Viewliner II - Part 1 - Initial Production and Delivery

[jis]

Back in Hialeah.

 

[Ryan]

Annapolis? Here in Maryland, still snugged up against the bay.

 

[Seaboard92]

Ryan. You just won the Internet for that one.

 

[Palmetto]

Hmm, pretty little town, that Annapolis.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Hmm, pretty little town, that Annapolis.

Indeed. I can see the back of one of my favorite restaurants in that picture.

 

[Acela150]

Annapolis? Here in Maryland, still snugged up against the bay.

 

[Thirdrail7]

h34r:

 

[StriderGDM]

Hmm... How many times should we do this? 3 times? 4 times, 5? More?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

h34r:

Revenue?

 

[Ziv]

On January 29th, 2012, PRR 60 started this thread with a post that started as follows:

" An article in the Elmira, NY Stargazette describes the production of the Viewliner II order at the local CAF USA plant. One newsworthy item is that the first cars are now expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2013, a delay from the initial schedule of October, 2012. "

How in the world did this happen? I can understand a delay of a year as CAF and Amtrak hash out some shortcomings and Amtrak adds a few problems to the table, but how in the world did we go from new cars starting to arrive in October of 2012 to the current situation, with a handful of baggage cars in service and a diner or two in testing? Obviously CAF had issues with finding qualified welders, but did Amtrak change their demands in midstream?

How has it taken almost 5 years to get to this point?

I have read this thread for years and I just can't remember any one thing that has even been pointed out as being THE REASON. Was it a death of a thousand cuts? Was it administrative malfeasance on both parts, Amtrak and CAF? Or is it simply demanding the job go to the lowest offer from a domestic supplier with a withering set of demands on details that will go into the cars?

I am sorry if this is a complete newby question, but I just don't get it.

 

[StriderGDM]

Truth is, it's taken that long for ThirdRail7 to find the right meme graphics to post. But now that he's on top of that, the cars are forthcoming.

One correction, all the full-baggage cars have been delivered.

And Amtrak did make at least one change midstream (I believe it was fewer crew-dorm-1/2bags to full bags)

As for clear reasons, no. Nothing has come out. But as there really hasn't been threats of lawsuits from either sides, my guess is it's a bit of this and that and both sides failing to be clear on demands and deliverables.

Just hoping now things move faster. Diners and sleepers are really needed.

 

[neroden]

It sounds like death of a thousand cuts. The welding issues seem to have cost a year and a half. Administrative chaos between Spain and Elmira seems to have caused additional delays. CAF may have been distracted by their Cincy Streetcar order which was also running late. The factory explosion and subsequent bankruptcy at Columbus Castings caused another delay, of unknown duration but probably at least a year. Amtrak order changes might have had an effect too.

 

[Ziv]

Thanks, for the answers Strider and Neroden. I don't know enough of the inside story to get a feel for what is going on and it is really irritating to see Amtrak so close to getting some nice new equipment and then for the majority of the equipment to always be just around the corner, so to speak. It sounds like we should be seeing more equipment in the next 3 or 4 months, and I really hope that they can build on this order and possibly on the Nippon Sharyo to get additional cars, both Viewliners and Superliners. Maybe. Hopefully.

Between the new Viewliners, the new ACS-64's, the replacement order for the Acela's, the Baltimore tunnels and the other news, it really seems like Amtrak could be moving in the right direction. Crossing my fingers on that.

I am off to Bangkok next week in large part to allow me to catch a train to Singapore, but I will have to change trains 4 times to get to Singapore's Johor Bahru Sentral station. So Amtrak isn't the only railroad that has some issues! LOL!

 

[neroden]

Now, of course, I expect Amtrak to put all the Viewliner IIs at Hialeah and promptly have them wrecked by a hurricane. :-( But maybe they'll have more sense than that.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Hmm... How many times should we do this? 3 times? 4 times, 5? More?

If all goes according to plan, 98 times! h34r:

Truth is, it's taken that long for ThirdRail7 to find the right meme graphics to post. But now that he's on top of that, the cars are forthcoming.

Here's one that didn't take too long to find:

 

[Maglev]

What a way to run a railroad!

 

[StriderGDM]

Ah, ok so Monday is bringing something other than what I was sort of hoping, but still excellent news.

And will Tuesday or Wednesday have highs in the 90s? Like say say 97?

 

[jis]

So the next one that crawls out of its Elmira cave, will it Albany? Atlanta? Or something else? And when oh when?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

98(5) - looks to be inaugural revenue service for Annapolis

 

[Steve4031]

Thanks Amtrak blue!

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

98(5) - looks to be inaugural revenue service for Annapolis

I guess, somehow, I had been hoping it might have possibly been on a Star (-vation) instead. :unsure:

 

[A Voice]

98(5) - looks to be inaugural revenue service for Annapolis

I guess, somehow, I had been hoping it might have possibly been on a Star (-vation) instead. :unsure:

I'd expect to see all the cars in service before the Silver Star gets its diner back, if it even happens right away.

 

[bretton88]

98(5) - looks to be inaugural revenue service for Annapolis

I guess, somehow, I had been hoping it might have possibly been on a Star (-vation) instead. :unsure:

I'd expect to see all the cars in service before the Silver Star gets its diner back, if it even happens right away.

Judging by the financials, as long as there are two Florida trains, the Star will never get a diner back.

 

[jis]

As far as financials go, all Diners would probably get converted to lounge car-like usage with enhanced menus and single LSA with passengers self-serving from the counter.. The Sleeper passengers can either come to the Lounge to get their food and eat there or have the SCA bring food to their accommodation.

 

[Gulfwind2]

Excellent news from the Silver Meteor! I would suppose the goal is to send 2 cars per month into service over the course of Q1 & Q2 2017 in order to avoid causing any shocks to the end-point maintenance & turning facilities. Admittedly I am surprised that Amtrak was not acting more swiftly to put a real diner back on the LSL, or perhaps they will do so once the 4 cars needed to equip the Meteor are out on the road next year.