Studebaker switch on Amtrak car

[garyash]

Jane and I are on the Amtrak "Crescent" train from New Orleans to New York, a 30-hour trip. Our sleeper room has a white rocker switch with ribbed surface that looks exactly like a Lark-type dash switch. Could it be? This sleeper car is about 20 years old.

The train is comfy and the food is OK. It's a good way to see the U.S.

[StudeRich]

Yes Gary they came from the same Mfg. as Studebaker Rocker Switches, I have seen them on copy machines and commercial Clothes Dryers in Laundromats. On these applications they were the Black finish.

Most are the smooth type like late '64-'66 Stude. Older ones are the ribbed type like '63 to early '64.

[8E45E]

They have been used in hundreds of applications over the years, and are still being manufactured today, but in Mexico: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...rical-switches

Craig

[Deaf Mute]

Gary, Are you indicating that your car might now be "switchless"?

[Captain Billy]

We have taken the train "they call the ''City of New Orleans" from Chicago to NO, we found the food very good and the sleeper births were very comfy indeed.. As you say, Gary, it's a great way to see the USA.

[sweetolbob]

We have taken the train "they call the ''City of New Orleans" from Chicago to NO, we found the food very good and the sleeper births were very comfy indeed.. As you say, Gary, it's a great way to see the USA.

Somebody has to do it. --

[Skip Lackie]

Peggy and I took a round trip on the Crescent to/from New Orleans and DC a couple of years ago. Nice trip with great food and a very friendly crew. I also noticed those switches, though they were just on/off and presumably didn't have as many contacts as most of the Stude switches.

[showbizkid]

They have been used in hundreds of applications over the years, and are still being manufactured today, but in Mexico: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...rical-switches

Craig

I am still hoping that someone with electrical knowledge can look at the catalog and determine which parts might still be in production that fit our cars!

[garyash]

On our way north this evening, we passed through Villa Rica, Georgia, home of Avanti ca. 2001-2007. Maybe someone living there has a box of those switches tucked away. I managed to grab a photo of the center of town as we blew through. I seem to have captured the Mason's Lodge 72 F&AM and the police station.

[Dick Steinkamp]

We take the Coast Starlight often from San Jose to San Luis Obispo. Grandkids in each location. It's 5 hours compared to 3 driving, but comfortable, quiet, smooth, relaxing. We generally bring our own meal and play cards in an observation car.



The only downside is the schedule is seldom adhered to. I think if we could nail the schedule like the Japanese and European trains do consistently plus throw in the occasional 200 MPH Shinkansen or TGV we'd get lots of folks out of their cars.

I'll look for the Stude switch next trip.

[studegary]

On our way north this evening, we passed through Villa Rica, Georgia, home of Avanti ca. 2001-2007. Maybe someone living there has a box of those switches tucked away. I managed to grab a photo of the center of town as we blew through. I seem to have captured the Mason's Lodge 72 F&AM and the police station.

I believe - Villa Rica was home to Avanti 1999-2005 (2001-2005 models). Cancun was the manufacturing facility for the 2005-2007 models and Avanti Motor Corp. was in Morrow, Georgia (2005- ?).

[studegary]

The only downside is the schedule is seldom adhered to. I think if we could nail the schedule like the Japanese and European trains do consistently plus throw in the occasional 200 MPH Shinkansen or TGV we'd get lots of folks out of their cars.

I agree. If we had a European/Japanese style of railroad from NY to FL, we would use it often. When in France, I felt like I could set my watch by the trains. One day, the train was off by less than one minute and it felt like a major disruption.

[Skip Lackie]

The situations are sufficiently different that comparisons are really not meaningful. Both the Japanese and French National railroads are government-owned, and their bullet trains run on dedicated rights of way with no freight traffic. Their high population densities and relatively short hauls made the huge investment in rail infrastructure worthwhile. With the exception of the DC-to-Boston route, all US passenger trains run on tracks owned by freight railroads, and have to mix with (usually slower) freight trains. The 1971 statute under which Amtrak was created obligated the freight railroads to give preference to Amtrak passenger trains. However, preference doesn't help much if there's a freight train with a broken wheel ahead of you on a single track line.

Even the relatively high-speed DC-NYC line could be greatly improved if a way could be found to speed up the trip though congested areas like Baltimore, Wilmington and Philadelphia -- but the cost would be prohibitive.

[SN-60]

Gary,....make sure there's an ENGINEER at the controls of that train!!!!!!...("T" Red Line incident!!)