Golden gate depot is making Amtrak heritage cars!!

Excellent news.  The only missing piece would be Heritage baggage cars.  Otherwise, put me down for a handful of all of them, especially the 52-seat coaches.

@Pantenary posted:

Excellent news.  The only missing piece would be Heritage baggage cars.  Otherwise, put me down for a handful of all of them, especially the 52-seat coaches.

Got for it! What era of Amtrak do you run? Baggage cars…. I’m going to ask for those whenever Scott announces his 2nd run of the El Capitan. No promises but if enough ppl reserve these heritage cars I don’t see why we wouldn’t get baggage cars in all the phases

For Heritage cars, WE NEED THE MARKER LIGHTS at the bulkhead ends. Does anyone know if this important detail will be there? It wasn't there on the recently released Lionel set. It wasn't there on the GGD slumbercoaches.

DJ -- I run mid-80s Amtrak on the old Pennsy main.  Heritage equipment was standard issue on Keystone trains and the Broadway Limited.  Although in my world, Atlas O AEM7s will power both, as no F40PH model exists that is worthy of GGD coaches.

PRR -- if you have seen the GGD Amfleets, they all have markers.  Scott is very keen on such details and creating fabulous models.  Lionel, not so much, on either count.

@Pantenary posted:

DJ -- I run mid-80s Amtrak on the old Pennsy main.  Heritage equipment was standard issue on Keystone trains and the Broadway Limited.  Although in my world, Atlas O AEM7s will power both, as no F40PH model exists that is worthy of GGD coaches.

PRR -- if you have seen the GGD Amfleets, they all have markers.  Scott is very keen on such details and creating fabulous models.  Lionel, not so much, on either count.

The Amfleets have markers. The Slumbercoaches, the  3/4 domes, and the full domes painted in Amtrak heritage DON'T have the Amtrak marker lights at the bulkends. Im worried the trend will still continue.

Did I miss something, I can’t find anything on the Amtrak Heritage cars on Golden Gate Depot’s website or any mention in Scott’s email.  Fill me in please.

@VGN64 posted:

Did I miss something, I can’t find anything on the Amtrak Heritage cars on Golden Gate Depot’s website or any mention in Scott’s email.  Fill me in please.

Look under the 1950s Southern Crescent reservations.

GGD Crescent Set Link

When you go to actually reserve coaches, all of the Amtrak options will be listed.

@Dj'sOgaugetrains posted:

Hey all, for all you scale Amtrak enthusiasts Golden Gate depot is making Amtrak heritage cars! Diners, coaches, & 10-6 sleepers in phase I, III, IV, & V

With this offering you can pretty much build any Amtrak heritage train you want. The diners in phase V paint will match up perfectly with the upcoming viewliner sleepers & amfleets.

Check the Golden gate depot websight & look under the Crescent limited train set.

I don’t see Phase V. I only see IV and VI.

@rplst8 posted:

I don’t see Phase V. I only see IV and VI.

None of the Heritage car fleet was painted in Phase V.  That paint scheme was only on some Amfleet cars and was meant to correspond to the Acela branding when those trains came online.    Phase VI is the current Amtrak scheme that made it onto some of the Hertiage fleet cars.  The website has since been updated to reflect this.

Amfleet Phase V Paint Scheme

@GG1 4877 posted:

None of the Heritage car fleet was painted in Phase V.  That paint scheme was only on some Amfleet cars and was meant to correspond to the Acela branding when those trains came online.    Phase VI is the current Amtrak scheme that made it onto some of the Hertiage fleet cars.  The website has since been updated to reflect this.

Amfleet Phase V Paint Scheme

   Correct, no phase 5, but here is the phase 4 info.  Heritage diners wore phase 4 and were in service in the LakeShore, and Silver service trains.   I include a link to my own video shot in Cleveland in 2014 (not a great video but was an impromptu catch of a daylight visit in Cleveland).  Four 10-6 sleepers were rehabbed in 1998 for the Three Rivers.  They wore phase 4 fresh paint and were in service until 2003.   See pic.  Also there was a series of "Grove" 10-6 sleepers done in phase 4 prior to 1998. 2 of these were refreshed for the Three Rivers.

Three Rivers sleepers:

Ah the Three Rivers.  In my book the best Amtrak train ever.  If it had been allowed to continue by Congress. Amtrak might be profitable.

@rplst8 posted:

I don’t see Phase V. I only see IV and VI.

