Crescent discussion 2023 Q4 - 2024

pennyk · Sep 30, 2023

From October 1, 2023 forward, please post comments discussing the Crescent. For previous posts regarding the Crescent, please refer to this thread, which is currently locked:

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/crescent-discussion.82831/

user 14106 · Oct 1, 2023

The spot for the crew is one reason why having both a diner and lounge car on long distance trains is important and just the lounge on the Crescent really doesn’t work. After hours outside meal times the diner is kind of an ideal place to have the crew camp out and is where they often do when the train does have a diner. Even when both are available the ways crew setup can be excessive. On the Lake Shore for instance the side of the lounge facing the Boston sleeper is usually completely reserved for crew. Now it’s still better than when they had half business since they at least now have the other entire half for customers, I still don’t get why they need one entire side of the car. Can imagine this creates an even bigger problem on the Crescent where the lounge is all you have. This is one area where the Superliners have an advantage. The downstairs of the Sightseer kind of ends up serving as the crew hangout. While even this is excessive it at least leaves the seating most desirable to customers upstairs open for their use. I could understand some of this stuff during the early pandemic when crews may have wanted a little more separation from passengers, but with ridership returning it’s not really reasonable anymore. I do hope whatever new equipment program materializes will include a space for the crew to camp out.

Bronzeman · Oct 3, 2023

What happened to the Crescent? #20(2) isn’t on the status maps and I couldn’t find any notices on the Amtrak—granted their search feature isn’t always the best.

AmtrakBlue · Oct 3, 2023

Probably lost its GPS signal. You can always check this site for missing trains.

http://dixielandsoftware.net/cgi-bin/getmap.pl?mapname=East

Bronzeman · Oct 3, 2023

Thanks. It certainly sounds like a GPS issue. The Dixieland status had nothing in the way of times for any of the stations after TCA until the train reappeared at CLT. Oddly, asm.transitdocs.com and Amtrak itself still have nothing. Sounds a bit like Charlie on the MTA.

west point · Oct 3, 2023

Around 1415 EDT we may finally see it on the status map when the electric motor is added at WAS? Evidently Amtrak did not track the second loco or maybe both locos GPS tracking failed?? Then we can check to see if times south of WAS shows.

Bronzeman · Oct 3, 2023

We rode #20(1) from GRO to NYP yesterday. It had 2 VL1s (toilets in the roomettes and one VL2 (common toilet for roomettes down the hall) which I believe was a baggage dorm (beyond the roomettes and toilets and shower was a door marked “crew only”.

AmtrakBlue · Oct 3, 2023

west point said:
Around 1415 EDT we may finally see it on the status map when the electric motor is added at WAS? Evidently Amtrak did not track the second loco or maybe both locos GPS tracking failed?? Then we can check to see if times south of WAS shows.

Nope, still missing from the tracker. Went through Newark, DE at 3:47 pm

And, no, it would not show missing data because the data was not recorded.

AmtrakBlue · Oct 3, 2023

Bronzeman said:
We rode #20(1) from GRO to NYP yesterday. It had 2 VL1s (toilets in the roomettes and one VL2 (common toilet for roomettes down the hall) which I believe was a baggage dorm (beyond the roomettes and toilets and shower was a door marked “crew only”.

Same for 20(2)

woobuff · Oct 3, 2023

Bronzeman said:
What happened to the Crescent? #20(2) isn’t on the status maps and I couldn’t find any notices on the Amtrak—granted their search feature isn’t always the best.

One of the bridges on its route through New Orleans burned yesterday.

AmtrakBlue · Oct 3, 2023

woobuff said:
One of the bridges on its route through New Orleans burned yesterday.

That appears to have happend after 20(2) left NOL. And today's 20 only lost 25 mins between NOL and SDL (Slidell)

20(2) stopped tracking between TCA (Toccoa, GA) and CSN (Clemson, SC)

west point · Oct 16, 2023

#19 / 15 October took a 4 hour delay at WAS. Tracking was all over the place and train might have departed WAS but been pulled back. Not sure. There may have also been some arrival delays just north of station.

