Viewliners and Superliners ... what would you change?

[zephyr17]

Were most heavy weight cars just 60 feet long instesd of today's 80+feet long? Today's cars just have 2 aels per truck as the old ones had 3 axels per car But then the REX, some RPOs and storage mail were even shorter.

Mayb the number was more what one loco could pull on flatter track and the helpers on steepe locations?

Most heavyweights in the latev19th and 20th century were 80'.

60' cars were more 19th century.

 

[Caesar La Rock]

Were most heavy weight cars just 60 feet long instesd of today's 80+feet long? Today's cars just have 2 aels per truck as the old ones had 3 axels per car But then the REX, some RPOs and storage mail were even shorter.

Mayb the number was more what one loco could pull on flatter track and the helpers on steepe locations?

Most were around 80ft long or a little more or less then that. I know Pullman standard weights (what they called heavyweights back then) were of a standard length of about 82ft long. 60ft cars were more of the Harriman lines style, although one can argue that the Harriman passenger cars were the early generation of lightweights more then true heavyweights. That's another story though.

 

[NES28]

When long passenger trains were the norm the railroads (especially the Pennsylvania) posted "Location Number" signs along the platforms to facilitate passengers being where they needed to be to board their assigned car before the train came into the station. And they wouldn't even think about checking tickets as people board, as Amtrak now seems to do pretty regularly now. Sad how the focus on minimizing station dwell time has been lost.

 

[Willbridge]

When long passenger trains were the norm the railroads (especially the Pennsylvania) posted "Location Number" signs along the platforms to facilitate passengers being where they needed to be to board their assigned car before the train came into the station. And they wouldn't even think about checking tickets as people board, as Amtrak now seems to do pretty regularly now. Sad how the focus on minimizing station dwell time has been lost.

Some Amtrak stations are equipped with location numbers, but it would be interesting to know where they are being used. And, of course, they're common in other countries.

 

[MARC Rider]

Some Amtrak stations are equipped with location numbers, but it would be interesting to know where they are being used. And, of course, they're common in other countries.

Baltimore and Philadelphia have long had location numbers. They're not used much now, as most of the trains, it's pretty much coach, except "business class is the last car of the train." I think for the long-distance trains like the Silvers, the sleepers are to the rear, coaches are to the front. And the Acela now has assigned seats and car numbers, with the locations pasted on to the platform. They also tend to load the fastest.

 

[joelkfla]

Baltimore and Philadelphia have long had location numbers. They're not used much now, as most of the trains, it's pretty much coach, except "business class is the last car of the train." I think for the long-distance trains like the Silvers, the sleepers are to the rear, coaches are to the front. And the Acela now has assigned seats and car numbers, with the locations pasted on to the platform. They also tend to load the fastest.

Kissimmee has them. I was told which number to go to to wait for a sleeper. But the SuperStar is longer than the platform, so some cars board from a platform extension that is signed "No Trespassing." In that case, I was told to go to the end of the regular platform and wait to be escorted by the station attendant.

IIRC, Orlando also has them, but they queue passengers up in one line for sleepers and another for coach. The station agent just sends passengers to the number where the queue starts.

 

[jis]

IIRC, Orlando also has them, but they queue passengers up in one line for sleepers and another for coach. The station agent just sends passengers to the number where the queue starts.

Each time I boarded Sleeper from Orlando I was sent to a location letter. No lines for Sleepers those times. Coach had a long line.

 

[GDRRiley]

The state of california is working with amtrak to potential join the order for new LD cars if they are bi level to replace the California and Surfliner cars.
they can raise the cars height to 17ft and set the floors at 25in as thats the standard for low platforms. The issue is they'd need to not use Janney couplers as the standard height is too tall to work with a 25in floor

There’s no reason the existing cars can’t continue after major overhauls.

Hopefully a new manufacturer of passenger rail cars will emerge here in the USA. It’s a shame Colorado Railcar didn’t survive.

They fleet is dwindiling so unless they rebuild all wrecked cars they aren't going to be able to expand and good luck getting anyone to make more without an insane markup. If congress pushes them to expand service to restore old routes or more often (please 2RT a day leaving 12 hours apart, 7 days a week on all routes) they'll need way more equipment then they have, right now with ~400 cars in usable condition they can barley operate what they have. Their shop is back up right now but they can't even spare 8-10 cars california gave back to them at the start of 2020.

Colorado Railcar made some very meh DMUs. I've not even riden on one of their coaches but stadler just made a very simiar design for Rocky Mountaineer.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Colorado Railcar made some very meh DMUs. I've not even riden on one of their coaches but stadler just made a very simiar design for Rocky Mountaineer.

