Viewliner II - Part 1 - Initial Production and Delivery

[battalion51]

If two locomotives can handle a 40 car Auto Train, two locomotives can handle a 20 car single level train.

 

[Acela150]

If two locomotives can handle a 40 car Auto Train, two locomotives can handle a 20 car single level train.

On top of that loaded auto racks.

 

[neroden]

I'd heard they sometimes ran Silver Service trains with one locomotive; I wasn't sure how often that happened. If it's routinely two, then the only issue would be platforms near grade crossings where the train might block additional crossings. I don't think that's going to bother anyone at Amtrak or CSX though.

 

[Acela150]

I'd heard they sometimes ran Silver Service trains with one locomotive; I wasn't sure how often that happened. If it's routinely two, then the only issue would be platforms near grade crossings where the train might block additional crossings. I don't think that's going to bother anyone at Amtrak or CSX though.

They stopped using one P40/42 as they would fail with just one and it would tie up the main.

 

[William W.]

Looks like Amtrak is finally being more open when it comes to providing Viewliner II updates. They even provide a schedule of where the special train is going to be over the next few days:

http://blog.amtrak.com/2014/12/amtrakforward/

Wednesday, December 17

At 9:30 a.m. 18 new baggage cars depart Elmira, NY arriving in Albany, NY around 8:30 p.m.​

Thursday, December 18
Special train departs New York arriving in Philadelphia after 3:30 a.m. Once in Philadelphia, the special train will add two additional baggage cars which have been tested on the Northeast Corridor.​

Around 7:30 p.m. the special train will depart Philadelphia following two hours behind Silver Service Train 97, traveling through Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina Georgia and Florida.​

Friday, December 19
Special train is expected to arrive in Hialeah around 9 p.m.​

 

[user 1215]

Ooooo - this will be about 8:40 AM tomorrow morning as it comes through Savannah. Will have to find a vantage point to photograph from and make up an excuse for my boss.

So why are all these units going to the Hileah shop? Are they going to start rotating all the NEC baggage trains to eventually come through Miami, drop off the ancient beast and then pick up the new guy?

Are there 20 consists between the Meteor, Star, Crescent, LSL, and 66/67?

Will this be Amtrak or CSX power making the pull?

 

[afigg]

Well, I was wrong. CAF is indeed delivering 18 new baggage cars in a single batch. The 18 cars will join up with the 2 test cars at Philly for a special train with 20 baggage cars to Florida.

Amtrak is moving forward and we want you to see it. Today, 18 new baggage cars will leave the CAF USA facility in Elmira, NY to travel south to our Amtrak Hialeah, FL maintenance facility for final inspection before acceptance.

This is going to be a one time only opportunity for videos of 20 brand new sparkling clean baggage cars in a row!

If the inspections and final testing can be done at Hialeah, then would we see the new cars sent north on the Silvers, maybe one at a time in use as the revenue service car which then gets pulled off at Sunnyside?

 

[NE933]

:-D

Smiling, dreaming, hoping for a better tomorrow aboard a better Amtrak.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Sounds like Ryan's contest might have a Winner coming soon!

While its good that the much needed bag cars are fixing to enter service, I look forward to the Diners ( I've eaten in 8400 Several times) and the Viewliner IIs entering Revenue Service in 2015!! (hopefully!)

 

[jis]

They will have almost enough to do most of the eastern trains as a starter, until it comes time for inspections. All Eastern overnight LD trains require 4+4+4+2+6 = 20. OTOH, I think Carolinian and Palmetto would be candidates for early deployment since these cars deployed on them would make them fit for 125mph. That does not happen to any of the LD overnights.

My guess - 3 to LSL, 4 to Palmetto/Carolinian, 8 to Silvers and 2 to Cardinal for now with 3 spare. Completely idle speculation...

There is an unverified rumor posted on trainorders about 9 additional cars to be released from CAF later in the week.

I am seriously thinking of driving to Kissimmee on Friday afternoon to try to catch this special. Caught between two things to see. SpaceX Dragon launch for CRM-5 ISS resupply mission, from Canaveral Air Force Station, or the Viewliner II special at Kissimmee. I think I will opt for the latter since the former I can see many more times over the next 6 months and years.

 

[MrFSS]

I'll show my naiveté here, but are this 20 (total) dorm bags or simply baggage cars. If dorm cars they will give back so many rooms to real passengers, I guess!

 

[Dutchrailnut]

only baggage cars are accepted as of now.

 

[jis]

Yup. These 20 are full baggage cars. No bag-dorms in these.

I am not sure that the bag-dorms have actually completed testing yet.

 

[George K]

Stupid newbie question: what, exactly, is involved in testing?

 

[MrFSS]

Yup. These 20 are full baggage cars. No bag-dorms in these.

I am not sure that the bag-dorms have actually completed testing yet.

Follow up to this, I guess when they have the dorm bags they won't be like transdorms where they can accommodate revenue passengers along with the crew.

 

[MikefromCrete]

Yup. These 20 are full baggage cars. No bag-dorms in these.

I am not sure that the bag-dorms have actually completed testing yet.

Follow up to this, I guess when they have the dorm bags they won't be like transdorms where they can accommodate revenue passengers along with the crew.

