Inaugural run of the new "Night Owl"

[cocojacoby]

Now this is dedication:

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Or not. I see the relaunched sleeper is a Viewliner I. So the only assignment for all those new sleepers is the Sliver train and one car per the four trainsets.

 

[Cal]

Or not. I see the relaunched sleeper is a Viewliner I. So the only assignment for all those new sleepers is the Sliver train and one car per the four trainsets.

Yeah, it was said on a different thread it was planned for the VI

 

[Bob Dylan]

This has to be the shortest Sleeper trip ever!

 

[flitcraft]

More like a Napper, at best!

 

[B&Ofan]

I did not even think that was possible to book any ticket from BOS to BBY on Amtrak!
Also if your going to spend that kink of money to ride the first day (which I actually can understand) at least go to Providence, it couldn't be that much (if any) more. Anyhow it looks like you had a good time!

 

[Tlcooper44]

Haha, if you watch about 4:30, you can see me with my violin.
I road the train from BOS-DC, did some buisness in the city, and road the Acela back the following afternoon.
I've been thinking of writing a small review about the trip, especially in comparison to the old 2003 sleeper service.

 

[jis]

Or not. I see the relaunched sleeper is a Viewliner I. So the only assignment for all those new sleepers is the Sliver train and one car per the four trainsets.

There have been two Viewliner II cars on several Silver runs. The train set consists are not fixed and keep changing all the time.

The 65/66/67 Viewliner was planned to be a Viewliner I and so it is. It is also an incidental and additional testimony to the fact that 65/66/67 does not need to run at 125mph to maintain any of its schedule.

 

[Palmetto]

I did not even think that was possible to book any ticket from BOS to BBY on Amtrak!
Also if your going to spend that kink of money to ride the first day (which I actually can understand) at least go to Providence, it couldn't be that much (if any) more. Anyhow it looks like you had a good time!

You'd have to overnight in Providence to do that. Rte, 128 has a train going back to Boston, though.

 

[Bob Dylan]

You'd have to overnight in Providence to do that. Rte, 128 has a train going back to Boston, though.

I thought Rte 128 made more sense also( and in Normal times the Fare was the same to/from all 3 Boston Stations).

 

[Maglev]

This gave me a good laugh!

I think I saw the old blankets, although Amtrak advertises "Private rooms feature comfortable seating that folds into a bed, newly-upgraded bedding, pillows, towels and linens" for the new Northeast service.

 

[tricia]

This gave me a good laugh!

I think I saw the old blankets, although Amtrak advertises "Private rooms feature comfortable seating that folds into a bed, newly-upgraded bedding, pillows, towels and linens" for the new Northeast service.

Do the folks who write this stuff ever actually see the trains, or only the text written years ago already, when "upgraded bedding" was promised to be coming soon?

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Do the folks who write this stuff ever actually see the trains, or only the text written years ago already, when "upgraded bedding" was promised to be coming soon?

It took me a few years, but I’ve finally figured this out. Amtrak marketing wording at its sneakiest.

“Newly upgraded bedding, pillows, towels, and linens” simply means that you get fresh ones and not the ones the previous passenger used. Although that’s not really true of the pillows—they should have said “pillowcases.”

 

[RebelRider]

Definitely the old blankets still in use. Still no sign of the upgraded soft goods we were getting from the savings going to flex dining.

Although, not to start a fuss in the wrong thread, word is flex dining's days are numbered. Everyone is going to be very pleased, possibly quite surprised, in the next couple months if what we're hearing is even half way accurate.

 

[Maglev]

Amtrak even shows a picture of a VII sleeper with the new bedding:

 

[jis]

This odd tension has existed between Amtrak operations and marketing for a long long time. In the past it caused the AGR program to be sub par because operations thought it was infringing in their affairs, customer satisfaction be damned. Usually in these battles operations has always tended to win thus providing a service level that does not come anywhere near what the marketing glossies would suggest. And apparently no one has either seen it necessary or feasible to kick some appropriate butts and bang some appropriate heads together to fix this problem. For all their faults, no self respecting airline ot hotel chain would allow such a state of affairs to continue for years, or even weeks.

 

[cocojacoby]

Amtrak even shows a picture of a VII sleeper with the new bedding:

View attachment 21518

Wonder why the new bedding (i.e., blue) doesn't match the new decor (what color is that anyway?).

 

[NEPATrainTraveler]

It is really cool to see the overnight NERs having sleepers again. I might have to add doing an NER sleeper trip from BOS-WAS (or vice versa) to my Amtrak bucket list.

 

[railiner]

I can see spending a lot to be on a rare mileage trip, or maybe on the last run of a train whose route is being abandoned, perhaps. But just to ride from South Station to Back Bay on a daily train that has had sleepers in the past? To each his own, I suppose...

I wonder how he would have felt, if after the ride, if say, he found out that they actually started running the sleeper the night before, and others had beat him to being on the "first run"?

 

[Seaboard92]

I can see spending a lot to be on a rare mileage trip, or maybe on the last run of a train whose route is being abandoned, perhaps. But just to ride from South Station to Back Bay on a daily train that has had sleepers in the past? To each his own, I suppose...

I wonder how he would have felt, if after the ride, if say, he found out that they actually started running the sleeper the night before, and others had beat him to being on the "first run"?

I'm with you there I can't see paying that amount to do that short of a run. And I'm a buff but if I'm doing a first run I'm going a much longer distance.

 

[railiner]

I'm with you there I can't see paying that amount to do that short of a run. And I'm a buff but if I'm doing a first run I'm going a much longer distance.

If being 'first' was his desire for distinction, I'd bet buying a sleeper for that short a trip is a much more distinctive action....maybe he should submit it to Guiness for consideration?

 

[Tlcooper44]

I can see spending a lot to be on a rare mileage trip, or maybe on the last run of a train whose route is being abandoned, perhaps. But just to ride from South Station to Back Bay on a daily train that has had sleepers in the past? To each his own, I suppose...

I wonder how he would have felt, if after the ride, if say, he found out that they actually started running the sleeper the night before, and others had beat him to being on the "first run"?

If being 'first' was his desire for distinction, I'd bet buying a sleeper for that short a trip is a much more distinctive action....maybe he should submit it to Guiness for consideration?

He is a YouTuber. Doing things for added shock value is a specialty for them. He dubbed this trip as the most expensive way to get from BOS-BBY.

It’s part of their job to create content like this. For him, the price to content value ratio probably makes sense.

 

[Eric S]

A railfan riding the inaugural run of a new (or restored) service. Seems like something we would celebrate, not disparage. Just a guess, but there are at least of few here who have done, or at least attempted to do, the same thing.

 

[NS VIA Fan]

A railfan riding the inaugural run of a new (or restored) service. Seems like something we would celebrate, not disparage. Just a guess, but there are at least of few here who have done, or at least attempted to do, the same thing.

Count me in too! Railfans have been known to do things like that!

For me.....I once found out VIA's Ocean would be doing a 300 mile rare mileage run/detour. I booked a trip from Halifax to Montreal and was on my way to the station within two hour.....then a flight home the next night. Nothing like a spur-of-the-moment weekend trip!

 

[railiner]

Count me in too! Railfans have been known to do things like that!

For me.....I once found out VIA's Ocean would be doing a 300 mile rare mileage run/detour. I booked a trip from Halifax to Montreal and was on my way to the station within two hour.....then a flight home the next night. Nothing like a spur-of-the-moment weekend trip!

I would too, but that's a lot different than something you could do anytime...but I suppose the 'yuo-tube' explanation makes it more understandable...