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VIA Rail

Bordercollie said:
KSL.com: UTA auctioning historic Comet train cars to make way for future improvements.
www.ksl.com

UTA auctioning historic Comet train cars to make way for future improvements

The Utah Transit Authority acquired the 50-year-old cars in 2008 and has put them to good use, but it's out with the old in order to get grants for new Frontrunner rail cars.
www.ksl.com www.ksl.com

Could they purchase these comets that were recently refurbished to be used in place of the LRC's that have been retired? They could reuse the seats from the retired cars. They wouldn't need buffer cars either. It would be temporary until the new fleet arrives.
Click to expand...

Scouring the continent for worn out equipment that is not quite as worn out as the LRC’s is nobody’s solution to this problem.
Well, I can think of so called activists/ consultants who do that… but I wouldn’t go there.
The new equipment is on its way…. Putting energy and money into a patch is just not good business.

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
Scouring the continent for worn out equipment that is not quite as worn out as the LRC’s is nobody’s solution to this problem.
Well, I can think of so called activists/ consultants who do that… but I wouldn’t go there.
The new equipment is on its way…. Putting energy and money into a patch is just not good business.

- Paul
Click to expand...
The requirement for buffer cars is not going to make this situation any better.
 
Bordercollie said:
The requirement for buffer cars is not going to make this situation any better.
Click to expand...

From now until next spring, the cars that are being used as buffers would be sitting idle anyways, as long distance trains are shorter over the winter.

When the summer demand returns, it does make sense to use VIA's sleepers as revenue cars and something else as buffers.

Perhaps there are castoffs on other properties that are still structurally acceptable, and still have wheels and bogies and draft gear in usable condition. The only issues might be HEP compatibility and perhaps a need for marker lights. Certainly, as unoccupied buffer cars, that option might be doable without spending money to refurb anything.

We would need to know whether VIA does have the funding and intention to do a 15-year life extension on the long distance fleet.

As to LRC replacement - by next spring, we may have enough Venture sets in service to mitigate the LRC deficit somewhat.

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
From now until next spring, the cars that are being used as buffers would be sitting idle anyways, as long distance trains are shorter over the winter.

When the summer demand returns, it does make sense to use VIA's sleepers as revenue cars and something else as buffers.

Perhaps there are castoffs on other properties that are still structurally acceptable, and still have wheels and bogies and draft gear in usable condition. The only issues might be HEP compatibility and perhaps a need for marker lights. Certainly, as unoccupied buffer cars, that option might be doable without spending money to refurb anything.

We would need to know whether VIA does have the funding and intention to do a 15-year life extension on the long distance fleet.

As to LRC replacement - by next spring, we may have enough Venture sets in service to mitigate the LRC deficit somewhat.

- Paul
Click to expand...
truthfully even needing to have this discussion just reflects how neglected and embarrassing this is for Via and Canada. its baffling how a national rail service in a developed country is still reliant on
60 year old relics for its mainline services. These cars shouldve been relegated to historic runs and replaced years ago. To put it into perspective we have so called developing nations like thailand, parts of africa and India with newer rolling stock than us.
Now that i think about it, by not renewing our fleets more often we partly contributed to Bbrs fall. We couldve supported their business by ordering more frequently over the years instead of hodge podging our relics.
 
cplchanb said:
truthfully even needing to have this discussion just reflects how neglected and embarrassing this is for Via and Canada. its baffling how a national rail service in a developed country is still reliant on
60 year old relics for its mainline services. These cars shouldve been relegated to historic runs and replaced years ago. To put it into perspective we have so called developing nations like thailand, parts of africa and India with newer rolling stock than us.
Now that i think about it, by not renewing our fleets more often we partly contributed to Bbrs fall. We couldve supported their business by ordering more frequently over the years instead of hodge podging our relics.
Click to expand...
Buying Viewliner II diners, baggage, sleepers when that production line was open (subject to Amtrak's okay, possibly, since they owned the design) could have renewed the Long Distance Single Level fleet with modern, accessible vehicles capable of high speed when the situation and track class calls for it. The snag, other than needing to modify for VIA's HEP wiring, might have been that CAF didn't build any passenger coaches so there wouldn't be a "ready to go" version for VIA. Well, that and the money.
 
crs1026 said:
From now until next spring, the cars that are being used as buffers would be sitting idle anyways, as long distance trains are shorter over the winter.

When the summer demand returns, it does make sense to use VIA's sleepers as revenue cars and something else as buffers.

Perhaps there are castoffs on other properties that are still structurally acceptable, and still have wheels and bogies and draft gear in usable condition. The only issues might be HEP compatibility and perhaps a need for marker lights. Certainly, as unoccupied buffer cars, that option might be doable without spending money to refurb anything.

We would need to know whether VIA does have the funding and intention to do a 15-year life extension on the long distance fleet.

As to LRC replacement - by next spring, we may have enough Venture sets in service to mitigate the LRC deficit somewhat.

- Paul
Click to expand...
By the spring will we have 3 trainsets in service? We only have two delivered.
 
cplchanb said:
truthfully even needing to have this discussion just reflects how neglected and embarrassing this is for Via and Canada. its baffling how a national rail service in a developed country is still reliant on
60 year old relics for its mainline services. These cars shouldve been relegated to historic runs and replaced years ago. To put it into perspective we have so called developing nations like thailand, parts of africa and India with newer rolling stock than us.
Now that i think about it, by not renewing our fleets more often we partly contributed to Bbrs fall. We couldve supported their business by ordering more frequently over the years instead of hodge podging our relics.
Click to expand...
They did procure the Ren fleet, gotta give them credit for that :)

Maybe this will be enough to get the government to procure a new fleet.
 
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