Does anyone know the status of the Caltrans Comet IB cars?

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Yes at first 712/717 turn will be the only trains to use the single-level trainset. That's because it starts the day in the Oakland yard and returns there at night. Other trainsets spend the night in Bakersfield or Sacramento.

That being said, there will eventually two single-level trainsets in use. Haven't heard yet what the second trainset will be used for.
 
San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority has posted the agenda for it's next meeting on Friday, September 27th, 2013.

There are a couple of interesting tidbits in the Rolling Stock Update:

"On August 1, there was a test run on the San Joaquin Rail Service that consisted of 4 older Amfleet Cars, 3 Comet Cars a Baggage Car and a Dining Car. This test run suffered severe delays. While most of the delays were due to mechanical problems prior to the trainset leaving Oakland (not attributed to the Comet Cars), there were also delays due to excessive dwell time for the manual door operation and passengers navigating steep, narrow stairs with luggage. Baggage loading was difficult as well."
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"Caltrans agreed the Comet Car trainsets will not include any Amfleet coaches."
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Interesting that Caltrans doesn't want to use the Amfleet coaches... I guess they don't want to get this single-level trainset running THAT badly.

"Caltrans provided SJJPA with the anticipated additional costs for the Comet Cars ($3.3 million annually)."
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And to think... Indiana is balking at paying $3 million to keep the Hoosier State running.

"Caltrans expects to run a test run of a Comet Car trainset on October 1, 2013."
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It's worth mentioning... the SJJPA is not yet operating the San Joaquin trains. Board members have said while they want to see the San Joaquin grow... they aren't thrilled to be trading in the bi-level "California Cars" for the single-level "Comet Cars."
 
I still don't understand why they didn't keep the electric automatic doors the Comets already had built in that I'm almost sure these cars originally had before they replaced them with the dutch-doors. NJT has by far the best door operations of any railroad I've ridden that has stops at both high and low platforms, because one crew member can open all the end doors (middle ones that are only for high-levels don't open at low-level platforms. the Caltrain Comets aren't new enough to have this feature) Between a high-level stop and a low-level stop all the crew has to do is walk through the train raising and lowering the traps. NJT has had these doors for years. I recently took a rush hour (in the peak direction) MBTA trip from Boston to Wickford Junction (the last stop so these observations are from riding the train) but couldn't believe the number of staff the train had (like 6 or 7 since every door needs to be open by hand at all of the low-level platforms) and the length of our dwell times at each intermediate stop down the NEC.

The comets UTA bought for FrontRunner that run on the same trains with Bombardier BiLevels have combined MU doors so this is definitely possible.

Also, Can anyone tell me that all the platforms have the required mobile-lifts for operation of the Comet Cars (otherwise Amtrak would be violating the ADA). I now stations like Madera lacked them when I made a photo stop there a year and a half ago.
 
I was under the impression that the automatic doors these Comet IB coaches (former Arrow I EMU's) were very different than the automatic doors on the Comet I coaches owned by UTA. (I think only the top half of the dutch door was automatic.)

To answer your other question... Yes. All the stations now have small sheds to house the wheelchair lifts. They look the shed you have pictured on your Corcoran station page.

Also I got a tip that CDTX 5011 is making its way west from Chicago on 5(19). If anyone sees it... I'd love to know what they named the car.
 
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With the loading and unloading problems on these cars, it might be better to run them on express service, stopping only at major stations. The expresses could stop only at Stockton and Fresno besides the endpoints, plus EMY for OAK trains.
 
Not gonna happen. These cars aren't for added service... They're for expanding the amount of seats on each run. They will replace the bi-level trainsets already in use.
 
afigg said:
Swadian Hardcore said:
That dosen't make sense. The bi-levels are newer, right? So where are they going to go?
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The bi-levels or California cars are going to trains on the Capitol Corridor and Surfliner services to provide more capacity. Read back through this thread for the details.
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Ah, sorry about that. I didn't read through the whole thread.
 
afigg said:
The bi-levels or California cars are going to trains on the Capitol Corridor and Surfliner services to provide more capacity. Read back through this thread for the details.
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Actually most of the bi-level California cars are staying on the San Joaquin, just redistributed to other trainsets.
Right now there is 5 cars on a typical San Joaquin trainset. When the 712/717 trainset is switched over to single-level coaches... Each of its 4 coaches will be reassigned to the other trainsets... Making them 6 cars long. The dining cars will be reassigned to the Capitol Corridor. That will allow Caltrans to return 2 Superliner snack coaches that are being leased from Amtrak (and badly needed for national service.)
 
Guest said:
rickycourtney said:
I was under the impression that the automatic doors these Comet IB coaches (former Arrow I EMU's) were very different than the automatic doors on the Comet I coaches owned by UTA. (I think only the top half of the dutch door was automatic.)/quote]

The Comet Is were built with full length automatic doors, that is they extend all the way to the bottom step of the stairs. The Comet IBs, on the other hand, only had half length doors, extending down to the "floor" of the closed trap. Thus Comet Is can operate with the trap open, Comet IBs must have the trap closed when moving, making automatic doors superfluous, someone still has to open the trap anyway.
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Why not just make the trap automatic as well? The overhaul should have done that. Is it totally impossible?
 
