How would you design the Superliner III's???

[amtrakadirondack]

I would desing them as a one level and two level car, one level one both ends with a two level section in the middle.

 

[amtrakadirondack]

look at the popularity of the berths on Viarail! They are sold out months in advance.

They are very popular, I wish Amtrak had them!

 

[F59 PHI]

Slumbercoaches were in amtrak service through 1995

 

[sutton8596]

as an afterthought, how about one attendant to 'help out' for all the sleeping cars. I think that would keep him adequately busy but hardly overworked.

I believe Amtrak will have to make major changes if they hope to survive, particularly if Republicans stay in control of things. Berths, an adjusted workforce, more variety of food, are all things that would gain ridership and cut costs.

 

[amtrakadirondack]

Slumbercoaches were in amtrak service through 1995

I was under the impression they were removed from service in the 1980's, good to know, I wish there was a place to see them and tour one.

 

[AlanB]

Slumbercoaches were in amtrak service through 1995

I was under the impression they were removed from service in the 1980's, good to know, I wish there was a place to see them and tour one.

There is a place to see them. Take a trip on VIA rail and you can actually use one instead of just taking a tour of one.

 

[Viewliner]

Slumbercoaches were in amtrak service through 1995

I was under the impression they were removed from service in the 1980's, good to know, I wish there was a place to see them and tour one.

Nope, they stayed until the Viewliners arrived. I'm sure there is some place with a slumbercoach on display, just don't know where specifically.

However, If you Click Here to visit the Heritage Sleeper Page on my website, which has a picture of a Slumbercoach Room.

Click Here for a virtual tour of Via rail's sleepers and berths.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

VIA Canada has sections to be sure...I don't thnk they have slumbercoaches. Correct me if I am wrong.

At one time they had "tourist " cars which were simiiar. Before Amtrak there were several types of low cost sleeper-coach concepts, but the standard slumbercaoch is the only one which survived into the Amtrak area.

In some cases railroads took old heavy weight cars, ran them on trains which were otherwise streamlined and called them by various names like "budget sleepers", "Thrifty sleepers", etc, at much lower cost.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Seayjay made a point about not having meals included in price of a sleeper. One thing I do remember and remember very well....when Amtrak begin including meals in sleeper prices ...about 10 years ago, I guess....the sleeper prices went WAY up beyond just the addtional cost of food. There a was a huge jump when meals began being included. Of course this may have been mixed in with the free newspaper, free coffee or tea in the mornings, the little wine and cheese basket we used to get. But I still thought at the time they went way up beyond even that.

I still like the "minor conveniencee" of not having to outwardly pay in the diner, though....and I do leave a tip.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

When I said I do not think they have slumbercoaches in Canada, I was thinking just about The Canadian, the long distance train. They may, indeed, have them on some of the shorter eastern overnight routes. It is hard to tell, VIA uses a nomenclature of its own for sleeping car space I think the idea is to use terms which make sense to the non-railfan public, more so than to us railfans, esp. us "older" railfans.

 

[battalion51]

I definitely think meals in the diner are a good thing to be included in the price of the sleeper. When you travel first class you expect the things like meals, complimentary sodas, etc. I know that some attendants still do little things for their passengers, one guy puts a couple of flowers in the room, another guy leaves chocolates, one guy even has the trip description of things to look for, and how far away (time wise) they are from the previous station, things like that enhance the trip, and consequently the tip.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I agree completely with a total package of benefits for being in sleeper. I do recall , though, they they went up on prices stiffly- VERY STIFFLY - when meals started being included, etc.

Yep, I enjpy the perks, the Acela/Metropolitan lounges, the (oftentimes) priority boarding, etc. Maybe it does cost more for Amtrak than I reasoned at the time....hard to tell.. I just know it got a lot more expensive. But I do think the metropolitan lounges began quite some time after the meals started being included.

 

[Viewliner]

I know what you guys mean, its nice to be able to sit down in the Diner and feel as if you're not paying for it. All the perks make first class a very attractive way to travel (particularlly for non-railfans).

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Well, in two months and two days I will get to renew that good first class feeling!

It's all I can do not to take some little short train trip somewhere in the meantime....but got to save that money!

 

[Amfleet]

I know what you guys mean, its nice to be able to sit down in the Diner and feel as if you're not paying for it. All the perks make first class a very attractive way to travel (particularlly for non-railfans).

I wish they would bring back the white table cloths, fresh flowers, and amenity kits that used to be part of Amtrak's Sleeping Car service. That would surely make the money worth while.

 

[steve_relei]

How about adding the luxury great dome cars such as those used on the Alaska Railroad and Royal Mountaineer. They are longer and a bit taller than standard Superliners, but could be an added attraction. How about allowing all passengers to use it, or have it for first-class passenger but allow coach passengers to pay a couple of dollars or so to be able to sit in one for a while.

 

[battalion51]

Just as an FYI for everyone a Dome car brought up the markers on P001-10. It was a Great Northern car, name, owner, and destination are unknown.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

B51, was that Great Northern dome still in its original orange and green colors? Or had it been repainted sky blue, as most of them were later?

 

[battalion51]

Search me, I didn't see the car myself, one of my buddy's (who dumb as a rock as we say) saw the car on 14 rail in Sanford yesterday with the Sunnyset.

