Retired/Stored Equipment

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The former Santa Fe high levels have been for sale for a long time. Lots of folks have look at them, nobody had bought them. Looks like there must be some big problems. I imagine handicapped access is a big question mark since there is no seating on the lower level.
 
SF hi-levels are stored in Granite City, IL. You can see them briefly from CHI-STL trains. Right side going north left going south. I imagine it would take a LOT of work to get those roadworthy again.
 
Again, amazing how Rocky Mountaineer and VIA have taken 50 to 60 year old cars, stripped them down to bare bones and then rebuilt them into the “Silver Leaf” cars or “Prestige Cars” that now bring in premium money for both these railroads. Could frames be salvaged and the cars rebuilt into all bedroom sleeper cars - thus giving Amtrak the much needed high end revenue and sleeper capacity it needs for the LD trains. The Superliner Trans/Dorm sleepers need to be converted into “all roomette revenue sleeper.” Complete out room 15 and convert the crew lounge on lower level into a large family bedroom.....

Again, VIA’s Ocean and VIA’s Canadian, during peak season, and sometimes in off season, sells MORE sleeping berths than what Amtrak can offer. Amtrak might be operating two or four sleeper cars in a given Superliner trainset, but VIA is running at least 10 cars on the Ocean, and a LOT more than that on the Canadian, thus giving it an advantage on a per berth basis........

SImply:

Ocean - 10 cars x 2 berths per room x 10 rooms per car = 200 berths for sale (Renaissance trainset, which VIA will match at minimum with the mix Renaissance and Budd Chateau Sleepers

Lake Shore Limited - 3 VIewliners x 2 berths per room x 15 rooms per car = 90 berths

VIA houses its onboard staff in a special Chateau sleeper adjacent to the Park Car. I’ve not even considered rooms VIA sells in the Park Car. I’ve also not deducted rooms that Amtrak uses for its now diminishing onboard staff. But the Ocean is selling and filling 200 berths as opposed to half that being offered on the Lake Shore, and that’s with a train with 3 Viewliner sleepers.
 
But when you count the number of departures the Lake Shore Limited runs 630 bunks a week and the Ocean runs 600 bunks a week. So roughly equal.
 
Again, amazing how Rocky Mountaineer and VIA have taken 50 to 60 year old cars, stripped them down to bare bones and then rebuilt them into the “Silver Leaf” cars or “Prestige Cars” that now bring in premium money for both these railroads. Could frames be salvaged and the cars rebuilt into all bedroom sleeper cars - thus giving Amtrak the much needed high end revenue and sleeper capacity it needs for the LD trains.

So, did GrandLuxe Rail Journeys shutdown because they generated way too much revenue?

For example, GrandLuxe Rail Journeys hitched a few restored, old time luxury cars onto the end of Amtrak's Silvers running up/down the East Coast.
 
The former Santa Fe high levels have been for sale for a long time. Lots of folks have look at them, nobody had bought them. Looks like there must be some big problems. I imagine handicapped access is a big question mark since there is no seating on the lower level.

Someone posted on another forum that a transition car will be leaving Granite City within the next few weeks. CSX will be carrying the car to MI where it will be picked up by GLC and delivered to SRI to join their newly purchased PPCs.

A buddy of mine visited recently and said that the PPCs are still fully equipped, right down to the custom glass pieces on the upper level that say “Coast Starlight” and “Superior Service”. They even have the TV screens in the lower levels.
 
SF hi-levels are stored in Granite City, IL. You can see them briefly from CHI-STL trains. Right side going north left going south. I imagine it would take a LOT of work to get those roadworthy again.

A few years ago I saw several Hi-Levels across from the Fairgrounds (Cotton Bowl) in Dallas. I do not know if they are still there.
 
If I were going to run an operation using the Hi-Levels, I'd probably have to spend a few million dollars commissioning an "elevator car" to match up with them so that everyone could get to the top level. I just don't see a market with a business plan for them at the moment.
 
Back to the topic, why doesn't Amtrak do what VIA does and refurbish heritage equipment/cars in storage to meet demands instead of going out and buying brand new equipment? If VIA can do it, why can't Amtrak?

So to referb them, they'll need new wheels, probably breaks, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, interiors which means a redesign. The cost just wouldn't be worth it to rebuild them. The states might find rebuilding coaches worth it since they're simpler, but a sleeper is a bit much. Amtrak didn't even rebuild the dining cars it has, sleepers would be a bit much for them given they're strapped for resources all the time.
 
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There were no ex-Santa Fe hi-level sleepers as I recall, so an extensive rebuild would be needed to create one. Coaches, lounges and diners less so. They were great cars, if a little rough riding. I believe one model was extremely heavy as well, requiring 3-axle trucks?
 
The Santa Fe almost had hi level sleepers made but ultimately decided to forgo that when they noticed ridership trends. The diners had three axle trucks.
 
The Santa Fe almost had hi level sleepers made but ultimately decided to forgo that when they noticed ridership trends. The diners had three axle trucks.
Consequently, the Sleeper only Super Chief ran with single level stock with Dome cars thrown in. It is the El Cap that got the Hi Levels. When the two trains were combined into the Super Chief - El Capitan, they essentially just couple the two consists together and ran it as a combined train half Hi-Level and half single level.
 
The question still is why would Amtrak or a state put money into old equipment that they don't think is worth it? If Amtrak wanted to keep the heritage equipment in working order, they would have. To keep them going would have required more money than they thought was worth it.

At this point, who would even want to revive them? None of the states are gunning to start new services, even in the Midwest or California, no route is planned to start before the Viaggio coaches get delivered. Post delivery, the Horizon coaches will be available, possibly without a home. Then the Amfleets will be getting replaced. So if the states start showing interest in rail, there will be a lot of extra equipment that will be cheaper to modernize available in a few years.
 
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