I’ve met the Coast Starlight a few nights in the last six months and its consist is always a mix of Superliner I and II cars–thought sometimes it tends to have more IIs. By chance, I come upon the California Zephyr a few months ago in Emeryville and it was solidly Superliner I (and some of those cars were the terrible Phase IV-***-Phase III paint peelers I wrote about elsewhere).
Is there any rhyme or reason to consists? Does Amtrak treat Is and IIs the same and it’s just chance that the Starlight gets more thatn the Zephyr?
To a certain extent, it may be that Amtrak may want to keep the unrebuilt/refurbished I’s on Chicago trains so if necessary they can be pulled out of service and sent to Beech Grove for repairs. Kinda of a guess on my part.
The Superliner 1 are 27 years old and Superliner 2 are 11 years old now. They are 412 Superliner in service in 2005. Its Time to Put in a New Order of Superliner about 500 to 550 New Cars. Sale the 1 & 2 Superliner Cars to Steel Mill or RBBB maybe would buy them all up? [8D]
The Republican Congressman from Michigan who is Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee for transportation doesn’t believe that Amtrak should get any federal grant. If 500 new Superliners were to be built in a plant in his district, maybe he would vote for the $1 to $2 billion for the job.
The Superliner I’s are being rebuilt and will get another good 20 years service at much less cost than new. That is a direct statement to me from a top Amtrak manager.
I’ve seen the California Zephyr and it’s almost always nothing but Superliner I cars…it’s extremely RARE to see a Superliner II car outside of the Transition Sleepers. They did a bad job repainting a Transition Sleeper to Phase IVb–you can still see the old Superliner and Amtrak lettering. So, maybe it’s a good thing…[:)]
Amtrak is still Short of Superliner around 70 to 80 cars now, all the Superliner Trains are short this Summer 1 to 3 cars short, they need more now.[:)]
It may be true that they need 70 or 80 more Superliner cars now, but unless they fall out of the sky, that need is not going to be filled any time soon… if ever.