Eastern Railroad Discussion > Siemens Caltrans Car

Buddy of mine shoots a text saying CSX is bringing a Caltrans car North up the Trenton sub then East on the CSX / NS Lehigh line to North Bergen, New Jersey.

We meet up at Piscataway for the best angle we can get as the sun is terrible for any Eastbounds.
 
Upon arrival, our spot is taken up by Hulcher / Conrail CSAO who has the whole area blocked off and is dredging out track two. Oh, no!!!

We didn't know how close the CSX move was, so we decided to hang close by and try to sort of blend in.

Now the wait is on........

First thru the work area is CSX K160 with AC44CW 432 heading West on track one. To the right are three cars of ballst on track two.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/20 18:15 by overniteman.

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Most of the time, my Nikkor 70-200VR II is on my camera, but for some reason I grabbed a wide angle zoom figuring the it would be easier with the sun. With the tightness of the work area it was a good call.

Right behind the CSX K train is a CSAO one car local heading back to Manville, New Jersey.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/20 18:16 by overniteman.

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Now Hulcher gets their equipment out of the way and the three ballast cars are backed into the work area by "Mr Big Stuff" NS SD45-2 1701. 

Conrail goes quickly to work and dumps the ballast and the ballast regulators move right in. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/20 18:16 by overniteman.

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The splendid 1701.

Now we're getting nervous as the little "Ballast Express" has us screened off from the CSX move which we just heard on the scanner.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/20 18:16 by overniteman.

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We tried to get to a good spot, but to no avail as CSX SD40-2 8842 crawling by the 1701 with it's buffer car and the Caltrans car.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/20 18:18 by overniteman.

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That's what 8fps is designed for. I held down the trigger and wound up with this,



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/20 18:18 by overniteman.

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And the obligatory going away shot.

All, Piscataway, New Jersey.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/20 18:17 by overniteman.

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Nice.  Lucked out, plus some bonus material.

Aesthetically they could have done better than a Brio wood block train or junior high shop class creation, like round off the edges of the roof.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/20 05:37 by joemvcnj.

We’re critiquing roof edges now, really?

It’s a modern railcar with good headroom and big windows. Glad to see it, hopefully the passengers who ride these cars and the crews who work them will like them. That’s all that really matters.

Nice photos, thanks for sharing!

Those Siemens Venture cars look very nice! They have gotten plenty of positive feedback on Brightline and I know that the Midwest Region and Caltrans will be using them for Amtrak's state supported routes in the selected states. It would Amtrak orders their own Siemens Venture cars.

To paraphrase my late friend Ray Short, "Show me the stainless steel passenger car you designed".  In my experience, you design to the clearance envelope, and buy what the vendors will sell.  It isn't exactly a buyer's market rife with competition between competetant builders breaking down the doors to enter the American market..  Just saying...

GFP

 

Very nice pics and catch
Tom Boylan

Nice variety of photos and a great look at the new car, thanks.

Rich

I hope these don’t cost too much $$.
For some reason I think the design team should have tried harder.
 

engrbob Wrote:
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> I hope these don’t cost too much $$.
> For some reason I think the design team should
> have tried harder.  

But it makes it far easier for Rapido Trains to model. 

engrbob Wrote:
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> I hope these don’t cost too much $$.
> For some reason I think the design team should
> have tried harder.

Maybe the manufacturing team said "no!"

When I was a kid and in the Cub Scouts, we made these little down hill race cars out of a block of wood, axles and wheels.
You had to shape the “ carbody” with a knife, a saw and sand paper. Anyway, I wasn’t very good at it and my car was very rudimentary. Well, if one would take off the wheels and put a couple of trucks underneath, there you are.
Maybe I missed my calling .

🚃 🚞 🚋
How about these?
 

Nice pics!!