Viewliner II - Part 1 - Initial Production and Delivery

[neroden]

Actually, I have heard no reports regarding the relative order of the diners and bag-dorms. Woody, got a link?

Everyone seems to agree that the sleepers are coming last. Amtrak wants to dispose of the Heritage baggage cars and diners ASAP.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

Actually, I have heard no reports regarding the relative order of the diners and bag-dorms. Woody, got a link?

Everyone seems to agree that the sleepers are coming last. Amtrak wants to dispose of the Heritage baggage cars and diners ASAP.

Thinking on it, methinks its baggage cars, then diners,

then bag dorms, then sleepers. Sorry.

I do recall two similar types in order. Baggage cars are

similar to bag dorms, BUT they are more similar to sleepers.

Anyway, nobody will be dining or sleeping in Viewliner IIs by May,

and probably not by September is my count.

I may turn up a link in a while.

 

[afigg]

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.

Correction, remember the order is now a total of 70 baggage cars with the reduction of the bag-dorm order number. As for the production sequence, I only recall statements that the production sequence had been changed to build all the baggage cars first, but nothing specific about the sequence after that. With 70 baggage cars to be delivered, it may be fall before either diners or bag-dorms show up in the production sequence. Of course, when depends in part on how many baggage cars CAF has completed since the December delivery.

BTW, since it is the first of March and On-Track On-line typically updates its Amtrak roster info at that start of a month, I checked the website and it was indeed updated March 1. The rolling stock roster page for Viewliner IIs now shows 28 active baggage cars and notes that they were accepted in February.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

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.

Correction, remember the order is now a total of 70 baggage cars with the reduction of the bag-dorm order number. As for the production sequence, I only recall statements that the production sequence had been changed to build all the baggage cars first, but nothing specific about the sequence after that. With 70 baggage cars to be delivered, it may be fall before either diners or bag-dorms show up in the production sequence. Of course, when depends in part on how many baggage cars CAF has completed since the December delivery.

...

I went looking for a cite and got sidetracked

at the Wikipedia article on Viewliners. Then

I stopped to edit that item; it seemed more

confused the I am. LOL. Will look again for a cite.

 

[Amfleeter]

4 Bags heading NB on today's 98.

 

[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.

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?

-----

Affirmative although I haven't been in the modified versions yet.

4 Bags heading NB on today's 98.

This will happen for the next few days as they are deployed for training. Revenue runs are right around the corner. We should also look in the opposite direction next week. h34r:

 

[Ryan]

Sweet!

If 98 is on time, I can catch it en route to work.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Be nice to see the tired old heritage bags replaced by the gleaming new bags and then dorm/bags, then the Viewliner Diners!

I honestly don't think we'll see any Viewliner II Sleepers in revenue service before 2016 based on the history of delays for these cars!!

 

[Thirdrail7]

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.

For the record, they were working 3 track and it isn't back yet. Hopefully it will be back next week.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Sweet!

If 98 is on time, I can catch it en route to work.

I'm not sure what happened to the MultiQuote. You'll have to act fast if you're looking for 98. Most of the bags are being deployed from Washington.

 

[MattW]

There isn't a prototype sleeper running around is there? I saw two extra Viewliners on the Crescent 19 this morning at Atlanta. Had the American View on it (I waved from the bus [after I connected from the train!]) and three Viewliners, I figure at least two were the revenue sleepers, the fourth was American View, so not sure what the third one was.

 

[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.

For the record, they were working 3 track and it isn't back yet. Hopefully it will be back next week.

Thanks - I always number them backwards. It's still out? I assume they put the bridge plates back out, they were up on the platform all weekend.

Sweet!

If 98 is on time, I can catch it en route to work.

I'm not sure what happened to the MultiQuote. You'll have to act fast if you're looking for 98. Most of the bags are being deployed from Washington.

How many have made it to WAS?

 

[offroad437]

There isn't a prototype sleeper running around is there? I saw two extra Viewliners on the Crescent 19 this morning at Atlanta. Had the American View on it (I waved from the bus [after I connected from the train!]) and three Viewliners, I figure at least two were the revenue sleepers, the fourth was American View, so not sure what the third one was.

