Viewliner II - Part 1 - Initial Production and Delivery

[afigg]

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.

Yea, it is now two months since the last batch of baggage cars was shipped from Elmira. CAF may have caught up with the backlog of physical construction of the baggage cars shells, frames, trucks with the last delivery. If that is the case, then the delivery rate of the baggage cars becomes constrained by their monthly fabrication and production rate

As for waiting, given the delays in the CAF order, we may see the first batch of bi-level corridor cars delivered for advanced testing prior to entering revenue service before the last of the 130 Viewliner IIs are delivered. I think the odds that the first Nippon-Sharyo Pilot test cars being shipped out prior to completion of the CAF order are quite good. I'm talking about the follow-up delivery some months later of the first "production" batch of bi-levels for the final rounds of testing. Yes, it is .

 

[Thirdrail7]

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'?

They were being deployed for training, Neroden. A few more are heading out to the various crew bases soon.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I had a chance to poke my head in a Viewliner Bag as WAS today and was impressed with the design and new car smell. Now I just wish Amtrak took more care of keeping rolling stock in top appearance as next track over was a new Sprinter already filthy and splattered with bugs and debris.

A Clean Train is an Appealing Train!

 

[lo2e]

I had a chance to poke my head in a Viewliner Bag as WAS today and was impressed with the design and new car smell. Now I just wish Amtrak took more care of keeping rolling stock in top appearance as next track over was a new Sprinter already filthy and splattered with bugs and debris.

A Clean Train is an Appealing Train!

In principle I don't disagree with you on keeping trains clean, but come on - this is the summer, the entire NEC is hot and humid and full of bugs - it would be a nearly endless job trying to keep them spotless during this season. Let's give Amtrak a little bit of benefit of the doubt that it just wouldn't be humanly possible physically (and certainly not financially) to give every locomotive an aggressive scrub after every run.

 

[jphjaxfl]

The Santa Fe used to paint the Super Chief's wheels before each run after a thorough cleaning so it looked like a new train.

 

[jis]

The Santa Fe used to paint the Super Chief's wheels before each run after a thorough cleaning so it looked like a new train.

It is safe to say that nothing of the sort is going to happen anymore

 

[MattW]

I'm guessing more because paint is disallowed on certain surfaces? (couplers too IIRC)

 

[Thirdrail7]

 

[Ryan]

 

[neroden]

So I'm guessing from the zeitgeist we'll see some more baggage cars soon. I can only hope to see the release of the "revised" pilot cars for the other three types someday....

 

[Amtrak172]

Ok, this is a little off topic. I am on AMTK P020 and just left WAS. I've been looking at and paying more attention to AMTK's 10-6 sleepers. I saw 10021 "Pacific Cape" sitting with 10005 at the station. I read somewhere that the 10020 "Pacific Bend" on the exhibit train used to be "Pacific Command" while painted in Phase IVb. 10021 Pacific Cape is in Phase IVb, but does not have an amtrak logo on it. 10020 is now Phase III, obviously. Anyway, back when 10020 was Pacific Command, it was in Phase IVb and did have and amtrak logo. So...as I departed WAS, I past the Amtrak yard and saw a 10-6 sleeper in Phase IVb with an amtrak logo. It wasn't 10021 because 10021 was in the station. Can someone tell me what car I saw?

 

[afigg]

So, now it is the beginning of August. The last reported move of baggage cars from Elimira was in May. Meanwhile, Amtrak appears to be having problems keeping the Heritage dining cars running. Any rumors about a move of baggage cars or test cars of the other 3 types in the near future?

BTW, as a reminder, the FY15 Five year financial plan released earlier this year said this about the Viewliner IIs: "Deliveries of additional cars began in the First Quarter of FY15, and the final unit will be delivered by the end of April 2016." Anyone want to take a bet that CAF will meet the April 2016 date?

 

[Ryan]

 

[Thirdrail7]

I'll just stick this here for now. Your new bags are working harder starting today:

Walk-Up Checked Bike Service on the Carolinian

Please allow a brief fair use quote:

Don't let your bike sit at home while you have all the fun — take it with you on your next train trip and explore North Carolina car-free. It's easy with walk-up checked bicycle service. This free service is available on Carolinian Trains 79 and 80 at the Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury, Kannapolis and Charlotte stations.