That’s my mistake. @GG1 4877 is correct. I always called the phase V amfleets “capstone cars” and didn’t realize they were that actual phase V cars. GGD websight is correct. Sorry for any confusion

@GG1 4877 posted:

None of the Heritage car fleet was painted in Phase V.  That paint scheme was only on some Amfleet cars and was meant to correspond to the Acela branding when those trains came online.    Phase VI is the current Amtrak scheme that made it onto some of the Hertiage fleet cars.  The website has since been updated to reflect this.

Amfleet Phase V Paint Scheme

But what about phaseII? Surely some of the early heritage fleet was painted phase II.

@rdunniii posted:

Ah the Three Rivers.  In my book the best Amtrak train ever.  If it had been allowed to continue by Congress. Amtrak might be profitable.

Three Rivers was a gem with its Heritage 10-6.  I used that train several times in and out of Akron and Youngstown to Chicago and Altoona or Johnstown.  When the renovated 10-6 cars started in 1998 they had a brochure in each room which stated "Tonight You Are Riding on History."  It included the info about the cars history.  On one trip the car Attendant told me they planned to put a Heritage Diner on the Three Rivers. It never got one, always an Amdinnette or Horizon cafe. I rode coach on the last run westbound to Chicago.  The train that night was full  as it usually was.   Most passengers were unaware their chosen mode of transport was on its final run.   

@prrhorseshoecurve posted:

But what about phaseII? Surely some of the early heritage fleet was painted phase II.

Technically the Heritage Fleet with the capital "H" were the cars that got rebuilt with HEP starting in the late 1970's.  All of these cars received Phase III paint at that time.  Generally, Phase II only was applied to Superliners, rebuilt Metroliners, and Amfleet cars. 

As for inherited cars painted in Phase II paint, Phase II was fairly short lived.  I have not found a lot of evidence that many of these cars ever got phase II paint.  As with Amtrak anything is possible, but the vast majority of the cars Amtrak started with only ever got Phase I paint.

However, Phase II did have a longer lifespan on Superliner cars.  There are photos of Superliner Is dating to the late 1980's that still have the as-delivered Phase II paint scheme.

@VistaDomeScott posted:

Three Rivers was a gem with its Heritage 10-6.  I used that train several times in and out of Akron and Youngstown to Chicago and Altoona or Johnstown.  When the renovated 10-6 cars started in 1998 they had a brochure in each room which stated "Tonight You Are Riding on History."  It included the info about the cars history.  On one trip the car Attendant told me they planned to put a Heritage Diner on the Three Rivers. It never got one, always an Amdinnette or Horizon cafe. I rode coach on the last run westbound to Chicago.  The train that night was full  as it usually was.   Most passengers were unaware their chosen mode of transport was on its final run.   

My experience on the earlier Broadway Limited was similar.  I tried to get a Slumbercoach whenever possible.  My first trips were all Heritage cars, but Amfleet cars were more common in the early 1990's for coach and lounge cars.  The Broadway retained its Heritage diner which was always a great experience.  While I moved west when the Three Rivers started service, it is one train I've always wanted to ride.

Jonathan, you caught the best time to ride when the Broadway was running.   Great phase 1 or 3 train to model!  Slumbercoaches were such a great value. 

@rdunniii posted:

Ah the Three Rivers.  In my book the best Amtrak train ever.  If it had been allowed to continue by Congress. Amtrak might be profitable.

The three rivers was a really cool Amtrak freight/ passenger hybrid. I loved seeing it & wish the road railers were more available to model it. But it was nothing more than a money pit. The time it took to sort all the mail and manpower attach the extra cars affected the bottom line. There were also fines imposed by USPS for late mail and because the freight railroads were not happy about Amtrak transporting freight, they purposely delayed the three rivers.

Another bit of history about the 10-6 fleet of Heritage cars.   Many became crew dorms, "BD," cars and had the 6 bedrooms removed.  That area became a lounge area and shower for crew.  One window was removed where the shower was placed.  The 10 roomettes remained for crew.   Many of these cars had a variation paint scheme  which I do not believe falls into a phase.   Looks like phase IV but the blue stripe is much more  narrow.  Some had full phase IV stripes though.

A good baggage dorm car is on my list of Phase III Amtrak unicorns to either make or track down.  Also, a heritage lounge car, but I do have a 1960's aluminum car in the correct window configuration that needs a lot of TLC. 

Just trying to recreate these cars I repainted in N scale when I had the eyesight for it.

I also want a bedroom dorm baggage by GGD.  I like the cars such as #1616 which were always on the Lakeshore Limited in the phase 3 era.   These windows were modified Amtrak style.   I have an aluminum extrusion by OK Streamliners of the type car.  Fills the want until GGD comes through.   A few of these ex Army cars were bar disco cars on the Montrealer and named "Le Pub" cars.  (Phase 1 era).