MikefromCrete
Engineer
Baggage-dorms are inside the CAF plant in Elmira. So far, I haven't seen any photos taken by railfan-spies from outside the factory grounds.
Given that only 1 baggage car has been delivered for initial testing and it is currently early July, extremely unlikely to see any cars in revenue service in September or October. The cars have to undergo extensive testing, be reviewed and approved by the FRA, and have to be made available for maintenance and operation training and familiarization. All that takes time.A few months and I think you'd have a chance. If I were a betting man, I wouldn't bet on seeing anything in revenue service before September or October.
I believe there was an issue finding qualified welders and initial weld issues that have led to the delays.Wow, these cars are really behind schedule. Why is the production of cars being delayed.
Amtrak172
The unfortunate result of the "everyone should go to college" attitude that is prevalent in the public schools these days. They closed my district's vocational school because they would get more money if they set up biomedical and visual arts academies. I don't know about you, but I haven't met a visual arts student who can make a good weld, carve furnishings, or work with complex mechanical equipment. Our country's pool of skilled labor is aging, and the replacements for them are few and far between. We're going to have a major skilled labor shortage crisis in the coming years if we don't get our act together.I believe there was an issue finding qualified welders and initial weld issues that have led to the delays.Wow, these cars are really behind schedule. Why is the production of cars being delayed.
Amtrak172
There were reports of a stop work order for a design change that was a primary reason for a delay a year or two back. The problem with getting enough qualified stainless steel welders was reportedly not only in hiring, but also retaining them due to the fracking boom.It was a lot more then just welding. IINM they had issues with cable placement and much more. But that could be a bunch of scuttlebutt.
I forget - where is the CAF plant?Yeay! Now watch the drool on various train station platforms starting from Albany and then on the NEC for starters :lol:
Wear your hiking boots. :-DYeay! Now watch the drool on various train station platforms starting from Albany and then on the NEC for starters :lol:
(Air fist bump!) Yaaaaaay!The train will be leaving the CAF plant in the morning with 3 new Viewliner cars - 62500-Sleeper, 69000 - bagg dorm and 68000 - Diner.
So, now one of each type car will be out for testing.
Bob
Skilled worker shortage relative to what pay scale however? Skilled worker shortages have a remarkable tendency to disappear when you raise the pay to something that people can actually make a decent living on. From what I can tell, that's not so much the case with welding outside of union gigs (which tend to have apprenticeship programs anyhow) and folks being recruited for the oil boom (where everyone's wages are sky high).The unfortunate result of the "everyone should go to college" attitude that is prevalent in the public schools these days. They closed my district's vocational school because they would get more money if they set up biomedical and visual arts academies. I don't know about you, but I haven't met a visual arts student who can make a good weld, carve furnishings, or work with complex mechanical equipment. Our country's pool of skilled labor is aging, and the replacements for them are few and far between. We're going to have a major skilled labor shortage crisis in the coming years if we don't get our act together.
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