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| Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? http://rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=47938 |
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| Author: | Randy Gustafson [ Wed Feb 28, 2024 9:47 am ] |
| Post subject: | Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? |
This has made the rounds but there's some clues in there if you're running heritage ex-Amtrak cars, they may be dumping a LOT of stuff...... https://amtrakoig.gov/sites/default/fil ... entory.pdf "For example, as of September 2023, the company reported it had approximately $2 million in obsolete MoE inventory for its Heritage fleet, which it acquired from other railroads when it began operating in 1971 and is no longer in revenue service." They've been doing auctions of stuff regularly, you can get on their disposition list for announcements fairly easily, but this is another 'beat up Amtrak' GAO report. It might even pay to be proactive and do a 'hey, you have any of these still?' inquiry. |
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| Author: | Christopher Stone [ Wed Feb 28, 2024 1:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? |
Randy Gustafson wrote: This has made the rounds but there's some clues in there if you're running heritage ex-Amtrak cars, they may be dumping a LOT of stuff...... https://amtrakoig.gov/sites/default/fil ... entory.pdf Wow! Perfect example of "taking a long story and making it even longer"! |
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| Author: | Howard P. [ Wed Feb 28, 2024 4:40 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? |
"Dumping" being the operative word. Transit agencies and Amtrak love to simplify the process, and have a scrap merchant come in (paid by the agency) to remove all the "old crap". I've seen eye-watering amounts of incredible new stuff disposed of in this manner-- how about brand new boxed Rigid power tools, or multiple 500-foot rolls of new welding cable? One of my friends who worked at an Amtrak facility told of new parts taken out of the storehouse for a repair and not being needed, and rather than return to inventory, they were told to toss the stuff into the scrap bin. The explanation for all of this? "It's easier for us (me) to deal with one scrap dealer than a bunch of you little guys." Howard P. |
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| Author: | Thomas Cornillie [ Wed Feb 28, 2024 5:12 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? |
Howard P. wrote: "Dumping" being the operative word. Transit agencies and Amtrak love to simplify the process, and have a scrap merchant come in (paid by the agency) to remove all the "old crap". I've seen eye-watering amounts of incredible new stuff disposed of in this manner-- how about brand new boxed Rigid power tools, or multiple 500-foot rolls of new welding cable? One of my friends who worked at an Amtrak facility told of new parts taken out of the storehouse for a repair and not being needed, and rather than return to inventory, they were told to toss the stuff into the scrap bin. The explanation for all of this? "It's easier for us (me) to deal with one scrap dealer than a bunch of you little guys." Howard P. Howard is exactly right. This is a good opportunity for AAPRCO and TRAIN to lobby Amtrak to ask for an orderly, transparent sale of unneeded parts. This would allow Amtrak to recover the value of years of purchases enabled by decades of federal funding. AAPRCO and TRAIN have the resources to successfully organize and carry out a lobbying effort such as this, which would directly benefit their members. |
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| Author: | Howard P. [ Wed Feb 28, 2024 5:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? |
Thomas, There is no TRAIN. Heritage Rail Alliance (HRA) is the successor organization. Howard P. |
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| Author: | Ed Kapuscinski [ Wed Feb 28, 2024 6:19 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? |
Howard P. wrote: The explanation for all of this? "It's easier for us (me) to deal with one scrap dealer than a bunch of you little guys." Sounds like a fantastic business opportunity for someone to step up and become a clearinghouse. |
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| Author: | Nova55 [ Wed Feb 28, 2024 7:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? |
NY's MTA has been paying to get rid of stuff for years, most of it going to Frontier in Ohio for scrap. Granted, they are taking whole cars (It baffles me the cost to crane cars on flatcars and ship them across the country to SCRAP them.. but that's another issue..) but they also sent out lots of other stuff including wheels and whatnot. Hell, some of those popped at at a salvage store for sale on marketplace not long ago. One of the cars sent out a few years ago was the LIRR car department storage car, loaded to the gills with parts. It was sickening that all that just went to scrap. |
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| Author: | EDM [ Thu Feb 29, 2024 12:25 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? |
It happens in industry, too. Ages ago, I was employed by a medical device manufacturer. They had a product under development that wasn't able to get FDA approval. So a pilot production line was shut down. All of the equipment, spares, and parts for new machines for expanded production went into the dumpster, per the bean counters. Motors, gearboxes, air cylinders and solenoid valves, boxes of new Allen-Bradley pushbuttons, pilot lights, relays, etc. Sickening, but sometimes thats how big business operates. |
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| Author: | superheater [ Sat Mar 02, 2024 11:17 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? |
