Passenger Trains > Released from Beech Grove on Monday

Only two, both there since Feb. 2024:

62508 Viewliner II sleeper

33009 Superliner Lounge

Al they are doing are cosmetic refreshes, not outshopping damaged and long term stored equipment. 

I wonder if they are starting with the easier projects so they can get things out faster, and are saving the more significant repair/overhaul work until that is complete?  Could be.  I would rather see 2-5 refreshes/restores per week than 1 rebuild.  It will get the capacity up much faster if this is their plan.

See?  I CAN support Amtrak management decisions!!  Who knew?  :-)

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Al they are doing are cosmetic refreshes, not
> outshopping damaged and long term stored
> equipment. 

For how many years do we wait ? Bear had no trouble getting stored Amfleet-1 out, but nothing but footdragging at Beech Grove. The Superliner repair budget was actually lower in 2023 than it was in 2019. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/24 04:37 by joemvcnj.

Glad they got the Viewliner II Sleeper out of Beech Grove - the newest piece of LD equipment Amtrak has received. Presuming regular inspections and periodic heavy maintenance. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Al they are doing are cosmetic refreshes, not
> outshopping damaged and long term stored
> equipment. 

This is just simply false. There are absolutely stored cars and wreck repairs being worked on and a number have re entered service.

jp1822 Wrote:
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> Glad they got the Viewliner II Sleeper out of
> Beech Grove - the newest piece of LD equipment
> Amtrak has received. Presuming regular inspections
> and periodic heavy maintenance. 

First overhaul most likely.

There should be a net increase in rail cars on the road based on cars sent to Beech Grove since January and total cars released.The

Bht, it would be useful to keep track of the net change in cars held there since before 12/31/2023.

Posted from Android

Take "in service" cars with a grain of salt.It has nothing to do with consists.
Others have noted they are using "refreshed" cars for axle count.   
Where are the 4 Ski Train coaches and why haven't they been used to add a 3rd coach to the Coast Starlight ? 

There are 17 fewer Amfleet-2 cars in long distance service, 8 more in corridor service, with a net reduction of 9. There are 4 fewer in the active fleet, despite no wrecks from 2019. 

They just pulled 2 coaches out of hat for expanded Pennsylvanian consists for trackwork, yet told New York State no equipment was available for the eclipse, despite trains booked weeks in advance. The 2 care also could have displaced 2 Amfleet-2 cars off corridor trains and expanded the Cardinal to 3 coaches. 

Gardner/Harris are playing games with the national network - no doubt about it. 
  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/24 07:08 by joemvcnj.

Amtrak  has  made it  clear  how  many of  the  65  cars  to  be  re furvished  were  wreck  daage. On  to  about  3  months  ago. Re Fresh is a  seperate   program.

cutboy1958 Wrote:
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> Amtrak  has  made it  clear  how  many of
>  the  65  cars  to  be  re furvished  were
>  wreck  daage. On  to  about  3  months
>  ago. Re Fresh is a  seperate   program.

Right.  That's why knowing how many cars that were wrecked stored before 12/2023 is important. Rebuilding and bringing those cars back in service is important.

Refreshing cars which have been in service and are going back in service is a different situation

These to cars were sent to Beech Grove or window cleaning.  

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Take "in service" cars with a grain of salt.It has
> nothing to do with consists.
> Others have noted they are using "refreshed" cars
> for axle count.   
> Where are the 4 Ski Train coaches and why haven't
> they been used to add a 3rd coach to the Coast
> Starlight ? 
>
> There are 17 fewer Amfleet-2 cars in long distance
> service, 8 more in corridor service, with a net
> reduction of 9. There are 4 fewer in the active
> fleet, despite no wrecks from 2019. 
>
> They just pulled 2 coaches out of hat for expanded
> Pennsylvanian consists for track work, yet told New
> York State no equipment was available for the
> eclipse, despite trains booked weeks in advance.
> The 2 care also could have displaced 2 Amfleet-2
> cars off corridor trains and expanded the Cardinal
> to 3 coaches. 
>
> Gardner/Harris are playing games with the national
> network - no doubt about it. 
>   

I also have to wonder if Amtrak even has a very good "accounting" and "count" of what cars are really where and then what is needed where. Is that knowledge base in the decision-making process? Many members at TO have figured it out pretty darn correctly (or close), but is Amtrak figuring it out correctly (they should be exact)? And I mean this with all sincerity as there is still a big gap in communications at time between those on the front lines working with the equipment, and those that are sitting in office cubicles back in the ivory tower. This is nothing new, but it HAS gotten a lot worse over time with the loss of institutional knowledge within Amtrak it seems. Joe's kept track of numbers. I've kept track of numbers. Others have kept track of numbers. Logistics, planning, accounting and operations is what drives success. Inefficiencies and bad decisions based on bad reporting (written or verbal) drive me crazy, as data and information is extremely valuable........ 

Ok, you made me laugh out loud!

But it could be...some trains were so dirty last winter that I thought it might take sandblasting to get them clean!

Tominde Wrote:
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> These to cars were sent to Beech Grove or window
> cleaning.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/24 17:51 by Chessie1963.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For how many years do we wait ? Bear had no
> trouble getting stored Amfleet-1 out, but nothing
> but footdragging at Beech Grove. The Superliner
> repair budget was actually lower in 2023 than it
> was in 2019. 

I get what you mean Joe, it's the NEC mentality as usual!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/24 19:37 by ProAmtrak.

We are FY 24 now, and I wonder, has the LD car repair budget gone up, remained the same, or gone down?

And when, pray tell, will we get to enjoy the replacement to Acela?  

I am on trains a number of times over the next two months.  Looking forward to seeing what has changed, if much.  I do know that I am in car 9812 in June on the Meteor, which is the third sleeper.  

ProAmtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > For how many years do we wait ? Bear had no
> > trouble getting stored Amfleet-1 out, but
> nothing
> > but footdragging at Beech Grove. The Superliner
> > repair budget was actually lower in 2023 than
> it
> > was in 2019. 
>
> I get what tyou mean Joe, it's the NEC mentality
> as usual!

one superliner  train derails every two years or so

Chessie1963 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We are FY 24 now, and I wonder, has the LD car
> repair budget gone up, remained the same, or gone
> down?
>
> And when, pray tell, will we get to enjoy the
> replacement to Acela?  
>
> I am on trains a number of times over the next two
> months.  Looking forward to seeing what has
> changed, if much.  I do know that I am in car
> 9812 in June on the Meteor, which is the third
> sleeper.  
>
> ProAmtrak Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > joemvcnj Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > For how many years do we wait ? Bear had no
> > > trouble getting stored Amfleet-1 out, but
> > nothing
> > > but footdragging at Beech Grove. The
> Superliner
> > > repair budget was actually lower in 2023 than
> > it
> > > was in 2019. 
> >
> > I get what tyou mean Joe, it's the NEC
> mentality
> > as usual!

Don't expect much, saw a pic of Amtrak 30 on here and it still looks pathetic!