Passenger Trains > New Surfliner - Questions About Equipment

Seeing Mundo post below about the start of the 12the daily Surfliner leads me to ask a couple of questions of my fellow T/O members.

1) Where is the additional equipment coming from?

2) How many Surfliner cars were originally ordered and how many are still in service (others out due to wrecks or other damage)?

3) Will they need to pull additional P42 or other locomotives out of the pool to help handle the new service?

Thanks to all that reply...

Northridge Switcher

Word is the two Talgo sets that were originally for Wisconsin will supplement the Surfliner fleet.

Davis

Doesn't look like an additional set of equipment would be necessary. 579 and 583 end their day at LA well before the scheduled departure of the new 592 so the equipment from one of those could be used for the new southbound in the evening. 761 currently originates in LA in the morning and would just use the extra train set that went to SD the evening before when it starts to originate in SD. if they do something like I described, though, there would be fewer trains in LA overnight for maintenance and an additional train overnight in San Diego.

Speaking of which, when are the Talgos going to leave Indiana?

NYC303 Wrote:
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> Doesn't look like an additional set of equipment
> would be necessary. 579 and 583 end their day at
> LA well before the scheduled departure of the new
> 592 so the equipment from one of those could be
> used for the new southbound in the evening. 761
> currently originates in LA in the morning and
> would just use the extra train set that went to SD
> the evening before when it starts to originate in
> SD. if they do something like I described, though,
> there would be fewer trains in LA overnight for
> maintenance and an additional train overnight in
> San Diego.

One of the things to be kept in mind is how long the equipment has already been running.  Extending a current cycle may keep that equipment running too long between turns being serviced at the yard.

strench707 Wrote:
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> Word is the two Talgo sets that were originally
> for Wisconsin will supplement the Surfliner
> fleet.

Not from what I've heard, but we'll see what happens before I start contradicting everybody else's assumptions (I'd rather see the egg on your face than mine).

Mater Dee and Mater Dum

strench707 Wrote:
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> Word is the two Talgo sets that were originally
> for Wisconsin will supplement the Surfliner
> fleet.
>
> Davis

Equipment will be from the existing train turns.

The Talgo will need to have PTC Software added. 

Before they can be placed in service.

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

GP25 Wrote:
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> The Talgo will need to have PTC Software added. 
>
> Before they can be placed in service.

Amtrak is not using PTC in Southern California so why would the software be a necessity on the Talgo equipment?

The Amtrak S&I ( Service & Inspection ) building in LA at 8th Street was built to service Talgo equipment, when the building was built, at that time there was a plan for LA to Lost Wages  ( Las Veges )  Talgo Trains, that never came about.

If there is an additional train overnight in San Diego, where will it be kept? There are already trains on tracks 1, 2, and 3, and track 4 is used for freights.
 

Tell the freights to take a hike.

RetireMe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GP25 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The Talgo will need to have PTC Software
> added. 
> >
> > Before they can be placed in service.
>
> Amtrak is not using PTC in Southern California so
> why would the software be a necessity on the Talgo
> equipment?

But Metrolink is and they have to use Metrolink trackage to access Union Station.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RetireMe Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > GP25 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > The Talgo will need to have PTC Software
> > added. 
> > >
> > > Before they can be placed in service.
> >
> > Amtrak is not using PTC in Southern California
> so
> > why would the software be a necessity on the
> Talgo
> > equipment?
>
> But Metrolink is and they have to use Metrolink
> trackage to access Union Station.

Every Class 1 Railroad will be required to have PTC.
Amtrak is included. So they will need to have the PTC Software
added to the equipment. at least by 2018. And 2018 will be here much faster.
Then you think

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

GP25 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > RetireMe Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > GP25 Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > The Talgo will need to have PTC Software
> > > added. 
> > > >
> > > > Before they can be placed in service.
> > >
> > > Amtrak is not using PTC in Southern
> California
> > so
> > > why would the software be a necessity on the
> > Talgo
> > > equipment?
> >
> > But Metrolink is and they have to use Metrolink
> > trackage to access Union Station.
>
> Every Class 1 Railroad will be required to have
> PTC.
> Amtrak is included. So they will need to have the
> PTC Software
> added to the equipment. at least by 2018. And 2018
> will be here much faster.
> Then you think

Only Metrolink uses PTC at this time. Amtrak and other traffic are not required to use it while on Metrolink dispatched territories.
In addition Amtrak crews (Metrolink excluded) have not been trained/qualified on using positive train control). 

If you have one train without PTC on your PTC equipped railroad, you don't have PTC.

OliveHeights Wrote:
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> If you have one train without PTC on your PTC
> equipped railroad, you don't have PTC.

Smoke and mirrors as you've never seen it before.