Electrical outlets on superliner cars

[EB_OBS]

I heard today, from a higher authority that all superliner coaches and sight-seer lounges at Beachgrove will not leave the facility without being retrofitted with power strips. This will include all the cars that arrive in the future as well.

I can't remember which forum member it is, but I know there's at lease one person here who'll appreciate hearing this news.

 

[jackal]

Great news! Frankly, though, I'm surprised any WERE leaving without power strips!

 

[the_traveler]

I was surprised to find that the refurbished Sightseers have booths at one end - but NO power!

 

[cpamtfan]

I was surprised to find that the refurbished Sightseers have booths at one end - but NO power!

That probably has to do with the walls, as there used to be lounge seats there. Thats another reason you don't find many outlets in the Sightseers Lounge. It is good Amtrak is updating there old stuff.

cpamtfan-Peter

 

[transit54]

Finally! What wonderful news. I don't make it out to trains with Superliners very often, but having power outlets is a huge plus for me.

 

[MikeM]

That probably has to do with the walls, as there used to be lounge seats there. Thats another reason you don't find many outlets in the Sightseers Lounge. It is good Amtrak is updating there old stuff.
cpamtfan-Peter

I haven't ridden superliners since tables started getting installed in the top level, but have a trip in July. Do the tables seem to be very popular? I thought when I traveled that the lounge seating seemed to get a lot of use but tables in the lower level were hit and miss. Maybe I'm missing something, but putting tables in the top seems like it'd make it real competitive to find a seat in the observation areas....What have you guys seen on this?

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I was surprised to find that the refurbished Sightseers have booths at one end - but NO power!

That probably has to do with the walls, as there used to be lounge seats there. Thats another reason you don't find many outlets in the Sightseers Lounge. It is good Amtrak is updating there old stuff.

cpamtfan-Peter

When I was on the CL last month, our SSL had outlets at every one of the swivel seats, right below the drink holder length against the wall. Didn't look at the rest of the car, but certainly that area had an outlet per person and everybody was using them!

 

[the_traveler]

I was surprised to find that the refurbished Sightseers have booths at one end - but NO power!

That probably has to do with the walls, as there used to be lounge seats there. Thats another reason you don't find many outlets in the Sightseers Lounge. It is good Amtrak is updating there old stuff.

But the PPC has outlets - both at the booths and at the swivel seats - and all are on the walls! :blink:

 

[Kramerica]

I haven't ridden superliners since tables started getting installed in the top level, but have a trip in July. Do the tables seem to be very popular? I thought when I traveled that the lounge seating seemed to get a lot of use but tables in the lower level were hit and miss. Maybe I'm missing something, but putting tables in the top seems like it'd make it real competitive to find a seat in the observation areas....What have you guys seen on this?

When I rode the EB in June 2007, we had a SSL with the booths in one half. The regular lounge seating was difficult to get, but so were the booths. The train was full.

I thought the booths were nice to have. My wife and I played some cards there during the day. (we were in coach) One morning when I got up early I ate breakfast there so I wouldn't disturb my wife. Other people seemed to use it for games and just chatting, especially for people in groups of four. Hard to do that with the regular lounge seating. Overall, I thought they were nice and that it was a good way to add capacity to the SSL.

 

[cpamtfan]

I was surprised to find that the refurbished Sightseers have booths at one end - but NO power!

That probably has to do with the walls, as there used to be lounge seats there. Thats another reason you don't find many outlets in the Sightseers Lounge. It is good Amtrak is updating there old stuff.

But the PPC has outlets - both at the booths and at the swivel seats - and all are on the walls! :blink:

The PPCs are older, and when they got the makeover a couple months ago, thats the only place they could put the outlets, since it was an older car. The Sightseer Lounge problem has to do with what ALC was saying (that the outlets were in those basket things infront of the swivel seats), but if they were at that lower height, thn the tables wouldn't be able to get them since they would be on the floor (although the Acela's outles are on the floor, but that was part of the design).

cpamtfan-Peter

 

[alang]

What is the the current status of electrical outlets on the CZ? Thank you!

 

[the_traveler]

The PPCs are older, and when they got the makeover a couple months ago, thats the only place they could put the outlets, since it was an older car. The Sightseer Lounge problem has to do with what ALC was saying (that the outlets were in those basket things infront of the swivel seats), but if they were at that lower height, thn the tables wouldn't be able to get them since they would be on the floor (although the Acela's outles are on the floor, but that was part of the design).

I do understand what you're saying about the Sightseer and the outlets at the seats. But the outlets in the PPC are at window level. Why could they not raise them up from the floor to window level at that end only? :huh: I doubt 50-60 years ago, the PPC was built with electrical outlets!

Many (but not all) cars have electrical outlets now. On my last trip, I saw power in most coaches - but there were still a few that didn't have any at-seat. It's the luck of the draw.

 

[AlanB]

The PPCs are older, and when they got the makeover a couple months ago, thats the only place they could put the outlets, since it was an older car. The Sightseer Lounge problem has to do with what ALC was saying (that the outlets were in those basket things infront of the swivel seats), but if they were at that lower height, thn the tables wouldn't be able to get them since they would be on the floor (although the Acela's outles are on the floor, but that was part of the design).

I do understand what you're saying about the Sightseer and the outlets at the seats. But the outlets in the PPC are at window level. Why could they not raise them up from the floor to window level at that end only? :huh: I doubt 50-60 years ago, the PPC was built with electrical outlets!

Probably because the SSL already had electrical wires down at the floor level, so all Amtrak needed to do was cut a hole in the wire track and place an outlet box at each table. The PPC had no wires, so they had to run the track and therefore decided that they might as well put it up higher for easier use.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

What is the the current status of electrical outlets on the CZ? Thank you!

Same as any other Superliner non-captive set. Some have, some don't.

 

[RTOlson]

Speaking of outlets on the lounge cars, I was touring Amtrak's interactive Cross-Country Cafe tour. This car touts outlets at the full booths.

I think the "adding tables to the Sightseers" came before the "add outlets to as many places as possible." Although the CCC has been criticized and loathed, at least it shows that Amtrak is now thinking about adding outlets when updating cars with new layouts.

 

[Reno89502]

Just rode the CZ on Sunday from EMY to RNO, and the refurbished SSL had outlets at the swivel seats and at the booths.

 

[cpamtfan]

Just rode the CZ on Sunday from EMY to RNO, and the refurbished SSL had outlets at the swivel seats and at the booths.

Well then the problems I thought there might have been hasn't been a problem. I'm not very familiar with eletrical stuff, but I thought that in this case there might have been.

cpamtfan-Peter

 

[printman2000]

Speaking of outlets on the lounge cars, I was touring Amtrak's interactive Cross-Country Cafe tour. This car touts outlets at the full booths.
I think the "adding tables to the Sightseers" came before the "add outlets to as many places as possible." Although the CCC has been criticized and loathed, at least it shows that Amtrak is now thinking about adding outlets when updating cars with new layouts.

Just got off the CL and sure enough the booths had outlets. Pretty useless on the CL since the CCC is being used as a dining car.