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So that means only 667, 668, 669, 670 to go? Geez. Siemens is pretty efficient.

It seems a little odd to me that the first SEPTA cars aren't scheduled to be delivered until 2018. Shut down the whole production line and then start it back up again for only 13 locomotives? If I were Siemens I'd probably be trying to produce the SEPTA locos immediately after the Amtrak locos...
 
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I saw Amtrak #6(26) with AMTK 665 in Ottumwa, Iowa this morning. It happened to have AMTK 189 with the Big Game Train decals on its side. Also, the sightseer lounge had a Big Game Train sign in a lower-level window on each side. This California Zephyr was just under an hour late into Ottumwa. It was running on time, but it was delayed by a derailment just west of Chillicothe, Iowa. Fortunately, the mainline wasn't blocked, but #6 still had to be "walked by" the site as they were picking things up.

#6 arriving at Ottumwa Depot with a nice horn show:

 
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So that means only 667, 668, 669, 670 to go? Geez. Siemens is pretty efficient.

It seems a little odd to me that the first SEPTA cars aren't scheduled to be delivered until 2018. Shut down the whole production line and then start it back up again for only 13 locomotives? If I were Siemens I'd probably be trying to produce the SEPTA locos immediately after the Amtrak locos...
Siemens has Charger diesel locomotives to deliver that are being paid for with stimulus money, so some portion of the 66 Chargers ordered by the states presumably have to be completed by September, 2017. They have to be built next after the ACS-64s. And Brightline/AAF wants Chargers in time for its start of service plans as well.
An issue for the SEPTA electrics may be the supply chain for the components unique to the ACS-64s, Siemens has to order components for 13 more electric locomotive and some are probably long lead time items. So SEPTA will have to wait in line.

Now we wait for #667 to get shipped east, so we can debate the finer points of skipping #666 in the numbering sequence, assuming that is what is going to happen.
 
So that means only 667, 668, 669, 670 to go? Geez. Siemens is pretty efficient.

It seems a little odd to me that the first SEPTA cars aren't scheduled to be delivered until 2018. Shut down the whole production line and then start it back up again for only 13 locomotives? If I were Siemens I'd probably be trying to produce the SEPTA locos immediately after the Amtrak locos...
Siemens has Charger diesel locomotives to deliver that are being paid for with stimulus money, so some portion of the 66 Chargers ordered by the states presumably have to be completed by September, 2017. They have to be built next after the ACS-64s. And Brightline/AAF wants Chargers in time for its start of service plans as well.
Right. That probably keeps the carshell line going.

An issue for the SEPTA electrics may be the supply chain for the components unique to the ACS-64s, Siemens has to order components for 13 more electric locomotive and some are probably long lead time items.
Ah, that makes sense.
 
SEPTA also lags in terms of fare pricing (for commuter rail at least), not that I'm complaining :p

I honestly think that the last four units are complete at this point; there was a good long chunk of time between 663's delivery and 664, although I don't know how much of that time was considered holiday hiatus.
 
Now we wait for #667 to get shipped east, so we can debate the finer points of skipping #666 in the numbering sequence, assuming that is what is going to happen.

A reliable source says no Devil Spawn..

Who needs a reliable source? Basic math dictates what will happen. There were 70 units ordered, numbered 600-670. If a unit is shipped with each of those numbers, that would total 71 units. Now, we've already witnessed 600-665 being shipped. Which number do you think is going the be left out? Clearly it isn't the 670. :blink:
 
Now we wait for #667 to get shipped east, so we can debate the finer points of skipping #666 in the numbering sequence, assuming that is what is going to happen.

A reliable source says no Devil Spawn..

Who needs a reliable source? Basic math dictates what will happen. There were 70 units ordered, numbered 600-670. If a unit is shipped with each of those numbers, that would total 71 units. Now, we've already witnessed 600-665 being shipped. Which number do you think is going the be left out? Clearly it isn't the 670. :blink:
It amazes me how many places I have seen this discussion, and how people can't figure this out! lol
 
Several years from now, on a passenger rail discussion board somewhere, there will be a thread and conspiracy theories about the "missing" locomotive, and why Siemens built #666 but failed to ever deliver it to Amtrak..... :)
 
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=

Who needs a reliable source? Basic math dictates what will happen. There were 70 units ordered, numbered 600-670. If a unit is shipped with each of those numbers, that would total 71 units. Now, we've already witnessed 600-665 being shipped. Which number do you think is going the be left out? Clearly it isn't the 670. :blink:
Maybe I missed it, but I hadn't seen (other than you mentioning it before) that the last unit was going to be the 670 and not the 669. :D
 
So that means only 667, 668, 669, 670 to go? Geez. Siemens is pretty efficient.