It will probably depend on how many crew members there are on a given train. The LSL's dining and cafe crews may fill the car, but there would be lots of room on the Cardinal's bag-dorm.

 

[PerRock]

uhgh they still have that hideous Amtrak America logo.

peter

 

[neroden]

Yup. These 20 are full baggage cars. No bag-dorms in these.

I am not sure that the bag-dorms have actually completed testing yet.

They definitely haven't completed testing. If you remember, the plan was to release one of each type, then test them (first round of testing), then release a second one of each time, test them (second round of testing), and then go in for main production.

The baggage cars have been released twice before, so they've had their two rounds of testing. The other three types were only released *once*. When a bag-dorm, or diner, or sleeper is released the next time, that will mark the beginning of the second round of testing for them.

 

[FriskyFL]

Just saw this on Amtrak's Facebook page, regarding the special move of the new baggage cars to Hialeah. Hopefully I can find see this as it rolls thru DFB.

http://blog.amtrak.com/2014/12/amtrakforward/

 

[neroden]

So why are all these units going to the Hileah shop?

It's the Viewliner maintenance center. At the very least, the spare parts are going to be stored there.
(I hope they're stored on high shelves above the flood level...)

Anyway, they're probably going there to get the Viewliner maintenance staff fully trained on these; probably some of them are trained at this point, but I doubt all of them are.

Are they going to start rotating all the NEC baggage trains to eventually come through Miami, drop off the ancient beast and then pick up the new guy?

Are there 20 consists between the Meteor, Star, Crescent, LSL, and 66/67?

Meteor: 4Star: 4

Crescent: 4

66/67: 2

Palmetto: 2

Carolinian: 2

LSL: 3, but 2 baggage cars each (6 baggage cars)

Cardinal: 2

Capitol Limited: 3

----

29

If the extra nine cars coming out of CAF later in the week are really happening, that's 29; enough to completely remove the Heritage baggage cars from the East Coast, except for "protect" service.

In the short term, the Heritage cars will probably continue to be stationed as protect cars, with the excess sent to Chicago to cover Western/Midwestern trains. As lightly used protect cars they can probably struggle along a little longer than if they're in regular service, so I'd expect Amtrak to prioritize getting the Viewliners into the regular service slots *first* and worry about replacing the protect cars later.

---

It's anyone's guess what happens when more come out after the first 29. Baggage cars are used on some California and midwestern corridor trains, but those are scheduled to be replaced by the new bilevels, so I doubt Amtrak would assign the Viewliner baggage cars there, even temporarily -- why bother to train the corridor-only crews to deal with them? The western long-distance trains use 4+5+6+6+4= 25 cars.

With 54 cars regularly in use apart from midwestern/California corridor services, and a total of 70 ordered (plus 10 bag-dorms), it seems like a lot even after accounting for shop counts and protect cars. Maybe the excess will all go to shop count and protect cars. But it's tempting to suggest that additional trains will get baggage cars. Unfortunately, due to border craziness, I doubt any of the border-crossing trains will get them, and they *are* the most obvious candidates which need them (Maple Leaf, Adirondack, Cascades to Vancouver, Vermonter-which-will-go-to-Montreal-soon). Maybe the Pennsylvanian will get baggage cars, which would help.

 

[fairviewroad]

Cascades to Vancouver,

The Cascades already offer checked baggage service. The Talgo equipment has a baggage car in each train set. So, no need for

new baggage cars there. It also means that crossing the border is not an excuse for not offering baggage service (though the Maple

Leaf is in its own category, as its a jointly operated train).

 

[jis]

Cascades are Talgos. They could not use Viewliners anyway. They already have baggage service, even to Vancouver BC. I have actually used it. Remember that C&I for the Cascades are at Vancouver Pacific Central station (effectively) even though US CBP insists on collecting the Customs form at Blaine WA.

See: http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/76/826/Amtrak-Cascades-Schedule-101614.pdf

I doubt that Adirondack will get any baggage car until the C&I moves from Rouses Point/Lacolle to Montreal Central. I don't think Maple Leaf will ever get one.

 

[lo2e]

Maybe the Pennsylvanian will get baggage cars, which would help.

Kind of a newb question: Why would putting a baggage car on a line without checked baggage service be helpful?

Edit to add: Or are you hoping that putting a baggage car on there would help establish baggage service?

Edit again: First YouTube video posted!

 

[jis]

Maybe the Pennsylvanian will get baggage cars, which would help.

Kind of a newb question: Why would putting a baggage car on a line without checked baggage service be helpful?

Edit to add: Or are you hoping that putting a baggage car on there would help establish baggage service?

At present due to shortage of Baggage Cars it is impossible to provide checked baggage service on some trains, like the Pennsylvanian. Of course the only reason you'd add a baggage car is to provide checked baggage service. There used to be checked baggage service on this route and that was discontinued when the scarcity of baggage cars made it impossible.
Looks like there is indeed a second move on Friday out of CAF, since by my reckoning, an engine and an Amfleet was left behind at CAF today.

 

[user 1215]

jis (and others) - you could take the Meteor and be two hours ahead of the special train. Disembark somewhere where 2 hours later it will be the "golden hour" or at lease sunshine overhead with a good view from the West. Anywhere between Winter Park and Winter Haven should work nice. Of course, you better have an overnight plan.