Baggage cars

[had8ley]

We have seen the old smoking coaches converted into coach baggage cars. With ridership up would it be beneficial to replace the seats in the coach bag cars and use a space in the trans-dorm for baggage. There seems to be an awful lot of dead space on the lower floor of the trans-dorm.

 

[Guest]

When were they initially converted into baggage cars?

It seems the few baggage cars I've peered into were relatively empty. The overhead space is abundant for the average traveler.

 

[Guest]

We have seen the old smoking coaches converted into coach baggage cars..

These cars were first built as Coach/Baggage, later reconfigured into Smoking Coach with the outside baggage door in the side of the car sealed shut, then configured back into Coach/Baggage after Amtrak discontinued smoking onboard most routes

 

[transit54]

Speaking of baggage cars, Amtrak called me today to tell me that 449 on Monday would not have a baggage car due to a system wide shortage of such cars. I was only going BOS to SPG to connect with the Vermonter, so it was no big deal for me. But perhaps this idea has some merit, seeing as though they seem to be short on them. As I see it, the more routes with checked baggage, the better. There's a lot of people that don't want to lug their bags around (not me) and it also opens up the ability to send things via Amtrak Express on those routes.

 

[had8ley]

Speaking of baggage cars, Amtrak called me today to tell me that 449 on Monday would not have a baggage car due to a system wide shortage of such cars. I was only going BOS to SPG to connect with the Vermonter, so it was no big deal for me. But perhaps this idea has some merit, seeing as though they seem to be short on them. As I see it, the more routes with checked baggage, the better. There's a lot of people that don't want to lug their bags around (not me) and it also opens up the ability to send things via Amtrak Express on those routes.

Only trouble is #449 is single level service. I was referring to the Superliner trans-dorm where as few as four employees use the car when the roomettes upstairs are not sold as revenue space.

 

[Guest]

"Smoking Coach"

Curious, is there a picture of one of these?

 

[PetalumaLoco]

"Smoking Coach"
Curious, is there a picture of one of these?

(couldn't resis)

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

How hard would it be to build cabbage cars that also have HEP generators, but which don't do anything to actually move the train? It seems like that might be a way of addressing the energy inefficiency of a Genesis series locomotive having to run its diesel at 3600/1800 RPM constantly to generate HEP, and it might also help with producing more baggage cars. The downside is that then you'd have a small diesel running in the baggage car, which then would not be quite as effective a buffer between the diesels and the transdorm.

(I guess the other question is, what's keeping them from coming up with a cabbage to use for baggage on #449? Are they actually short on cab cars?)

 

[Tony]

"Smoking Coach"
Curious, is there a picture of one of these?

The sealed off baggage door is still visible.

 

[Shotgun7]

How hard would it be to build cabbage cars that also have HEP generators, but which don't do anything to actually move the train? It seems like that might be a way of addressing the energy inefficiency of a Genesis series locomotive having to run its diesel at 3600/1800 RPM constantly to generate HEP, and it might also help with producing more baggage cars. The downside is that then you'd have a small diesel running in the baggage car, which then would not be quite as effective a buffer between the diesels and the transdorm.
(I guess the other question is, what's keeping them from coming up with a cabbage to use for baggage on #449? Are they actually short on cab cars?)

To add to this question, why doesn't Amtrak convert more of their dozens of unused F40s to Cabbages for use on all other east coast short distance trains (besides Regionals and Keystones), especially trains like the Adirondack and Vermonter that used to have baggage cars. I can't imagine their aren't people going between New York and Pittsburgh, or on to the CL from Pittsburgh that wish they could check their bags for that segment.

 

[PetalumaLoco]

I think this page says there are only about a dozen F40s available. Also a list of where a lot of x-Amtrak F40s are.

Amtrak F40s

 

[transit54]

Speaking of baggage cars, Amtrak called me today to tell me that 449 on Monday would not have a baggage car due to a system wide shortage of such cars. I was only going BOS to SPG to connect with the Vermonter, so it was no big deal for me. But perhaps this idea has some merit, seeing as though they seem to be short on them. As I see it, the more routes with checked baggage, the better. There's a lot of people that don't want to lug their bags around (not me) and it also opens up the ability to send things via Amtrak Express on those routes.

