New Rehabilitated Superliners unveiled

[jis]

Fancy math shows that $28 million for 450 cars works out to $62K per car. I'm surprised they are able to do even this modest facelift for that little.

The fact that they have only 406 or so active cars to refresh gives them a few pennies more per car I suppose.

 

[PVD]

They did the Amfleet cars for a surprisingly low outlay, also. A few simple refreshes make a big difference. Curtains, carpets, lighting, and seat/seat cushions make the cars seem much newer than we know they really are....

 

[Dustyroad]

https://media.amtrak.com/media-images/amtrak-customer-experience-investments-display/
They are.

I think the Superliners look a bit weird now, with brand new carpeting and seats and then everything else looking just as old. Couldn't they have at least put in the new tray tables in the rooms? They put them in the accessible coach seats...

I think someone who hasn't taken a LD ride out west has designed these seats. I will be using the blanket in the room to cover the seat as best as I can.

 

[PVD]

I would imagine they are not changing the seats, rather, they would keep the frames and change the cushions and covers. That way the cars get turned around pretty quickly, and can be done in a regular maintenance facility, they don't all have to go to a place like Bear or Beech Grove.

 

[Cal]

I would imagine they are not changing the seats, rather, they would keep the frames and change the cushions and covers. That way the cars get turned around pretty quickly, and can be done in a regular maintenance facility, they don't all have to go to a place like Bear or Beech Grove.

I keep hearing "Bear", where is that?

 

[cocojacoby]

They did the Amfleet cars for a surprisingly low outlay, also. A few simple refreshes make a big difference. Curtains, carpets, lighting, and seat/seat cushions make the cars seem much newer than we know they really are....

That was Anderson. He said people never know the age of an airplane because they refresh them like this.

 

[Trogdor]

I keep hearing "Bear", where is that?

Delaware.

 

[daybeers]

I keep hearing "Bear", where is that?

The Bear Heavy Maintenance Facility is in Bear, DE near Wilmington.

https://media.amtrak.com/media-images/amtrak-customer-experience-investments-display/They are.

I think the Superliners look a bit weird now, with brand new carpeting and seats and then everything else looking just as old. Couldn't they have at least put in the new tray tables in the rooms? They put them in the accessible coach seats...

New tray tables in the rooms would be nice but I think the new seats look nice! I don't know how much I like the color scheme with the rest of the dining car, but the SSL seats and room seats look especially nice.

Amtrak must have gotten some new people in their Media department because those photos are good. They have also posted several short ad videos on their YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXXk9wIQ7Em7VB9wsxkvbK3JmfzRAv_gW

 

[Dustyroad]

I would imagine they are not changing the seats, rather, they would keep the frames and change the cushions and covers. That way the cars get turned around pretty quickly, and can be done in a regular maintenance facility, they don't all have to go to a place like Bear or Beech Grove.

I would imagine they are not changing the seats, rather, they would keep the frames and change the cushions and covers. That way the cars get turned around pretty quickly, and can be done in a regular maintenance facility, they don't all have to go to a place like Bear or Beech Grove.

Yes, I'm sure it won't take to long to do a car. I just wish they would keep the cloth fabric. It will be like anything new. It will take time to get used to the new changes .

 

[daybeers]

Yes, I'm sure it won't take to long to do a car. I just wish they would keep the cloth fabric. It will be like anything new. It will take time to get used to the new changes .

I wonder if they will partner with People for Urban Progress in Indianapolis to upcycle the fabric like they did with the Acela refresh, though those were leather. They didn't do the same for the Amfleet refresh.

 

[PVD]

I had my concerns about the new material when the AM-1 refresh first rolled out, but they are much easier to keep clean, since it is pretty obvious when they aren't. Not so with the cloth. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I keep hearing "Bear", where is that?

About 10 mins from me.

 

[joelkfla]

https://media.amtrak.com/media-images/amtrak-customer-experience-investments-display/
They are.

I think the Superliners look a bit weird now, with brand new carpeting and seats and then everything else looking just as old. Couldn't they have at least put in the new tray tables in the rooms? They put them in the accessible coach seats...

The roomette seats in particular look like they came out of a '60's classic auto.

I hope those blue lines across the pillowcase are not raised piping that will leave corresponding indentations on the side of my face.

