Passenger Trains > Stadler tour

Between the kids in school and only being able to get a parking pass for Saturday at Promontory, I decided to use my day off for a few other train things.  I watched some of the live broadcast from Promontory and then I decided to head up to the Utah State Capital to see the 3 spikes on display along with some other cool artificats like the Pacifc Railway Act with Lincoln's signature.  Afterwards, I headed over to the brand new Stadler manufacturing plant just west of the Salt Lake City airport.  The people at Stadler were super friendly and answered all sorts of questions.  I even happened to stumble on a tour group being led by the CEO of Stadler US, only I didn't realize who he was until I got home.  It wasn't crowded, but the one bummer was we couldn't take pictures in the main manufacturing areas.  Stadler has built a very impressive manufacturing facitlity, and it has space to double in size if needed.  There will be a mile long test track that parallels the UP.  If you have time Saturday, the tour runs 10am-4pm.

Nathan

1 - one of the assembly halls that would could take pictures in, with an under construction CalTrain KISS EMU and a finished TexRail DMU
2 - cab of the TexRail DMU, CalTrain in front
3 - the TexRail DMU's are long, had to walk way out to get this photo


 

---

---

---

They had some of the doors and access panels open in the TexRail DMU which was really interesting to look at.  A few of the Stadler employees I talked to worked on the wiring, either changes/fixes or testing, and they had samples of the cabinets out in the main hall to show how they were put together and tested.  It was fun to then see where that cabinet was on the train.  Couldn't take any photos inside the CalTrain KISS units that were in various stages of assembly.  It's amazing how much goes in to making even just one of these cars.  In the other assembly hall, they had one of the CalTrain cars hoisted up by the cranes which was impressive to see.  The shells are made in Turkey, travel by ship to LA, and then arrive in Salt Lake by truck which I happend to stumble on the other month.

1 - TexRail DMU engine cabinet
2 - another angle
3 - pretty sure this is the CalTrain KISS EMU shell, stumbled on this by my house back in January.  It was having to detour on side roads because of construction on I-15

---

---

---

Final shot of the CalTrain EMU.  It's going to be shipped with two sets of doors so that it can work with the current low-level platforms and then eventually with the California HSR high-level platforms, if and when those ever get built.  As I wandered the plant on the tour you could see the shells at different stages; the passenger chairs being built; the eletrical converter cabinets and pantographs; the large parts warehouse; and the truck assembly and testing area.  Stadler did an awesome job with the tour, and the employees were really great to talk with.  Highly recommend the tour if you have time.

Nathan

 

---

Thanks for the “tour”!

There was a story about the Texrail car in today’s Fort Worth Star Telegram (hopefully this link works, not sure if there is a paywall).

Why is TEXRail naming this train car Spike?
http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODN/FortWorth/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=FWST%2F2019%2F05%2F11&entity=Ar00508&sk=5C1C7623&mode=text

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/19 10:37 by czephyr17.

Glad to see Stadler is building rail passenger vehicles.  The U.S. NEEDS such manufacturers badly.  With competition costs go down and quality usually goes up.  

I assume Stadler is bidding on Amtrak's DMU ideas?

MEKoch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Glad to see Stadler is building rail passenger
> vehicles.  The U.S. NEEDS such manufacturers
> badly.  With competition costs go down and
> quality usually goes up.  
>
> I assume Stadler is bidding on Amtrak's DMU ideas?

You do know that Stadler is not an U.S. company, right? 

They have US and Swiss flags flying out front and in the final assembly hall.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

Could these car run on the Denver RTD commuter rail system ? 

Whatever country Stadler comes from, they are now building rail passenger vehicles in the U.S.A!   Hooray.  Siemens is German.  Fine.  All of the car builders are from OUTSIDE the U.S.   So what.  If they build us good rail cars, I will be delighted.  

Stadler had a nice booth at Promontory during the Golden Spike festivities......