Siemens to manufacture 83 Airo Intercity Trainsets for Amtrak: Design, Delivery, Acceptance

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Sat Feb 18, 2023 10:00 am

• Baggage cars are an option that is being explored by Amtrak.
• Bike racks are part of the consists from day 1.
• Amtrak does not have a firm estimate on battery effectiveness, very dependent on route.
• Amtrak is exploring caternary-battery setups (recharge along caternary "islands" and stations)
• Amtrak wants to replace all the Amfleets.
• Airo goes 125 mph max.
• Max length unknown, depends on trip times and area.
• Unknown actual emission rate.
• B-2 479 passengers (inc business) B1 317 (w/baggage) 335 (w/o)
• Better internet connectivity? Inside trains is fast, outside still using cellular providers via 2-3 providers.
• Amtrak encourages cell providers to put towers along tracks and roads.
• Some Amfleets will be kept for special services. Scrapping going from least-reliable to most.

Baggage cars would be very nice. We need more. Again more across the network makes them more viable (for example right now not practical to use baggage from ALB to ATL because there's none the morning of that align with the Crescent, so if you really want to use a baggage car, you have to send it the night before.

And as for the last point: I've said that would happen for years!

From Fairfield Inn Tifton GA--

Baggage Cars? Why?

"Take what you need. but need what you take"

I'm on Day 3 of an eleven day road trip to Boca, and I have one wardrobe bag, a flight bag, and a briefcase that does do duty as a bag.

For a two night trip to Miami during January (fly), I had the over the shoulder flight bag and that was it.

For my seven night trips overseas, I have a suitcase that once upon a time would fit under a Coach seat but the way those have shrunk over time, I doubt it anymore.

Wheeled luggage what's that "if you can't carry it, don't bring it".

During the TV coverage of an airline's "Xmas Meltdown", I was horrified at the amount of baggage piled up (all of it looked to have wheels), and I wondered how much of that stuff did the people REALLY need?

In short, if people lived by the motto set forth opening this post, there would be no need for Baggage Cars (funny how they don't have them overseas, or at least I've never seen 'em, just bag storage shelves).

The motto "take what you need. but need what you take" does not preclude the need to have checked baggage, or absent that, a porter on staff to handle baggage. Not everyone has the physical ability to handle their own baggage and their children's baggage, and they fully deserve to be accommodated.

I always liked George Drury's comment in one of his travel guides: "Take two bags max. You have two hands max." Good advice, but as noted above it doesn't suit everyone's needs. Back in my traveling days my carry-on bag was mostly filled with guides, maps, and timetables (and, as time went on, medications), plus a few necessities in case my main bag, which contained everything else and which I always checked, lost its way en route. It was only a little heavier than my carry-on (amazing how heavy paper is if you carry enough of it).

This seems to be the thread for the following:

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports today that Paul Reistrup wrote in January to "federal authorities" (STB? FRA? NTSB? it doesn't say) that the Airo trains should go to the NEC before the Cascade service because "at speeds up to 125 mph, no rail passenger service in North American railroad history has operated [Amfleet] passenger cars so old, so fast." (The story points out his position with AmeriStar, mentioned elsewhere on this site from time to time.)

Some would say that since the PNW states are paying something toward the new equipment -- they are, aren't they? -- they should be entitled to first dibs on deliveries; others might point out that the NEC, connecting the nation's capital with its largest city, with New England added on, is of greater economic importance to the nation than all the other corridors combined, as well as having more high-speed trackage, and should get the new cars first as a matter of public safety.

Thoughts? And which of the above agencies, if any, would have jurisdiction so to order? Or might there be a turf battle?

I think the PWN Airo trainsets are more completely designed than the NEC trainsets, which means they can start building now instead of waiting for the battery/pantograph and auxiliary powered bogie systems to be designed. I'm guessing the only mechanical difference between the VIA Siemens trainsets and the Airo trainsets is the same difference between the cab design of the VIA Chargers and Amtrak Chargers.

BTW, what are VIA and Ontario Northland branding their Siemens trainsets as?

It's good advice... for the average traveler.

If you're cosplaying, though... you're likely bringing two bags: One for your regular clothes packed tight, one for your costume. However, I've seen hard-core cosplayers at conventions who bring two or three costumes... in containers (not luggage), enough that you could of shipped them to the hotel and back.

I've done that, bringing two bags, plus a backpack, on Amtrak. It's not fun if you're making changes and have to go down escalators with them, and you got to put them somewhere on the train itself.

Gimmie Pittsburgh to DC via Philly one-train service and gimmie a baggage APV.

I have some questions:

-Will the NEC sets that terminate in DC be catenary only? Or will all sets have some type of battery to enable non-catenary territory use?

-What would be the best range of battery operation?

-I saw the post about catenary “sections” for recharging. How long would these have to be?

As stated in the post about catenary sections for recharging, Amtrak has stated battery range is TBD. NEC sets running through or terminating in DC will be catenary / diesel only.

I think the overhead recharging is more an indication that Amtrak and Siemens haven't completed the design of the battery units and are considering that maybe using the existing catenary in NY Penn Station and Sunnyside yard is the best option.

A recharging section at a station or yard only need be long enough to ensure positive contact with the pantograph. If they are going to demand precision in stopping location, it could be a meter.

I recall reading somewhere that North Carolina DOT was considering buying Siemens trainsets for their Piedmont service. Is this in the works?

Jeff Smith wrote: ↑Mon Feb 20, 2023 6:30 am I have some questions:

-Will the NEC sets that terminate in DC be catenary only? Or will all sets have some type of battery to enable non-catenary territory use?

All sets on the NEC will be diesel/caternary APV. They want the diesel as a backup to the caternary if things go BONK.

-What would be the best range of battery operation?

-I saw the post about catenary “sections” for recharging. How long would these have to be?

Battery questions are still up in the air and need to be researched. Amtrak itself says "we don't have the answer, we're exploring this with Siemens starting with the Empire Service."

Just my speculation is that once they cross the Spuyten Duyvil bridge and get into Metro-North territory, they have to start the diesel... and they got to plug in the batteries at the end points. If they make a proper APV with batteries (shorter business section or turned into baggage half), then you could use caternary power.

I'm also going to coin "Power Baggage Car" here and now. :3

Looks like a portion of the new Airo train sets will come from a new Siemens factory in Lexington NC on the NS main / NCRR.

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... -carolina/

Mod Note: I copied the preceding post and made a new topic to discuss the new factory in Lexington NC.

https://www.travelersunited.org/to-maxi ... dor-first/

Argument for putting the Airo sets into service on the NEC first. Can't say I disagree:

Amtrak must deploy its Airo trainsets to the Northeast Corridor first

To maximize overall Amtrak safety, the US national passenger railroad should first deploy its new Airo trainsets to the Northeast Corridor to replace their oldest trains, manufactured prior to modern rail safety standards.
...