Clearly it has been proved that Amtrak can even be creative enough to use a Superliner Trans/Dorm Sleeper as a make-shift baggage car (as seen with the Portland section of the Empire Builder this past winter). The future of baggage service and the baggage cars remain utmost mystery. There’s too many of the cars.
If CAF was reliable and a good manufacturer, I’d say send the baggage cars back (Viewliner shells) and make them into sleepers and a LD cafe/lounge (to replace the Amfleet II Diner Lite cars). This presumes the labor market will improve and capacity on trains returns to pre-pandemic levels. Demand has returned, but Amtrak can’t keep up with capacity across its LD system.
Boardman’s intentions were good at the time of ordering (to bolster M&E and try to make money off of checked baggage). But there’s better revenue channels that have since emerged it seems.
I still can’t figure out why Amtrak didn’t fully deploy all Viewliner II Sleepers. If anything were to be mothballed on the single level sleeper fleet - mothball the worst of the Viewliner I’s. VIewliner I’s and II’s should be treated the same as Superliner Sleeper I’s and II’s. The Viewliner I’s could be the shop reserve, bad-order reserve, and any other reserve for the Viewliner II’s. Overall the Viewliner II’s have one less roomette than the Viewliner I’s. Not that hard to block out as needed, or substitute in if needed since they hold the greater capacity.
Likewise, could there have been better options to deploy the Viewliner II Diners rather than mothballing some of those too. Amtrak’s been trying to get a combined diner/lounge out of them - especially for the Cardinal. I think they could have found a way with these cars, or at least done something with them (viewing/lounge car) to keep the fleet active or offer an added amenity that didn’t necessarily mean providing “staff” directly to the car if not providing food service. No reason why the Cardinal and Crescent couldn’t have had a Viewliner II Diner. If short on staff, treat it like the upper level of a Superliner Sightseer Lounge with the galley locked off (yes it can lock).
In general, Amtrak has the demand right now, but is lacking capacity to handle it. The leisure and travel industry has been trying to bolster up and be prepared for the summer. Amtrak is trailing behind. Yes, I realize a lot has to do with Amtrak lack of labor. But they’ve not advanced that far in trying to add capacity since it was initially taken away. They got some re-arranging of the deck chairs coming it seems, but no influx of capacity addItion.