Siemens Caltrans/IDOT Venture design, engineering, testing and delivery (2012-1Q 2024)

[rickycourtney]

NGEC finally posted an update, dated September 30, 2020

Update – Multi-State Rail Car Procurement (provided by Caltrans) as of 9-22-20:

Design review for the standard coach is complete. The Cab Car structure FDR is complete and the structural test plans have been reviewed and are in revision. Reviews for Vending Cars, Cab Car Interiors, Diagnostic Systems and Safety Appliances were scheduled for the week of September 28th in Sacramento. IDOT Café Car releases are ongoing with design reviews continuing through September. The Café Car IDR has been approved.

Travel to Europe from the U.S. for testing is being investigated in order to support workstation table testing. The first Maintainability Demonstration took place in Stockton last week. NEC testing for standard coach is complete and comments to the report are being clarified with FRA. Caltrans 238.111 testing is complete, and the report is in work. The IDOT 238.111 test runs on the IDOT corridors are expected to begin end of September or early October.

54 cars total are in production or have been produced at Siemens Sacramento Facility. System-level FAIs and the Complete Coach FAI are now approved for the standard coach. There are nine cars delivered to the Stockton facility. The first IDOT cars shipped end of July and the second shipment occurred August 28.

The project teams continue to monitor potential production and schedule impacts due to the coronavirus and are receiving frequent updates from SCOA and Siemens.

 

[Agent]

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]

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.
View attachment 19622

They seem to have a distinctly IDTX livery.

 

[jamess]

Anyone have an update on these? I thought they were expected in service by the end of 2020?

 

[MikefromCrete]

Anyone have an update on these? I thought they were expected in service by the end of 2020?

Last seen they were at the coach yard south of Union Station, awaiting testing.

 

[NSC1109]

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.

 

[nullptr]

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]

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.

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.

 

[nullptr]

It was just a light-hearted comment, obviously I know they'll show up on the Lincoln service first.

 

[GiantsFan]

Does anyone know when the CA cars are supposed to arrive?

 

[nullptr]

Does anyone know when the CA cars are supposed to arrive?

They started to receive deliveries before the midwest group did. Here is a video posted earlier in the thread showing them being tested.

Here's a video of the train of new Siemens coaches from yesterday taken by Roseville Sacramento Railfan.

The December NGEC minutes say Caltrans has received 12 cars already in their Stockton facility.

 

[GiantsFan]

Ahhh nice! Hope to see a set in San Jose sometime!

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Ahhh nice! Hope to see a set in San Jose sometime!

They're intended primarily for the San Joaquins so will not normally operate to San Jose.

 

[NSC1109]

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.

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

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.

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.

 

[GiantsFan]

They're intended primarily for the San Joaquins so will not normally operate to San Jose.

Ahhh that’s right, forgot the San Joaquains stops in EMY. that’s why I haven’t seen em! Lol

 

[NSC1109]

Amtrak has announced that the new Siemens cars will begin testing on the Michigan Line starting Monday, 1/25.

 

[Steve4031]

That’s a surprise. But I’m glad for the news. I’m booking the inaugural run.

 

[MikefromCrete]

I guess I owe an apology to a couple of AU'ers from Michigan. You were right. I was wrong.

 

[PerRock]

@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

 

[jis]

I guess I owe an apology to a couple of AU'ers from Michigan. You were right. I was wrong.

The moral of the story is that stated plans do often change in details, unpredictably. So no point in getting worked up about it.

 

[IndyLions]

I guess I owe an apology to a couple of AU'ers from Michigan. You were right. I was wrong.

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).

 

[nullptr]

I guess I owe an apology to a couple of AU'ers from Michigan. You were right. I was wrong.

I managed to still be wrong about it by agreeing with you. So it goes, I guess.

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.

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]

@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.

 

[NSC1109]

I guess I owe an apology to a couple of AU'ers from Michigan. You were right. I was wrong.

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.

 

[NSC1109]

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.

If I remember correctly, it was indeed because the ITCS system wouldn’t interlock with the Charger units correctly.