Former SPV 2000's CDOT Constitution Liners Status

[Otto Vondrak]

I mean WAY south... Four "Constitution Liners" were spotted on the rear end of Amtrak #19 in Georgia...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3Mc7UsvBBM

Why are these coaches heading south? This video is from today, so I would assume they were moved out of New Haven sometime last week?

[DutchRailnut]

you missed one , there are five in consist.
Maybe they sold those &%@$ &&

From All a board list on yahoo:

The CRESCENT arrived in New Orleans today (Saturday) with five deadhead
cars:

XDOT 1629, 1631, 1675, 1633 and 1625

The CRESCENT that left New York Saturday has these cars:

XDOT 1621, 1623, 1671, 1673 and 1001

The cars are reportly moving to New Orleans for "hurricane storage." I
have not seen these, but they were descibed as looking like Metroliners
or SPV2000's. Does anyone know what these are and what the story is?


Mike Palmieri - Ft. Worth, Texas

[BiggAW]

They probably sold them. They replaced those with the ex-VRE coaches, which are now repainted in a black NH scheme. They had been sitting in New Haven for a while.

[kitn1mcc]

wow

[BuddSilverliner269]

there is video of those cars on youtube tacked on the end of the crescent. That train is 19, not 18 as reported. I heard they originally had trouble trying to get them to move because of sticking brakes. I was talking to the engineer who brought it down from new haven I'm guessing to nyc. Its ashsme amtrak didnt use them for extra capacity because I know in my zone NYC to dc they need more cars. Oh well that's for another forum. Take care everyone.stay safe

[BiggAW]

I don't think they would be allowed to use someone else's cars that are in transport for passengers. Plus, the crews wouldn't know them, and they wouldn't have known when tey were going south to sell tickets on them. On the flip side, its good to see they are going on a regularly scheduled train, using just a little more fuel, than on their own train somewhere that would consume a lot of fuel.

[Murjax]

I don't think they would be allowed to use someone else's cars that are in transport for passengers. Plus, the crews wouldn't know them, and they wouldn't have known when tey were going south to sell tickets on them. On the flip side, its good to see they are going on a regularly scheduled train, using just a little more fuel, than on their own train somewhere that would consume a lot of fuel.

4 coaches seems the norm for the Crescent. I highly doubt those cars were actually in service. I'm also almost certain the final destination for these cars is New Orleans. If they were heading to California, they would've been in Chicago first, not New Orleans.

[Jeff Smith]

The video was nicely done - shame I didn't see them, I work in Atlanta during the week. I also have a history with the Crescent, taking it to basic training from Newark Penn to Anniston way back in 79.

When I saw the subject, I was hoping maybe GA was finally getting off their a**es and buying some equipment for the Lovejoy line. No such luck.

Refresh me on the Consititution liners? They're converted SPV-2000's, aren't they?

[BiggAW]

Yup, they were SPV-2000's, that, well, didn't serve until 2000 as SPVs. They did have a decent life on the SLE as unpowered coaches, similar to the RDCs that were on MBTA in the 80's and now are up at the HoboRR and elsewhere as passenger coaches.

[kitn1mcc]

did the state sell them off

[BiggAW]

I'm pretty sure they did, at least with the 5 headed south. They aren't needed any more, as they have the ex. VRE cars. Just saw a train of those with a GP-40-2H go by 15 minutes ago.

[DutchRailnut]

Note in my post two batches of 5 cars were shipped to New Orleans.
As for those sticky brakes, betya somone did not know parking brake valve on those cars, as the cars do not have a hand brake
As for layout and crews not knowing cars, the SPV is layed out exacltly like an Amfleet.

[BiggAW]

Interesting. Nonethless, they wouldn't allow them to be used for passengers. Just tagging along for the transport. It's good to see that they can transport them that way though, as opposed to a separate run.

[Clean Cab]

They won't be missed by the Amtrak crews. Their braking always sucked.

[BuddSilverliner269]

Hello Dutchie, haha yep your right thats exactly what it was. I didnt want to post that on here and just wanted to say sticky brakes. Haha Oh well. What I meant was when I mentioned about its ashame that Amtrak dont use them in service on the NEC, I meant that actually buy those cars and use them. Im guessing Amtrak didnt own them? Im sure they couldve been used with the AEM 7s in PP service? My question is, what exactly will these cars do down in New Orleans?