rickycourtney
Conductor
NGEC finally posted an update, dated September 30, 2020
Siemens Caltrans/IDOT Venture design, engineering, testing and delivery (2012-1Q 2024)
- Thread starter afigg
- Start date
Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:
- Status
Another special move of new Siemens cars passed through Iowa today (Monday). The numbers on the cars were small, but it looked like the five coaches were IDTX (if that's the reporting mark they're using) 4014, 4015, 4016, 4017, and 4018.
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
Staff member
Administator
Moderator
AU Supporting Member
Gathering Team Member
They seem to have a distinctly IDTX livery.
MikefromCrete
Engineer
Last seen they were at the coach yard south of Union Station, awaiting testing.
I’d imagine they’ll be tested on the Michigan Line first, since it’s Amtrak-operated and there aren’t many conflicting movements right now.
Scott Speegle, the IDOT passenger rail & transit communications manager said they would be first rolled out on the Lincoln service starting this year, then to the other midwest routes. My biased opinion agrees with you though.
I was also wondering if there have been any photos of the finished interiors? I don't remember seeing any, except for the factory mock-ups from a while back.
MikefromCrete
Engineer
Let's see, one of the guys in charge of the equipment says one thing, yet you agree with somebody who is just expressing an opinion without any backing. Good thinking.
They started to receive deliveries before the midwest group did. Here is a video posted earlier in the thread showing them being tested.
The December NGEC minutes say Caltrans has received 12 cars already in their Stockton facility.
brianpmcdonnell17
Conductor
They're intended primarily for the San Joaquins so will not normally operate to San Jose.
Not talking full service, just training runs to break them in, train crews, etc. AML would be the ideal place for it because they aren’t dealing with a foreign railroad dispatcher or (many) conflicting movements. Once the revenue service begins yes it will clearly be on fhe
That wasn’t really necessary. I wasn’t clear in my original comment and all this person was saying was that a Michigan Line introduction would make a little more sense given the Amtrak-operated infrastructure and few other movements right now.
Ahhh that’s right, forgot the San Joaquains stops in EMY. that’s why I haven’t seen em! Lol
That’s a surprise. But I’m glad for the news. I’m booking the inaugural run.
MikefromCrete
Engineer
I guess I owe an apology to a couple of AU'ers from Michigan. You were right. I was wrong.
PerRock
Engineer
@MikefromCrete As a Michigander, I'm surprised (and wrong) I would have put money on them testing them on the IL HSR line... that is the line they started testing the Chargers on, so one would figure they'd start testing on the same line.
@Steve4031 they said they're testing on the MI line, so these are most likely not going to be revenue trains. If you're booked on an MI train on Monday you're 99% likely to still have Horizons & Amfleets.
peter
@Steve4031 they said they're testing on the MI line, so these are most likely not going to be revenue trains. If you're booked on an MI train on Monday you're 99% likely to still have Horizons & Amfleets.
peter
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
Staff member
Administator
Moderator
AU Supporting Member
Gathering Team Member
The moral of the story is that stated plans do often change in details, unpredictably. So no point in getting worked up about it.
It happens to all of us. Kudos to owning up to it. (I’m not one of the ones from Michigan that you’d be apologizing to - I just grew up there).
I managed to still be wrong about it by agreeing with you. So it goes, I guess.
And anecdotally, the Chargers seemed to take a comparatively long time to show up on the wolverine. I assumed that was due to the ITCS system that is used on the line, but I don't know if that was ever confirmed or if it was for some other reason, and probably wouldn't be an issue for passenger cars...
In any case, I look forward to seeing the cars in action.
@Steve4031 they said they're testing on the MI line, so these are most likely not going to be revenue trains. If you're booked on an MI train on Monday you're 99% likely to still have Horizons & Amfleets.
peter
[/QUOTE]
I understand these are non revenue. I’m assuming the inaugural run will be announced in a few months. I’ll ride then.
peter
[/QUOTE]
I understand these are non revenue. I’m assuming the inaugural run will be announced in a few months. I’ll ride then.
No sweat chief. It was announced early on that the equipment would enter revenue service on IDOT sponsored lines. Testing itself is just easier on the AML because Amtrak controls the whole show.
If I remember correctly, it was indeed because the ITCS system wouldn’t interlock with the Charger units correctly.
- Status
