Another dining car/SSL cutback

[Thirdrail7]

This. Anyone remember when there was passenger outrage over an Acela with a full History Channel wrap?

I don't really remember passenger outrage. I remember buff outrage but most Acela passengers aren't staring out of the windows and barely commented, particularly when the "Boss" came through:

 

[Maglev]

On the Empire Builder which departed Chicago on January 14, I noticed missing train art posters.

In my sleeper, one of the frames had a poster with tips for traveling safely by train, while the other frame was empty.

In the SSL, one of the frames had a cafe menu and the other had a picture of items offered for sale in the cafe.

The dining car had no posters nor frames.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

 The empty frames are what I was referring to as hedious in the lounge. Easy solution if there’s nothing to put in them take the frames down. But who knows what it looks like under, might cost more to fix/paint then having a 100 posters printed for 2-5 bucks each...using them for ad space is a good idea if it can be done tastefully.

 

[tonijustine]

Posters can be printed in low volume very cheaply on a large PC printer. I've used my Epson to print long banners so posters shouldn't be a problem. I hope that the recent cuts don't go as far as keeping the poster frames empty.  Here's an idea. How about Amtrak soliciting the cities that they service that are looking to build up tourism?  Give them the poster space at a low cost and maybe they will bite.  If you look online you will find travel/vacation posters for Chicago "The Vacation City" , MIAMI,  Denver, New Orleans and many other destinations.  This idea for trains may be a throwback to an earlier time but the airlines still seem to do it.

Yes but Amtrak is a Union shop and it won’t be as easy as printing a poster off of your Epson. They may have to use a commercial union printer (they use a special mark).

 

[juanee]

Yes but Amtrak is a Union shop and it won’t be as easy as printing a poster off of your Epson. They may have to use a commercial union printer (they use a special mark).

Wow, I know Amtrak is heavily unionized but didn't know there was such thing as a Commercial Union Printer.

So does that mean Amtrak can not consider a mom and pop family owned print shop (that uses professional printing equipment)?

 

[PVD]

There are printers that are unionized. There is very little likelihood that using a printer that was unionized is required of Amtrak.   Even Federally funded construction covered under Davis/  Bacon would be prevailing wage rate, but that doesn't require union. There are sometimes clauses in CBA's preventing work from being moved to a different bargaining unit internally or externally, but in this case we are talking about work that was probably not done in house to begin with.

 

[me_little_me]

Wow, I know Amtrak is heavily unionized but didn't know there was such thing as a Commercial Union Printer.

So does that mean Amtrak can not consider a mom and pop family owned print shop (that uses professional printing equipment)?

One would think that Small Business Set Aside or Women Owned Businesses or Minority Business (if applicable) rules would "Trump" the union rules.

 

[Pere Flyer]

One would think that Small Business Set Aside or Women Owned Businesses or Minority Business (if applicable) rules would "Trump" the union rules.

Please explain.

 

[PVD]

None of those things are relevant to Federal/Amtrak procurement rules.

 

[cirdan]

I never had the impression that any of the Amtrak posters were faded or otherwise needed to be replaced. They could easily have been left there for a while. I can underrstand that maybe somebody thought change was due, and maybe some new designs would freshen things up a bit. But then I would have thought they get the new posters done before tossing the old ones out.

 

[cocojacoby]

There actually is something called "Amtrak Vacations" and I would think they could offer some beautiful posters with a little brand advertising:

https://www.amtrakvacations.com/

 

[cpotisch]

There actually is something called "Amtrak Vacations" and I would think they could offer some beautiful posters with a little brand advertising:

https://www.amtrakvacations.com/

Amtrak Vacations isn't actually Amtrak, so I don't know how they could fit into this.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

Amtrak Vacations isn't actually Amtrak, so I don't know how they could fit into this.

Free advertising in what is for the most part dead space now. A win win for both companies. Amtrak saves printing costs and gains leisure passenger $$ through bookings with Amtrak Vacations.