NARP's 50th Anniversary

[Bob Dylan]

Thanks jis! Good news!The Silver Starvation will turn back into the Star and the Lake Shore and Cardinal will get Diners!

Does this mean that Amtrak be moving away from the National Menu and perhaps go back to having "Specials" that are route specific?

Or will this mean Express/Limited Menus for some of the Viewliner Trains like some of the Superliner Trains have?

 

[jis]

Unknown at present. The only thing that was stated in no uncertain terms is - No more service cutbacks. It is counter-productive.

BTW I really liked the menu that I saw and the new item that I had for lunch on the Southwest Chief today. Things are starting to look up I think.


Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

What wonderful news: diners on all LD trains and no more service cutbacks! Hope it comes true!

Did they mean only overnight trains, though, or LD daytime ones like the Carolinian as well?

jis--what did you have for lunch?

I loved the new menus that started in October--I had salmon whenever I could on the Gathering trip, and I loved the Railroad French toast.

 

[jis]

Carolinian is not an LD train. It is a State Supported Train. Palmetto technically is the only daytime LD train in the Amtrak system, but it won’t be getting a Diner.

I had the new Mexican dish, the one with Tortillas. I forget its official name.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

oh, I see--thanks, jis. I am constantly learning--I had assumed that any train that went a long way, even if not overnight, was an LD train. Why would the Palmetto qualify as an LD train? Run by Amtrak and not state supported? Or another reason?

If the Silver Star gets its diner back, I will be happy--that was my favorite eastern train til they removed the diner.

 

[jis]

oh, I see--thanks, jis. I am constantly learning--I had assumed that any train that went a long way, even if not overnight, was an LD train. Why would the Palmetto qualify as an LD train? Run by Amtrak and not state supported? Or another reason?

I guess primarily because the Palmetto runs more than 750 miles. Actually Palmetto has a longer run than the Capitol Limited!!

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

They probably chose 750 for the CL (780) and to exclude the Carolinian (704). The Palmetto conveniently fell over the CL.

 

[railiner]

I don't see why the Palmetto should not have a diner....just because it doesn't have a sleeper?

If it did have a diner, it would be a more efficient use than the overnight trains....the Palmetto schedule pretty much covers all three meal periods in a day, while the overnight trains cover only two...

Also, it would only require two diner's...

And there would be no need for dorm space, the crew would overnite in a hotel...

 

[jis]

As soon as the options are exercised for getting more Diners I suppose [emoji57]

But frankly this has little to do with the NARP meeting and I acknowledge that I was partly responsible for derailing this thread. So could we please stop further discourse on Diner allocation on this thread please?

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[dlagrua]

After reading every post in this thread; except for the mention of the diners returning to the Eastern trains, I still have absolutely no idea what was achieved and accomplished at the NARP 50th anniversary conference. So far it all sounds like gibberish. If the purpose was to disseminate info, what were the benefits derived and how is this of use to the rail passenger community?

 

[Bob Dylan]

After reading every post in this thread; except for the mention of the diners returning to the Eastern trains, I still have absolutely no idea what was achieved and accomplished at the NARP 50th anniversary conference. So far it all sounds like gibberish. If the purpose was to disseminate info, what were the benefits derived and how is this of use to the rail passenger community?

This!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

After reading every post in this thread; except for the mention of the diners returning to the Eastern trains, I still have absolutely no idea what was achieved and accomplished at the NARP 50th anniversary conference. So far it all sounds like gibberish. If the purpose was to disseminate info, what were the benefits derived and how is this of use to the rail passenger community?

This!

Where I come from grassroots organizations rarely host extravagant shindigs under adversarial administrations or during defensive lean year organizing. Then again I'm not a paid lobbyist or a member of the gala attending donor class, so maybe that's why it makes little sense to me.

 

[jis]

The official dissemination will happen in this week’s RPA Hotline I presume.

There is a bit about Anderson’s speech in last week’s Hotline which can be found at:

https://www.narprail.org/news/hotline/hotline-1-040-railnation-chicago-begins-amtrak-service-in-roanoke-returns-hsr-from-seattle-to-vancouver-to-attract-1.8-million/

Frankly I will not be able to find time to write up a full report of my own to post here till after Thanksgiving given what is currently on my plate. But I will be happy to post pointers to any other reports I chance across.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[neroden]

OK, so here's MY report.

-- Anderson's speech / interview showed that he seemed to understand most (if not quite all) of the issues facing Amtrak -- and he specified that he wasn't letting Wick Moorman leave any time soon! They have a double-sided business card.

