Passenger Trains > Superliner Coach 34040

After the Sunset Limited wreck at Big Bayou Canot in 1993, Superliner coach 34040 was the first car to not go into the bayou. The image of 34040 hanging off the bridge over the bayou was broadcast around the world and is etched into the minds of many of us. 

I caught 34040 on the La Plata webcam a few days ago, operating on train 3. I zoomed in on the image and noticed some of the battle scars still visible from the Sunset Limited wreck nearly 27 years prior. I just thought it was interesting. So much history in these cars!

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Very interesting.  Thank you for sharing this information.

rww

You would think after 27 years someone would have repaired this damage.  I understand the car can run with this little damage but what does that say for the culture at Amtrak that this car can go back to the shop perhaps 12 times and not be repaired?

Does it affect the operation of the car? If it doesn't then spend the very scarce maintenence funds on something that actually needs repairs.

A lot of the dents are new and in different places...

amtrakbill Wrote:
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> You would think after 27 years someone would have
> repaired this damage.  I understand the car can
> run with this little damage but what does that say
> for the culture at Amtrak that this car can go
> back to the shop perhaps 12 times and not be
> repaired?

Me thinks you and the OP need new glasses.

amtrakbill Wrote:
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...what does that say for the culture at Amtrak...

Amtrak had any culture after propeller-head chopped the Pacific Parlour Car off the Starlight? 

How does one know that the damage circled while the car dangled over the Bayou bridge was actually done during the wreck sequence?   Perhaps it had been there from some previous incident.

RRBaron Wrote:
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> amtrakbill Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> ...what does that say for the culture at
> Amtrak...
>
> Amtrak had any culture after propeller-head
> chopped the Pacific Parlour Car off the
> Starlight? 

Richard Anderson was not named CEO until 2017.  The Big Bayou Canot derailment was in 1993.  So the damage was on the car for at least 24 years before "propeller-head" became CEO.  So yes, that does say something of the Amtrak culture of the 24 years before the derailment before "propeller-head" came to Amtrak.  Or am I mistaken and "propeller-head" is an immature and stupid nickname for a different Amtrak CEO?

chakk Wrote:
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> How does one know that the damage circled while
> the car dangled over the Bayou bridge was actually
> done during the wreck sequence?   Perhaps it had
> been there from some previous incident.

I suppose the damage could have been there prior to this incident. However, it looks to me like the dent along the roof was from the top of the bridge truss and the dents along the side are from the side of the bridge truss. The train was going 79 mph when it derailed on the misaligned track, resulting in a violent stop according to those onboard. 

I suppose the damage to 34040 on the newer image could be from other normal wear too. It just seemed to line up pretty well with what can be seen in the wreck photo. Looks like the major damage was repaired and a few dents were left. It doesn't affect the operation of the car. 

Not looking for a debate, just thought it was an interesting observation. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/20 16:06 by Genesis803.

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Looks different to me too.

Actually in that picture from La Plata you can clearly see the section of the roofline that was replaced after Bayou Canot. The fluting has at edged cutout around where the 1993 damage was. The current dent is closer to the end of the car compared to the 1993 one. 

I watched the seconds from disaster on this two days ago very sad.

Posted from Android

It looks to me as if the only damage that remains from that particular wreck is the one by the vents near the lower level roofline. 

34040 has spent most of the time between Bayou Canot and the present in storage, but not as a result of the Bayou Canot wreck. It was wrecked in Boise in 1995. Only came back as a result of the previous stimulus package in 2011