Swadian Hardcore said:
Guest said:
rickycourtney said:
I was under the impression that the automatic doors these Comet IB coaches (former Arrow I EMU's) were very different than the automatic doors on the Comet I coaches owned by UTA. (I think only the top half of the dutch door was automatic.)/quote]

The Comet Is were built with full length automatic doors, that is they extend all the way to the bottom step of the stairs. The Comet IBs, on the other hand, only had half length doors, extending down to the "floor" of the closed trap. Thus Comet Is can operate with the trap open, Comet IBs must have the trap closed when moving, making automatic doors superfluous, someone still has to open the trap anyway.
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Why not just make the trap automatic as well? The overhaul should have done that. Is it totally impossible?
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It's not a good idea, what if a passenger decides to stand on top of the trap? Or when closing, what if a passenger is under it?
 
rickycourtney said:
I was under the impression that the automatic doors these Comet IB coaches (former Arrow I EMU's) were very different than the automatic doors on the Comet I coaches owned by UTA. (I think only the top half of the dutch door was automatic.)
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The UTA cars were the original Comet I cars which did not have full length doors all the way upto the roof line. They were incapable of operating from high level platforms and did not have traps.
So yes, the doors on Comet Is were very different from the Comarrows (Comet IBs) which were noit really Comet at all. The Comarrows were always capable of operating from both high and low level plaforms and had traps to enable that. And yes, on those only the door was only above the trap. You could not close the door with the trap up.
 
MattW said:
Swadian Hardcore said:
Guest said:
rickycourtney said:
I was under the impression that the automatic doors these Comet IB coaches (former Arrow I EMU's) were very different than the automatic doors on the Comet I coaches owned by UTA. (I think only the top half of the dutch door was automatic.)/quote]

The Comet Is were built with full length automatic doors, that is they extend all the way to the bottom step of the stairs. The Comet IBs, on the other hand, only had half length doors, extending down to the "floor" of the closed trap. Thus Comet Is can operate with the trap open, Comet IBs must have the trap closed when moving, making automatic doors superfluous, someone still has to open the trap anyway.
Click to expand...
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Why not just make the trap automatic as well? The overhaul should have done that. Is it totally impossible?
Click to expand...
It's not a good idea, what if a passenger decides to stand on top of the trap? Or when closing, what if a passenger is under it?
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How does San Franciscos Muni successfully do that every day, thousands of times a day?
 
Jass said:
MattW said:
Swadian Hardcore said:
Guest said:
rickycourtney said:
I was under the impression that the automatic doors these Comet IB coaches (former Arrow I EMU's) were very different than the automatic doors on the Comet I coaches owned by UTA. (I think only the top half of the dutch door was automatic.)/quote]

The Comet Is were built with full length automatic doors, that is they extend all the way to the bottom step of the stairs. The Comet IBs, on the other hand, only had half length doors, extending down to the "floor" of the closed trap. Thus Comet Is can operate with the trap open, Comet IBs must have the trap closed when moving, making automatic doors superfluous, someone still has to open the trap anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Why not just make the trap automatic as well? The overhaul should have done that. Is it totally impossible?
Click to expand...
It's not a good idea, what if a passenger decides to stand on top of the trap? Or when closing, what if a passenger is under it?
Click to expand...
How does San Franciscos Muni successfully do that every day, thousands of times a day?
Click to expand...
For those who are unfamiliar with the Breda Light Rail Vehicles, there are two stairs that are in the raised position for stations with high level platforms. The stairs are then automatically lowered and kept in the lowered position for the duration of the on-street operation with regular on-street stops.

The Breda LRV's are light rail vehicles are equipped for that type of automatic cycling as a built in feature as controlled by operator. The doors also span the whole height of the car and are fully controlled by the operator as well. They do have mechanical issues sometimes with the automation, however it generally does work as it was intended to.

If the traps are manually operated I'd say the doors should stay manually operated as well. If the traps were automatic then the doors could be automatic as well to be sure they are in sync with each other. Manual operation takes more time, however given the current set-up of the doors and traps it seems to be the most simple way to go without too much modification to the trap. If it were a single door that fully covered the trap then maybe automation could work.
 
Amtrak #5(27) is currently heading to California with a Horizon dinette between the engines and the baggage car. I wasn't close enough to get the car's number. I think this is the third of three dinettes.

 
Agent said:
Amtrak #5(27) is currently heading to California with a Horizon dinette between the engines and the baggage car. I wasn't close enough to get the car's number. I think this is the third of three dinettes.
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53509
 
Great catch Agent!

That's definitely a Horizon dinette. It has smooth sides unlike the Comet IB coaches that have fluted sides. The Amtrak California single level fleet has a livery that's a salute to NJT but uses CDTX's colors of blue and orange.

I thought this car was supposed to be AMTK 53505 "Pacific Horizon" (formally the City of San Luis Obispo).
 
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rickycourtney said:
Great catch Agent!

That's definitely a Horizon dinette. It has smooth sides unlike the Comet IB coaches that have fluted sides. The Amtrak California single level fleet has a livery that's a salute to NJT but uses CDTX's colors of blue and orange.

I thought this car was supposed to be AMTK 53505 "Pacific Horizon" (formally the City of San Luis Obispo).
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Thanks, I got confused by the slanted logo on the side. If that car is a Horizon owned by CDTX, what train is it going to be used on? Alongside the Comet IBs?
 
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Swadian Hardcore said:
Thanks, I got confused by the slanted logo on the side. If that car is a Horizon owned by CDTX, what train is it going to be used on? Alongside the Comet IBs?
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If you read further up in this discussion...

Caltrans plans to have two single level consists running on the San Joaquin each consisting of 4 or 5 Comet IB coaches, a Horizon dinette (leased from Amtrak) and a NPCU/"Cabbage" (also leased from Amtrak).
 
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