Viewliner II - Part 1 - Initial Production and Delivery

[ScottRu]

My info is still that ALL the new baggage cars failed their tests and will need some refitting before allowed into service. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[edjbox]

Which heritage baggage car was in the Carolinian wreck? Is that stored dead now?

 

[afigg]

Which heritage baggage car was in the Carolinian wreck? Is that stored dead now?

Why would it be stored dead this quickly? The Heritage baggage car, P-42 and possibly the Amfleets are likely stored in a siding or yard waiting on examination by accident and insurance investigators. But, why ask that here and not in the Carolinian collision thread?

 

[Acela150]

Which heritage baggage car was in the Carolinian wreck? Is that stored dead now?

Why would it be stored dead this quickly? The Heritage baggage car, P-42 and possibly the Amfleets are likely stored in a siding or yard waiting on examination by accident and insurance investigators. But, why ask that here and not in the Carolinian collision thread?

This is pretty much the answer. But it won't see a road train again.

 

[Palmetto]

It seems to be that the bag-dorms could be used on any route, and that would increase revenue space in the regular sleeper on the route.

 

[jis]

It seems to be that the bag-dorms could be used on any route, and that would increase revenue space in the regular sleeper on the route.

Provided the amount of baggage carried on the route fits in half a baggage car.

I think it is very likely that the Cardinal and one section of the LSL will get the bag dorms accounting for 5. That leaves three more to assign assuming 2 will be off line at any time. I suspect no western train will get bag dorms. They could be selectively used on heavier travel days on specific trains to enhance effective Sleeper capacity. In those case they would be used in addition to a full bag. Mind you... all just speculation.

 

[west point]

The argument of baggage and / or baggage dorms has to be put in a long range look. These cars will probably be planned for at least another 40 years. Amtrak may be thinking that LD trains will have more passengers each year requiring more baggage space. When you see how much baggage goes into a 300 passenger airplane you can see a complete baggage car needed for this number or more.

 

[Seaboard92]

90 has a baggage car right now on the rear end

 

[fulham]

Is it a Vll or a Heritage baggage?

 

[Palmetto]

There are no V-II baggage cars in service yet; at least, it hasn't been reported.

 

[Ryan]

That doesn't mean that it doesn't have one deadheading.

 

[Seaboard92]

V2 deadheading

 

[Palmetto]

Of course it doesn't, Ryan. That's why I used the phrase "in service".

 

[edjbox]

When will they be in service officially?

 

[NE933]

I'd like to request that all further postings about baggage cars use a protocol, in which the poster who writes about a baggage car movement, identify as either Heritage or Viewliner II (V2 is ok too), and whether or not it is in service if known. Also on the bench is elaboration of the rumors about the V2 baggage cars needing to be returned to Elmira for warranty work. A poster wrote so, and anyone in the know should/shall confirm if true, and describe what work is required, or, invalidate it with appropriate citations of reason that contradict it. Effective now.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Which heritage baggage car was in the Carolinian wreck? Is that stored dead now?

Why would it be stored dead this quickly? The Heritage baggage car, P-42 and possibly the Amfleets are likely stored in a siding or yard waiting on examination by accident and insurance investigators. But, why ask that here and not in the Carolinian collision thread?

If memory serves, the 1255 was on 80(9). 1203 is stored because it has reached its next brake system inspection date. Instead of spending the time and money to perform the inspections, the car is being stored. This isn't the first one and it isn't the last one as a few more bags are approaching their due date over the next few weeks.

 

[Slasharoo]

A photographer on facebook posted some pictures of the Chicago area and it looks like two superliner consists have new bags in service. Waiting to hear from her if she knows which trains I was looking at in her shots.

 

[Amtrak172]

Did I read correctly that the Viewliner II baggage cars failed the tests? If so, wow, that's an embarrassment.

 

[NE933]

Did I read correctly that the Viewliner II baggage cars failed the tests? If so, wow, that's an embarrassment.

It's precisely stuff like this that I'm talking about. It causes angst amongst us and the wider audience out there. Some words about which tests or what kind of failures, their magnitude, and how far from a fix goes a long way in calming the seas of this hot spot in the subject of long distance rail travel that is clearly riding on the success of these cars and their brethren of sleepers and diners.

 

[Ryan]

Did I read correctly that the Viewliner II baggage cars failed the tests? If so, wow, that's an embarrassment.

Lots of rumors. Nothing confirmed.

 

[jis]

If one insists on saying something "failed a test" if testing showed that certain things need to be tweaked then of course by that definition "it failed a test". But that is not how the testers view such things. There are show-stopper issues and there are other issues that need fixing. If there were show stopper issues, the cars would not have been released to travel over a thousand miles attached to revenue trains. The fact that they are running around attached to revenue service implies that FRA thinks they are safe to operate. The fact that they are not in revenue service yet means Amtrak thinks that there are a few more tweaks and reliability/resiliency issues that need addressing. Notice that warrantee work is now being done in Hialeah. All cars are not getting shipped to CAF for any such work anymore.

So bottom line is there is a lot of random rumor mongering going on based on sometimes reliable and sometimes completely flaky utterances from various sources. Take all of it with a dollop of salt.

 

[Ryan]

A photographer on facebook posted some pictures of the Chicago area and it looks like two superliner consists have new bags in service. Waiting to hear from her if she knows which trains I was looking at in her shots.

If you're talking about the pictures in the Amtrak Fans group, they're not Viewliners, they're heritage bags.

 

[CREW-DORM#2524]

For whomever was asking about the baggage car that was wrecked on #80, it was Heritage bag car #1755. The coaches were moved in a special move to Washington maybe 2 days after the wreck. The bag car, #1755 and P42 #185 are in the CSX yard at Rocky Mount being prepped for a special move that will eventually end up in Beech Grove.

 

[me_little_me]

Did I read correctly that the Viewliner II baggage cars failed the tests? If so, wow, that's an embarrassment.

In spite of cramming, the oral exam proved too difficult.

The good news is a retest is allowed. Hopefully, with a few crib sheets, a better result will occur next time.

:giggle:

 

[StriderGDM]

Color me skeptical, but I for one am not too worried about there being any major showstoppers.

For one, as pointed out above, if there were, Amtrak certainly would not be scattering the cars to all points of the compass if they expected they'd have to do a lot of work on them, or worse, return them to Elmira.

For another, and one I had thought of this morning, even before Thirdrail7 made his post, is that apparently one reason we're seeing an apparent shortage of Heritage baggage cars is because many are nearing their next mandatory inspection periods and the powers that be must be expecting the new Viewliner IIs available soon. (and by soon I mean within the next 90 days,otherwise, cars would be undergoing their 90 day inspection.)

Patience young (and old) padawans.