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

[jis]

Does anyone out west know if there are still cars being shipped from Sacramento to Chicago?

The only shipments out of Sacramento that we have heard about recently are those to VIA and the ones going to Brightline soon, as soon as they have tracks ready to move them to the brand spanking new maintenance center at Orlando International Airport.

In my experience at least, I never managed to get any heads up about any deliveries to California or Illinois until the cars were actually moving and someone caught them on camera en route. It is very hush hush thing somehow. For VIA and Brightline I usually hear when they are leaving Sacramento, the rough routing and which railroad is handling them.

 

[NSC1109]

The only shipments out of Sacramento that we have heard about recently are those to VIA and the ones going to Brightline soon, as soon as they have tracks ready to move them to the brand spanking new maintenance center at Orlando International Airport.

In my experience at least, I never managed to get any heads up about any deliveries to California or Illinois until the cars were actually moving and someone caught them on camera en route. It is very hush hush thing somehow. For VIA and Brightline I usually hear when they are leaving Sacramento, the rough routing and which railroad is handling them.

Didn't even realize that VIA was already receiving cars, impressive.

Thanks for the info

 

[Cal]

Didn't even realize that VIA was already receiving cars, impressive.

Thanks for the info

Their first full set was out on the tracks two days ago I believe. There are videos of it.

 

[Steve4031]

There were a bunch of these cars parked in union station by the platforms for what would be tracks 30 and

 

[IndyLions]

Every single seat on my Wolverine train to CHI was full today. They really need more capacity big time on this line. And I know the lounge cars won’t be ready when they finally deploy the new Siemens cars, but I will say the Amfleet BC/lounge I rode today was pretty decently refreshed.

 

[Eric S]

Every single seat on my Wolverine train to CHI was full today. They really need more capacity big time on this line. And I know the lounge cars won’t be ready when they finally deploy the new Siemens cars, but I will say the Amfleet BC/lounge I rode today was pretty decently refreshed.

Out of curiosity, do you know how many cars your train had? Wondering how the consist compares to pre-pandemic norms.

 

[PerRock]

When I took the wolverine on Thursday, the train didn't appear and different than pre-pandemic average... Although I didn't count the cars.

 

[IndyLions]

Out of curiosity, do you know how many cars your train had? Wondering how the consist compares to pre-pandemic norms.

Three (3) Coach plus the Business/Cafe. It was the Wolverine that arrives in CHI around 2pm.

 

[NSC1109]

Three (3) Coach plus the Business/Cafe. It was the Wolverine that arrives in CHI around 2pm.

Just the four cars and the power? I thought the minimum axle count for trains on CN is 32 axles.

 

[IndyLions]

Just the four cars and the power? I thought the minimum axle count for trains on CN is 32 axles.

Now that you mention it, there were at least 4 coach plus the BC car.

 

[Anthony V]

Are efforts underway to remedy the leaded water problem in the Midwest and California Venture cars that is delaying them from entering service? How long would a remedy for the problem take? I saw on a reddit post that IDOT said that they hope to have the cars in revenue service in 2022.

 

[neroden]

I am certain efforts are underway. I would expect this involves Siemens finding a new supplier, getting samples from the new supplier, testing the new samples, checking up on the reputation of the new supplier, signing a contract with the new supplier, testing everything they get from the new supplier, and also suing the old supplier. It can take... time.

 

[sttom]

Also given the bottleneck at some ports, I can imagine that getting new supplies is going to take time. If they went with a Chinese supplier the first time, I doubt they would shift to one in the US or Canada or maybe even Mexico. While saving a few hundred dollars on something worth $3 million isn't a big deal to us, it is to them.

 

[neroden]

Also given the bottleneck at some ports, I can imagine that getting new supplies is going to take time. If they went with a Chinese supplier the first time, I doubt they would shift to one in the US or Canada or maybe even Mexico.

Oh, if the Chinese supplier gave them parts with lead, they absolutely will shift to a non-Chinese supplier. However, they'll discover that all those suppliers have backlogs of months or years because *everyone else is having the same problem and switching suppliers at the same time.*

 

[PVD]

Always hard to figure out what parts are covered under the Buy American rules

 

[jis]

Always hard to figure out what parts are covered under the Buy American rules

Usually it is a threshold percentage of the total value added thing rather than specific parts.

For example Rotem managed to stay within the thresholds of Buy America by purchasing the Stainless Steel in the US, shipping it to Korea for fabrication of body shell parts, then shipping assembled skeletal car bodies back to the US to finish and furnish the cars for the SEPTA order. Apparently they got around a substantial bit of the dearth of expert Stainless Steel welders in the US. Go figure. And the rules keep changing in odd ways as some politician or the other tries to plug yet another hole.

At one time I managed to get roped into a training course on this for being peripherally involved in a federal contract team. It was quite fascinating and mind-boggling at the same to time to put it mildly.

 

[sttom]

Oh, if the Chinese supplier gave them parts with lead, they absolutely will shift to a non-Chinese supplier. However, they'll discover that all those suppliers have backlogs of months or years because *everyone else is having the same problem and switching suppliers at the same time.*

One supplier in a country as big as China is unlikely to get all the companies in a country black listed. That would be irrational especially for a global company like Siemens. Almost as dumb as swearing off all Japanese cars because a Nissan sucks.

 

[west point]

IMHO there is a big effort to keep the problem(s) of no service completely clouded over. Why hasn't someone made effort to uncover the real problem(s) stopping service ?

 

[neroden]

One supplier in a country as big as China is unlikely to get all the companies in a country black listed. That would be irrational especially for a global company like Siemens. Almost as dumb as swearing off all Japanese cars because a Nissan sucks.

While this is true, Siemens almost certainly used a big-name company the first time (it would be very odd if they didn't) and if they got burned, it means the country that company is from *doesn't have a functioning regulator* to enforce the rules.

Switching to a country where the quality standards for preventing lead in plumbing are enforced by a regulator would be the logical move. Germany qualifies. I'm not sure the US does!

 

[sttom]

While this is true, Siemens almost certainly used a big-name company the first time (it would be very odd if they didn't) and if they got burned, it means the country that company is from *doesn't have a functioning regulator* to enforce the rules.

Switching to a country where the quality standards for preventing lead in plumbing are enforced by a regulator would be the logical move. Germany qualifies. I'm not sure the US does!

Doing a complete blacklist of Chinese suppliers would get Siemens blacklisted from China. While China might not need Siemens, Siemens would like to do business in China and they are a lot more than their transportation division. Is lead contamination of US made products a big deal? I'd be more surprised if we even made piping in this county. I'm also surprised that Siemens isn't going with Pex piping or even how plastic could become lead contaminated....well Boeing did get composites with Teflon contamination so who know?

 

[neroden]

Plastic can be lead contaminated. :-(

 

[Crowbar_k]

Not exactly Amtrak, but I think their trains will be similar.

 

[Cal]

Not exactly Amtrak, but I think their trains will be similar.

Love it, although from recent comments on bright line seats I question the comfort of the seats. I just wish Amtrak went with that cab car design

 

[Mailliw]

I'm curious as to what the "semi-private conference pods" in Business Class look like.

 

[NSC1109]

Lincoln Service 303 and 306 have Siemens cars on them effective today for testing.