Viewliner II - Part 1 - Initial Production and Delivery

[tommylicious]

where are the new sleepers and diners?

 

[Ryan]

where are the pax cars??

Still being built.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

where are the pax cars??

Asked and answered.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

...

So we're up to 48. I figure one car a week now, gets us to the full 70-bag-car order by the end of this fiscal year ...

Then the diners, crucial for cost cutting. Get a "batch" of 10 by the holidays? … Get the rest of the diners by this time next year, barring some problem bigger than under-performing shelving or over-performing heating units.

Get the short order for 15 bag-dorms by the end of Fiscal 2016. Begin getting sleepers in Fiscal 2017.

...

Repeating for anyone who missed the info.

 

[Amtrak172]

Forgive me, but what are the "pax" cars?

 

[TylerP42]

Saw Baggage 61004 in Toledo on CL 30 last night., along with ACS-64 #647 getting delivered to WAS, They weren't using the viewliner II Baggage, they were using a heritage baggage car.

 

[JoeBas]

Forgive me, but what are the "pax" cars?

From a practical standpoint, "pax" stands for "passengers", so he's asking about the diners and/or sleepers.

From a more philosophical standpoint, I think asking what the "pax" cars are, given that they don't yet exist, is a bit of a metaphysical apex.

 

[TiBike]

We're now at 38 out of the 70 order, another 10 would get us to 48. Two more batches during July, August, and September. We should be able to declare victory in the baggage car battle by the beginning of Fiscal 2016 on October 1.

CAF has shipped a total of 48 baggage cars, not 38. There were 38 baggage cars on the roster as of May 1 and the circa May 20 delivery shipped 10 more. If you look back to the May 20 equipment move reports, the highest car number was 61047. So there are 22 more baggage cars to be delivered out of Elmira plus however many previously shipped baggage cars undergoing field mods before being released to revenue service.

Given the time required to fix the cars after taking delivery, it still looks like sometime in September. If they're waiting for full deployment before allowing bikes onboard, then it looks like another summer lost.

Anyone heard any rumors of bikes onboard the east coast trains yet?

 

[Agent]

Amtrak #29(14) went west with two Viewliner II baggage cars, and Amtrak #29(15) had one.

Also, Amtrak #4(13) was seen going east with baggage car AMTK 61002 on the end of it.

 

[DryCreek]

Forgive me, but what are the "pax" cars?

From a practical standpoint, "pax" stands for "passengers", so he's asking about the diners and/or sleepers.

From a more philosophical standpoint, I think asking what the "pax" cars are, given that they don't yet exist, is a bit of a metaphysical apex.

From an even more philosophical standpoint, since the Latin word pax translates (roughly) to peace, I can believe that unless cell phone transmission blocking technology, and ways to defend against other nuisances are added, there truly cannot be a "pax" car.

(or "paxful" car?)

 

[WoodyinNYC]

Forgive me, but what are the "pax" cars?

He means passenger cars, usually coaches and sleepers.

In this order, only sleepers will actually carry passengers. The order include diners, coming next we think, and the baggage cars, of course, but no passengers pay to ride in those cars.

 

[neroden]

Also, Amtrak #4(13) was seen going east with baggage car AMTK 61002 on the end of it.

That's particularly interesting. Last sighting of 61002 was in Seattle. If it's going "home" on #4 (the Southwest Chief) that means it visited LA. I'm therefore suspecting there's been some training going on in LA as well as Seattle. We might see the baggage cars deployed across everything west of Chicago simultaneously.

 

[CCC1007]

7(15) had 61046 in service, the only baggage car in the consist!!!

 

[Ryan]

That doesn't look half bad!!!

 

[user 1215]

I know you'll disagree, but I don't think it really looks half good. A retro livery along with the "squished box" look in between two straight-sided units with the otherwise latest livery looks a bit kooky to me.

But it looks way better than the heritage.

 

[CCC1007]

I put out a video as well on google plus. I don't have the link to put here though...

 

[Train2104]

Amtrak #29(14) went west with two Viewliner II baggage cars, and Amtrak #29(15) had one.

Also, Amtrak #4(13) was seen going east with baggage car AMTK 61002 on the end of it.

Why were there 4 cars on 29 (14) between the transdorm and the CCC? I thought 29 runs w/ 2 sleepers + 3 coaches.

 

[TylerP42]

6 or 7 viewliner II baggage cars in chicago attached to the dome car. and one on the 29 today (dead head)

 

[Ryan]

I know you'll disagree, but I don't think it really looks half good. A retro livery along with the "squished box" look in between two straight-sided units with the otherwise latest livery looks a bit kooky to me.

But it looks way better than the heritage.

Eh, that's what I said only half good. Definitely better than the heritage, which is what got it the positive slant. There is some symmetry in the fluted sides coming up partway and them smooth sides on top that is pleasing to the eye. I do agree that the shape and livery differences pull the overall look down.

 

[CCC1007]

Found a way of getting the link on iOS

Here it is

https://plus.google.com/116826585842951786832/posts/X3kNQHheXqQ

 

[Amtrak172]

That doesn't look half bad!!!

You're right! I kinda like it! I still wish they were in IVb, that's just me.

 

[Amtrak172]

I know you'll disagree, but I don't think it really looks half good. A retro livery along with the "squished box" look in between two straight-sided units with the otherwise latest livery looks a bit kooky to me.

But it looks way better than the heritage.

Eh, that's what I said only half good. Definitely better than the heritage, which is what got it the positive slant. There is some symmetry in the fluted sides coming up partway and them smooth sides on top that is pleasing to the eye. I do agree that the shape and livery differences pull the overall look down.

True, I think they'd look better if the entire train were in Phase III, or in my opinion, Phase IVb.

 

[Agent]

Amtrak train #5(18) is heading west now with AMTK 61002. This is the first Viewliner II on the California Zephyr. Right behind it is a heritage baggage car, so could this one be going west for some more crew training? This train also private varnish NYC 3 Portland on the end of it.

As a side note, has anyone seen what flashing police lights look like being reflected by the side of an Amtrak train?

 

[neroden]

So, what's the current status: sounds like the Viewliner baggage cars are in service on *all* the single-level trains, plus the Empire Builder, plus the Capitol Limited. Are they in service on the other bilevel trains, or still 'training'?

 

[WoodyinNYC]

So, what's the current status: sounds like the Viewliner baggage cars are in service on *all* the single-level trains, plus the Empire Builder, plus the Capitol Limited. Are they in service on the other bilevel trains, or still 'training'?

Amtrak is working with 48 of the new bag cars as of May 20 or so, when a batch of 10 left the CAF assembly plant. That left 22 to go. I'd expected another batch out the door by now.

Well, maybe Amtrak wants the full order in completed condition -- no retrofitting of heating elements or shelving needed -- before putting them all to work. And before making big noise about this big step on the Viewliner deliveries.

I do expect Amtrak will get all 70 bag cars by the end of this Fiscal Year, September 30.

So we wait some more. We're used to it.