Passenger Trains > Why are Amtrak LD Cars Not Repaired at Beech Grove ?

Can someone explain why the Amtrak passenger cars at Beech Grove continue to not be repaired ?  Thanks in advance . 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/23 15:44 by UP951West.

UP951West Wrote:
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> Can someone explain why the Amtrak passenger cars
> at Beech Grove continue to not be repaired ? 
> Thanks in advance . 

Because many of the cars are waiting for all the legal games to be completed before the repair work can begin.

Most of the cars there are NOT wrecks. 
Some brand new Viewliner-II diners and bag-dorms have never seen service, stashed in either Beech Grove or Hialeah.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/23 15:55 by joemvcnj.

Most cars are voluntarily parked by Amtrak management not wanting to maintain them and do required maintenance checks.

Cars that have been repaired and released from the shop are sent to Chicago weekly on the Cardinal.

Posted from iPhone

Regular car maintenance and inspection does not occur at Beech Grove. That is a back shop that does periodic heavy capital maintenance and overhauls on equipment and rebuilds of wrecked cars. Equipment that was stored during the pandemic was mostly due for overhaul - they saved money by deferring this work. But in order for the cars to be returned to service these overhauls must be done. This is in addition to keeping up with other circulating cars that have and are still coming due for overhaul work as some do every year. So there’s a backlog. According to Amtrak they anticipate getting through the backlog of overhauls and get “caught up” as well as the wreck rebuilds they have deemed feasible by end of FY24.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/23 17:09 by lordsigma.

lordsigma Wrote:
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> by end of FY24.

FYI.. Fiscal Year 2025 starts Oct 1st.....

Let's see if that happens in the next 4 months.. hah aha ahaa

UPDATE: (See below)

lordsigma correctly called me out. I got the years messed up. Fiscal 2025 starts Oct 1st 2024. That 1 year 4 months from now.

With that said, I still think the outcome will be the same. 4 months or 16 months? I don't think they will have things right.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/23 09:06 by PC1974.

PC1974 Wrote:
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> lordsigma Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > by end of FY24.
>
> FYI.. Fiscal Year 2025 starts Oct 1st.....
>
> Let's see if that happens in the next 4 months..
> hah aha ahaa


No FY24 starts in October.

lordsigma Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Regular car maintenance and inspection does not
> occur at Beech Grove. That is a back shop that
> does periodic heavy capital maintenance and
> overhauls on equipment and rebuilds of wrecked
> cars. Equipment that was stored during the
> pandemic was mostly due for overhaul - they saved
> money by deferring this work. But in order for the
> cars to be returned to service these overhauls
> must be done. This is in addition to keeping up
> with other circulating cars that have and are
> still coming due for overhaul work as some do
> every year. So there’s a backlog. According to
> Amtrak they anticipate getting through the backlog
> of overhauls and get “caught up” as well as
> the wreck rebuilds they have deemed feasible by
> end of FY24.

Most folks also don't understand that anything involved in some sort of revenue derailment or collision typically sits for years, until all the associated legal action has been settled. All it takes is for somebody to sue, and that equipment is going to be stashed away someplace and sit.

Posted from Android

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Most of the cars there are NOT wrecks. 
> Some brand new Viewliner-II diners and bag-dorms
> have never seen service, stashed in either Beech
> Grove or Hialeah.

All the V2 Bag-Dorms are in service. 7 Diners of which 2 are mothballed and 5 are in maintenance backlog are out of service. A whole army of VI Sleepers are OOS at present while all V2 Sleepers are available for service modulo PM/BO/etc. Baggage Cars are a complete mystery, but many have been OOS.

When you wreck or damage a rental car, the company comes after you for its "loss of use".

Maybe it's time for Amtrak to file suit against the truckers, loggers, etc for Amtrak's loss of use. If they want the cars impounded, let them pay for it.

And hire aggressive outside law firms to get the personal injury cases settled.

Posted from Android

Brightline is involved a grade crossing accident al least monthly.  They don't seem to have the same policy Amtrak has in storing these cars/.engines waiting for the lawsuit.  Does Brightline have different lawyers that feel a video and assessment of damage is good enough?  They rush their cars back into service much quicker.

Jishnu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Most of the cars there are NOT wrecks. 
> > Some brand new Viewliner-II diners and
> bag-dorms
> > have never seen service, stashed in either
> Beech
> > Grove or Hialeah.
>
> All the V2 Bag-Dorms are in service. 7 Diners of
> which 2 are mothballed and 5 are in maintenance
> backlog are out of service. A whole army of VI
> Sleepers are OOS at present while all V2 Sleepers
> are available for service modulo PM/BO/etc.
> Baggage Cars are a complete mystery, but many have
> been OOS.

Bag dorms are 4 Crescent, 2 Cardinal, so 40% shop margin. Nice. 
Diners in use are 8 to Florida, 3 to Chicago. So that's 11 of 25. With your 7, there's another 7 MIA. What am I missing - laying around Hialeah and Sunnyside. ? 

amtrakbill Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Brightline is involved a grade crossing accident
> al least monthly.  They don't seem to have the
> same policy Amtrak has in storing these
> cars/.engines waiting for the lawsuit.  Does
> Brightline have different lawyers that feel a
> video and assessment of damage is good enough? 
> They rush their cars back into service much
> quicker.

Grade crossing collisions with no derailment are often handled differently than derailments or train to train collisions.

Posted from Android

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jishnu Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > joemvcnj Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Most of the cars there are NOT wrecks. 
> > > Some brand new Viewliner-II diners and
> > bag-dorms
> > > have never seen service, stashed in either
> > Beech
> > > Grove or Hialeah.
> >
> > All the V2 Bag-Dorms are in service. 7 Diners
> of
> > which 2 are mothballed and 5 are in maintenance
> > backlog are out of service. A whole army of VI
> > Sleepers are OOS at present while all V2
> Sleepers
> > are available for service modulo PM/BO/etc.
> > Baggage Cars are a complete mystery, but many
> have
> > been OOS.
>
> Bag dorms are 4 Crescent, 2 Cardinal, so 40% shop
> margin. Nice. 
> Diners in use are 8 to Florida, 3 to Chicago. So
> that's 11 of 25. With your 7, there's another 7
> MIA. What am I missing - laying around Hialeah and
> Sunnyside. ? 

There is one running from New Orleans to Mobile daily on the training train equipment.

 

The cars are NOT backlogged or NOT being repaired because of wrecks or accidents (due to being hung up in legal). Yes, that is a nightmare and happens. Totally get it. But wreck-repairs for legal reasons is NOT what is causing the backlog of equipment. 

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The cars are NOT backlogged or NOT being repaired
> because of wrecks or accidents (due to being hung
> up in legal). Yes, that is a nightmare and
> happens. Totally get it. But wreck-repairs for
> legal reasons is NOT what is causing the backlog
> of equipment. 

And you know this how?  

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jp1822 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The cars are NOT backlogged or NOT being
> repaired
> > because of wrecks or accidents (due to being
> hung
> > up in legal). Yes, that is a nightmare and
> > happens. Totally get it. But wreck-repairs for
> > legal reasons is NOT what is causing the
> backlog
> > of equipment. 
>
> And you know this how?  

Some of us have been given spreadsheet of rosters of stored cars by type. They are not wrecks.

BrightLine has had a lot of crossing accidents, but I am unaware of any on board passenger injuries.

The locomotive is inspected, and brakes etc are tested by outside experts. Signals as gates are tested, witness statements taken.

The locomotive is usually back in service in a few days with a paint touch up.

Posted from Android

Why are any Viewliners, Is or IIs, mothballed?