Hello everyone. Am I mistaken or has Amtrak stopped using baggage cars ?. The reason I ask is because the majority of photos I’ve seen in recent years show the engines pulling just the new phase IVb superliners but no baggage car. What’s the deal ?..
Tracklayer
There is a Coach/Baggage Superliner car.
I am not sure how many of those original coach/bagg cars are still unmodifed. A lot of them were convered to ADA compatible seating on the lower level on both sides of the entry door.
Watching the Empire Buider, I see a couple of single level baggage cars on the train, and I understand that the new Viewliner order may have baggage cars as well.
There are a few Amtrak trains that don’t carry baggage cars like the Empire Builder and the Auto Train. Sometimes the Texas Eagle and the City of New Orleans wouldn’t carry a baggage car and use the Coach-Baggage car instead. But Amtrak hasn’t stopped using them.
I hope this helps your question.
What train are you looking at? Some Superliner trains do not have a baggage. Maybe you’re looking at the Portland section of the Empire Builder?
But I’m pretty sure most if not all Amtrak long distance Superliner trains are still using heritage baggage cars. Definitely in “recent” years as I’ve traveled on the Southwest Chief and Cost Starlight within that last year and both had heritage baggage cars.
The new Viewliner II baggage cars currently being built will replace the old heritage baggage cars. But this hasn’t happened yet.
Look at a timetable, and see what stations and or trains offer checked baggage. Most people, taking a cue from the air lions tend to do carry-on these days. Heynas can survice on carrion, but us LIONS would rather check their wildebeests through to their destination.
Ergo: Baggage that the railroad handles travels in bagage cars, which are secure, other cars may have baggage racks on the lower level, but ewe use these at your own risk, you do.
ROAR
I believe the “heritage” baggage cars are due to be phased out, and soon, but they are still running on the Empire Builder for sure. I can’t speak for the Zephyr or Chief but as similar long distance trains I imagine the baggage cars will hang on for a bit. They are all getting pretty old.
Dave Nelson
The last time I road a train, it was in first class, and the car attendant stored my luggage in compartment on the lower level of the Superliner car I rode on. I would imagine that they still used baggage cars for people that rode in coach, unless they had a similar compartment. All in all, it was a great experience, although the car I rode home on sounded like it had a wheel that had a flat spot; sucker sure made it hard to sleep at night.
I want to thank you all for your replies. I failed to mention that most of the photos that I’ve been looking at are on Jim Hebner’s unofficial Amtrak photo site. If you get a chance you might want to stop by and take a look at it. There’s a lot of great research photos on there for guys like me that like to model the old phase III early to mid 1990s trains such as the Empire Builder and so forth. Jim’s email address is hebnerj@gmail.com .You might want to write him and let him know that you appreciate his site. He pays for it out of his own pocket for guys like us…
Tracklayer
A couple of other observations…
Amtrak replaced baggage cars with material handling cars that look like a plug door boxcar, are these being phased out?
I have also seen photos of older passenger locomotives that were converted to head end units (maybe for push-pull??). The diesel prime mover was removed and a roll-up door was installed on the side. The prior engine space was converted to baggage space.
I believe the MHCs are no longer owned by Amtrak; I saw one in a freight train last year but did not note the new reporting marks.
Back when the long distance trains had Material Handling Cars, refrigerated cars, road railers, and the usual compliment of baggage and Superliner cars, those were really long long trains – sometimes four units.
THe older F40PHs converted to head end units for push pull are seen every day on the Hiawatha Service trains between Chicago and Milwaukee. Yes there are “garage doors” on the sides where the prime movers used to be, and in theory that space is available for baggage, but I myself have never seen them used for baggage.
Dave Nelson
I still see baggage cars on the Empire Builder. I had to wait for an East bound last week in Columbus. It stops twice to accommodate the platform size.
Mike.
EDIT: Columbus, WI., that is. And, they call those gutted locos “cabbage cars” as they still have the cab controls for running in the oposite direction.
The Material Handling Cars were discontinued around 2005, one group developed mechanical issues with the trucks, and was banned by some host railroads. Subsequently, Amtrak left the mail and express business, making the remainingMHC cars, express cars, express refrigerators and roadrailers surplus.
Currently new baggage cars are under construction. these will replace the remaining “Heritage” baggage cars. Also on order are new Viewliner Dining cars to replace the remaining “Heritage” dining cars, as well as additional “Viewliner” Sleeping Cars, and Baggage/Dormitory cars, which will release space in revenue cars, that is dedicated as crew accomodation.
Joe
Material Handling Cars (MHCs) did not replace baggage cars. The MHCs were for end to end shipping. Mostly mail.
The MHCs were phased out long ago. Truck issues, end of the mail contract, and other factors led to their retirement from Amtrak service.
In later years there were Amtrak roadrailers, box cars, and a few reefers for Amtrak Express shipping. But these too have all been retired from Amtrak service for several years now.
Unlike the MHCs, the express shipping cars lacked HEP run through capability. So that’s why you would see these at the rear of trains. MHCs usually were up front as they had HEP run through.
But all of these were not intended for baggage service. The heritage baggage cars served this purpose and continue to this day. As the new Viewliner II baggage cars arrive, the heritage baggage cars will be retired.
Marion,
Even coach passengers get an assist from the Amtrak folks in getting their luggage stored in the racks on the lower level. With the short scheduled station stops, they have to assist passengers with getting the luggage on/off the train. The ‘baggage’ car carries checked baggage or stuff too large to fit in the luggage storage areas of the coaches/sleepers.
Jim
Califonia Zephyr still uses baggage cars.
When arriving or departing from here in Seattle, both the Empire Builder and Coast Starlight will have one single level baggage car – directly behind the locomotives and in front of the first Superliner car. I have seen both one-door and two-door baggage cars used.
I just saw the SB Coast Starlight today and there was a full baggage car up front.
Ditto the Lakeshore Limited…
Once again I want to thank you guys for your imput on this. I was honestly under the impression that the old baggage cars were being phased out. Though I do model Amtrak I model phase III and phase IV eras but not present day. Still, I like to try and keep up with what’s going on with them just for the sake of knowing.
Tracklayer