Passenger Trains > Iowa Pacific's SL&RG 133 Makes its Amtrak Date

San Luis & Rio Grande coach 133 "Chambersburg Inn" looks like it will be able to add some valuable seating capacity to tomorrow's Iowa Pacific passenger runs on the Santa Cruz Branch as it was tacked onto the back of Amtrak #11(15) this morning at Oakland's Jack London Square station after several days of wheel work in Oakland. Today was the last possible day it could make it out of town and still see use on the SC&MB this weekend. Should be set out shortly at Watsonville Jct.(perhaps Salinas?) by the Starlight.

Amtrak's Oakland coach yard switcher is seen shoving the 133 down the Embarcadero street running trackage this rainy morning to add on to the Starlight which was running about 45 minutes late.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/12 10:59 by shed47.

---

---

---

Amtrak's MPI/Boise-built genset 590 performs a task it was acquired for in Jack London Square this morning.

---

Neat looking car. Nice catch, Shed! Thanks for posting.

Anyone know how the MPI gensets are working out for Amtrak? (Please, no general "gensets are crap" comments. I'm asking for real info.)

Z

I was on yesterday's 11 into OKJ and they were originally going to take it down then. They announced it would be added, but when we pulled into OKJ they said it was canceled last minute. I'm glad it made it today!

Jarrod DellaChiesa
Oakley, CA

zephyrus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyone know how the MPI gensets are working out
> for Amtrak? (Please, no general "gensets are
> crap" comments. I'm asking for real info.)

The Amtrak crews are not that fond of the genset locos. They say that they load and unload at strange times and that when loading or unloading to the next stage, the transition is not at all smooth. The genset at LAUPT barely moves around, the crews would rather use the deteriorating Dash-8's. They do the job, but perhaps not the best tool for it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/12 14:39 by jcaestecker.

The crews decide which engine they will use?

I think this has already been asked, so sorry to repeat, but was this car originally a sleeper, and if so what was the configuration. Almost looks like it was an all bedroom (as opposed to roomette?) sleeer offering 10 rooms.

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think this has already been asked, so sorry to
> repeat, but was this car originally a sleeper, and
> if so what was the configuration. Almost looks
> like it was an all bedroom (as opposed to
> roomette?) sleeer offering 10 rooms.

The following from "Streamliner Cars Vol. 2 The Budd Company"(RPC Publications):
Built as PRR 8251 by Budd in 1949 as a 21 roomette sleeper and converted to a coach in 1963. Later saw service for NJDOT and MARC.

jcaestecker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> zephyrus Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Anyone know how the MPI gensets are working out
> > for Amtrak? (Please, no general "gensets are
> > crap" comments. I'm asking for real info.)
>
> The Amtrak crews are not that fond of the genset
> locos. They say that they load and unload at
> strange times and that when loading or unloading
> to the next stage, the transition is not at all
> smooth. The genset at LAUPT barely moves around,
> the crews would rather use the deteriorating
> Dash-8's. They do the job, but perhaps not the
> best tool for it.


BULLCRAP; I don't know what crewmembers in OAKLAND you talked too but the WEEKDAY crew loves the 590. Better then those 2 POS -8's. By the way thats me riding the shove into OKJ this morning. So i'm speaking from 1st hand experience.

Frontrunner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jcaestecker Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > zephyrus Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Anyone know how the MPI gensets are working
> out
> > > for Amtrak? (Please, no general "gensets are
> > > crap" comments. I'm asking for real info.)
> >
> > The Amtrak crews are not that fond of the
> genset
> > locos. They say that they load and unload at
> > strange times and that when loading or
> unloading
> > to the next stage, the transition is not at all
> > smooth. The genset at LAUPT barely moves
> around,
> > the crews would rather use the deteriorating
> > Dash-8's. They do the job, but perhaps not the
> > best tool for it.
>
>
> BULLCRAP; I don't know what crewmembers in OAKLAND
> you talked too but the WEEKDAY crew loves the 590.
> Better then those 2 POS -8's. By the way thats me
> riding the shove into OKJ this morning. So i'm
> speaking from 1st hand experience.


I think he generalized the LA Yard workers' opinions and attached them to Oakland as well. He makes it quite clear he's talking primarily about the Los Angeles one. As he said, the LA yard crews aren't very fond of the one we have down here because it's down more than it's up, and it loads poorly. Generally the crews out here don't like to use it for more than toting a couple cars around the yard, prefering to use the D-8s for heavier lifting which is more common here, because of the more consistent load and additional power.

Jaanfo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Frontrunner Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > jcaestecker Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > zephyrus Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > Anyone know how the MPI gensets are working
> > out
> > > > for Amtrak? (Please, no general "gensets
> are
> > > > crap" comments. I'm asking for real info.)
> > >
> > > The Amtrak crews are not that fond of the
> > genset
> > > locos. They say that they load and unload at
> > > strange times and that when loading or
> > unloading
> > > to the next stage, the transition is not at
> all
> > > smooth. The genset at LAUPT barely moves
> > around,
> > > the crews would rather use the deteriorating
> > > Dash-8's. They do the job, but perhaps not
> the
> > > best tool for it.
> >
> >
> > BULLCRAP; I don't know what crewmembers in
> OAKLAND
> > you talked too but the WEEKDAY crew loves the
> 590.
> > Better then those 2 POS -8's. By the way thats
> me
> > riding the shove into OKJ this morning. So i'm
> > speaking from 1st hand experience.
>
>
> I think he generalized the LA Yard workers'
> opinions and attached them to Oakland as well. He
> makes it quite clear he's talking primarily about
> the Los Angeles one. As he said, the LA yard
> crews aren't very fond of the one we have down
> here because it's down more than it's up, and it
> loads poorly. Generally the crews out here don't
> like to use it for more than toting a couple cars
> around the yard, prefering to use the D-8s for
> heavier lifting which is more common here, because
> of the more consistent load and additional power.


Our little OAKTOWN genset pulls both lite & heavy loads just find. The only complaint is its noisy with the truck engine running at a constant high speed. Now those -8's just sucks as switchers. Now i know why GE don't make switchers anymore.

I do not mean to offend, Frontrunner. I'm merely commenting of my knowledge of LA crews. I'm down in the yard with the crews at 8th street in Los Angeles almost every weekend. Now I know that opinions are different of them elsewhere.