Randy Gustafson wrote: This has made the rounds but there's some clues in there if you're running heritage ex-Amtrak cars, they may be dumping a LOT of stuff...... https://amtrakoig.gov/sites/default/fil ... entory.pdf "For example, as of September 2023, the company reported it had approximately $2 million in obsolete MoE inventory for its Heritage fleet, which it acquired from other railroads when it began operating in 1971 and is no longer in revenue service." They've been doing auctions of stuff regularly, you can get on their disposition list for announcements fairly easily, but this is another 'beat up Amtrak' GAO report. It might even pay to be proactive and do a 'hey, you have any of these still?' inquiry. Except it's not another "'beat up Amtrak' GAO report." It's not even a GAO report. Inspectors General are not part of the Government Accountability Office. There is one GAO, and many Inspectors General. The GAO was created by the The GAO was established as the General Accounting Office by the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921. IG's have other authorizing legislation. They have different mandates and missions and operate according some different standards, although IG standards incorporate GAO standards by reference. If you are feeling particularly masochistic, here's a comparison: https://wyoleg.gov/InterimCommittee/201 ... ptfont.pdf That said, there's some overlap in their methods and objectives. Reading this report (admittedly without having access to the staff or their documentation or workpapers), I see a professional report. The descriptions of the scope and nature of the procedures appears completely reasonable. The findings detail legitimate concerns regarding the existence and management variety of inventories and the associated recordkeeping that would simply be ordinary and necessary expectations in any other entity. There's no speculation or factitious indignities. Reflexes to defend an organization that has a five decade record of inefficiency (in no small part due to politically imposed irrationality) aren't particular useful. |
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| Author: | Randy Gustafson [ Mon Mar 04, 2024 12:42 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? |
I'm neither attacking or defending, just alerting the populace that there may be passenger car parts hitting the auctions, streets or scrapyards as a result. It's hard to say what, but I thought they'd already rid themselves of a lot of the Heritage Fleet inventory, so that was a surprise. Before I ended up in the railroad world I did industrial QA and inventory management manufacturing systems in the automotive supplier world. It was equally challenging as it had to evolve from a union piecework shop on incentive rate to a demand-build JIT inventory model also trying to minimize setups, which is mutually exclusive. We had a four-story, city-block long warehouse full of parts, an embarrassing amount of which were known obsolete, nobody wanted to deal with it. I have a railroad client that we helped procure for; I ended up doubling an order for expensive quasi-EMD dash-2 cards as I knew they were not going to be produced again, period, and they had been custom made for a specific locomotive application. The designer was retiring and company closing. They almost got pitched until I talked to the CMO, he had no idea they weren't made anymore and the power was still quite active - and had flamed out the cards in the past. Sometimes it's hard to predict! |
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| Author: | Randy Gustafson [ Fri Mar 08, 2024 4:14 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? |
OK, folks, this is what I mean, at least get on the list!!!! 36" disc brake wheels, you won't find those on Amazon.... Sale Offer 2024-88 Heritage 36" Wheel Blanks S003 P111 Wilmington, DE Inbox Ganzel, Darlene R <Darlene.Ganzel@amtrak.com> Attachments 3:06 PM (4 minutes ago) to Darlene, Assetrecovery, Sonel AMTRAK MATERIALS BID FORM – PICTURES ATTACHED 4 PER PALLET TO:NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER CORPORATION SALES OFFER #: 2024-88 30th STREET STATION SALES OFFER DATE: 03/08/2024 2955 MARKET STREET, 5th FLOOR SOUTH BID CLOSING DATE: 03/21/2024 PHILADELPHIA, PA 19104 MATERIAL CLASS: INVENTORY ATTENTION: Darlene Ganzel Darlene.ganzel@amtrak.com PROJECT: Wheels 36” S003 P111 NW Having thoroughly examined the Solicitation Documents as set forth in Section 3 of the Amtrak Sales Offer – Instructions to Bidders and familiarized itself with the requirements contained therein and the condition of the Material(s) offered hereunder, Bidder does hereby: (1) accept all of the terms and conditions of the Solicitation Documents (as may be modified by Amtrak by issuance of an addendum prior to the Close Date) without exception; and (2) tender a Bid to purchase the Materials identified in the Solicitation Documents “AS IS-WHERE IS”. **Amtrak will not give you Drawings. APPROX. 900 LB each Wheel -PALLET APPROX. 3600LBs. S003 Material Description P188 - SAP #2941202009 -NEW QTY. 52 LOT PRICE $________ WHEEL, 36" F/HERITAGE CARS W/ DISC BRAKE 7-7/8"RB E-36 CLASS C, AAR SPEC M-107, DRILLED + TAPPED TAP THREAD FIT FOR "3" OR "3B" STANDARD STEEL; A08111; LN-01; STR-01,06,10,17) Standard Steel AMTRAK SPEC. 1107 - AXLE AND WHEEL RUST PROTECTION AND SHIPPING. AMTRAK ADWG 62-00105 REV D S003 Material Description P188 - SAP #2934531517-NEW QTY. 44 LOT PRICE $________ WHEEL, 36" * F/ HEP W/TREAD BRAKES 7-7/8"RB D-36 CLASS A, AAR SPEC M-107 Standard Steel - AMTRAK SPEC. 1107 - AXLE AND WHEEL RUST PROTECTION AND SHIPPING. AMTRAK ADWG 62-00105 REV D. LOCATION: AMTRAK Wilmington, 4001 Vandever Ave., Wilmington, DE Contact: Sonel Shaw 302-383-5892 Amtrak can assist in loading. |
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| Author: | PaulWWoodring [ Sat Mar 09, 2024 9:00 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? |
Maybe I'm stating the obvious, but this sale sounds like the best strategy would be for several operating groups go in together to buy a group or groups of items to be shared among themselves, and maybe sold to some smaller groups without the same resources? |
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| Author: | Dave [ Sun Mar 10, 2024 7:19 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? |
Isn't Ganzel Australian for Foamer? |
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| Author: | QJdriver [ Sun Mar 10, 2024 10:05 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? |
Dave, One of my Shackledragger friends spells that as "Gunzle" |
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| Author: | Overmod [ Mon Mar 11, 2024 7:19 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Amtrak parts inventory report - fire sale coming? |
'Gunzel' is the way the Australians of my acquaintance spell it. Related, but not directly, to the American 'gunsel'. Interestingly it originally had nothing to do with firearms or their carrying. It's derived from a Yiddish word for 'not too experienced youth'. Apparently it has exactly the same deadly-insult character that 'foamer' or 'FRN' have here. |
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