With all the hoopla about getting the new baggage cars getting in use on the Amtrak system for the last several years including the massively late deliveries, where have I seen these units in use for the last several months plus? At least three are running as axle count cars between Chicago and Carbondale, IL. Today I rode the Saluki to Chicago and the Illini on return. There were three of them in the consist for the axle count. I asked the crew why. The answer that the brakes load and release better them than the old heritage cars. What a waste of money when they could be in revenue loaded vs running empty.

Freewheelin' Freddie

If the baggage cars were not being used for axle count purposes, what other equipment could be used? Most likely coaches or food service cars that have the potential of earning far more revenue than a baggage car that basically is in the consist of a train to meet advertised "checked baggage" purposes. These days a baggage car is just that, a car on generally long haul trains that's main purpose is to offer a convenience for passengers and to reduce the volume of luggage in the limited space afforded in the coaches and sleepers. The days of REA and storage mail generating revenue are long gone. While seemingly a waste of a resource (and a new one at that), those new baggage cars were needed as the old fleet was extremely beat up and spent more time on the rip track than in service.

The real waste is CN's axle count requirement and Amtrak's refusal to address the issue.

Don C.

Reminds me when some vendors in the early days they would have loaded cars of product, but they would not sit around, they would be moving with a train without a buyer until one is found then routed to the buyer. There may be something to running the baggage cars than just axle counts.

There are many of the old heritage baggage cars that these new cars were to replace that could be used for this lowly purpose, not these new multi-million dollar cars.

Freewheelin' Freddie