Diesel Exhaust Fumes in EB front sleeper car

[the_traveler]

A trans-dorm has, as implied and said, a way to transition from the Superliner cars (which only have doors on the upper level) to the single level baggage car. Thus a trans-dorm has only an upper lever door on one end and a lower level door on the other end. The front of the trans-dorm (nearest the locomotive) does not have an upper level door to let in any exhaust.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Nice picture Ryan, but that car you added between the locomotive and the passenger car looks like a baggage car, not a Transdorm. So I still don't see how a Transdorm stops the exhaust.

It is a baggage car, as clearly indicated by the caption that says "lower level door hooked to baggage car". The fact that it's a lower level door and hooked to the baggage car is what stops the exhaust. Contrast that with an upper level door, not hooked to anything and exhaust getting pushed right up against it.
Come on dude, this isn't rocket surgery here.

Thanks Ryan, I get it now. I forgot that the Transdorm has an upper-level door on one side and a lower-level door on the other. :blush: My bad.

 

[NE933]

Ryan, I love it!!

Now, so you mean the lower level is under the upper level.....

just kidding, you know how sarcastic I get...

 

[the_traveler]

Now, so you mean the lower level is under the upper level....

Only if the lower level is put under the upper level. Some cars were built wrong when the builder had the pages upside down, and they built the lower level above the upper level! :giggle:

 

[fairviewroad]

But to clarify, in Ryan's drawing, the top picture is missing the baggage car. In the OP's scenario, there

was still a baggage car between the engines and the sleeper. So the exhaust streamed across the top of

the baggage car, then into the sleeping car. It doesn't fundamentally change the explanation, however.

 

[Ryan]

Not necessarily. When the transdorm moves to the rear, the bag usually does as well so that it can be accessed from inside the train.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Not necessarily. When the transdorm moves to the rear, the bag usually does as well so that it can be accessed from inside the train.

But this time, the transdorm was moved so that the lower door had access to the PVs.

 

[fairviewroad]

Not necessarily. When the transdorm moves to the rear, the bag usually does as well so that it can be accessed from inside the train.

Perhaps so, but the OP reported otherwise in his case. I didn't know if your drawing was supposed to represent

possible scenarios or the OP's specific situation.

(But don't get me wrong...it's a good diagram that makes it easy to understand.)

 

[DaddyJim]

The photo that Ryan attached in his reply is how it looked front the front of our sleeper looking at the three engines and baggage car, from what I could see from outside at one of the stops the doors were not connected nor could they have been connected as they did not line up. One opening low and the other high.

The private cars were hooked to the trans-dorm at the rear.

Side note as I looked out my hotel window tonight in EMY I saw the C/S #14 come in with the private cars in tow . I assume headed to SEA to connect with the EB.

 

[cirdan]

Maybe not. They're not meant to be completely airtight.

Well, what do you think is the reason for fumes leaking in? And how do you think it should be prevented?

I'm no expert but I understand some locomotives have arerofoil style contraptions in or near the exahaust outlet that cause the exhaust to lift away from the train's slipstream. In such cases exhaust gases entering the passenger cars should not occur to an appreciable extent except maybe in a tunnel.

If this wasn't happening, maybe something was broken?

 

[fairviewroad]

Needless to say, electrifying the entire Amtrak route network would solve this little problem.

 

[SP&S]

Now, so you mean the lower level is under the upper level....

Only if the lower level is put under the upper level. Some cars were built wrong when the builder had the pages upside down, and they built the lower level above the upper level! :giggle:

Does that mean the penthouse could actually be in the basement? Perhaps I've been looking for the secret stairs going the wrong way.