BarryATL · Oct 16, 2023

When booking on the Crescent, how do I know if I am on a Viewliner I or II? My husband is in a wheelchair and we would prefer to be on a Viewliner II as the handicap space is updated.

user 14106 · Oct 16, 2023

BarryATL said:
When booking on the Crescent, how do I know if I am on a Viewliner I or II? My husband is in a wheelchair and we would prefer to be on a Viewliner II as the handicap space is updated.

10 and 11 car will be Viewliner 1 unless a car is subbed. 12 car is a Viewliner 2 bag dorm. It has roomettes only. Basically the same as normal VL2 sleepers though the one time I did a bag dorm the roomette I was in I noticed the overhead bag storage area was noticeably smaller than the other VL2 roomettes I’ve been in. So for the accessible rooms you’ll be in a Viewliner 1 unless some kind of substitution.

BarryATL · Oct 16, 2023

lordsigma said:
10 and 11 car will be Viewliner 1 unless a car is subbed. 12 car is a Viewliner 2 bag dorm. It has roomettes only. Basically the same as normal VL2 sleepers though the one time I did a bag dorm the roomette I was in I noticed the overhead bag storage area was noticeably smaller than the other VL2 roomettes I’ve been in. So for the accessible rooms you’ll be in a Viewliner 1 unless some kind of substitution.

Bummer. I have seen several YouTube vids on the VLII accessible bedrooms and was hoping we would get to experience them.

We are planning a December weekend in New Orleans, but I am weary about booking Amtrak. For the last few years the train has been terminated so many times in Atlanta, it is just not dependable going south. I cannot count the number of times I drive by the Atlanta station and see the truncated train parked on the siding. In the 2000's I was taking the Crescent going south of Atlanta 30-50 times a year. It was late but always ran. That does not seem to be the case nowadays.

user 14106 · Oct 16, 2023

BarryATL said:
Bummer. I have seen several YouTube vids on the VLII accessible bedrooms and was hoping we would get to experience them.

We are planning a December weekend in New Orleans, but I am weary about booking Amtrak. For the last few years the train has been terminated so many times in Atlanta, it is just not dependable going south. I cannot count the number of times I drive by the Atlanta station and see the truncated train parked on the siding. In the 2000's I was taking the Crescent going south of Atlanta 30-50 times a year. It was late but always ran. That does not seem to be the case nowadays.

That's usually a specific time of year it gets truncated for track work. Someone else may be able to provide the typical timeframe.

NativeSon5859 · Oct 17, 2023

Crescent should be running the entire way daily in December. Usually mid January to mid February it only runs ATL-NOL on Fr/Sa/Su, with the other four days a bus substitution, due to NS track work.

McLeansvilleAppFan · Oct 17, 2023

AmtrakBlue said:
Probably lost its GPS signal. You can always check this site for missing trains.

http://dixielandsoftware.net/cgi-bin/getmap.pl?mapname=East

What is going on with this website to track trains versus all the other websites that tracks trains. I like this website, especially the solari board but is there another reason I should like this for tracking purposes?

AmtrakBlue · Oct 17, 2023

McLeansvilleAppFan said:
What is going on with this website to track trains versus all the other websites that tracks trains. I like this website, especially the solari board but is there another reason I should like this for tracking purposes?

It’s a backup for me. This one doesn’t use GPS data as <some of> the others do. This one uses “checked in” data. Use whichever ones you like.

McLeansvilleAppFan · Oct 17, 2023

AmtrakBlue said:
It’s a backup for me. This one doesn’t use GPS data as <some of> the others do. This one uses “checked in” data. Use whichever ones you like.

So has does Dixieland show the train in progress as it shows a map of trains from a few minutes before the present.? Is the only difference dixieland does not show speeds or is the locomotive sending a GPS signal to Amtrak and also sending a separate signal that just shows location.

dadonatrain · Oct 25, 2023

I’m booked on the Crescent from Clemson to Newark and back Nov 10 and 17 respectively. I’m in car 2011 NB and 1910 back. I’ve been all over the country in Superliners in roomettes and bedrooms but this is my first trip sleeping in a Viewliner.

