Amfleet

Amfleet
Amfleet I coaches at Iselin, NJ
Constructed	1975-1978, 1981-1983
Number built	492 Amfleet I 150 Amfleet II

Amfleet (also called Amcans by railfans) refers to two series of intercity railroad passenger cars built for Amtrak by Budd Company from 1975-78, and 1981-83 totaling 492 Amfleet I cars (406 coaches and 86 cafes) and 150 Amfleet II cars (125 coaches and 25 lounges). The Amfleet cars were intended to replace many of the variety of aging, sometimes incompatible, streamlined passenger cars inherited from Amtrak's predecessor railroads. Amfleet cars were constructed in varying layouts known as the Amcoach, the Amcafe, the Amdinette, the Amlounge and the Amclub.

The cars are aerodynamic in appearance, with some of the engineering work based upon the 1969 Metroliner car design. This car was designed to be able to work in the Northeast Corridor at speeds of up to 125 miles per hour (200 km/h). (High speed rail, by American standards, is generally about 90 miles per hour (145 km/h) and up.) It was nicknamed Amcan because its shape is rounded, much to the design of a can.

Today, Amfleet cars are used extensively throughout the Amtrak system outside the western United States. Amfleet rolling stock disappeared from service in California when the San Joaquins switched to the Horizon Fleet in the 1990s and then to "California Cars" in the late 90s. The San Diegans also stopped using the Amfleet when their Pacific Surfliner cars were delivered, and the Pacific Northwest Cascades now use Talgo train sets.

Car types

The interior of a refurbished Amfleet business class coach.

Amtrak currently operates Amfleet I and Amfleet II cars. Amfleet I cars generally come in two types, Amfleet Coach or Amcoach cars, and Amfleet Lounge cars, both of which have had several variations. Originally, there were two main Amcoach variations, 84 seat cars for use on shorter routes, and 60 seat cars for use on longer, generally overnight, routes. The 60 seat cars have all since been converted either to coaches or business class cars, having been displaced from longer routes by the Amfleet II Coaches.

There are currently two types of Amfleet Lounge. All lounges have 6 tables at one end, a snack bar in the middle, followed by either 18 business class seats, or another 8 tables. Amtrak also historically operated Amcafe cars, which had 53 Coach seats with a snack bar in the middle of the car; Amdinettes with 23 coach seats, a snack bar in the middle, and 8 tables, seating 32 passengers, at the other end of the car; and Amclub cars that had either 6 tables or 23 coach seats, a snack bar in the middle, and 18 Club seats. The Club seats were more spacious and usually required an upgrade to Business Class or other deluxe service. Some cars also were in a full club layout, with Business Class seats at both ends.

Amfleet cars proved successful enough in service for Amtrak to contract with Budd for additional cars. This second series of cars are known as Amfleet II cars. In 1981-83, Budd delivered 125 Amfleet II Amcoaches and 25 Amlounges. The Amfleet II cars were intended to replace rolling stock on Amtrak long-distance trains, featuring larger windows, more legroom for passengers, and a vestibule (door) at only one end of the car. Because Amfleet cars have the ability to fit through tunnels and under catenary in the northeastern United States, Amtrak tends to use them heavily in that area. The Amfleet II Coach seats between 55 and 59 Coach passengers per car, while the Amfleet II Lounge contains 17 Lounge Seats with 8 tables that can serve a total of 32 passengers from a snack bar located in the car. Some Amlounge IIs have had tables or a smoking section added where the lounge seats once were.

Paint schemes

File:Amfleet Coaches.jpg

Amfleet I car in Phase V (Capstone) colors

The Amfleet I cars are the only Amtrak rolling stock to have carried all five normal paint schemes. These paint schemes are referred to as "Phases". Phase I-painted Amfleet cars had large red and blue stripes around the windows with thin white stripes on each end of the pattern, and featured the Amtrak "Pointless Arrow" on one end of the car. Amtrak's Phase II paint scheme eliminated the arrow logo, allegedly due to the reference of "Pointless Arrow." The information (Amtrak and coach number) was printed in white. Phase III paint is still in service on some Amfleet cars. It also features stripes that borders the windows, and had the red, white and blue stripes, however only in same-sized increments rather than the large blue and red and small white bands on the Phase I and II cars. The Phase III paint scheme switched to black Amtrak symbols and coach numbers to improve readability from a distance.

