Phase VI and the Heritage Fleet

[Viewliner]

On my way to New York for the baseball game today, I of course took NJ Transit in, which is another part worth mention itself. Just past Secaucus on the way in, the Three Rivers, train 41 headed to Chicago passes us. It was a typical consist, with one noteable exception. The baggage car behind the Viewliner was in Phase VI. Just thought I'd mention it, so you guys could be on the look out with your camera's.

As for the NJ Transit portion, there was track work in Millburn which closed the outbound track/platform, and of course, rather than park one of their trucks in a parking space, they blocked our car from pulling out.

 

[Amfleet]

...and Horizon cars too.

http://www.trainweb.com/mvc/year2004/04/20...4d22a/p040.HTML

http://www.trainweb.com/mvc/year2004/04/20...4d22a/p041.HTML

 

[P40Power]

Wow I must say those Horizon cars look SHARP in the new Phase IVb! I like the silver trucks on them.

I was looking at the pictures closely but I still wasnt able to determine what the little car identification names said on each, they looked unusual, the food service and the coach both had rather large names on there then "Coach Class" and Dinette / Cafe or whatever. But thats IVb's biggest flaw, is the tiny writing on them.

The Food Service car probably says "Business Class" it now that I think of it because some Horizon Food Service cars have half as business class right?

 

[EmpireBuilderFan]

Those Horizons do look pretty good. Personally, I like the Phase IVb paint job. I was even surprised to see a sleeper and coach on #8 yesterday that were in IVb. Pretty rare to see a IVb Superliner on the Builder.

 

[Miami Joe]

I can only speak for Silver Service trains, but our business class cars are concept cars with a small cooler on the "B" end for free ice cream and soft drinks. They also provide movies.

I don't like the new numbering on the cars either! :angry: It makes it very difficult to make up a yardsheet or find a car in the consists at night. I liked the big numbers in the middle of the car. In the big yards, they use the ID sensors on the side of the car that pop up on the computer screen.

We don't have the readers in HIA and have to ride around the yard every shift to make up a yardsheet.

Miami Joe B)

 

[P40Power]

Yeah the Phase IVb lettering/numbering is quite drasically changed from the Phase IV on the Amfleet IIs. The phase IV cars have HUGE Coach and numbering on them, seems quite larger then the Phase III lettering and numbering, which was a good size as well.

It may make the cars look a bit more clean and modern, but I dont think tiny lettering and numbering is a good thing at all, the font is also a bit tough to read as well (for me it is).

 

[amtrakmichigan]

The Food Service car probably says "Business Class" it now that I think of it because some Horizon Food Service cars have half as business class right?

You are correct. Horizon car numbers 53000- 53007 have business class seats. One source says it has 18 seats and another says 16 seats. The rest of the car is a Dinette.

On my last trip to Chicago the car I was riding in still had the old "Custom Class" lettering on it (half peeling off).

 

[P40Power]

While on the topic of the Horizon fleet, are many of the coaches refurbished into the new "Horizon Green" scheme, or are most of them still in the original Amred scheme? I remember reading a trip report of a person riding in a normal Horizon coach (not the 60 seat conversion) and it had the all new green seats.

 

[amtrakmichigan]

While on the topic of the Horizon fleet, are many of the coaches refurbished into the new "Horizon Green" scheme, or are most of them still in the original Amred scheme? I remember reading a trip report of a person riding in a normal Horizon coach (not the 60 seat conversion) and it had the all new green seats.

I have only seen green seats in the horizon cars, b/c and coach. I personelly don't recall ever seeing a horizon car with Amred colors.

 

[P40Power]

Well the Horizon cars that I had both ways from Chicago to STL and back all had the Amfleet I-style red seats back in 1997. In that case maybe Amtrak has gotten most, or possibly ALL of the Horizon fleet seats updated!

 

[Amfleet]

Those Horizons do look pretty good. Personally, I like the Phase IVb paint job. I was even surprised to see a sleeper and coach on #8 yesterday that were in IVb. Pretty rare to see a IVb Superliner on the Builder.

Well with the new paint remover machine Beech Grove has, every time a Superliner comes through it can recieve a new paint job.

 

[battalion51]

I can only speak for Silver Service trains, but our business class cars are concept cars with a small cooler on the "B" end for free ice cream and soft drinks. They also provide movies.

Well that's assuming the video system actually works. The Conductor system couldn't get it to boot up on 90 last Friday, and it was a pain on 89 on Saturday. Also, the coolers now stay empty, Business Class folks have to go back to the lounge for their beverages (no Ice Cream). The reason for the change is people would take a whole six pack of beverages with them when they left the train, this limits that.

