CCC - Trapped Chef?

[PVDtoGO]

Hi There:

I was just looking at the diagram of the CCC on the Amtrak site, and I noticed no stairs leading down. I have yet to experience this beast, though I do like the concept of the horshoe tables (contrarian I know!!!). My understanding of the setup is that the chef is downstairs....is he trapped until the train stops? :help: I assume he has a restroom. Maybe I just missed something.....happens a lot so i thought I would ask those in the 'know' .....

I am not a fan of the regular heritage dining cars as I am a bit chubby and extremely uncomfortable in the seats... I generally ask the SCA to deliver dinner (appropriately compensated), unless I am with my family or friends then I eat in the diner. Otherwise it is just too cramped for me.

Aside:

My last trip on the Silver Service I had the same SCA (Kirk)as I had on my first trip 15 years ago...After 30+ years with Amtrak he is retiring... he was a great SCA , had a very pleasant trip.

Take care!

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

There are stairs leading down, trust me.

 

[PVDtoGO]

Thanks ALC....

I am happy to hear that. Otherwise it sounds like some disaster movie in the making...not to mention cruel. I do wish Amtrak made their diagrams realistic.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

The basics construction of the CCC, the windows, doors, stairs, ect. remain the same.

The stairs IIRC are right across from the dumbwaiter.

 

[the_traveler]

The CCC is basically a Superliner Diner made into a combined diner and lounge, or a Sightseer Lounge made into a combined lounge and diner! So there are stairs in it!

 

[Long Train Runnin']

I think the stairs aren't on the diagram because they aren't for passanger use.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Aside from the elimination of one of the cars dumbwaiter elevators, the CCC is more or less identical to a Superliner Diner downstairs. Structurally speaking, a CCC is a Superliner Diner, with only a few minor exceptions.

First, as mentioned, one of the dumbwaiters is removed. I think that this is reflected downstairs with only a blanking plate.

Second, the bulkheads for the upstairs "prep" area is removed.

Third, a prep area that denies passe4nger access, and allows serving from one end of it as a cafe, is installed, a slightly different configuration that is narrower, but takes up space where one row of booths used to be.

Otherwise, in terms of actual car structure, there are no differences. There is nothing to stop the removal of the retarded benches and replacement with regular seats. Which, I suspect, will happen as the cars are brought in for overhauls, at least most of them.

Actually, I have a feeling that the structural configuration of the Cross Country Cafe but with regular booths will, eventually, become the standard across the Amtrak system, with perhaps the Auto Train continuing with the standard configuration. Not being used as a CCC, per se, but the area that allows for cafe sales is a useful addition for systems flexibility. For example, Boardman seems interested in increasing the places that single trains go through splitting them in places.

While a Sightseer Lounge is currently configured to function as a non-waited food sales car, the Diners are not. A CCC-type counter configuration would allow, for example, true lounge food sales on the Empire Builder from Seattle to Spokane. During that section of the trip, they'd only use half the diner for meals. When it reaches Spokane, the diner becomes a full diner exclusively.

I also suspect that the lower level of the Sightseer will get superior food preparation equipment, and will be reconfigured so that the lower level can be used as a waited dining car on a train that only has a Sightseer for a portion of its route.