posted
If Amtrak closes then I want to town a couple of Superliner Trainsests that I can use . Heck if there is a private plane liscense then can I get a private rail operator license? I can store the cars in the Emeryville or san Jose yards and use it when I need it. I would take my trainset and remodel it and add leather coach seats that recline into a suite,the sleeper cars will be redesigned to make it European. And by golly I would get a hold of the Pacific Parlour Car and have my own private rail company.
If I had the money I would buy rights to the Amtrak name and have it as a private company.
Who knowes I might get a hold of the Talgo and Accella trains fro my own use when I need to go from San Jose to LA on the coast line. I would love the Talgo Trainset.
I mean what will Amtrak do with their trainsets if it shuts down? Can they auction it off on Ebay?
Maybe railfans can get together and pitch in and own trainsets togetehr. So at least the trainsets would be put to good use and not trash it like they do with planes at Mojave.
As they say"One man's trash is another man's treasure". And this is my philosophy since I don't want it to be the end of riding in the Superliner cars.
posted
Oh and I forgot about the dinner car and lounge car. I would turn the bototm of the Pacific Parlour Car to a Surround Soound Movie Theater. One lounge car would have couches,another one would be a dane studio,another lounge car would be a library.
I would add audio and personal video and Direct TV in the rooms and at the seats. Instead of calling it coach I will rename it to Business Class.
I would re-design the dinner car and put tables instead of booths,the other diner car would have booths. I would make it like a cruise where each dinner car offers different selections and you are rotated with the same people you are seated with the same night.
In both Busines and Sleeper Class meals would be included. Instead of showing one crazy video I would have Direct TV and the train GPS map. The entertainment sytem would have great music. I would add a " Channel 9 Rail Talk Scanner" so railfans can hear whats going on.
So my motto for the new company is"Amtrak we bring the cruiseship to the rails". Or Amtrak cruisng the tracks of America.
What a company it would be. I would have light offerings in the Paciifc Parlour car as well as an English tea hour at 3 P.M. Wine tasting,Champaign tasting, breakfast items,lunch items,and a midnight buffet. Throughout the night I would have water,juice,coffee and other light snacks.There will be live entertainment and a Kiddie Car with a supervisor that has video games,activities and a slumber party while parrents are enjoying the piano and dancing.
If a cruiseship can be run on the seas a cruise train can be done on land. Like the American Orient Express.
I would work on my own selling points to compete with the AOE and maybe have different clientes that I would cater to.
I know this is a dream but I sure wish it would come true. Dream on as they say.
posted
You forgot the swimming pool, Mr. Travelplus.
Believe it or not, the stillborn "Marlboro Unlimited' had one on the drawing boards.
But alas, had that ever come to pass, I believe the results could have proven to be much that same as Amtrak reportedly experienced with the SDP-40F's.
In closing, let us dream; it's fun and that is what Forums are for. Allow me to predict that Amtrak's FY06 appropriation will be "a B+".
[This message has been edited by Gilbert B Norman (edited 02-04-2005).]
[This message has been edited by Gilbert B Norman (edited 02-10-2005).]
Posts: 9979 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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quote:Originally posted by travelplus: I would turn the bototm of the Pacific Parlour Car to a Surround Soound Movie Theater.
Actually, they already have surround sound in the Parlour Car theater. At least the speakers are in place, whether they are use or not is another matter. The one time I watched a movie in the Parlour Car the track noise prevented me from hearing any surround effects, if any were present.
------------------ "Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must be driven into practice with courageous patience." -- Hyman Rickover The Del Monte Club Car
[This message has been edited by Mr. Toy (edited 02-05-2005).]
posted
No one has to worry about the Amtrak equipment going to Europe for two main reasons:
1. US equipment will not fit within European clearance limitations. Also, most European countries have axle load limits of 22.5 "Tonnes" (50,000 pounds per axle) or less, so there is no market for US power even if it would fit the clearances.
2. Their working assumption is that everything railroad related from the US is hopelessly obsolete. (actually not true)
oh,yes, 3. They would have to remove the automatic couplers and install the UIC type hook-and-screw and buffers, and do it so that the space between cars is increased so that a man can get between the cars to put the link over the hook.
Posts: 2810 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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posted
Oh, come on now George! We'd have to remove the obsolete automatic US couplers and install more advanced MU-style couplers, like Scharfenberg or Deliner.
But yes, you're right, they are way out of gauge for European railways.
In terms of engine weight, a Genesis P40 is about the same weight as UK diesel engines. But as you've pointed out, axle weight is more the issue, with the Genesis being a bo-bo whereas most UK diesels are co-co, thus distributing the load over six axles instead of four.
The weight of a Superliner coach is about 68 tonnes, according to a quick Google search. That's nearly twice the weight of *loaded* British coaches (for timing and loading purposes, cars are assumed to weight approx 35 tonnes). A large portion of that weight would be in the bogies/trucks, so where does the rest go?!?!
Geoff M.
Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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quote:Originally posted by George Harris: No one has to worry about the Amtrak equipment going to Europe
Not worried about Amtrak's equipment going to Europe at all.
However, VIA has already demonstrated an ability to stretch their own limited resources by utilizing second-hand equipment from other countries. A superliner equipped 'Canadian' is not difficult to imagine.
------------------ David Pressley
Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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I have no first hand experience with BR coaches (or whatever names the UK railroads use now) but I would suspect that the weight per passenger seat is about the same between British coaches and superliners. The space per seat is probably significantly larger on the superliner, as well. At the risk of starting another heated discussion, the strength and crashworthiness of the Superliner is higher, and remember, the car itself is a 2 story car, which is of course quite impossible within UK height restrictions.
Posts: 2810 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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posted
About 10' longer, 8' higher, maybe 1' wider. You are right in that there is wider spacing between seats, so in fact Superliners only have around 10 more seats than a BR coach.
I also don't want to start a "heated" debate, as you put it. What I will say is that you have made an extremely broad generalisation about UK coach worthiness standards. You're comparing one particular American type with dozens of UK types. Are American standards "higher" than UK standards? Perhaps in some respects - but certainly not in every facet of design. But do manufacturers build to the absolute minimum standards? No. That's the difference between theory (standards) and practice (reality).
I'd be interested to read these crashworthiness standards you mention. Can you provide links please? I can get hold of any UK/European standard if there are only paper copies, which is presumably what you're referring to.
One final thing: it is not *impossible* to have double decker trains on the UK network. The RA (Route Availability) charts show which routes can potentially cater for such trains. Not Superliner height necessarily, but slightly lower. Remember that there are many different loading gauges, not just the "standard" one. The Great Western route, for example, has excellent clearances due to the original broad gauge used on the route.
Geoff M.
Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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