Phase IV (aka "NortheastDirect") paint had a totally different design than the striped ones. While it was still striped, its color scheme contained a blue stripe outlining the windows, and a smaller red and then still-small white stripes along the top of the blue one. This Phase is also still in use. The most recent of the Phases is Phase V paint, also known as the Acela Phase. As a result of the varying paint schemes, Amfleet trains could be seen with a mix of Phase III, Phase IV and Phase V/Acela cars all pulled by the same engine, although now almost all active cars have been painted in a modified form of Phase IV. The Acela paint scheme contained different colorations depending upon the type of car it was. These cars had "Splotches" on them. The Coach class car was decorated by a turquoise window stripe and a darker-shaded turquoise splotch, and the Business class car was decorated by a navy blue window stripe but a light-turquoise splotch. Cafe cars were decorated with light-turquoise splotches and navy blue window stripes, however, there were no windows where the snack bar was and there was a patch of spring green in the center of the car.

Specifications and build

An Amfleet car is 12 feet 8 inches tall (relative to the railhead), 10 feet 6 inches wide, and 85 feet in length over the vestibule diaphragm faceplates. The carbody itself is built up from spot-welded stainless steel sections, resulting in an exceptionally strong structure that is highly resistant to corrosion. Due to the length of the car, a visible arch is built into the carbody to prevent sagging when carrying a full passenger load.

A cafe car weighs about 110,000 pounds, while a coach weighs approximately 116,000 pounds. Amfleet seats have swing-down tray-tables for at-seat food service (similar to that on a commercial airliner), and all cars (including cafes) are equipped with a restroom. Electric heating and air conditioning, operated by hotel power from the locomotive, are used to maintain passenger comfort.

A feature inherited from older Budd-built cars is the use of dual disc brakes on each axle, with electronic anti-slide controls to prevent wheel lockup during full service or emergency brake applications. Although this braking system is more costly that the traditional wheel tread shoe braking design, service experience has demonstrated that it is a better-performing and lower maintenance alternative.

Incidents

Incidents involving Amfleet cars include:

• The Silver Star headed north from Florida, derailed in Lugoff SC, resulting in 8 deaths and many more injuries.
• Chase, Maryland rail wreck was an incident where some Conrail employees were smoking a Marijuana joint and thus were not paying attention to signals restricting their movement. Between Baltimore and Wilmington, at the Gunpow Interlocking at Gunpowder River, the three Conrail engines collided with an EMD AEM-7 engine, 903, leading a regional Amtrak train, killing 16 people. Two Conrail engines were destroyed completely, but one was returned to service later. Amtrak engines 900 and 903 were destroyed, and several Amtrak cars were heavily damaged.

Gallery

• Amfleet I car #21267.
  Amfleet I car #21267.
• Amfleet II coaches 25094 (left) and 25056 (center), followed by two more Amfleet cars visible in this photo.
  Amfleet II coaches 25094 (left) and 25056 (center), followed by two more Amfleet cars visible in this photo.
• Amfleet II cars have larger windows on the doors than Amfleet I cars. A mix of these is shown to the left of the image.
  Amfleet II cars have larger windows on the doors than Amfleet I cars. A mix of these is shown to the left of the image.
• 
  A Railfone booth in an Amfleet II Amlounge
• An Amfleet car in the center is surrounded by a Horizon Fleet car to the left, and a Viewliner to the right.
  An Amfleet car in the center is surrounded by a Horizon Fleet car to the left, and a Viewliner to the right.
• The panel in an Amfleet car to open or close the doors on the traincars.
  The panel in an Amfleet car to open or close the doors on the traincars.
• Amfleet car number 21947.
  Amfleet car number 21947.

See also

• Amtrak passenger cars
  • Horizon Fleet
  • Heritage Fleet
  • Superliner
  • Talgo Cars
  • Viewliner

External links

• Amtrak Photo Archives
• Graphics showing Amfleet