-- Anderson took the Capitol Limited to the meeting. He specifically stated that the equipment going out on the road broken has to end (referring to specific defects in his sleeper). He commented that the overnight sleeper on the Capitol Limited would be a great way to attend business meetings in Chicago... if the freights were not delaying it. Asked about on-time performance he basically indicated that his impulse was to fight the freights because they're breaking the law.

-- Amtrak is actively, and quite successfully, eliminating initial terminal delays so that the freight railroads have no excuses for their delays. I heard some extensive details about what's been done to do this in the dispatching tour, but I'm not sure whether any of that is "confidential".

-- The dispatchers in Chicago would really love to get rid of 21st St. Lift Bridge -- or amend the Coast Guard law which says it must open on demand for any pleasure craft.

-- I inquired at the OTP panel (which was mostly lawyers) whether Amtrak could sue on its own behalf directly under the 1973 "preference at junctions" law over specific instances of preference violation. They didn't know. I think they will be looking that up.

-- I managed to make a direct complaint to the individuals in management directly responsible for providing (or not) ingredients lists in the dining car.

-- There is active chatter about improving Rail Passengers Association internal structure. The "seats per state" system is leaving permanently vacant seats from low population states while having low representation from high-population states, and this is recognized as a problem.

 

[dlagrua]

OK, so here's MY report.

-- Anderson's speech / interview showed that he seemed to understand most (if not quite all) of the issues facing Amtrak -- and he specified that he wasn't letting Wick Moorman leave any time soon! They have a double-sided business card.

-- Anderson took the Capitol Limited to the meeting. He specifically stated that the equipment going out on the road broken has to end (referring to specific defects in his sleeper). He commented that the overnight sleeper on the Capitol Limited would be a great way to attend business meetings in Chicago... if the freights were not delaying it. Asked about on-time performance he basically indicated that his impulse was to fight the freights because they're breaking the law.

-- Amtrak is actively, and quite successfully, eliminating initial terminal delays so that the freight railroads have no excuses for their delays. I heard some extensive details about what's been done to do this in the dispatching tour, but I'm not sure whether any of that is "confidential".

-- The dispatchers in Chicago would really love to get rid of 21st St. Lift Bridge -- or amend the Coast Guard law which says it must open on demand for any pleasure craft.

-- I inquired at the OTP panel (which was mostly lawyers) whether Amtrak could sue on its own behalf directly under the 1973 "preference at junctions" law over specific instances of preference violation. They didn't know. I think they will be looking that up.

-- I managed to make a direct complaint to the individuals in management directly responsible for providing (or not) ingredients lists in the dining car.

-- There is active chatter about improving Rail Passengers Association internal structure. The "seats per state" system is leaving permanently vacant seats from low population states while having low representation from high-population states, and this is recognized as a problem.

Good start. At least you got something for your money! The interesting thing about Amtrak 2017, is that for the first time we have two people with business experience at the helm instead of a Washington political hack.. Maybe some good things will really get done. I can relate to the comment about the lack of maintenance. .

 

[bretton88]

Am Amtrak CEO who rode the actual product (in this case a revenue sleeper)? I'm impressed. Great way to get a grasp of some of the problems facing Amtrak.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

 

[jis]

This happened to be his first ride on an Amtrak LD train. he said he plans to do some more riding.

His customer focus was quite apparent in his presentation.

He did talk a lot about his concerns regarding the Superliner fleet, but did not disclose any specific plans on any plans. He did say that Amtrak will do a comprehensive fleet planning exercise and then proceed from there. In a private conversation he acknowledged that at the present time, if the money can be found, it will be easier to get single level cars delivered quite rapidly. Getting any multi-level cars will take more time.

 

[bretton88]

This happened to be his first ride on an Amtrak LD train. he said he plans to do some more riding.

His customer focus was quite apparent in his presentation.

He did talk a lot about his concerns regarding the Superliner fleet, but did not disclose any specific plans on any plans. He did say that Amtrak will do a comprehensive fleet planning exercise and then proceed from there. In a private conversation he acknowledged that at the present time, if the money can be found, it will be easier to get single level cars delivered quite rapidly. Getting any multi-level cars will take more time.

Sounds like he might be leaning towards replacing the single level fleet, and possibly heavily refurbishing the Superliners, since that's what funding would support. Does anyone manufacture bi level sleepers anymore? New Superliner Sleepers might have to be a custom product ($$).
Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

 

[jis]

There are manufacturers of European and Russian track and loading gauge bi-levels including Sleepers. Nothing at present specific to US loading gauges or other FRA standards AFAIK. US Superliner style bi-levels have always been special manufacturing runs for single order. This was true of Superliners too, both I and II, as well as two different tranches of California bi-levels.

There are other bi or multi levels for the US market that have had multiple entities order the same design thus defraying cost of development among multiple customers a little bit better.