LSL boston sleepers?

[HP_Lovecraft]

Business Class passengers can pay $20 too use the Boston Club Acela.

Note: These passes are not the same as the passes offered through AGR. I use the AGR passes all the time when travelling with my kids on the NEC. A single pass is good for me, and my kids, at both ends of the trip.

However, the "BC Pass" is strickly only good for each passenger, and only for the Boston Acela club. It is a terrible deal. I think they offer it because, unlike the other NEC Clubs, I rarely ever see anyone in the Boston club. Its funny too, because the workers there are pretty nasty to anyone who comes in trying to use the club without a pass, first class ticket or AGR +

 

[Palmetto]

So much, then, for the Boston club being overcrowded. Nasty Amtrak personnel? Imagine....

 

[MikefromCrete]

Business Class passengers can pay $20 too use the Boston Club Acela.

Note: These passes are not the same as the passes offered through AGR. I use the AGR passes all the time when travelling with my kids on the NEC. A single pass is good for me, and my kids, at both ends of the trip.

However, the "BC Pass" is strickly only good for each passenger, and only for the Boston Acela club. It is a terrible deal. I think they offer it because, unlike the other NEC Clubs, I rarely ever see anyone in the Boston club. Its funny too, because the workers there are pretty nasty to anyone who comes in trying to use the club without a pass, first class ticket or AGR +

So the attendants are "nasty" to people trying to use the club who aren't eligible. What does that mean? Do they say, "Sorry, you can't use this facility" or did they say "Get the hell out of here, you scumbug?"

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Business Class passengers can pay $20 too use the Boston Club Acela.

Note: These passes are not the same as the passes offered through AGR. I use the AGR passes all the time when travelling with my kids on the NEC. A single pass is good for me, and my kids, at both ends of the trip.

However, the "BC Pass" is strickly only good for each passenger, and only for the Boston Acela club. It is a terrible deal. I think they offer it because, unlike the other NEC Clubs, I rarely ever see anyone in the Boston club. Its funny too, because the workers there are pretty nasty to anyone who comes in trying to use the club without a pass, first class ticket or AGR +

So the attendants are "nasty" to people trying to use the club who aren't eligible. What does that mean? Do they say, "Sorry, you can't use this facility" or did they say "Get the hell out of here, you scumbug?"

It's Boston, so I can only imagine what they said! (ho boy, this seems to be Bash Boston week - I've always had a very nice time in your lovely city and enjoy your television productions, taffy and academic achievements)

 

[gatelouse]

I believe they have a platform length issue already in some places.

Speaking of platform length, the shuffle at ALB appears to require a few extra steps until the lengthened platforms are complete. Today, the island platform for tracks 1 & 3 (closest to station) are just long enough for the NYP section.
An arrival from the west went something like this:

1. Pull into station with BOS through cars beyond front of platform

2. Separate the train, pull BOS section forward and out of the station

3. Back a waiting NYP-bound engine into the NYP section

4. Now that the NYP section has hotel power, back the BOS section onto the adjacent track. Both sections are now on opposite sides of the same island platform.

5. BOS section departs late due to all this switching

6. NYP section departs late because, well, it's the LSL

Once the longer platforms are in service, the entire train will fit and the BOS section should simply pull away and depart, just as the schedule (and 15 minute dwell time) intended.

 

[chakk]

Anecdotal, but the couple of times I've taken the LSL with the extra sleeper up from NYP, it seemed ok. Never liked the idea of one unit in remote areas where rescue would take forever. It is a relatively flat route, that helps.

As the NY Central tagline read in the 1940's: "the Water Level Route: you can sleep!"

 

[Thirdrail7]

Speaking of platform length, the shuffle at ALB appears to require a few extra steps until the lengthened platforms are complete. Today, the island platform for tracks 1 & 3 (closest to station) are just long enough for the NYP section.
An arrival from the west went something like this:

1. Pull into station with BOS through cars beyond front of platform

2. Separate the train, pull BOS section forward and out of the station

3. Back a waiting NYP-bound engine into the NYP section

4. Now that the NYP section has hotel power, back the BOS section onto the adjacent track. Both sections are now on opposite sides of the same island platform.

5. BOS section departs late due to all this switching

6. NYP section departs late because, well, it's the LSL

Once the longer platforms are in service, the entire train will fit and the BOS section should simply pull away and depart, just as the schedule (and 15 minute dwell time) intended.

I'm surprised they aren't working up both sections simultaneously. I suppose it may not be worth the extra crew.

 

[neroden]

I've been scratching my head about the eastbound procedure.

 

[PVD]

They have to platform the BOS section because it takes on baggage and passengers at Albany. When the longer platform is done, it can do the station work, leave, and the NYP engine can just back in.

 

[jis]

They have to platform the BOS section because it takes on baggage and passengers at Albany. When the longer platform is done, it can do the station work, leave, and the NYP engine can just back in.

