.

Nope all to the San Joaquin, there is talk of ordering 4 more so they can be all Venture car
Surfliner has said they want a bi level car for the extra capacity.

 

[Fenu S]

Looks like they took the consist from 381 then. They came in this morning with their normal Amfleet/Horizon cars consist. Though 383 came in with two Superliners.

 

[jis]

It isn't a new design, they modified a Euro design the Viaggio Comfort. The euro cars can and do hit 145mph in service with a 155mph option. while these are limited to 125 maybe 135mph.

It is Viaggio but there are a few significant changes, specially in the interior. The interior is basically specified by Brightline for the Brightline trains.

The car structure was modified slightly to make them FRA Tier III compliant shells, so that in the future they can easily be certified for speeds higher than 125mph in the US as needed.

And of course the brakes, HEP and exterior fittings are also US standard, slightly different from Europe.

 

[GDRRiley]

It is Viaggio but there are a few significant changes, specially in the interior. The interior is basically specified by Brightline for the Brightline trains.

The car structure was modified slightly to make them FRA Tier III compliant shells, so that in the future they can easily be certified for speeds higher than 125mph in the US as needed.

the interior though has always been quite flexible, as I understand it they use the same shell for coaches and sleeping cars but change everything inside.

Nice to know that was though of, I wonder how fast they can be rated to.

 

[Touchdowntom9]

the interior though has always been quite flexible, as I understand it they use the same shell for coaches and sleeping cars but change everything inside.

Nice to know that was though of, I wonder how fast they can be rated to.

Isn’t the Venture car almost a foot wider than the Viaggio?

 

[GDRRiley]

Isn’t the Venture car almost a foot wider than the Viaggio?

They are, I'm saying the interior has always been a flexible thing. US built cars conform to different requirements but the same idea of keep the shell the same change the inside applies.

 

[thully]

Any idea if these are still on the Wolverines? They were originally on 350/355, but were off those by the time I rode 350 in August. Pretty sure they had shifted to 351/352 then based on social media, but I heard today that they’re not on 351 anymore. That means they’re either on 353/354, or they’re no longer on the Wolverines. Heard they’re on the Pere Marquette now, so wondering if the Wolverine Ventures got shifted there after 350/355 were suspended…

 

[Dutchrailnut]

Siemens Viaggio Comfort
Car length	25.98 m (85 ft 3 in)
Width	2.825 m (9 ft 3.2 in)
Height	4.05 m (13 ft 3 in)
Maximum speed	230 km/h (143 mph) Service 249 km/h (155 mph) Design

Siemens Venture
Car length	85 ft (25,908 mm)
Width	10 ft 6 in (3,200 mm)
Height	14 ft (4,267 mm)
Platform height	Level boarding: 48 in (1,219 mm) Step boarding: 8 in (203 mm)

 

[daybeers]

Can we have a recap of which trains are running with the Ventures?

 

[thully]

Can we have a recap of which trains are running with the Ventures?

Yeah - this is very hard to find. I even did a one-month Railstream subscription in hopes of finding out what Wolverines have them (and checking out the SWC consist mentioned on another thread), and I'm not seeing any cameras on the line the Wolverines run on.

 

[Touchdowntom9]

Is the venture car order still a work in progress for the midwest or have all the deliveries occurred and still using older cars because of the water pipe lead issue?

 

[Fenu S]

Venture cars are back on #381 Carl Sandburg.

 

[PerRock]

Is the venture car order still a work in progress for the midwest or have all the deliveries occurred and still using older cars because of the water pipe lead issue?

I believe all the coach cars have been delivered, and we're waiting on cafe, business, and cab (for WI) cars. I would think that by now the lead issue has been taken care of & that there are other issues they're dealing with, but Amtrak (and the DoTs) have been very tight-lipped about what the hold up is.

peter

 

[GDRRiley]

Is the venture car order still a work in progress for the midwest or have all the deliveries occurred and still using older cars because of the water pipe lead issue?

Its still a work in progress, I believe finally cab cars are starting production but generally its going to be a bit longer till all are done. California is estimating the last of its cars will be in service by the start of 2024 and thats without cafe cars.

 

[thully]

Saw a picture of today's 352 someone posted elsewhere, and it had one Venture coach and the rest of them were older cars. That is weird - though having them more spread out would mean a greater chance of getting one on my next trip on the Wolverine (at least as long as they don't make me sit in the older cars, which is probably more of a concern leaving from Chicago than going to Chicago or anywhere else).