Amtrak's 1500 Series Material Handling Cars.

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No Amtrak Railfan, the MHC Cars do not carry bikes. Those trains which carry unboxed bicycles have a baggage car specially equipped to do so. If the train doesn't carry unboxed bicycles, a bike must be packaged and is treated like any other kind of checked baggage, and is carried in the baggage car. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the only situation where I could see bicycles in an MHC would be if a company were shipping bikes wholesale via Amtrak. I don't know much about the companies that use(d) Amtrak for freight service, so I have no idea if that's ever happened. In any case, if you as a passenger are taking your bike on the train, it will be transported in the baggage car.
 
Well, that's not COMPLETELY true. I remember reading a small feature in Trains about a year ago about a special train that bikers used from Montana to a bikefest in Boston. The bikers brought their bikes to a station somewhere out there, where they were then loaded into an MHC with a forklift. The bikers were accomodated in Viewliner sleepers or in Amfleet II coaches. A dining and lounge car were also available. According to slamtrak.com the diner that appeared in Boston was the first diner that had stopped there in at least 10 years. :blink: :lol:
 
battalion51 said:
Well, that's not COMPLETELY true. I remember reading a small feature in Trains about a year ago about a special train that bikers used from Montana to a bikefest in Boston. The bikers brought their bikes to a station somewhere out there, where they were then loaded into an MHC with a forklift. The bikers were accomodated in Viewliner sleepers or in Amfleet II coaches. A dining and lounge car were also available. According to slamtrak.com the diner that appeared in Boston was the first diner that had stopped there in at least 10 years. :blink: :lol:
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Wait, now you're sort of confusing two different things. The bikes that I believe were being discussed are bicycles, the kind that you peddle. The bikes that you are referring to are motorcycles. Big difference.

That motorcycle trip has occurred on at least two different occasions. I'm not real sure however, just how they actually transported the bikes. I seem to recall hearing about a special car(s) being attached to the train.

train.

The most recent trip occured either last year or perhaps the prior year. On this trip they boarded the train just west of Boston.
 
Yes, and even the Meteor. A buddy of mine rode 97-23 (and still is as a matter of fact) and said they had an MHC on the rear, Hippo 651 leading.
 
Amtrak Railfan said:
I love the MHC Cars and how about you?
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Personally I hate them. They block my view out of the rear window of the train and I can't ride in them. So for me MHC's are no fun. :angry:
 
They block the rear for you, and back in the day they used to block the train from the Engine, trapping the Engineers up front. I'm not missing them, nor are any of the Engineers.
 
No. Mail 12 and Mail 13 were cancelled when freight Railroads put slow orders on the cars. The train was run through service from Springfield to Washington for Long Distance trains. With nothing coming in from Long Distance there was no need for the trains. Anything that needs to go on the corridor now catches a ride on a Long Distance train or the Federal.
 
Yes, both those trains had MHCs, especially the Three Rivers, that train always had many MHCs on it as well as other types of Express/mail cars and roadrailers.
 
The Three Rivers still to this day carries an extensive number of RoadRailers and Boxcars out of Philly on its trip to Chicago.
 
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