What as meh about them? I’ve ridden the DMU’s in both New Jersey and Austin, TX.

The bi-level coaches on the Alaska Railroad are amazing.

I’ll look up the stadler cars… I wasn’t aware of them.

 

[GDRRiley]

What as meh about them? I’ve ridden the DMU’s in both New Jersey and Austin, TX.

The bi-level coaches on the Alaska Railroad are amazing.

I’ll look up the stadler cars… I wasn’t aware of them.

nether of of those are Colorado Railcar. They had major reliabitly issues which is why of the ~10 that have been sold only 4 are still being used buy WES and I think the alaskin RR.
Yeah its under their custom cars, just built 10.

 

[Cal]

The state of california is working with amtrak to potential join the order for new LD cars if they are bi level to replace the California and Surfliner cars.
they can raise the cars height to 17ft and set the floors at 25in as thats the standard for low platforms. The issue is they'd need to not use Janney couplers as the standard height is too tall to work with a 25in floor

Source? If true, this is great news. While I would love to see California get the ventures, I would also love it even more for us to get new bilevels.

 

[GDRRiley]

Source? If true, this is great news. While I would love to see California get the ventures, I would also love it even more for us to get new bilevels.

This talks a lot about both the challenges and the plans next update could come in October

 

[Jack Davis]

Source? If true, this is great news. While I would love to see California get the ventures, I would also love it even more for us to get new bilevels.

I wrote a 'piece' on here a few months ago supporting 'Wide Body' cars ~ twice as wide as the current fleet. But, I doubt if the powers that be will move in that direction. I suggested Siemens Corp as a viable builder, got a nice letter from AMTRAK headquarters indicating the many 'problems' with going in that direction and the fact that that idea isn't new. But, it seems like the 'fleet' isn't big enough to handle the projected needs so, some passenger cars need to be built by a reliable builder. Nice ones.

 

[railiner]

I would like to see the return of slide down window shades as used in Heritage era cars, and elimination of those curtains.

 

[dlagrua]

IMO, there is not much on the Viewliners and Superliners that you can change. With the talk of Amtrak going with a standardized car design in the future, all single level equipment is probably coming. Siemens already has some nice rail cars and all that is needed are some alterations. Their sleepers would require an H room at the end of the car near the door (like the Viewliners) and that might be all that is needed. Meanwhile Amtrak needs to get Beechgrove running at a good pace to get Superliner equipment back on the rails. Right now we see reservations being cancelled due to a shortage of equipment.

 

[jpakala]

I think that regardless of anything else, sleeping cars should have the room ceiling heights and standard bed widths that they always did from Pullman, Budd, etc.

 

[west point]

As posted else where remember all passenger trains must have some number of exits with traps. That is so if train is stopped on a right of way and exit / evacuation is necessary passengers have some way to get off train.

 

[joelkfla]

As posted else where remember all passenger trains must have some number of exits with traps. That is so if train is stopped on a right of way and exit / evacuation is necessary passengers have some way to get off train.

The current Acela trainsets have portable folding stairs for evacuation. Is that illegal on new equipment?

From 8/15/22 Service Standards Manual:

6. Acela-Folding Stairs​

a) Locate Folding Stairs.​

• There are two (2) folding stairs, one (1) located on each end of the trainset, in a storage compartment under the vestibule of the first car adjacent to the power car. A small gray decal showing an icon of stair steps and the wording “Folding Stairs” is located above the storage compartment door.​

 

[jis]

As posted else where remember all passenger trains must have some number of exits with traps. That is so if train is stopped on a right of way and exit / evacuation is necessary passengers have some way to get off train.

There has to be a way for passengers to get off the train. That does not imply there has to be traps. Of course it would be nice if there were such. Tier III buff strength standards makes such possible. Tier II made such quite difficult since there was no way to break a side sill without failing the buff strength test. Hence Acelas don't have traps but have portable step ladders.

 

[Barb Stout]

What is a trap, what does it look like? I tried googling it, but didn't get anything useful to me, just stuff like the guy whose shirt got trapped in a train door and he was dragged to death.

 

[joelkfla]

What is a trap, what does it look like? I tried googling it, but didn't get anything useful to me, just stuff like the guy whose shirt got trapped in a train door and he was dragged to death.

It's short for trap door. Just a square sheet of heavy gauge metal on a hinge. When it's flat, it covers the stairs and forms the floor to the door. When it's lifted up to the side, the stairs are exposed. It usually also has a handrail attached to the bottom side.


Trap closed on the left; trap open on the right.