Hopefully they won't disconnect HEP to the NY section as soon as the train platforms and leave them in darkness (and cold in the winter) until the Boston section leaves and the New York ACDM hooks up.

 

[PVD]

Actually, that is what they seem to do. The P42/40 diesels pull forward with the Boston section, the NYP section is dark until HEP is restored from the DM. When the cross platform stub was running, you were still dark while the switch is taking place.

 

[Palmetto]

Actually, that is what they seem to do. The P42/40 diesels pull forward with the Boston section, the NYP section is dark until HEP is restored from the DM. When the cross platform stub was running, you were still dark while the switch is taking place.

There really isn't any other option is there? After all, the Boston section has to get out of the way of the New York section, pure and simple. That will cause the power to go off for a few minutes. It's not the end of the world. This will probably happen even when the platform can hold both sections simultaneously.

 

[PVD]

Absolutely.

 

[neroden]

I've been scratching my head about the *westbound* procedure, too.

 

[jis]

Well, even when there was no Boston section to add on, we arrived into Albany ahead of schedule from New York. The DM was uncoupled and went off. Then we sat there until about a few minutes after the scheduled departure time with no power. Then a few car knocker folks ambled up and someone walked down from the platform all the way to the yard and finally fetched the P42 and hooked it on. by this time we were 15 - 20 minutes beyond our departure time. Meanwhile a late running something or the other headed eastbound occupied the track between SDY and Albany, so to record that we departed Albany the train moved forward 25 feet and then sat there, until the other train arrived. And then we left finally getting handed over to CSX 40+ minutes late at Hoffmans. I think sometimes things happen like they do simply because it is Albany. Of course CSX took care to ensure that we did not reecover a single minute, and actually lost another 30 on CSX. But that is another story.

 

[PVD]

Well at least the single track to SDY will be gone soon.

 

[Palmetto]

Not soon enough.

 

[sicariis]

Happy to have a thru roomette for our Boston-Chicago trip at the end of December. Now if only we could get the Portland-style catered box lunches like they have on the Empire Builder. Though I suppose with the departure time if we're not happy with the minimal menu (https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/531/211/Lake-Shore-Limited-449-Dining-Car-Menu-0515.pdf) we should just bring our own lunch.

 

[Triley]

Happy to have a thru roomette for our Boston-Chicago trip at the end of December. Now if only we could get the Portland-style catered box lunches like they have on the Empire Builder. Though I suppose with the departure time if we're not happy with the minimal menu (https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/531/211/Lake-Shore-Limited-449-Dining-Car-Menu-0515.pdf) we should just bring our own lunch.

I'm sure it's the way it is because it would be a waste of money to cater special meals just for a select few people in Boston, since those meals would only be used on 449. 448 gets a better "selection" since it can get meals out of Chicago that are used on multiple trains. Maybe when/if 67/66 gets sleepers back, they will stock meals for them, and put them on 449 as well.

 

[jis]

Did 66/67 ever have meals included Sleeper service?

 

[neroden]

The Portland-style boxed lunches are a good idea. And seriously, they can find a place in Boston to produce them, and they can load the correct number based on the number of reservations the previous night. Just takes a manager willing to bother.

 

[gatelouse]

Did 66/67 ever have meals included Sleeper service?

They did! For sleeper pax, a microwave or convection heated tray meal was available. I dined at 10pm out of Boston in the "Twilight Lounge," a uniquely configured Amfleet-I dinette. Beer, wine, and spirits were included. Good times...

 

[Triley]

Did 66/67 ever have meals included Sleeper service?

They did! For sleeper pax, a microwave or convection heated tray meal was available. I dined at 10pm out of Boston in the "Twilight Lounge," a uniquely configured Amfleet-I dinette. Beer, wine, and spirits were included. Good times...

If I'm not mistaken the lounge car that handled sleeper passengers also took care of the business class passengers. No idea if it was just for cafe service, or if they were served meals as well?

 

[AG1]

We are off topic, Jis, but my first sleeper ride was announced as the last 67 sleeper from BOS to NPN. I reserved the last roomette on a full sleeper. A cold snack pack was delivered by the SCA to the roomette for breakfast departing WAS. There was no meal served in the cafe car. I have a newspaper clipping about the end of sleeper service on 66/67.

 

[Triley]

We are off topic, Jis, but my first sleeper ride was announced as the last 67 sleeper from BOS to NPN. I reserved the last roomette on a full sleeper. A cold snack pack was delivered by the SCA to the roomette for breakfast departing WAS. There was no meal served in the cafe car. I have a newspaper clipping about the end of sleeper service on 66/67.

Maybe they let standards slip or they ran out of meals for the trip, but there certainly was meal service at one point. The train use to carry two lounge cars. I work the train quite often and hear stories about how much better the train use to be.