Viewliner II - Part 1 - Initial Production and Delivery

[Fan Railer]

Video of freshly overhauled GE P32-8WH 512 calling at Tyrone, PA with Pennsylvanian Train 43, this time, with Viewliner II Baggage Car 61006 (3/22/15). Wicked K5LA XD

 

[user 1215]

I read on TO that there will be two V-II bags on 98 tomorrow, with one in service. Huzzah! Huzzah!

Misread this. Ran out to see 98 fly by with a heritage in service and another one on the end.

 

[Guest]

So, back to our anonymous guest. Is the 250 lb placarded limit for the 5' shelves or the 10' shelves?

I get that the big bags will likely stay on the ground for handling purposes. No problem whatsoever can I speculate in putting 10 lightweight bags on each 10 ft shelf section.

But to say the shelves won't be used at all? That's sort of ridiculous. Unless there is s safety issue that has nothing to do with capacity.

As I undersand it the weight limit was determined by that soft web material you can see in the photos on the sides of the shelves so the length of the shelves does not matter.

I would agree with you that it seems ridiculous to say the shelves won't be used at all. I think all that were told they would not be used were surprised. It was explained as a safety issue.

When the new baggage cars are in service a month or two it will be clearer how they actually will be loaded. We were told not to use the shelves. But we are used to being told one thing on Monday and something different on Tuesday. So maybe the shelves will eventually be used.

 

[StriderGDM]

So, back to our anonymous guest. Is the 250 lb placarded limit for the 5' shelves or the 10' shelves?

I get that the big bags will likely stay on the ground for handling purposes. No problem whatsoever can I speculate in putting 10 lightweight bags on each 10 ft shelf section.

But to say the shelves won't be used at all? That's sort of ridiculous. Unless there is s safety issue that has nothing to do with capacity.

As I undersand it the weight limit was determined by that soft web material you can see in the photos on the sides of the shelves so the length of the shelves does not matter.

I would agree with you that it seems ridiculous to say the shelves won't be used at all. I think all that were told they would not be used were surprised. It was explained as a safety issue.

When the new baggage cars are in service a month or two it will be clearer how they actually will be loaded. We were told not to use the shelves. But we are used to being told one thing on Monday and something different on Tuesday. So maybe the shelves will eventually be used.

I'd be positively shocked if the web material itself is the problem.

That looks like basic 1" nylon webbing. Flat Climbing webbing has a working strength of 6,000lbs. Let's assume they cheaped out and used something thinner.. and say 3,000lbs. But you've got one at either end. So you're back to 6,000lbs. (This is ignoring all the additional webbing in the "web" which would add strength).

So 6,000lbs, let's assume they're extra conservative and want a 10x safety factor, that's 600lbs per shelf. And that's being fairly conservative.

That said, if it IS the webbing that's easy to resolve.

If it's the fact the force is being transferred to the skin of the car which isn't designed to be structural, that would be harder to solve (but honestly more believable.)

Either way, I'm guessing it's not a showstopper.

 

[Ziv]

Guest guest, I think the point is that it will be difficult to put more than 4 or 5 bags on the 5' shelves while you could put 8 or 10 bags on the 10' shelves, so the weight limit would be difficult to exceed on the five foot shelves even for someone with a limited ability to gauge weights.

The problem could be the weight is simply putting too much torque on the mount points, because I doubt a nylon type leash/web material would have any problem with anything that light. Parachute cord is much thinner than this and would hold much more.

Or there might not be any problem with the shelves at all. I would imagine we will see several baggage cars in revenue service within the next week, so this issue/tempest in a tea pot really isn't all that critical.

On edit: Dittos on what Strider said.

So, back to our anonymous guest. Is the 250 lb placarded limit for the 5' shelves or the 10' shelves?

I get that the big bags will likely stay on the ground for handling purposes. No problem whatsoever can I speculate in putting 10 lightweight bags on each 10 ft shelf section.

But to say the shelves won't be used at all? That's sort of ridiculous. Unless there is s safety issue that has nothing to do with capacity.

As I undersand it the weight limit was determined by that soft web material you can see in the photos on the sides of the shelves so the length of the shelves does not matter.

I would agree with you that it seems ridiculous to say the shelves won't be used at all. I think all that were told they would not be used were surprised. It was explained as a safety issue.

When the new baggage cars are in service a month or two it will be clearer how they actually will be loaded. We were told not to use the shelves. But we are used to being told one thing on Monday and something different on Tuesday. So maybe the shelves will eventually be used.

 

[Guest]

So, back to our anonymous guest. Is the 250 lb placarded limit for the 5' shelves or the 10' shelves?

I get that the big bags will likely stay on the ground for handling purposes. No problem whatsoever can I speculate in putting 10 lightweight bags on each 10 ft shelf section.

But to say the shelves won't be used at all? That's sort of ridiculous. Unless there is s safety issue that has nothing to do with capacity.

As I undersand it the weight limit was determined by that soft web material you can see in the photos on the sides of the shelves so the length of the shelves does not matter.

I would agree with you that it seems ridiculous to say the shelves won't be used at all. I think all that were told they would not be used were surprised. It was explained as a safety issue.

When the new baggage cars are in service a month or two it will be clearer how they actually will be loaded. We were told not to use the shelves. But we are used to being told one thing on Monday and something different on Tuesday. So maybe the shelves will eventually be used.