 

[Miami Joe]

That's all new to me!

I can understand the video problems. When I started in '97, there was an outside contractor who maintained the videos on the coaches. Amtrak dropped the contract for maintenance and we started to remove the VCR's.

The monitors were left in the cars and then we were told to stop removing equipment.

Years later, a video tech position was created to deal with the problems wiyh the entertainment systems in the V/L's. Many other systems run through the system(PA, att. call, etc) and the units were burning up because of poor design. Well, the tech job has been abolished(not enough people) and the guy only works on videos one day a week. I don't know who maintains the business car videos, maybe Sunnyside.

There was a campaign to remove the videos from the V/L's about a year ago, and 1 car was stripped. I don't know why, but everything was re-installed in the car withen a few months. When we pull up the defects on the computer every day, there is still work orders to remove the video from the V/L's.

Miami Joe B)

 

[battalion51]

Joe, maybe you can explain this because it baffles me a lot. Why is it the PA system stinks on the single level fleet (trouble with getting announcements through the whole train, forget about IC), but on the Superliners they're nearly flawless and crews can use IC without a problem? :blink: :unsure:

 

[Miami Joe]

I don't know!!

I get write ups all the time, and the cars are fine. Maybe it's the comm cables when the train is moving.

Miami Joe B)

 

[battalion51]

It must be because the PA just picks random spots to just die on itself. Maybe Amtrak should replace ALL the Comm cables.

 

[Miami Joe]

Here's the deal!

Every shift has had its manpower reduced. If there is a major problem(refrigeration),all attention goes to that car. If the car has to be cut out, that's less time to work the cars. Blue flag track protection says " you can't work on the train, inside or outside, once the flags have been removed." With CSX doing the switching, it can take 1 to 2 hours to switch a car or two. That leaves you about 2 to 3 hours to walk thru your cars(3,4,or 5) find defects not written up, and do the repairs. If you got a guy in the Diner, and he's only worked on trains for a year, I've got to give him a hand. So, you can see how little problems accumulate and blow up in your face later.

The cables tend to work loose during the trip and if there is no write-up, they don't get checked. A PA check is usually done in the yard, but if problems arise , PA is low priority.

With only a handful of people on the train, it's hard to do a check. Everybody is working or outside the car.

7 out of 10 times, no defect is found. But then again, the wiring & cables are not being shook around inside the conduits and junction boxes.

So the majority of heavy maintenance is being done in the PM line or the B/O line. The new theory is if the cars go through PM every 90 days, they should hold up between PMs.

There are still alot of people with bad attitudes, lack of knowledge or lazy and defects slide by until the next PM. There are also cars running with parts on order.

I'm working on 62003 today and noticed that the upper bunk is gone in the att.'s room! :blink: I mentioned it to the boss and he said," Yeah, I remember the last time it went through." Evidently, no one cares.

Where the hell is the guy sleeping? Next to the toilet? :huh:

Miami Joe

 

[Viewliner]

Where the hell is the guy sleeping? Next to the toilet? :huh:

Only if they didn't remove the sheets for the lower bunk too. :lol:

 

[battalion51]

Actually it's possible that he was sleeping in one of the Pro-tect rooms. Amtrak blocks out six Viewliner rooms a trip for crew to sleep, I think they only need four, so he could be sleeping in one of those pro-tect rooms.

 

[AlanB]

Actually it's possible that he was sleeping in one of the Pro-tect rooms. Amtrak blocks out six Viewliner rooms a trip for crew to sleep, I think they only need four, so he could be sleeping in one of those pro-tect rooms.

Huh? :unsure:

What does that have to do with the actual physical upper bed going missing from the attendant's room? This isn't a protect room, it's the attendant's normal room and it's missing the actual upper bed.

 

[battalion51]

I understand that. But since the bed was missing, maybe he was sleeping in a pro-tect room.

 

[AlanB]

I understand that. But since the bed was missing, maybe he was sleeping in a pro-tect room.

Ok, that makes sense. At least until that sleeper ends up on the LSL where there are no protect rooms.

 

[gswager]

Or maybe he was grabbing the mattress and go through the emergency exit door on the roof and slept on it. Probably forgot to take it back since it was somewhere in the ditch along the track. :lol:

 

[battalion51]

Along with him. :lol:

 

[Amfleet]

The protect rooms must be a Supertrain only thing because a normal Silver Meteor or Silver Star consist would have plenty of protect rooms in the dorm. But my question is, why doesn't the attendant just sleep on the bottom bunk? Granted there's no matress, but a couple pillows, sheets, and a blanket can't be that bad. Worst comes to worst they just sleep in the dorm.