With the current Amfleets ranging between 20-40 years old, it is time Amtrak order new Amfleets.
Hopeully they workout a deal with someone like Siemens to fulfill the order.
“Amfleet” run is done; none have been built since the 1980s. Replacement, single level corridor cars? Someday, after the nextgen bilevels, Viewliner IIs and now Acela IIs are done or concluded.
The most recent Amtrak single-level cars are the Horizon fleet, not Amfleets. so unless the come up with something newer and/or better, it’s Horizons, not Amfleets.
Not necessarily, Tom Hackney, who was VP Mechanical at the time of the Horizon fleet purchase told me that they weren’t his preferred choice, but he needed cars, had the money and there were similar cars under production at the time, so a production line was in place. Remember these are based on the the PS cars built for the EL in the 60s and are fairly widely used in commuter service where single level cars are required. Tom called them aluminum commuter junk. He wished he could have purchased Stainless cars but that would have required starting a production line.
If anything new coaches would probably be based on the Viewliner II or the SS Siemens cars being built for Brightline.
I understand actual Amfleets won’t be built but I’m just using the name for conversation purpose.
They seem to be holding up pretty well, so they are not junk. But I agree that stainless is better, and undoubtadly they would be a more advanced design, possibly having much in common with new Acela-II.
i can only tell you what he called them. Yes they are holding up remarkably well.
The Viewliner II order should have included coaches, but did not. Maybe just as well, as they cannot seem to manage the sleepers to to some error in design, such as measurements? The Brightline design would probably be a good choice.
I have been told by folks that should know that the sleeper modules are too big to fit in the car shell. Unbelievable yes, and I have no first hand knowledge only “informed sources”
I just hope whatever new passenger cars Amtrak buys that they have large windows to allow travelers to better enjoy the scenery. The present Amfleet and Horizon cars both have windows the size of slits, such as one would see on WW2 pillboxes with machine gun emplacements.
Being able to enjoy the scenery is why many of us are riding the train in the first place.
We who know the ins and outs of Amtrak accept that it will not be " new " Amfleets BUT !!!
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The general public when it hears “NEW” Amfleets thinks of the narrow airplane type fuselauge, the small windows of -1s and not much bigger windows of -2s.
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So there will be some reluctance of general public support for new single level LD and SD coaches. Not much but still new coach suport needs every ounce it can get from general public and as well Congress criters who do not know the difference.
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At one time thought it was a fore gone conclusion that new coaches would be V-2s but now ? ? ? Siemens certainly could build Brightline or maybe even the V-3 design ?
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Once the Acela-2 contract and specs are somewhat finalized ( realize there will be change orders ) then maybe Amtrak engineering forces can concentrate on V-2s and new coaches with orders for 1st cars in 2019 ( per latest fleet plan ).
So for once and forever lets bury the term " new " Amfleets/ Original poster why don’t you edit your title and original post ?
The last time I rode an Amfleet was late 2014 and the stainless steel in the vestibules was looking almost brand new. The electrical gear and overall structure seemed to be holding up. OTOH, the interiors were looking a bit worn and the restrooms were having all sorts of problems.
IIRC, the interior width of the Amfleets are couple inches wider than a standard straight sided passenger car - the “narrow” feeling of the car is likely from the slit like windows.
I can’t think of a single reason Amfleet shouldn’t last as long as Streamline vintage Budds - that are still running everyday on VIA.
But, should Amtrak ever get serious about upping capacity on the NEC and elsewhere by lengthening trains and adding frequency, then they need to start buying something. Why not just tag onto the Brighline order? Oh, yeah, “buy American”. Your tax dollars at work.
Yep, and that’s what others have reported. The multi-million dollar question is this: Were the dimension of the car shell and modules Amtrak’s in-shop specs or the contractor’s? If the former, perhaps letting Amtrak design anything in the future is a disaster waiting to happen?
Granted, I have ridden in a Viewliner roomette only about ten times, but I have seen no reason to make geat changes in the modules; will the old modules not fit in the Viewliner II shells?
To be clear, the module follows the vehicle, i.e., a Viewliner roomette is different than a Superliner roomette and vise versa. Also, remember years ago Amtrak installed some sleeping accommodations (I cannot remember the exact configuration) in Amfleet coaches as an experiment; those modules were unique. If you wish to outfit a Brightline coach as something other than a coach you will need to design a new module.
Oltmannd is correct. The Amfleet -1 & 2 shells will probably last as long or longer than the Heritage Budds. Once a new order of single level LD coaches come into service first on LD trains the displaced Amfleet-2s can be refurbished and reassigned to NEC trains that need more cars.
The big question will be how many of 1st 1 - 3 hundred new cars will displace the Amfleet-2s for reassignment and refurbishing. Only congressional finances and ridership at that time will determine what that division will be.
Amtrak needs a Fresh order of Superliners cars and more Viewliners cars too.[2c]
I have to confess that I don’t understand the point of your post. Is it that modules built for other car types won’t fit in a Viewliner II? I would hope that no one in the design process would have thought that they would!
Just to be perfectly clear the “informed sources” say that the modules specifically designed for the Viewliner II equipment are too big to fit in the shells.
Just a clarification for the uninformed that there are different modules in the Amtrak fleet. There should be no expectation that an interior module designed for a Viewliner should fit in anything other than a Viewliner.