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It looks like an in-house Amtrak design. Very stark. It has the charm of a Jersey diner.
8400
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The Davy Crockett
Engineer
Looks nice to me, but then I do like the wood paneling Amtrak has been using of late. Alan, I know it was the first run, and so it is all new to the crew, but any observations on the food and serving side of things?
Mike,
The crew seemed to be taking it in stride pretty well overall and we had a ton of management on here to help ensure that they had no problems; including the Director, Operations & Coordination Office of the President & CEO. So despite what some believe, management does ride the trains, like I keep saying!
They did somehow screw up on our table, as we were the 3rd table seated for the 5 PM seating. Tables that came in for the 5:30 seating were getting their food and we were still waiting for ours.
But beyond that and a small snafu over dessert, things were good and it was a real pleasure eating in the newly refurbished car. Very nice riding car especially at the higher speeds on CSX between Poughkeepsie & Albany.One of the really nice features of the new car, which I mentioned earlier, is that they never run out of ice anymore. They have an icemaker built into the kitchen.
Bill,
Yes, it's all in house design AFAIK. And yes, it's not the design of 60 years ago, but it is certainly nicer than the current Heritage dining cars. And having that extra row of windows during the day IMHO really makes a huge difference in atmosphere.
Probably because they knew you were railfans and would be back, no matter how bad the service was. :giggle:Mike,
The crew seemed to be taking it in stride pretty well overall and we had a ton of management on here to help ensure that they had no problems; including the Director, Operations & Coordination Office of the President & CEO. So despite what some believe, management does ride the trains, like I keep saying!
They did somehow screw up on our table, as we were the 3rd table seated for the 5 PM seating. Tables that came in for the 5:30 seating were getting their food and we were still waiting for ours.
One of the really nice features of the new car, which I mentioned earlier, is that they never run out of ice anymore. They have an icemaker built into the kitchen.
- Joined
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Check out this thread on Trainorders, and in particular the second photo. There is our one and only AlanB and his mom enjoying the ambiance of #8400 on last night's (10/2) Lakeshore (far right, back toward us, scanner earpiece in place). If you have a paid TO membership, you'll see the photo full size. If not, get out your magnifying glass.
TO #8400
TO #8400
jis
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Not to mention Shanghai and pennyk facing them and Robert right in the front row!
the_traveler
Engineer
The last time I took #49 out of NYP, I think I was the only one in the diner prior to ALB!
So nice to see a large crowd!
NE933
Conductor
Very nice! Very beautiful; this can be -- despite the pathological frowners who see wrong in everything -- a shot in the arm for all of Amtrak's LD and medium corridor trains. May it carry it's name 'Indianapolis' with pride, honor, and everlasting homage to the connection to their meanings.
OlympianHiawatha
Engineer
Indeed this is a nice looking car and maybe will inspire an update for the Superliner Diner interiors. I wonder how much the 8400 differs from the Viewliner II design....
Thanks for your input, Alan. So far, it seems that most folks like the Indianapolis. I hope it will be on my next LSL trip.
Mike
Mike
Save for them finding a problem with 8400 that somehow causes something to change, the new Veiwliner II dining cars should look exactly the same.
They took 8400 down to the shell, the metal framwork that is the car's body, everything else is new in and on this car and again baring a problem, is exactly what is currently intended to go into the new Viewliner II's.
Mike,
You've got a 1 in 3 chance.
And yes, I think that most people liked the new car. We caught one of the SA's that worked the car on his way to detrain in Chicago, an excellent waiter that we've had before on the LSL a couple of times (in fact he recognized me), and asked him what he thought of his first run in the new car. Overall he seemed quite pleased. He said that there were a few small issues and that it took getting used to where things were in the kitchen, but overall he was quite pleased. He mentioned to me that this car was to serve as the test and I replied, "yes I know that." I then said to him, "hopefully they got things right this time, unlike the last time." He started laughing and told me that he had worked 8400 under the old design and that from what he saw on this trip, they got it right this time. It is not the fiasco that the old layout was.
I even mentioned the need for him to walk behind the chef at the grill to get the Orange Juice out of the fridge and he just started laughing as remembered that wonderful bit from the original design. He assured me that this new design is vastly superior to the original layout. He's looking forward to having all 25 of the new diners on the road as he thinks they'll do just fine and make the passengers much happier than the experience provided by the Heritage fleet.
Alan, thanks for the pic!! How was the ride quality/noise level??
Yes, even at night the car was brighter than the old Heritage cars. I didn't really notice any effect from the LED's during breakfast this morning however, since it was sunny out.
As I noted earlier, the ride was very nice even at 100 MPH on CSX. That's no doubt due at least in part to all new springs, but hopefully the picked a good truck design also to keep things good.
As for noise, it's been a few months since I was in a Heritage Diner, but I tend to think that it rode a bit quieter. Oddly, the door at the seating end of the car made a squeaking noise as it shut. Which also brings to mind another observation, and I pointed it out to management, Sunnyside put the diner into the consist backwards.
One of the new features of this dining car is that the first table at the end of the car is setup to allow for a person in a wheelchair to roll from the H-room, through the vestibule, and into the diner. Sunnyside cut the diner into the LSL's consist such that the table end of the car faced the coaches, instead of the sleepers.
Hopefully that manager, who agreed it was wrong, will get Chicago to flip the car, so that Sunnyside can then see how things are supposed to work.printman2000
Engineer
You know, if the sun is lower in the sky, the sun could be a real problem coming through the upper windows. You could end up sitting there with the sun right in your face and no way to close a blind or curtain to block it.
OlympianHiawatha
Engineer
Good point! Maybe they could install 787 style electronic window shades on the upper windows but be certain those would become a maintenance nightmare in just a couple months.
By and large, if the sun is low enough to shine through the upper windows, it's going to be hitting higher than eye level but for a few minutes.
Besides, we can't protect against everything. Coincidentally, I just sat in a Superliner dining car on the CZ, at the last table on the western end of the car, on the northern side of the car. For about 15 minutes, the sun was just at the right angle to our train's forward progress, that the sun shone through the windows of the Sightseer lounge, through the windows of the doors on the lounge & diner, and right into my eyes. Go figure!
One simply cannot prepare for every contingency. I simply don't see this as a huge problem, much less one that will occur on every train every day.
printman2000
Engineer
I did not mean to imply I though it was a big problem. Just a potential one. I have delt with bad angles in the past that required adjustment of curtains so my meal was not unenjoyable with sun in my eyes. No curtains on upper windows would mean no solution.
Craig,
Not to worry, I'm just saying that there isn't a whole lot that can be done about things. And in this case, typically most of the eastern trains change directions at least subtlety every few minutes that it should be a long term problem.
Not to worry, I'm just saying that there isn't a whole lot that can be done about things. And in this case, typically most of the eastern trains change directions at least subtlety every few minutes that it should be a long term problem.
G
Guest GG1
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Aloha
Posting from Christine's computer. Those that are on THE SWC are going to see alot of Freight in Barstow and west I hope it doesnt slow you down. As I drove past the tracks there was choke trains.
See you soon
EEric
Posting from Christine's computer. Those that are on THE SWC are going to see alot of Freight in Barstow and west I hope it doesnt slow you down. As I drove past the tracks there was choke trains.
See you soon
EEric
jis
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