Amtrak box cars

[printman2000]

That's already happening with the coach/baggage cars that were the converted old smoking section cars. Someone has to de-train and open the door and load and unload baggage then re-board.

I have never seen a baggage car that did not have an end door. Do you know of any pics of these cars? Also, why would they not have end doors on them if they used to be half passenger cars?

 

[AlanB]

If the plan is to build 75 single level baggage/dorm cars, doesn't that mean that there'd be redundant crew dorm space on any Superliner trainset? Are there plans I don't remember seeing anyone talk about to convert the existing transdorms to 100% revenue space?
Also, on the Empire Builder and LSL, isn't there still potentially a need for crew to occupy space in what would otherwise be revenue sleeping cars because of how the trains split?

There is talk, although I've seen nothing official, that says that the Superliner Trans/Dorms will be reworked to allow for more revenue space. And of course the Trans/Dorm will still need to perform its most important task, that being the transition between the Superliner car and the single level car.

As for the second part of your question, it's not an issue on the LSL at all, since the Boston-ALB isn't done overnight. Additionally there are two baggage cars, one for each leg, so even if they did end up doing an overnight it wouldn't be a problem.

On the EB it would be a problem, but then it's already a problem even now, so nothing really changes. Now if Amtrak could find an extra Trans/Dorm or two, then they could run two bags on the EB one for PDX, and one for SEA. When they split the train in Spokanne, just add on the Trans/Dorm as well as the engines and problem solved.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

So then what's the plan for the shorter routes with baggage, like the train formerly known as the Twilight Shoreliner? Is the crew dorm space unneeded in such cases?

(There's also the Hiathawa Service trains, but I believe those get their baggage space from a cabbage car.)

 

[printman2000]

Additionally the 75 new baggage cars that Amtrak is planning on buying are half baggage cars/half crew dorms. Converting the freight cars would have been difficult, unless one basically left the crew without windows.

I asked earlier about this but I think it got overlooked. Where did the information about the baggage cars being baggage/dorms come from? The testimony only said baggage cars. I have heard it, but just did not know where that came from.

 

[AlanB]

Additionally the 75 new baggage cars that Amtrak is planning on buying are half baggage cars/half crew dorms. Converting the freight cars would have been difficult, unless one basically left the crew without windows.

I asked earlier about this but I think it got overlooked. Where did the information about the baggage cars being baggage/dorms come from? The testimony only said baggage cars. I have heard it, but just did not know where that came from.

I don't recall just where I saw that, but I'll try to think about it and let you know.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I know practical and financial concerns will make this a not so ideal desire, but it would look really nice to have an El Capitan style Transition Car design on the baggage/dorms destined for the Superliner fleet. The step down would be in the car itself, meaning any Superliner could be coupled to it.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Far as I know, the idea of them being B/Ds was something we have been discussing online. I have not heard even one tiny peep from Amtrak on the subject.

 

[transit54]

Additionally the 75 new baggage cars that Amtrak is planning on buying are half baggage cars/half crew dorms. Converting the freight cars would have been difficult, unless one basically left the crew without windows.

I asked earlier about this but I think it got overlooked. Where did the information about the baggage cars being baggage/dorms come from? The testimony only said baggage cars. I have heard it, but just did not know where that came from.

I don't recall just where I saw that, but I'll try to think about it and let you know.

Perhaps it was from here?

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.p...3&start=105

 

[sechs]

Yes, but its a special kind of freight that has traditionally been well integrated in the passenger business.

...But currently isn't. If Amtrak carried mail, it would just be freight.

Even today, most passenger airlines have first class mail contracts.

That's because freight is how many passenger routes make any money. There is still so much competition for these contracts, prices are depressed. And since the entire air freight system is point-to-point, the only logistics is getting it onto the right plane. It's cheap and quick.

If Amtrak were to acquire more baggage cars and routinely have sufficient space in them, I think mail would be a good way to fill the space.

It would be better if Amtrak didn't always have "sufficient space." Amtrak's current express service only works well because they can always refuse items for which there is not space, and the current baggage cars are often oversized for their routes. New baggage cars are likely to be right-sized.

 

[Acela150]

Every once and a while they use the Transtion Sleeper for service. I can tell you that there are at least 50 expresstrak cars outside of Harrisburg. I think the majority of those cars are from the Three Rivers which had at least 10-15 cars that were roadrailers, mail cars, and expresstrak cars and 4-5 passenger cars.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Don't forget our lovely Kentucky Cardinal, which went from one sleeper and snack coach, to a sleeper and LD horizon to a LD Horizon and finally to whatever the worst SD coach they had available that day was.

Let us remember the last Kentucky Cardinal. 3 P42s, 1 worn out SD Horizon, and god knows how many freight cars. Dozens.