Packaging for Amtrak Shipment...

[kegmcnabb]

Looking into shipping a horn via Amtrak. The rates seem reasonable. I do, however, have a question.

The Amtrak rep said that horn only need be in its hard case w/o any other packaging. That doesn't seem to be a great plan.

From searching the archives I know many of you have shipped via Amtrak but specifically how did you package your horn for Amtrak shipment?

Thanks in advance!

[tubarepair]

I've shipped via Amtrak numerous times - never a problem. Wrap the horn with bubble wrap and put back in the case. Place fragile labels on it. It will be loaded by hand in the baggage car.

[bisontuba]

AmTrack is very good-never had a problem. Good luck.
Mark

[Donn]

I built up a box to fit. It was actually a relatively small helicon, never had a case. I glued a brace in the middle so I am reasonably confident I could have stood on it, though I didn't try. Stuffed it up with all kinds of stuff - bubble wrap, paper towel rolls, I forget what all. Big package. When I got it down to the station, I had two people to deal with, the junior and senior officials I guess. Until the senior official came to my rescue I wasn't sure it was going. One bit I vaguely remember was about the "fragile" labels - they seem to care about those, but not necessarily in the way you want them to care. It was more like if it has "fragile" on it, then it's no deal. But that situation might have been related to the large size of the package, as well as junior official's sketchy understanding. On the other hand, I believe it is worth mentioning to the officials that it's a musical instrument, as that seems to figure into how they classify it. There were different ways to compute the price, maybe using dimensions or alternatively weight? and the difference was quite significant.

I followed advice from a local repairman when I did it that way, but I think I agree that if I had a tuba with a serviceable case, the case might be a good bet, if only because it may be a sort of protective mimicry, looking like a suitcase will get you in the baggage car, like those beetles that manage to look enough like ants to sneak into the ant nest.

[kegmcnabb]

Thanks to those who responded.

Anyone else? All advice welcomed.

[Greg Lecewicz]

Can't do a tuba thru Amtrak. Limits are 36x36x36, 50lb.

[bort]

Can't do a tuba thru Amtrak. Limits are 36x36x36, 50lb.

Depends on the tuba then. Even when boxed, some are under 36", and nearly all would be under 50 lb.

[swswartz]

I used to ship horn via greyhound all the time and I have only had a problem one time. It was my euphonium and the bell got a little crushed as was the case. Josh Landress fixed the bell but the case is still a little mangled making it hard to open. I don't know if Amtrak would be better or worse but I am not sure either would be sensitive to the fact that it is a fragile instrument.

[Donn]

I'm pretty sure my helicon exceeded those dimensions, too. But they could have changed their policies since then. I'd call the toll free number some time when a long phone wait won't be too inconvenient, and then I'd double check what they say with someone at the shipping desk at your station, and take note of his or her name.

[Greg Lecewicz]

Go to their website. They show 36x36x36 limits. I was looking for ways to get a tuba shipped from Sturgeon Bay. I think I've exhausted every possible choice. Weird cause I just shipped 2 huge tuba cartons from Florida to Texas for 50 bucks a pop by Fedex. It is 165 bucks from Wisconsin... 75 by bus ( 300 insurance limits), 100 by post office, 110 by UPS.

[Greg Lecewicz]

[quote="Greg Lecewicz"]Go to their website. They show 36x36x36 limits. I was looking for ways to get a tuba shipped from Sturgeon Bay. I think I've exhausted every possible choice. Weird cause I just shipped 2 huge tuba cartons from Florida to Texas for 50 bucks a pop by Fedex. It is 165 bucks from Wisconsin... 75 by bus ( 300 insurance limits), 100 by post office, 110 by UPS.[/quoteShip with Amtrak
We offer small package and less-than-truckload shipping services between more than 100 cities.

For information regarding rates, schedules and permitted articles, call 1-800-377-6914 (8 am - 8 pm ET, Monday through Friday); only shipping information is available at this telephone number. For other customer inquiries, please call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

Note: New York Penn Station does not originate Amtrak Express (or human remains) shipments. This station only receives such shipments originating at other Amtrak stations. The Newark, NJ station provides full Amtrak Express services.

Kinds of Shipping Services Offered
Small Package Shipments
Weight limit for each item: 50 lbs. (23 kg)
Size limit for each item: 3 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft
(90 cm by 90 cm by 90 cm)
Weight limit for each shipment: 500 lbs. (227 kg)
Heavy and Commercial Shipments
Many major stations handle pallets and packages.

Individual pallets of up to 500 lbs. (227 kg)
Weight limit for each non-palletized item: 50 lbs. (23 kg)
Size limit for each non-palletized item: 3 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft (90 cm by 90 cm by 90 cm)
Weight limit for each shipment: 500 lbs. (227 kg)

[Tubajug]

If they only want you to use the case, it might be a good idea to wrap the case in that Saran-wrap stuff often used to wrap pallets with to make sure it stays closed. Just cut a slit for the handle to come out, then tape it back up.

I did that when shipping a bell via greyhound. It worked great.

