We will be getting an update this Friday. Timeline has slipped a lot from the plan a year ago. 4 or 5 sets should have been in service.
Siemens Caltrans/IDOT Venture design, engineering, testing and delivery (2012-1Q 2024)
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Fresh from the JPA, first set will be testing mid October entering service later in the month, 2nd set expected around January, First cab car should be delivered before the end of the year no timeline on the rest of the sets entering service. The previous goal of every 2 months a new one entering service is reliant on siemens
Anthony V
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I went on my first Amtrak trip yesterday (Hiawatha Service), and the train I rode in both ways had the new Venture cars. The seats, while narrow, were not all that uncomfortable. They even had a place to rest your head so you could take a nap. The recline, however, was so small that I thought, "Why even bother to recline in the first place." The southbound trip had a few minor delays caused by freight train interference, causing us to be about 5-10 minutes late into Chicago Union Station. The northbound trip was on time. On the northbound train, one of the shelves for overhead luggage was rattling for part of the trip. I eventually got used to the noise and tuned it out.
Overall, I have to rate this experience with the Venture cars a 4 out of 5 stars. Because of the fact that we were late getting in to Chicago Union Station, as well as the rattling luggage shelf, I had to remove a star from the rating.
Overall, I have to rate this experience with the Venture cars a 4 out of 5 stars. Because of the fact that we were late getting in to Chicago Union Station, as well as the rattling luggage shelf, I had to remove a star from the rating.
The JPA ones I assume will not be randomly mixed with Horizon, Amfleet, and ex-NJT coaches like they are in Chicago, and that California cars will be come Surfliner cars, sending Superliners off lease and back to the national network. I think there are 11 SL coaches and a Sightseer caught up in that. We'll see then if Gardner/Harris make use of them or go on with artifically minimalist LD consists.
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jis
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The Ventures going to California are all in semi-permanently coupled fixed consists, so no they will not be intermingled with anything else.
We already released as many cars as we wanted to, these were ones California paid to rebuild so they aren't going to go back anytime soon. The state was even looking at buying some superliners that had been sold to increase the fleet further as we are short of cars. CA returned 25+ single level cars in 2020 and with the 14 comet cars also planning to leave service the states only having a minor growth in overall cars.
here is 2 more slides from the same 8/4/22 LOSSAN TAC
They could add single level cars between the locomotive and trainset if needed but I don't see them doing it.
One of them has loud flat wheel.
jis
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Gosh! That's a serious flat in the car adjacent to the SC-44!
Forget to release a brake?
Can’t even make it to deliver with something going wrong. I expected better from Siemens.
Can’t even make it to deliver with something going wrong. I expected better from Siemens.
They've been in caltrans hands for 3 years now its amtraks fault
jis
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For the life of me I cannot understand why the Midwest/ California order is taking for ever to deploy while Brightline and VIA appear to be able to take in deliveries and put them into service within a reasonable time mostly absent all the endless drama at Amtrak Midwest and California.
Because this is Amtrak, Brightline and VIA are not. Expect a Redux with the Airo variation. Think of the movie Groundhog Day.
blueman271
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Not to beat a dead horse but this is kind of par for the course vis a vis Amtrak is it not. And yes one could argue that Amtrak California is a different animal but at this point we just have to accept that any car order any entity with the name Amtrak places will be hopelessly delayed. If I started a railroad and called it Ethan’s Amtrak it would take eleventy billion years before I actually got new rolling stock.
randomguy65
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Seems that Amtrak has been continually testing these coaches, hopefully the rumors that they'll enter service soon are true.
Test train 865 was spotted on November 30th per this YouTube video.
Test train 865 was spotted on November 30th per this YouTube video.
I learned this a few hours before it went live though some contacts but the first train should be tomorrow.
randomguy65
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Train 710 was spotted today with 6 Venture coaches. Led by NPCU #90218 with CDTX #2101 pushing.
Here's a YouTube video.
Here's a YouTube video.
randomguy65
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Intrestingly, the Amtrak app states that 710/719 still have cafe service, so it seems one of the vending machine coaches is in service.
No vending machines. They handed out little snack boxes and water to people for free. I think they had a limited amount.
Also, with the arrival of the first set the comets are being retired. The comets last run was apparently today.
The inaugural run didn't make it to Bakersfield thanks to a car crash. A bit poetic.
The should send the ComArrows up to Seattle, and send as many Horizons back to Chicago, which needs more equipment, and possibly send some of their Amfleet back to the east coast.
Well that an amazing neat spot to train watch.
Of course we got a flat wheel again.
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