There are reports that the Talgos are on the move today to Milwaukee for some work and then FINALLY off to the Pacific Northwest for Cascade service.
Glad to hear some positive news in this saga.
Glad to hear some positive news in this saga.
While there's no official source, on other boards, people "in the know" who I'd trust, have confirmed they're heading to the PNW. Any other details are unknown at this point.Can you cite whatever you read that they are going to the PNW? Haven't heard anything here, plus a few months ago WashDOT announced that they would be buying whatever Amtrak comes up with as their standard corridor car for Cascades service to replace the Talgo Series 6s that they want to retire per NTSB recommendations.
The Talgo Series 8 are fully FRA compliant without waivers, but WashDOT seemed pretty firm about moving away from Talgos and to whatever is the new Amtrak standard for the long term.
I agree that as far as I know they are going to PNW. They will first undergo some modifications in Milwaukee, and eventually show up in PNW, owned by WasDOT, sometime in mid to late 2020 for deployment in Cascades service.While there's no official source, on other boards, people "in the know" who I'd trust, have confirmed they're heading to the PNW. Any other details are unknown at this point.
I wonder how they would have done on the air side if they had to handle the MAX thing as lead. Hopefully not as poorly. Interestingly, the two countries involved explicitly avoided dealing with the NTSB and selected the French safety agency to help them handle those accidents.
Thanks for pointing that out. It sort of answered some of my questions. There’s just still so many unknowns at this point, but I guess time will tell.Interesting article on this subject with more information can be found on the December 8 Trains [magazine] News Wire.
It is interesting to see how relations between talgo and WaDOT aren't very good right now. I suspect Amtrak providing the other 2 trainsets for service and Oregon's (completely correct) insistence on keeping their two sets in service might eventually nudge WaDOT to order talgo sets in the name of keeping the rolling stock all the same. Otherwise you'll end up with two completely separate contracts for trainsets and that makes very little sense.Interesting article on this subject with more information can be found on the December 8 Trains [magazine] News Wire
Following four days of Trains News Wire inquiries to Amtrak, the Washington State Department of Transportation, or Talgo, only Amtrak released the following statement late Friday: “These trainsets are among the interim equipment options being considered by Amtrak for use in the Pacific Northwest.
You hit on one of the biggest challenges Talgo faces. Talgo insists that if an agency purchase its trainsets, it must also agree to a service contract for the life of the trainset. That means paying for Talgo supervisors who oversee Amtrak employees as they maintain the trainsets, and paying to keep a Talgo technician on every train as it runs (which entails both salary and travel expenses).It is interesting to see how relations between talgo and WaDOT aren't very good right now. I suspect Amtrak providing the other 2 trainsets for service and Oregon's (completely correct) insistence on keeping their two sets in service might eventually nudge WaDOT to order talgo sets in the name of keeping the rolling stock all the same. Otherwise you'll end up with two completely separate contracts for trainsets and that makes very little sense.
There's no doubt that the NTSB has some blame when it comes to hurting Talgo's brand in the USA.The NTSB has mess up the Talgo brand, when does the lawsuit get filed?
Talgo's main benefit is their passive tilting technology that suspends the cars like a pendulum.My question is, why would anyone want Talgo? They may work for Portland to Boise service, but other than that, they could use Viaggio equipment assuming they can be designed with the ability to tilt. And then Talgo would loose it's edge. There are plenty of other companies to contract with. As mentioned above, Siemens has a great track record as well as Alstom, Stadler and Kawasaki. Trains with tilting tech can be made by nearly anyone with far less hassle than always paying to have someone on the train and a restrictive maintenance contract.
And yet the two ex-Wisconsin Talgo sets exist. Given Amtrak's persistent equipment shortage, it would be better for someone* to use them than to break them up for scrap before they've carried a single revenue passenger.My question is, why would anyone want Talgo? .....
I don't say all this because of any vested interest in Siemens. I say it because in the last five years, Siemens has inked three deals to deliver 61 trainsets to North American customers, while Talgo has inked zero deals.
No agency has wanted to use them because they don't want to pay for Talgo's service contract for just two trainsets.And yet the two ex-Wisconsin Talgo sets exist. Given Amtrak's persistent equipment shortage, it would be better for someone* to use them than to break them up for scrap before they've carried a single revenue passenger.
I suppose that depends on how you define "pretty well." They are a small player on the world stage compared to the likes of CRRC, Siemens, Alstom, Bombardier and Hitachi. Source: Nikkei, TalgoThey seem to be doing pretty well all over the world though.
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