Viewliner II - Part 1 - Initial Production and Delivery

[hastybob]

Yes, there is another baggage car on rear of 98 today. From what I understand, the two on the rear are scheduled to go back south in a couple of days.

 

[NewCars]

The head-end Viewliner bag is for training in Washington. There is a regular Heritage baggage on the rear plus two deadhead Viewliner bags for New York. My source says those two on the rear are noted to come back on 97(27). Cars 61006, 61005 and 61004, respectively.

 

[StriderGDM]

Excellent news.

When I boarded train 20 the other day I was thinking to myself, "this time next year, it might be all Viewliners and Amfleet IIs and no heritage equipment. That would be cool."

A step closer.

 

[NE933]

And let's hope Hialeah will send another three tomorrow, another three the day after that, for the Lake Shore and Crescent, then continue with the other trains across the nation.

Equal in hopes department is that CAF will send more cars to Hialeah in this flow.

 

[jis]

By this time next year we'd be lucky if all the Baggage cars are deployed. I would not expect the Sleepers to be online in a big way by then though. Some Diners may be up and about.

 

[afigg]

And let's hope Hialeah will send another three tomorrow, another three the day after that, for the Lake Shore and Crescent, then continue with the other trains across the nation.

Equal in hopes department is that CAF will send more cars to Hialeah in this flow.

Not going to happen that quickly. If the guest posters is correct, one new baggage car is going to DC for training and the other 2 appear to be doing a Miami to NYP loop test run. Before the new cars go into service, they will have to complete training and familiarization for the crews and maintenance personnel. Probably will see new baggage cars sent one at a time to CHI, NOL, LAX, etc

 

[Amfleeter]

I wonder if NYP crews have already done familiarization with the new baggage cars - they have spent some time in PHI and NYP.

 

[NE933]

These things have generated and broken more prophecy than a Ouija board inside an Egyptian pyramid; gone through more tests than a ninety year old person's colon and clogged heart artery; led to more guesswork instead of steady pacing than a moonshine poker game.

So, they'd BETTER roll out well and steady. Our credibility and future rides on them. So does the vacations and journeys of me and millions of others.

 

[lo2e]

Here's a YouTube video which confirms what was posted - a bit hard to see in the dark, but it does look like 1 new baggage near the front, 2 new ones near the rear and a heritage at the rear:



The train starts to appear about 36 seconds in.

 

[CHamilton]

There are also some daylight photos in the Facebook Amtrak Northeast Corridor Railfans group.

 

[CHamilton]

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=520741&nseq=2

 

[lo2e]

Newer YouTube videos confirm that the lead one was indeed dropped off in WAS, as by the time it reached Metuchen, NJ it was no longer on there.

Example:

 

[Guest]

IMHO, the train would look nicer if the new baggage cars were always adjoining the existing Viewliner sleeper cars in the consist.

 

[Ziv]

So brand new #626 is hauling two new baggage cars? That is kind of like getting biscuits with your beer!

Newer YouTube videos confirm that the lead one was indeed dropped off in WAS, as by the time it reached Metuchen, NJ it was no longer on there.

Example:

 

[lo2e]

I believe Indianapolis is on there too! Even better!

 

[NewCars]

98 deadheaded two more Viewliner baggage cars to NYP on 2/27 and the two cars that already went north are indeed coming back to MIA on 97(27).

 

[Thirdrail7]

98 deadheaded two more Viewliner baggage cars to NYP on 2/27 and the two cars that already went north are indeed coming back to MIA on 97(27).

I think you have your 98's mixed up. 98(27) should have two deadhead sleepers that are coming back from Hialeah. 98(28) is supposed to have the two new bags but we're still awaiting confirmation.

If anyone sees otherwise, please post it.

 

[Ryan]

No, 98(27) deadheaded two Viewliner sleeping cars.

Edit: Thirdrail7 is correct, I just flew up to Odenton to get pictures and 98 had sleepers, not bags. Pics in a few.

 

[Thirdrail7]

I wonder if NYP crews have already done familiarization with the new baggage cars - they have spent some time in PHI and NYP.

Only certain mechanical department employees on the corridor received familiarization but that was before the modifications...and there were a lot of them.

 

[Ryan]

Any idea on what kind of modifications?

Here's the business end of 98(27), the deadhead cars were sleepers 62001 and 62018.





The rest of the set from the COLD morning!

http://photos.stavely.org/Trains/February-9827/

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Ryan, is that guy holding a RailFan warning sign? Maybe it says "Smile, your pic is being taken". :giggle:

 

[Ryan]

They're cleaning up from the rail replacement on track 1, which goes back in service on Monday.

Also, the David L. Gunn was on the point - it didn't have a name the last time I shot it.

 

[neroden]

I wonder if NYP crews have already done familiarization with the new baggage cars - they have spent some time in PHI and NYP.

Only certain mechanical department employees on the corridor received familiarization but that was before the modifications...and there were a lot of them.

I'm guessing the modifications are mostly behind-the-scenes stuff (under the car, inside the cabinets), not stuff which would show up in a photo of ordinary baggage handling operations? Can you confirm?

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Apropos of nothing, I was looking at a photo of the new and old baggage cars... each new baggage car has two pairs of doors on each side, whereas the old cars often have one door in the center. I suspect that with long trains, these are going to be spotted with only one door on the platform. This should allow slightly more cars to be squeezed onto the platform in a single stop... hopefully this will help the Lake Shore Limited, which has had to make triple stops on occasion...

 

[NE933]

Any likelihood of a few sleepers and diners coming out in time for May - ish?

 

[WoodyinNYC]

Any likelihood of a few sleepers and diners coming out in time for May - ish?

Unless there's been a change, it's 55 baggage cars, then 10 bag-dorms, then 25 diners, and THEN 25 sleepers.

Short version: No.