Amtrak declares New York Turboliner deal dead

[AlanB]

If Amtrak shares your view, New York should have Metro North run them. However, I would think Amtrak would want to run the Turboliners if New York stepped up to the plate and provided financial support. Amtrak doesn't normally wish to run Heritage coaches either, but it does on the Piedmont because North Carolina sponsors that train and calls the shots.

As Rmadisonwi noted, Amtrak will run anything the state wants, assuming that NY State actually pays them to run it. But as a New Yorker, I don't see NY State stepping up to the plate anytime soon to pay Amtrak to run the turboliners, much less any other trains.

Additionally, I can't see Metro North wanting to run them either, especially since the MTA can't get the state to fund them properly either. Heck, New York City had to sue the State in court just to get school funding monies that had been ordered in yet another court.

 

[Dutchrailnut]

A turbo besides higher in fuel requires 2 or 3 technicians per service day.

so besides using 1/3 more fuel per day now they cost another $1200 per day in salery and benefits over the regular crew.

On a consist thats to small and not flexible enough.

The crews hated the Turbo's]

The Mechanics hated the Turbo's

The accountents hated the Turbo's

The NYFD hated the Turbo's

so the chances of any of these pieces of crap comming back in service are nil.

 

[VT Hokie]

So, what will happen to them? Do you really think they should be scrapped? That would really be a shame. It's a travesty that none of the UA Turbos were saved, and I'd hate to see that mistake made again. At least one of the beautiful looking RTL-III sets really should make it into a museum.

Could you elaborate on why crews didn't like them? Was the technician a temporary thing, or would that always be required? Did the non-rebuilt Turbos require a technician to be on board? And what's this about the NYFD?

Had I known how rare the opportunity would be, I would have taken a few more trips aboard the Turboliners. I'm glad, though, that I at least got to ride aboard them twice back in 2003.

 

[Dutchrailnut]

They always had technicians on the Rohrs from day one. the NYFD did not like the Turbo's after two spectacular fires in Penn station.

Cews did not like them due to frequent breakdowns , and cramped feeling cabs due to streamlining.

No use saving a rebuilt Turbo in a museum, no historical value.

Unless a museum in NY state senator Bruno's district could be created , a museum of political boondoogles.

The Turbo's will sit for a few years more in Bear Del, untill both parties agree to make them go quitely away, with nobody admitting anything and just scrapping them.

Or it could be fought out in court and one of parties will look like crap but the Turbo's still won't run.

 

[VT Hokie]

What's the scrap value of a Turboliner trainset? Maybe I could buy one and donate it to a museum!

I'm only half kidding about that. Perhaps what Chris Fussel did for F40 #231 can be done for one of the Turbos.

 

[Guest]

Again who would donate it ?? Amtrak, they can't, they own trains but not improvement work.

NYState they cant, they own improvement work but not the train.

Scrap value is at $200 per ton for steel , $800 for stainless steel, no idea for alluminum but its somewhere in between.

entire trainset weighs probably 300 to 400 ton, some recyclable parts are extra as they raise value, like the brand new turbines(same as some helicopters)

 

[VT Hokie]

Now that the weather is nice and summer is approaching, I'm curious, is the storage facility in Delaware viewable from public land? I'd love to at least get a few photos of the Turboliner trainsets before they get scrapped or something.

 

[lensovet]

hello everyone, if you could contribute more historical information on the turboliner (facts only, PLEASE...no personal attacks, opinions, evaluations of the services, just what exactly the trains were, how they ran, etc) to this wikipedia article, i would very much appreciate your help. thanks!

 

[VT Hokie]

One error is that it states the "RTL II" ran until 1995. The original RTL's ran into the 1990's, in fact. In addition, two or three of the French trainsets on which they were based were also given third rail shoes and put into service in New York. It was one of the French built sets that caught fire, causing those units to be retired.

Then, in 1995, a single RTL was rebuilt into the "RTL II". It ran from 1995 until 2002.

 

[lensovet]

so you're saying that only a single RTL set was actually rehabbed to an RTL-II? And so they kept all the others in storage, and then when the RTL III rehabs came around, they pulled them out?

I'd be awesome if you just went ahead and edited the wiki article yourself. After all that's what wiki is all about. Just go to the page and click edit!

Thanks again.

 

[Guest]

so you're saying that only a single RTL set was actually rehabbed to an RTL-II? And so they kept all the others in storage, and then when the RTL III rehabs came around, they pulled them out?

Exactly! So, anyone can add to that article, eh?