It seems a little odd to me that the first SEPTA cars aren't scheduled to be delivered until 2018. Shut down the whole production line and then start it back up again for only 13 locomotives? If I were Siemens I'd probably be trying to produce the SEPTA locos immediately after the Amtrak locos...
Either that or 666, 667, 668, and 669 to go.
 
So that means only 667, 668, 669, 670 to go? Geez. Siemens is pretty efficient.

It seems a little odd to me that the first SEPTA cars aren't scheduled to be delivered until 2018. Shut down the whole production line and then start it back up again for only 13 locomotives? If I were Siemens I'd probably be trying to produce the SEPTA locos immediately after the Amtrak locos...
Either that or 666, 667, 668, and 669 to go.
Obviously you've missed the posts where there will be a 670, therefore one of the other numbers will be skipped. Guess which one.
 
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Who needs a reliable source? Basic math dictates what will happen. There were 70 units ordered, numbered 600-670. If a unit is shipped with each of those numbers, that would total 71 units. Now, we've already witnessed 600-665 being shipped. Which number do you think is going the be left out? Clearly it isn't the 670. :blink:
Maybe I missed it, but I hadn't seen (other than you mentioning it before) that the last unit was going to be the 670 and not the 669. :D
The source for the Amtrak roster at On Track On Line, who works with Amtrak, has stated that the 70 ACS-64 units will be numbered 600 to 670. When I initially questioned him about 71 numbers for 70 units, he said that the start and end number were correct, and that the number of units was also correct. I filled in the rest of the puzzle.
 
Now we wait for #667 to get shipped east, so we can debate the finer points of skipping #666 in the numbering sequence, assuming that is what is going to happen.

A reliable source says no Devil Spawn..

Who needs a reliable source? Basic math dictates what will happen. There were 70 units ordered, numbered 600-670. If a unit is shipped with each of those numbers, that would total 71 units. Now, we've already witnessed 600-665 being shipped. Which number do you think is going the be left out? Clearly it isn't the 670. :blink:
Who? The people that constantly say... "OMG will their be a 666"!!?? I'm one of them folks who just doesn't care.. Not one bit of me cares. Their is a train 666, which I'm sure the Amish avoid considering it goes through Amish Country.

OTOH, how does math work?? :p
 
So that means only 667, 668, 669, 670 to go? Geez. Siemens is pretty efficient.

It seems a little odd to me that the first SEPTA cars aren't scheduled to be delivered until 2018. Shut down the whole production line and then start it back up again for only 13 locomotives? If I were Siemens I'd probably be trying to produce the SEPTA locos immediately after the Amtrak locos...
Either that or 666, 667, 668, and 669 to go.
Obviously you've missed the posts where there will be a 670, therefore one of the other numbers will be skipped. Guess which one.
Why the heck would they skip 666?
 
So that means only 667, 668, 669, 670 to go? Geez. Siemens is pretty efficient.

It seems a little odd to me that the first SEPTA cars aren't scheduled to be delivered until 2018. Shut down the whole production line and then start it back up again for only 13 locomotives? If I were Siemens I'd probably be trying to produce the SEPTA locos immediately after the Amtrak locos...
Either that or 666, 667, 668, and 669 to go.
Obviously you've missed the posts where there will be a 670, therefore one of the other numbers will be skipped. Guess which one.
Why the heck would they skip 666?
because some people believe that 666 is "the mark of the beast."
 
Why the heck would they skip 666?
For the same general reason you find hotels and office buildings in the western counties with no 13th floor or skipping rooms numbered 13 (wikipedia entry on Thirteenth floors). In east and southeast Asia, the number four is avoided so buildings may have no 4th or 14th floor (Wiki entry on Tetrapohbia which has a photo of an elevator panel with no 4th, 13th, or 14th floors and a -1 floor). Of course, 666 is not the same as the fear of 4 or 13 because of its biblical context.

Fortunately, we have many other numbers we can still use. ;)
 
Any good UNIX geek knows that 666 means read and write access to all comers ;)

In case two negatives cancel each other to make positive maybe it would be OK to number something 13666? :)

OK, back to ACS-64s. Has there been a final determination on what is to come of 601?
 
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There are locomotives out there numbered 666 that have never been involved in a major accident. Well some have been renumbered by now. People might want to stop watching The Omen if that number concerns them.
 
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