MHC as Baggage Cars?

You raise a good question, Dominic.  Perhaps the required modifications (new side doors, end doors. possible air brake modifications, as well as the general condition and remaining service life of the Material Handling Cars were not favorable in contrast to buying baggage cars.  Nobody but Amtrak knows what the tea leaves said about those things.

I don't think that "cabbage" conversions would be considered good solution to baggage transport except where they can be used as control cars at the rear of a train to avoid turning.  Since long distance trains, which carry full baggage cars, are turned at their originating and terminating stations, a cab car is not needed.  Cab cars also require Federally mandated inspections, the same as locomotives, plus maintenance of all the control components.  $$$$  Again, only Amtrak knows what they projected as cost for that project.

Finally, always remember that Amtrak is not a private sector railroad, and does not operate in the same way.  It will always be different, and must endure political factors not considered by private sector railroads.

I can’t recall ever seeing, in person or in photos/videos, baggage being loaded or unloaded from an F40 “cabbage” unit. 

Tom,

As always a very thoughtful and informative post.  I also wondered why they just disappeared.  As you so correctly point out, only Amtrak knows. 

There is one sitting in the Chandler Railway Museum that is privately owned and appears just to be used for storage.  A little cleanup and a repaint would serve as a reminder of the days when Amtrak regularly had two to three right behind the locomotives.  I wonder what the disposition of the remainder of the fleet ended up being?  I assume several live on at Beech Grove, but just an assumption.   

On the CRESENT, the bag is on the end of the train, I think.  Lighter boxes could have gone thete to prevent stringlining.