I'd be positively shocked if the web material itself is the problem.

That looks like basic 1" nylon webbing. Flat Climbing webbing has a working strength of 6,000lbs. Let's assume they cheaped out and used something thinner.. and say 3,000lbs. But you've got one at either end. So you're back to 6,000lbs. (This is ignoring all the additional webbing in the "web" which would add strength).

So 6,000lbs, let's assume they're extra conservative and want a 10x safety factor, that's 600lbs per shelf. And that's being fairly conservative.

That said, if it IS the webbing that's easy to resolve.

If it's the fact the force is being transferred to the skin of the car which isn't designed to be structural, that would be harder to solve (but honestly more believable.)

Either way, I'm guessing it's not a showstopper.

I am not an engineer so I don't know what the actual issue is but here is what it says in the manual:

Important-Loading Baggage

Due to a weight limitations of cargo racks found during post-manufacturing inspection, luggage racks are limited to 250 lbs. When loading, assume each bag weighs 50 lbs. No more then 5 bags per rack.

And that is followed by a bullet point which I just noticed when reading the page tonight. This should make everyone happy.

* A modification will be made during the cars preventative maintenance to resolve the shelf issue where information will be distributed to employees.

 

[afigg]

I read on TO that there will be two V-II bags on 98 tomorrow, with one in service. Huzzah! Huzzah!

it the report is correct that the first Viewliner II baggage car will enter service on Monday, that is good news. Only about 2 years later than originally planned. Better late than never, I guess.

Has anyone seen reports of V II baggage cars showing up west of CHI or NOL? Those are the furthest west cities I have seen reports for. If none of the new cars have been sent for training west of CHI or NOL (so far), that indicates that the initial deployments into revenue service will be limited to the eastern routes. Which makes sense with a total of 38 cars delivered to Hialeah. Complete the training at all the crew cases in the east and get the first batches into revenue service, then expand to the western routes as the remainder of the baggage cars are delivered.

 

[user 1215]

And that is followed by a bullet point which I just noticed when reading the page tonight. This should make everyone happy.

* A modification will be made during the cars preventative maintenance to resolve the shelf issue where information will be distributed to employees.

That makes me happy. Thanks!

 

[Palmetto]

Isn't today the day they are supposed to go into service--somewhere?

 

[NewCars]

Both 98 and 92 are operating with a Viewliner baggage car in service and a deadhead Hertiage bag on the rear today.

 

[Me]

Trains running with a new baggage car in service today - 20, 80, 92, and 98. I don't know if 67 will get one tonight or not, though I don't see why not. I will know shortly.

 

[user 1215]

Drat. Son's baseball practice will keep me from being able to capture this date in history live.

 

[Greg]

I saw 80 today in Raleigh and it had baggage 1756 directly behind the engine, but they loaded baggage into new Viewliner 61010 second car in.

Greg

 

[Thirdrail7]

Drat. Son's baseball practice will keep me from being able to capture this date in history live.

If it helps, 80 and 90 are operating with the new bags in service. The heritage bags are deadheading.

 

[sitzplatz17]

So this will probably mean that 29/30 will be the first Superliner train to get the new bags. I'll be curious to see what the viewliner/superliner combo looks like as a "normal" set (p42s, VL bag, SLs)

 

[dlagrua]

Does anyone know how many months it will take to see deployment of all the Viewliner II baggage cars on order? Sure would like to see some sleepers added by late summer but its probably only wishful thinking.

 

[Palmetto]

Don't know the answer there, but I am quite anxious to see deployment of the new passenger-occupied equipment! Anyone here in authority from Amtrak have a clue about a timeline for deployment?

 

[PerRock]

Anyone here in authority from Amtrak have a clue about a timeline for deployment?

When they're done

peter

 

[jis]

I have informally heard from at least one Amtrak person who is usually in the know that Sleepers will not be ready in summer and possibly even in the fall this year.

 

[user 1215]

Does anyone know how many months it will take to see deployment of all the Viewliner II baggage cars on order? Sure would like to see some sleepers added by late summer but its probably only wishful thinking.

This is just my opinion, but seeing as they were nearly all completed in parallel, and almost all have delivered (OK - at least half?) I can see, barring any further unforseen issues, full deployment by the Summer and the heritages gone.

I have informally heard from at least one Amtrak person who is usually in the know that Sleepers will not be ready in summer and possibly even in the fall this year.

Sleepers are before the Diners?

 

[StriderGDM]

I have informally heard from at least one Amtrak person who is usually in the know that Sleepers will not be ready in summer and possibly even in the fall this year.

My GUESS is diners and/or baggage dorms next. While additional sleepers would be nice, I'm sure Amtrak would love to retire the heritage diners as soon as possible.

 

[pennyk]

I saw 98 in the ORL station this afternoon.

 

[Train2104]

I saw 98 in the ORL station this afternoon.

What was the Heritage bag on the rear being used for?

 

[StriderGDM]

I saw 98 in the ORL station this afternoon.

What was the Heritage bag on the rear being used for?

Perhaps going to Hileah for some sort of disposition?

 

[Palmetto]

Strider,

98 goes north, so perhaps it's heading to the scrap heap. I do have to wonder how many of these cars are going to be picked up by private car owners for use of some sort.