I tried to find a “floor plan” diagram on Amtrak.com of the VL1 and VL2 but I couldn’t. I did read the standard description but I couldn’t find a picture. I also read earlier msgs in this thread saying the VL1 roomettes have toilets in the roomette, not just down the hall. This sounds contradictory to what the official Amtrak description of the Viewliner roomette have, except for accessible rooms.

Can someone please clarify things for me please? I’m a visual learner, which is why I’d love to see a diagram but I’ll take any and all help I can get!

jis · Oct 25, 2023

dadonatrain said:
I’m booked on the Crescent from Clemson to Newark and back Nov 10 and 17 respectively. I’m in car 2011 NB and 1910 back. I’ve been all over the country in Superliners in roomettes and bedrooms but this is my first trip sleeping in a Viewliner.

I tried to find a “floor plan” diagram on Amtrak.com of the VL1 and VL2 but I couldn’t. I did read the standard description but I couldn’t find a picture. I also read earlier msgs in this thread saying the VL1 roomettes have toilets in the roomette, not just down the hall. This sounds contradictory to what the official Amtrak description of the Viewliner roomette have, except for accessible rooms.

Can someone please clarify things for me please? I’m a visual learner, which is why I’d love to see a diagram but I’ll take any and all help I can get!

This article has a diagram of the floor plan of a Viewliner I:

https://www.trainsandtravel.com/2017/02/23/vewliner-sleepers-offer-two-nice-extras/
Yes Viewliner I Roomettes have a commode in the room. Viewliner IIs don't. On the Crescent if you manage to get a Roomette in the 12 car, which is the Bag-Dorm, you will get a Viewliner II Roomette. The 10 and 11 cars are normally Viewliner I.

joelkfla · Oct 25, 2023

dadonatrain said:
I’m booked on the Crescent from Clemson to Newark and back Nov 10 and 17 respectively. I’m in car 2011 NB and 1910 back. I’ve been all over the country in Superliners in roomettes and bedrooms but this is my first trip sleeping in a Viewliner.

I tried to find a “floor plan” diagram on Amtrak.com of the VL1 and VL2 but I couldn’t. I did read the standard description but I couldn’t find a picture. I also read earlier msgs in this thread saying the VL1 roomettes have toilets in the roomette, not just down the hall. This sounds contradictory to what the official Amtrak description of the Viewliner roomette have, except for accessible rooms.

Can someone please clarify things for me please? I’m a visual learner, which is why I’d love to see a diagram but I’ll take any and all help I can get!

The VL2 is essentially the same as the VL1, except that the 13th Roomette (normally occupied by the car attendant) has been replaced by 2 restrooms, and the coffee station is moved to the center of the car between the Roomettes & Bedrooms.

I assume that Amtrak took out the explicit reference to a toilet in Roomettes because there's no way to tell which version a passenger will get, and they didn't want people insisting that they do or don't get one, or complaining about it.

jis · Oct 26, 2023

joelkfla said:
The VL2 is essentially the same as the VL1, except that the 13th Roomette (normally occupied by the car attendant) has been replaced by 2 restrooms, and the coffee station is moved to the center of the car between the Roomettes & Bedrooms.

I assume that Amtrak took out the explicit reference to a toilet in Roomettes because there's no way to tell which version a passenger will get, and they didn't want people insisting that they do or don't get one, or complaining about it.

Normally the only VL2 Roomettes on the Crescent are in the bag-dorm (12 car) as the two full Sleeping Cars on that train (10 and 11 cars) are VL1. The layout of the Bag-Dorm naturally is very different from that of a full Sleeping Car.

dadonatrain · Oct 29, 2023

I’m almost positive I know the answer but I’ll ask anyway to be sure.

From earlier msgs above in this thread it sounds as if the Crescent currently does NOT have a full sit down dining car. Just a lounge, which I assume includes the usual snack bar counter with drinks, nuckable “food” etc. Correct?

I’ll ride it next month btwn Clemson and Newark and I want to be prepared.

Thx.

Crescent discussion 2023 Q4 - 2024

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