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

[rickycourtney]

Saw pictures last week that two more Siemens test cars are en route to TTCI: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,4956813

There are now four Siemens cars and a Charger at TTCI, reportedly to allow WABTEC to develop the I-ETMS PTC braking profile for the new cars.

Between that, and the test runs of the new Acela (Avelia Liberty), sounds like it will be a busy few months in Pueblo!

 

[NSC1109]

Anyone able to post pictures for those of us who don't have TO accounts?

 

[jis]

Anyone able to post pictures for those of us who don't have TO accounts?

Not possible to repost Trainorders posted photos without breaking copyright rules, unless one is the owner of any of those photos. Afterall that is how Trainorders earns its keep through membership fees to provide access to the materials posted there.

 

[daybeers]

Not possible to repost Trainorders posted photos without breaking copyright rules, unless one is the owner of any of those photos. Afterall that is how Trainorders earns its keep through membership fees to provide access to the materials posted there.

Is it worth the money? I've always stuck with AU and Railroad.net.

 

[jis]

Is it worth the money? I've always stuck with AU and Railroad.net.

Depends on how often you have to ask someone who is a member to repost a photo from them [emoji51] I suppose [emoji6]

They do have more insiders participating there, so one gets more immediate trustworthy information from them. They also have more opinionated purveyors of bovine scatology if you are into such purely for entertainment [emoji849]

 

[daybeers]

Depends on how often you have to ask someone who is a member to repost a photo from them [emoji51] I suppose [emoji6]

They do have more insiders participating there, so one gets more immediate trustworthy information from them. They also have more opinionated purveyors of bovine scatology if you are into such purely for entertainment [emoji849]

Hmm...maybe I'll pass. Keeping up with two forums is enough for me anyway

 

[rickycourtney]

New photos from Siemens:
https://twitter.com/siemensmobility/status/1233421787792277506?s=21

 

[Steve4031]

New photos from Siemens:
https://twitter.com/siemensmobility/status/1233421787792277506?s=21

hopefully Illinois gets some this year too.

 

[Bonser]

hopefully Illinois gets some this year too.

When the Siemens's orders are delivered will that free up the superliner cars on the AT, CONO, and CL for the western routes?

 

[jis]

When the Siemens's orders are delivered will that free up the superliner cars on the AT, CONO, and CL for the western routes?

No

 

[Steve4031]

To expand on Jishnu’s no, these cars were ordered by California, Illinois, Michigan, and iirc Wisconsin added a few cars to the order for the Hiawatha Service.

There are a few superliner coaches in California that could be available. There will be a surplus of amfleet and horizon cars after the Siemens order is completed.

 

[jis]

To expand on Jishnu’s no, these cars were ordered by California, Illinois, Michigan, and iirc Wisconsin added a few cars to the order for the Hiawatha Service.

There are a few superliner coaches in California that could be available. There will be a surplus of amfleet and horizon cars after the Siemens order is completed.

None of the surplus, for a short few minutes, Amfleet and Horizon fleet are long distance coaches though. Many will very quickly get absorbed in the various northeast pools which are perpetually short of rolling stock. Some will possibly get deployed in new corridors like New Orleans - Mobile too.

 

[Steve4031]

None of the surplus, for a short few minutes, Amfleet and Horizon fleet are long distance coaches though. Many will very quickly get absorbed in the various northeast pools which are perpetually short of rolling stock. Some will possibly get deployed in new corridors like New Orleans - Mobile too.

Thank you Jishnu for the clarification.

 

[Pere Flyer]

Similarly in Chicago, the few Superliner coaches that rotated in Pere Marquette consists will likely be absorbed by the CHI equipment pool, to be mostly used on LD trains.

 

[jrud]

I know that this is nine months old, but it contains information that I hadn’t seen before. I searched and was unable to find a previous post with this document. However, I’m certainly not perfect. https://sjjpa.com/wp-content/uploads/SJJPA-Board-Meeting-May-31-2019-Presentation-2.pdf

 

[jis]

I know that this is nine months old, but it contains information that I hadn’t seen before. I searched and was unable to find a previous post with this document. However, I’m certainly not perfect. https://sjjpa.com/wp-content/uploads/SJJPA-Board-Meeting-May-31-2019-Presentation-2.pdf

Great slideset! Thanks!

 

[rickycourtney]

More photos from Caltrans!
https://twitter.com/caltranshq/status/1233423335893037058?s=21

 

[rickycourtney]

Pardon the slightly off topic question...

Has it been announced what will be done with the Comet cars once the Siemens cars are delivered?

I’ve heard various vague suggestions but nothing firm.

The complicating factor is that Caltrans is leasing the Horizon dinettes and NPCU/Cabbage units from Amtrak to run those trainsets. I can’t imagine Caltrans would keep renting them if the Comets aren’t being regularly used.

 

[NeueAmtrakCalifornia]

Pardon the slightly off topic question...

Has it been announced what will be done with the Comet cars once the Siemens cars are delivered?

I’ve heard various vague suggestions but nothing firm.

The complicating factor is that Caltrans is leasing the Horizon dinettes and NPCU/Cabbage units from Amtrak to run those trainsets. I can’t imagine Caltrans would keep renting them if the Comets aren’t being regularly used.

They'll probably be transferred to new Corridor services, like the revived Quad Cities Rocket and Black Hawk, and maybe the upcoming Atlanta-Nashville and New Orleans-Mobile trains.

 

[jrud]

Great slideset! Thanks!

Thank you. It will be interesting to see what the 2020 NGEC annual meeting says concerning the cars being purchased for Caltrans. The 2018 annual meeting presentation had slightly different types of coaches compared to the 2019 meeting. This SJJPA presentation from later in 2019 has another tweak. As the 2020 NGEC meeting was held a little over a week ago, I presume the presentations for it will appear soon.

 

[neroden]

Pardon the slightly off topic question...

Has it been announced what will be done with the Comet cars once the Siemens cars are delivered?

I’ve heard various vague suggestions but nothing firm.

The complicating factor is that Caltrans is leasing the Horizon dinettes and NPCU/Cabbage units from Amtrak to run those trainsets. I can’t imagine Caltrans would keep renting them if the Comets aren’t being regularly used.

No doubt they will go somewhere else. With a nationwide car shortage, I would not dare to guess where.

The Quad Cities route will get new Siemens cars -- they were ordered by Illnois. So not there.

 

[Pere Flyer]

Has it been announced what will be done with the Comet cars once the Siemens cars are delivered?

CT sure could use some for Valley Flyer/Hartford Line trains. An MBTA lease is set to expire soon.

 

[Thirdrail7]

We may see one testing on the NEC.

 

[DSS&A]

Hi,
Follow this link to the AASHTO website which now has the January and February 2020 monthly meeting minutes AND the 2020 Annual Meeting materials and PowerPoint presentations uploaded for public viewing. It is interesting reading materials. Items have been uploaded over thevpast two days. More information may be uploaded tomorrow, since I see no presentation on the passenger cars yet.

http://www.highspeed-rail.org/pages/section305committee.aspx

 

[NSC1109]

Slightly off topic, but this photo was in the Amtrak Procurement Updates slide deck:


I must say, that looks pretty slick.