Reservations Required

Walk-up bicycle service is free of charge, but advance reservations are required. Make a reservation for your bike at the same time you are booking the rest of your travel here at Amtrak.com, at a Quik-Trak kiosk, by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL or by visiting an Amtrak ticket office.

You must have a travel document (ticket) for your bicycle and a baggage tag. Baggage tags can be obtained at the Amtrak ticket office. Passengers boarding at unstaffed stations can obtain a bike tag from the conductor.

Eligible Bicycles

Only standard size bikes will be permitted. Each passenger may bring one bicycle. Large seat/saddle bags must be removed from the bike. These items can be checked or carried on the train. Items removed from bikes will be counted as a checked or carry-on item.

Arrive Early

If you are checking a bicycle, you must arrive 30 minutes prior to your train's departure to allow sufficient time to obtain a ticket and baggage tag, and get the bike to the baggage car.

Loading Bicycles

You must be physically capable of lifting your bike up to a station employee standing on a baggage cart or to the train crew at the baggage car door. Once in the baggage car, Amtrak personnel will store and secure your bike in the bike racks. Passengers will not be permitted in the baggage car.

 

[neroden]

BTW, as a reminder, the FY15 Five year financial plan released earlier this year said this about the Viewliner IIs: "Deliveries of additional cars began in the First Quarter of FY15, and the final unit will be delivered by the end of April 2016." Anyone want to take a bet that CAF will meet the April 2016 date?

We haven't seen the revised pilot cars for the diner, sleeper, or bag-dorm. Until those come back and are tested to Amtrak's satisfaction, they can't even start mass-producing them. So it's not looking likely, is it? If we see the pilot cars next week, then maybe CAF can make April 2016. If we don't see the pilot cars for another month...

 

[TiBike]

I'll just stick this here for now. Your new bags are working harder starting today:

Walk-Up Checked Bike Service on the Carolinian

The Carolinian is state-subsidised, isn't it? It looks like good news: at least they're using the Viewliner 2 bike racks, it seems. I guess we'll have to wait for full deployment before Amtrak starts accepting roll on bikes on long distance routes.

 

[xyzzy]

79/80 have allowed bikes within NC because the NCDOT coaches used on the Piedmonts (73/74/75/76) have had bike racks for many years. Boxing of checked bikes on 79/80 is no longer required.

 

[orulz]

I wonder if this might be a pilot program to work out kinks with the new equipment, with crews that are already familiar with handling bikes in the baggage cars.

 

[TiBike]

I wonder if this might be a pilot program to work out kinks with the new equipment, with crews that are already familiar with handling bikes in the baggage cars.

I hope that's it. A smooth rollout would be great.

 

[eblkheart]

Last week leaving on the CZ, I saw a few of them in the Union Station Yard. Here are a couple of pics:

 

[NE933]

For God's sake, what the hell is taking so long with them

 

[R30A]

Nothing whatsoever is taking long. There were delays in the beginning. Since they started coming, things have gone FAST. I honestly cannot think of another order which has had delivery and acceptance into service progress as fast as the Viewliner IIs have in the past year.

 

[George K]

Can anyone comment on the changes that had to be made to the cars that were originally delivered? What was wrong with those cards?

 

[NE933]

Nothing whatsoever is taking long. There were delays in the beginning. Since they started coming, things have gone FAST. I honestly cannot think of another order which has had delivery and acceptance into service progress as fast as the Viewliner IIs have in the past year.

I can: the ACS64.

The Viewliner II's have had this labored birth throughout. Batches were released, then sent to Hialeah for weeks, at some point they needed modifications. And no one at 60 Mass or CAF is saying something about when we can see the Diners and Sleepers. It is just and right that AU members and others are frustrated at the pace this is taking, not to mention, an expectation to call silence amongst those like me, who are unhappy about it.

 

[R30A]

ACS 64 took longer from final delivery to initial service than the Viewliners did. ACS 64s came in at a substantially slower rate after delivery started than that of the Viewliners, and ACS 64s have taken substantially longer to enter service after delivery than the Viewliners.

Not to cast any aspersions on the ACS 64 order- it has been quite impressive in its own right, and locomotives are undoubtedly much more complicated than baggage cars. That said, the rapid progress of the Viewliner order over the past year is practically unheard of in the modern era.