Passenger Trains > San Joaquins Axle Requirement Adventures, Cont'd.

Amtrak San Joaquin train 714 is seen this morning in Oakland's Jack London Square making
its deadhead run from the coach yard to OKJ with two additional single level cars added to
its regular four car consist.  Unoccupied Amtrak Viewliner diner 68022 "Richmond" and
California Comet coach 5012 bring the axle count up to 28.

Some Capitol Corridor consists are still running with just four cars(20 axles) so this 28
axle minimum would appear to be a BNSF imposed requirement.  Unknown how many San Joaquin
consists are out running with add on single level cars.  Has Amtrak disposed of all(or most)
of their heritage fleet baggage cars?

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Never thought we would see an Amtrak Viewliner diner on the mean streets of Oakland.....

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Amtrak has other equipment that could be used, rather than a brand new Viewliner Diner aka Viewliner Sleeper Lounge. One of the new baggage cars could be used. A Baggage-Dorm could be put into place and displace a baggage car. There are other options. I don't get this one at all!!! Maybe Amtrak's hoping the car will get wrecked somehow? I hate to even say that or even suggest that, but I am not sure why they are risking a brand new car like this for service on the San Joaquin.   

Aside from the safety implications, I think they need to start using baggage cars, material handling cars or maybe even handling roadrailers on the rear filled with high priority freight and mail.  The airlines do it in the baggage holds of planes and it's a huge profit center.  I hated it on the long distance trains, but on short hauls from end point to end point it could be viable.  

Like in the Bible, what is meant for your harm God can use to your advantage.  Rack up some dough $$$$$ Amtrak!!!  I'm sure some Triple Crowns are available these days!

Bob Johnston of Trains Magazine had an article several months ago which talked about this issue with wheel counts.  No where in the article did he discuss the profile of Amtrak's wheels as Geen Poone has done in a previous thread.  At this point I am totally confused as to why Amtrak has to run a certain number of axles along certain corridors but not others, and why they are using brand new equipment to meet this requirement.  My impression was that Amtrak and the railroads involved were working on a solution to the problem that did not require additional axles.  I wish someone would have an answer to this problem as it is something that has developed in the last several years.  Given the advance in technology you would think the bright minds that inhabit Amtrak, the private railroads and the FRA would be able to figure out a solution to this problem.  Let's hope!

A system was developed..maybe 60 years ago....for single RDC's operating on the east coast.  Pretty simple device on the car that triggered a sensor trackside. 

I think todays "new and improved"  speed sensing circuits are the culprit.  Just too dependent on very small voltage changes. 

In the Midwest: today the Missouri River Runners 311 and 316 operated with more "axle makeup" cars than revenue. Revenue Amfleet coach, Horizon coach, Amfleet cafe-business; axle makeup two Heritage baggages, Heritage diner and Horizon coach.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/19 20:34 by GenePoon.

What a waste of taxpayer money to have a brand new Viewliner Diner just for axle counts.  

What a waste of fuel if it costs SO MUCH MORE to haul around more equipment as we've often heard too! This is just NUTS!

How was the food in the diner?

I didn't know the Viewliner diners were push-pull equipped. 

      No push- pull here as there is no locomotive on the other end.

dcfbalcoS1 Wrote:
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>       No push- pull here as there is no
> locomotive on the other end.

But there is a Cabcar. The San Joaquins are a push-pull operation.