Most likely 8400 diner prototype.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Yep, 8400 ( Indianapolis) has been running on the Crescent lately so that's most certainly what you saw!

 

[MattW]

But hasn't 8400 been running as the revenue diner rather than behind the sleepers? This train was baggage - amfleets - heritage diner - 3 Viewliners - American view:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P5KgBk6BVs

 

[Thirdrail7]

Sweet!

If 98 is on time, I can catch it en route to work.

I'm not sure what happened to the MultiQuote. You'll have to act fast if you're looking for 98. Most of the bags are being deployed from Washington.

How many have made it to WAS?

One so far. Allow me to clarify what I stated. The cars are not massing in WAS. When they arrive from the south on 98, they will cut in WAS and spread out from there. An example is a car that will ultimately land in BOS will cut off 98 in WAS, not NYP or PHL. A car headed to RVR or CLT will cut off 98 in WAS and deploy from there.

But hasn't 8400 been running as the revenue diner rather than behind the sleepers? This train was baggage - amfleets - heritage diner - 3 Viewliners - American view:

That's a rider sleeper for occupants of the 10004. It is a typical move.

 

[Ryan]

One so far. Allow me to clarify what I stated. The cars are not massing in WAS. When they arrive from the south on 98, they will cut in WAS and spread out from there. An example is a car that will ultimately land in BOS will cut off 98 in WAS, not NYP or PHL. A car headed to RVR or CLT will cut off 98 in WAS and deploy from there.

Got it, thanks. Being north of WAS, there won't be anything to see.

 

[offroad437]

But hasn't 8400 been running as the revenue diner rather than behind the sleepers? This train was baggage - amfleets - heritage diner - 3 Viewliners - American view:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P5KgBk6BVs

Sleeper for whomever was in American view??

 

[R30A]

This all makes me wonder where they are ending up. If they are going places for familiarization, I would guess one would be needed at the yards of each of WAS NYP BOS CHI NOL LAX OKJ and SEA, (is there any work done at Newport News, Charlotte, Savannah or San Antonio?). Do the train and station crews need to be familiarized with them too prior to entering service? (is that what they are doing running up and down on the Meteor?)

 

[Guest]

This all makes me wonder where they are ending up. If they are going places for familiarization, I would guess one would be needed at the yards of each of WAS NYP BOS CHI NOL LAX OKJ and SEA, (is there any work done at Newport News, Charlotte, Savannah or San Antonio?). Do the train and station crews need to be familiarized with them too prior to entering service? (is that what they are doing running up and down on the Meteor?)

The crews need training.

 

[Blackwolf]

Just how much training does a train crew need for a baggage car? Its a hollow stainlesst steel tube with wheels.

The shelves are not a new idea, just a new feature for a new car. Same with the bike racks. Both of them have been in service for years on California's fleet. They're simple enough that a passenger who's never ridden Amtrak before can figure them out in only a moment or two.

Call me skeptical.

 

[hastybob]

Train 98 has 4 more going north today. 3 are on head end behind a deadhead coach and the other one behind the baggage car on the rear.

 

[PerRock]

Just how much training does a train crew need for a baggage car? Its a hollow stainlesst steel tube with wheels.

The shelves are not a new idea, just a new feature for a new car. Same with the bike racks. Both of them have been in service for years on California's fleet. They're simple enough that a passenger who's never ridden Amtrak before can figure them out in only a moment or two.

Call me skeptical.

I believe the training is more Maintenance training then loading & unloading training.

The cars have a little more then just a hollow shell & shelves. The shelves fold up (and I think become the bike racks) so there is maintenance there, they have some rudimentary climate control, there are lights bulbs that need to be replacing (more how do you access the bulbs, then how to screw them in). Crews need to be trained in the bigger maintenance of the cars at the various shops (fixing locked breaks, patching air hoses, etc) as well as quick-fix on the road maintenance.

peter

 

[NE933]

"... there are lights bulbs that need to be replacing (more how do you access the bulbs, then how to screw them in..."

peter

I pray that things have not gotten so bad that screwing in light bulbs in a new Amtrak car does not require training, other than saftey basics like where to put the ladder.

 

[Ryan]

It doesn't, and he didn't say that it did.