 

[amtrakadirondack]

How about adding the luxury great dome cars such as those used on the Alaska Railroad and Royal Mountaineer. They are longer and a bit taller than standard Superliners, but could be an added attraction. How about allowing all passengers to use it, or have it for first-class passenger but allow coach passengers to pay a couple of dollars or so to be able to sit in one for a while.

Or maybe have a First Class Luxury Lounge for the Sleeping Car Passengers and one for the Coach Passengers, maybe not as Luxurious, but let the Coach Passengers have a little place with Luxury, that would be a good idea.

 

[Streamliner]

Lots of good ideas in these posts, and an interesting topic. One of the key points is that we need a comfortable way to travel in sleeping accomodations at much lower cost with reasonable personal privacy and very good food.

 

The cars need to have excellent HVAC, and excellent materials, fit and finish. The pacific Parlour Car is a great idea, and I would extend it one more step. I want to mimic the Rocky Mountaineer with their parlour cars having an open obervation platform at the end of the train. It would be an outstanding feature for western scenic trains, and for trains passing through complex track areas that are so interesting to see (for example, Chicago). I have never been happy with the limited perpective of the longe cars, looking only out the sides through dirty or distorted glass full of reflections. It is a distinctly second rate experience compared to what it could be.

 

VIA rail has no trouble selling out their long distance section accomodations, and it is a worthy consideration to reprise that idea in a Superliner format. Sections offer improved privacy over coach, improved comfort, and some of the first class perks.

 

I would personally take many more long distance trips if the new designs allowed for trips that did not cost my family over $1,000 per trip.

 

I also think capacity is a serious issue in that if one is to make money at lower fares, then there must be sufficient capacity to allow a reasonable ROI per passenger and for bookings to be available for sleeping accomodations on shorter notice.

 

The TV's and electronics do not overly concern me. They are a nice novelty, but they seem unreliable in that environment and so inferior to what everyone has in their own home that it doesn't engage one's attention for very long. I prefer comfort, reasonable fares and good value, terrific food, good privacy, and excellent, courteous onboard service and management, invisible except when needed.

 

Compared to VIA, AMTRAK has inferior textiles and finishes on their equipment, and the colors are too often a jarring blend of primary colors. I much prefer a more serene neutral blend of colors that assists the experience to be more restful.

 

I'll rest my case and let others pick it up from here. AMTRAK should be able to nail a good design with all this excellent input from those that really ride the trains.

 

[amtrakadirondack]

How about a lift and a second level Accessible Bedroom, for Disabled Passengers who would like to be on the second level.

 

[PRR 60]

Many people who wax nostalgic over the slumbercoach either have a short memory or never rode one. For anyone other than rail die-hards, slumbercoach rooms were like being confined to a coffin for 16 hours. And the really bad news is that they were not much less expensive to operate and maintain than a conventional sleeper, but brought in much less revenue. Remember, the slumbercoach didn’t disappear without reason. Aesthetically and financially, they were dogs.

Having said that, Amtrak definately need something between coach,and the extremely expensive sleeping car accomodations. I think Amtrak should look to what international aircraft use for first class seating and sleeping accommodations. After all, a train trip from New York to Chicago takes longer than air from Los Angeles to Sydney, so maybe what the airlines use for their long-haul routes would work for Amtrak. First Class international air uses some exceptionally comfortable, high-tech seating called, by British Airways, “Demi-cabins”. These are self-contained seats, beds, entertainment centers (18 video channels, 12 audio channels, plus a DVD player), work centers (laptop power and e-mail,internet jacks), with the seats arranged and screened from each other creating essentially small semi-private rooms (screening can be arranged to permit two people to share a space). But the seats are still in the open cabin, so you do not get the claustrophobic feel that even regular sleeping cars provide, not to mention the slumbercoach.

Take a Superliner or single-level coach, and make a “Sleeper Coach” using these first class overnight seats. A pair of rooms on the lower level, or at the ends of the cars, with changing areas, sinks, multiple stalls, and even a shower could provide common restroom facilities. The Sleeper Coach could be the modern day version of the Section, but with all the bells and whistles that today’s travelers expect. The day when any non-rail fan traveler would be willing to endure a slumbercoach experience is, in my opinion, long gone.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

PRR60, just to address one little issue...you and me being from a similar generation and all.....the way I "came to terms": with slumbercoaches was to ride, as a single person, usually, in a double room. Now THAT actually worked pretty well!! I do indeed know they were glorfied broom closets, but I found my peace as described above. Now...if I were traveling with another person, yeah, even that would be cramped. And I remember the danger of bumping your head if you were not too careful....I realize you remember those days also.

One thing REALLY NEAT which happened to me once....I had reservations in a double slumbercoach room on the Crescent out of Atlanta to NY one night years ago. The slumbercoach (which originated in ATL) was bad ordered during the day sometime and was replaced with two 10-6 sleepers. So I was automatically upgraded to a double bedroom, though I was just one person traveling along, and of course kept it at my bottom basement slumbercoach charge! Now THAT was living!!

 

[AMTRAK-P42]

I would design the Standard Rooms with the same layout as a Viewliner....

I agree with that much. Although I would say leave the second window.