Train #P076????

[Shotgun7]

On Saturday, 1/31, I was on a southbound Tri-Rail headed to Dania when an insanely short Amtrak whizzed by with what appeared to be a single P42 and 2-3 Viewliners. Usually I try and be very specific with my consists, but this was whizzing by the window of a 40 mph Tri-Rail at about 60mph. There could've been a baggage near the front, but I doubt it. Definately no Amfleets or diners in the consist. Conductor and dispatcher both identified it as "Amtrak 76". Anybody know if this is a scheduled maintenance run to Sanford? That's the only explanation I could think up... that or the Gulf Breeze has been operating behind my back... or maybe a test run??

 

[Guest]

Anybody know if this is a scheduled maintenance run to Sanford? That's the only explanation I could think up...

Would multiple Viewliners be taken to Sanford for maintenance?

 

[AlanB]

Anybody know if this is a scheduled maintenance run to Sanford? That's the only explanation I could think up...

Would multiple Viewliners be taken to Sanford for maintenance?

I wouldn't expect Viewliners to be headed to Sanford, since Hialeah is their maintenance base. Hialeah is where all the parts are for the Viewliners, Sanford is setup to deal with engines, car carriers, and Superliners.

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

Anybody know if this is a scheduled maintenance run to Sanford? That's the only explanation I could think up...

Would multiple Viewliners be taken to Sanford for maintenance?

I wouldn't expect Viewliners to be headed to Sanford, since Hialeah is their maintenance base. Hialeah is where all the parts are for the Viewliners, Sanford is setup to deal with engines, car carriers, and Superliners.

That was train #92. They forgot their coaches, the lounge, and dining car. They left MIA with just the locos, baggage car, and the sleepers. They realized their mistake by the time they got to DFB!!!! :blink: :blink:

But anyway on a more serious note, there is a possibility Hialeah was overwhelmed with the workload and sent those sleepers up to Sanford for their mechanical work. There have long since been several issues down in MIA (mostly with the amount of mechanical forces compared to the workload) in the last couple of years. It doesn't happen very often, but it is not uncommon for MIA to send various kinds of rolling stock and locos to SFA for service in these cases (and it seems to me this has been the most common on the weekends). They don't always make such a move in this manner. Sometimes Amtrak just has one of the regular trains haul stuff up to SFA, but I know CSX is not very keen on that practice.

I have also seen them grab a coach or some other car to be coupled to the loco in the case of a "locomotive rescue" (where the train might have broken down and needed another loco) in order to be able to operate at max authorized speed instead of restricted to 30mph in the case of a light engine (the rescue train trying to reach the broken down train). But going on the details of this situation, it sounds like it was a "mechanical/home to shop" move up to SFA to ease the load in MIA.

OBS gone freight...

 

[battalion51]

A lot of work does get "outsourced" to SFA because the guys in Mechanical are very good at what they do, and at times don't have an overwhelming load. Sanford has worked on de-thawing projects, locomotive camera fitting, and other items of the sort.

 

[Amtrak839]

Anybody know if this is a scheduled maintenance run to Sanford? That's the only explanation I could think up...

Would multiple Viewliners be taken to Sanford for maintenance?

I wouldn't expect Viewliners to be headed to Sanford, since Hialeah is their maintenance base. Hialeah is where all the parts are for the Viewliners, Sanford is setup to deal with engines, car carriers, and Superliners.

I was in Sanford 2 weeks ago, and I saw a Viewliner sitting outside the shop amongst the Superliners.