Skip to main content

Well, baggage cars at least. Fresh from the factory. From various sources:

And if you want to see 'em go by slow...

18 released Wedensday, to pick up two more in Philadelphia, then down to Hialeah, FL to the Viewliner maintenance base for acceptance

8 more cars left CAF today, other videos soon to appear.

 

---PCJ

Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

The easiest way to offer these would actually be as 2-car add-ons. Here's my rationale:

 

--There are no solid Viewliner trains: And there might never be. They are always mixed with Amfleet cars, which are a long way from retirement. There's not even an agreed-upon design out for their replacements. They may look like Viewliners, they may not. (chief problem with a Viewliner-style coach is the upper windows would compromise overhead luggage space. Maybe a Viewliner shell with a single row of Acela-sized windows. But nobody knows yet)

 

--More affordable as a two-car add-on: You can offer them as sleeper/diner and sleeper/sleeper sets at the outset. Currently there is only one Viewliner diner, the 8400. The train that has that particular car will have at least a couple of Viewliner sleepers. Others will have Viewliner sleepers and a Heritage diner till the V-II diners are finished, giving folks the option of adding sleepers to current Amfleet sets to re-create trains that have the 8400 or trains that don't (until the V-II diners are delivered).

 

--Allows tooling costs to be spread out a little: Baggage and Baggage/Dorm cars can come out later. And even then, a baggage/baggage-dorm set can be added on to existing Amfleet sets.

 

---PCJ

Last edited by RailRide
I have seen some view liner observation/ cars- even some theater inspection cars. So a 5 car set is not unrealistic.

There is only one of those...

...and that's the American View, an inspection car rebuilt from a pre-production prototype V1 sleeper stored at Beech Grove. You might as well advocate for dedicated tooling for a Beech Grove or Corridor Clipper. Personally, I think a better use of tooling dollars for a single car type would be for Amfleet II (the long-distance cars with large windows and entrance doors at one end only). Even then, it's an easier sell as an add-on set than a full 4-5 car package.

 

Unless it's cheaper to bang out all the Viewliner II tooling in one shot (sleeper/diner/baggage/dorm) the two-car add-ons are still an easier sell IMO since you have an established base of Amfleet set owners (of which there are at least 3-4 production runs worth) to sell a couple of extra cars to. And even if significant numbers want to make solid Viewliner fantasy consists, they still can buy both add-on configurations.

 

---PCJ

Last edited by RailRide

Add Reply

Post

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×