[Ferguson]

I frequently ship tubas by Amtrak out of Los Angeles. I'm reading some correct information and some misinformation in the posts above. This is my experience. (Bonus: long winded.) YMMV:

-Not all Amtrak stations accept freight of any kind. Some stations are simply a platform, and there is no freight service at all.

-For stations that do accept freight, they are divided into two kinds: those that only accept standard freight up to 50 pounds in weight, and those that accept "heavy freight" which is anything over 50 pounds. The heavy freight stations are only at major hubs, and I believe the distinction depends upon whether they have a forklift available to lift items over 50 pounds.

-I routinely ship tubas in Miraphone boxes, which are 23x30x48". Size is never a problem, at least at the Los Angeles freight office. (BTW, if you are in SoCal and need tuba box, call The Horn Guys La Crescenta. We have a lifetime supply of them in the basement.) Yes, Amtrak will accept a tuba in a hard case without a box, but if it's over 50 pounds (even if the case has wheels), it's still heavy freight.

-A smaller tuba, like an F tuba without case and packed in air pillows in a box, might be under 50 pounds, and these can be delivered to many more stations. We have shipped a tuba in one box and its case in a second box to get under the 50 pound regulation.

-A tuba in a hard case, a large tuba, or one packed with heavier packing materials, easily weights over 50 pounds, and this limits the stations to which you can send it. These boxes can only go to "heavy freight" stations.

-Example: I often ship tubas to San Jose, California, which has a fairly busy hub train station. However, they do not have a forklift available, so more often than not, we have to use Greyhound to San Jose unless the tuba is very small.

-Anything over 50 pounds always goes on a pallet and is moved by forklift, and you pay for the extra weight of the pallet (@20lbs). The pallet is free. If your box weights 52 or 53 pounds, they might let it go. You might phone ahead to make sure they have pallet if your box is over 50 pounds. The 800 number can give you the local freight office phone number. Pallets are easy to find if they are out, but I suspect the heavy freight stations always have a few. You can deliver your tuba pre-palleted, or they will do it for you.

-Pallets and wrapping: For LTL truck shipping of fragile tubas, I buy pallets for $1 at one local lumberyard, $2 at another. Sometimes I scavenge them on the roadside. Stretch wrap, to cocoon your tuba box to the pallet, is available at stores like Office Depot. Before shopping at Office Depot, find the stretch wrap page of their website on your smart phone, or print out that page and show it to the Office Depot cashier. The web price is much less than the in-store price, and they will match it in store. In Los Angeles, Amtrak always has pallets, and also they have no idea how to securely stretch wrap a box to the pallet. I just let them do their nonsense palleting and wrapping on their own. Some day I will show them. They always take good care of the tuba anyway. How high off the ground does a tuba box get when traveling by train? 3 feet? As a poster above described, we also sometimes stretch-wrap-cocoon a hard case without a box and cut slits for the handle and wheels. It's never a problem and may help keep things looking new during the trip.

-You can buy insurance for your tuba when you ship Amtrak, and the price is very fair. Sometimes I buy it, sometimes not. It depends upon the fragility of the instrument. Small F tuba in a big box: meh. Gronitz PCK: you bet. We have never had a tuba damaged or lost when shipping by Amtrak, but as you all know, packing a tuba is an art. Proper packing makes all the difference. That's another post...

-DO NOT put any labels on the box that say "FRAGILE", or anything like that. Amtrak does not ship fragile items. One of my staff was turned away when trying to ship a tuba box that had fragile stickers on it. Yes, this is lame. Write your senator. We have fun getting around this by sometimes taping on labels that say something like, "This box contains a tuba on its way to the circus. Please be gentle. Beware of clowns." Humor is good. Amtrak employees can sound like drones (or they're especially surly), but they are people too.

-DO put "THIS SIDE UP" stickers on the box if this is important to you. Usually the address label goes on top, and the location of the label determines in what position the box travels. Have the phone number of the recipient available. Amtrak should phone them when the box arrives at its destination.

-Let's be careful out there.

Best,
Steve Ferguson

[bill]

+1 To Fergusson.
My experience: I had a Hirsbrunner HBS-192 shipped in its own case from Denver to Portland Oregon. It took 4 Days and arrived in perfect shape. I had seen pictures of it before shipping so I was aware of its pre-shipping condition. The case and horn are right around 50 lbs., maybe a bit heavier but that was not a problem. The horn was packed by a music store (they charged me $20 and the AMTRAK cost was $80). The horn had a playground ball wedged in to its bell so the horn would not move in the case and these Hirsbrunner cases, with wheels, have a restraining strap in them. The case was wrapped in Saran Wrap with handle and wheels left outside of the wrap.

I have ridden AMTRAK from Portland, OR, to San Diego and I find the people working the train are delightful, in most cases and especially helpful, in all cases. The freight people are equally nice. I have shipped a total of three tubas via AMTRAK without a bit of trouble. If there is a caveat, it is that you must be near a station handling freight if you wish to ship or you must be willing to go to such a station. AMTRAK will tell you what stations are nearest you and nearest the origin of your shipment.

AMTRAK is one of the most reasonable, if not undervalued services we have in the United States.

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