Only trouble is #449 is single level service. I was referring to the Superliner trans-dorm where as few as four employees use the car when the roomettes upstairs are not sold as revenue space.

Right...but potentially doing the conversion you mentioned would free up traditional baggage cars to be used with single level service.

 

[had8ley]

Speaking of baggage cars, Amtrak called me today to tell me that 449 on Monday would not have a baggage car due to a system wide shortage of such cars. I was only going BOS to SPG to connect with the Vermonter, so it was no big deal for me. But perhaps this idea has some merit, seeing as though they seem to be short on them. As I see it, the more routes with checked baggage, the better. There's a lot of people that don't want to lug their bags around (not me) and it also opens up the ability to send things via Amtrak Express on those routes.

Only trouble is #449 is single level service. I was referring to the Superliner trans-dorm where as few as four employees use the car when the roomettes upstairs are not sold as revenue space.

Right...but potentially doing the conversion you mentioned would free up traditional baggage cars to be used with single level service.

The only reference I made was to the "lower floor" of the Superliner trans-dorm which is crew quarters. The upstairs is revenue roomettes complete with public shower.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

i no this will get shot down but its worth saying. if they need more baggage cars cant they reach a deal with a freight company like a lease or something and just get some standard box cars from them and use them for baggage?? just a thought

 

[Tony]

I remember seeing box cars with the Amtrak paint. So, I don't think they would need to rent any.

However, does Amtrak's lease for use of freight rails (like CSX), prohibit Amtrak from running freight cars?

 

[PetalumaLoco]

With a boxcar for baggage, any need to walk thru it, from forward and aft cars? I suppose you could hang it on the end... be an ugly addition to a passenger train.

 

[Rail Freak]

As a Newbie, all the Baggage Conversations Would Not Be if it wasn't for Increased Ridership!!!!

 

[Long Train Runnin']

thats true i mean its a good thing that the demand is up but um idk it just seems like if they need baggage cars the freight lines have enough box cars to lease or give or something to amtrak that they can use for temp baggage cars

 

[PetalumaLoco]

I'm afraid that if it happened at all it would turn into a permanent solution.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

yea but wouldnt work i mean a box car is designed to carry cargo and baggage and the like

 

[AlanB]

No need to talk to the freight companies, Amtrak with money could either buy some new ones or perhaps even easier simply convert some of the remaining cars that they brought for the failed Express freight service.

 

[Tony]

Yea, a box car would not have any way for crew to walk thru it. I doubt the would want to climb the ladder and walk the roof.

 

[Tony]

I guess the Vermonter really did use to have a baggage car...

And some of the Amtrak freight/box cars.

 

[had8ley]

thats true i mean its a good thing that the demand is up but um idk it just seems like if they need baggage cars the freight lines have enough box cars to lease or give or something to amtrak that they can use for temp baggage cars

There are a number of reasons Amtrak can't "just" lease box cars form freight RR's. First of all they are not roller bearing equipped for NEC speeds. Secondly, as previously mentioned, you cannot enter the car from either end to load and unload baggage. They would constitute a safety hazard as no one could reach the engine unless the train was dead stopped.

 

[AlanB]

thats true i mean its a good thing that the demand is up but um idk it just seems like if they need baggage cars the freight lines have enough box cars to lease or give or something to amtrak that they can use for temp baggage cars

There are a number of reasons Amtrak can't "just" lease box cars form freight RR's. First of all they are not roller bearing equipped for NEC speeds. Secondly, as previously mentioned, you cannot enter the car from either end to load and unload baggage. They would constitute a safety hazard as no one could reach the engine unless the train was dead stopped.

Huh? :unsure: On most Amtrak trains one can't access the engines from the rest of the train anyhow. There is no door in the nose of a P42 so one can't pass from one engine to the next. And it wouldn't matter if you were running two elephant style or back to back. Only on a train with one P42 could one enter the engine from the rest of the train while it's moving.