 

[PaTrainFan]

An RPA email message from Jim Mathews included his take on the refresh. As probably not all (though most) here are members, I'll risk any legal violations and paste his comments here:

The coaches and sleeper cars have been spiffed-up, which is a big improvement for a fleet that is decades old. So what did I see in Chicago, and what can you expect to see on the rails?

• The first updated coach cars go into service near the end of June. Updates will domino through all long-distance western routes over 3-years, including trains out of Chicago – California Zephyr, Empire Builder and Coast Starlight are included.
• Bi-level Superliner coaches have had a nice refresh of the soft surfaces; nicer than what the Amfleet cars received. Aesthetically, the seats look better and are much more comfortable than the Amfleet seats. All carpets (including overhead) and curtains have also been replaced with new, better-quality materials.
• In addition to greatly improved seat cushions, Superliner sleeping cars will have higher-quality sheets and new toiletries. Because the refresh is soft surfaces only, you will still need to pack your shim-and-duct-tape kit, but in my opinion, it’s a welcome and significant improvement, and long overdue.
• The improvement in the Sightseer Lounge is somewhat less dramatic, but still welcome. The seats are firmer, but not overly so, and quite comfortable. On the table side of the lounge and in the dining cars, the improvement is a bit more subtle, but when you sit in the seat, it’s a huge improvement. The seating actually feels more spacious. The seats don’t “lean” at the edges. The seat back is a couple inches higher, which makes a surprising difference in comfort level. The tabletops will also be replaced (both in the lounges and in the diners) with ones that are tapered a bit at the ends to make it easier to get in and out. We’re told they’ll be very similar to the tables in the new Viewliner II diners.

 

[Cal]

• Bi-level Superliner coaches have had a nice refresh of the soft surfaces; nicer than what the Amfleet cars received. Aesthetically, the seats look better and are much more comfortable than the Amfleet seats. All carpets (including overhead) and curtains have also been replaced with new, better-quality materials.

Overhead carpets look exactly the same to me...

 

[me_little_me]

Overhead carpets look exactly the same to me...

Have you tried walking on them? Then, you'll notice the difference!

 

[Cal]

I think the Superliners look a bit weird now, with brand new carpeting and seats and then everything else looking just as old.

I also don't like how in the coaches, the walls and seats are all greys and blues and the overheads are tan. They look out of place. but again, just me being picky

 

[Ziv]

I was at a party once where oil based paint was used on bare feet so we could help several smaller young ladies to "walk upside down" in order to leave green footprints on the ceiling of the house we had been graciously invited to visit. Oddly enough, it seemed like it was a good idea at the time and the people that rented the house still laugh about it. Well, they laugh about it when I am around. Not sure what they say about me behind my back, not that I would blame them.
But imagine walking into a house and seeing several sets of green footprints walking along the ceiling from the front porch to the back door...

Have you tried walking on them? Then, you'll notice the difference!

 

[west point]

New Orleans certainly can do the work as they keep spare Superliners and Amfleets

 

[neroden]

That was Anderson. He said people never know the age of an airplane because they refresh them like this.

Yeah, I can tell a 737-100 from a 737-400, but I'm looking at the wing when I do.

 

[neroden]

I prefer the pseudoleather because I'm allergic to a lot of synthetic cloth (though not Amtrak's specific former material, which I think was all nylon) -- but I'm not allergic to any of the smooth surfaces, because they don't bleed small fibers the way the wovern cloth does.

 

[cirdan]

As for how much change is possible in these refreshes, remember, one of the requirements of the Amfleet refresh was that it had to be achievable at many terminal station which had any maintenance facility at all, and the cars did not have to be sent to Bear or Wilmington for the refresh. I suppose the Superliner refreshes are also being done under similar constraints.

I hope that besides refreshing the interiors, they are also doing something about them mechanically to ensure they last until, well, whenever they are finally going to be replaced without causing undue maintenance problems.

 

[zephyr17]

I hope that besides refreshing the interiors, they are also doing something about them mechanically to ensure they last until, well, whenever they are finally going to be replaced without causing undue maintenance problems.

Heck, I just want them to clean under the seats in the roomettes.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

 

[Ferroequinologist]

No mechanical improvements? Same poor AC?

 

[jis]

I hope that besides refreshing the interiors, they are also doing something about them mechanically to ensure they last until, well, whenever they are finally going to be replaced without causing undue maintenance problems.

To quote Jim Matthews of RPA “This is only a soft surface refresh”. So no change to any hardware.

Afterall there is only so much you can do with less than 80k per car.