Texas Eagle Sightseer lounge discontinued

[jiml]

Another observation: now that I've been able to do some YouTube research, it does appear that the Capitol Limited has the same five-car consist, with the occasional additional locomotive. The CONO, however, still has an SSL in its seven-car consist as of only four days ago.

Curious.

Is there any chance the Capitol and TE are sharing consists? The Capitol arriving in Chicago becomes that day's outbound Eagle and vice-versa. Just a thought.

 

[zephyr17]

You seriously think you will be able to shame Amtrak into doing something by pointing out they are illogical. Frankly I am now developing grave doubts about your sanity.

Whether an action is logical or illogical depends entirely on the objective. If the objective is to grow ridership through good customer experience then the action is illogical.

Now fill in the blanks.

 

[20th Century Rider]

You seriously think you will be able to shame Amtrak into doing something by pointing out they are illogical. Frankly I am now developing grave doubts about your sanity.

Amtrak definitely has a reliability problem... management seems to be a tangle of confusion... no way to run a railroad!

They are derailed and need to get back on the track!!!

 

[ShiningTimeStL]

I don't think griping and constantly reiterating the same criticisms of railroad management is going to get us any further with this. Help me out, guys. Let's try to connect some dots. When did this start? When was the last time the SSL was on the TE and on the CL? When did SSLs start showing up as axle count cars on midwest trains? I have a hunch. If the SSLs disappeared in March, it may have something to do with the coming end of triweekly service.

Also, does the CL also have a CCC? If not, then I suppose that means no café service for coach passengers...? Not good.

 

[Cal]

Is there any chance the Capitol and TE are sharing consists? The Capitol arriving in Chicago becomes that day's outbound Eagle and vice-versa. Just a thought.

Right now? No, maybe pre-covid. Although didn't the CONO always run without a baggage car?

 

[Cal]

I don't think griping and constantly reiterating the same criticisms of railroad management is going to get us any further with this. Help me out, guys. Let's try to connect some dots. When did this start? When was the last time the SSL was on the TE and on the CL? When did SSLs start showing up as axle count cars on midwest trains? I have a hunch. If the SSLs disappeared in March, it may have something to do with the coming end of triweekly service.

Also, does the CL also have a CCC? If not, then I suppose that means no café service for coach passengers...? Not good.

CL does have a CCC I think

 

[20th Century Rider]

I don't think griping and constantly reiterating the same criticisms of railroad management is going to get us any further with this. Help me out, guys. Let's try to connect some dots. When did this start? When was the last time the SSL was on the TE and on the CL? When did SSLs start showing up as axle count cars on midwest trains? I have a hunch. If the SSLs disappeared in March, it may have something to do with the coming end of triweekly service.

Also, does the CL also have a CCC? If not, then I suppose that means no café service for coach passengers...? Not good.

The most practical and logical way to find out about the reduction of SSL cutbacks is to find the specific individual or 'administrative group' who made that decision. Then find a way to approach them for an answer as to why!

But the difficulty is to find out the 'who' of decision making.

To get answers to actions... go to the source... which may be easier said than done!

 

[zephyr17]

Capitol has been running a Diner/Lounge (the car type actually used with the long defunct Cross Country Cafe branding) for years. When I rode it a few years ago, and what I understand was the standard practice, is the lounge end of the diner provided cage service. The Diner/Lounge was coupled to the Sightseer, which provided lounge space with the downstairs service area closed and not staffed.

I will connect one set of dots. They had enough Sightseers to run them on the Capitol, the CONO and the Eagle last year under daily schedules, and I don't think they've put any the ground since.

 

[PaTrainFan]

Perhaps many of you saw this already, but the following was in today's RPA Weekly Hotline:

‘Equipment Shortage’ Temporarily Removes Sightseer Lounge From Texas Eagle, Capitol Limited

Rail Passengers has confirmed with Amtrak that “equipment shortage in this car type” is forcing the railroad to drop the Sightseer Lounge -- just temporarily -- from the Texas Eagle between San Antonio and Chicago, as well as from the Capitol Limited.

“While temporary, we do not yet have a defined timeline for increasing Sightseer Lounge availability, and have placed the other five Western LD routes at a higher priority for deploying these popular cars,” Larry Chestler, the VP in charge of the Long-Distance business unit, told Rail Passengers’ CEO, Jim Mathews. “We also are maintaining the Sightseer Lounge on the City of New Orleans due to our long-standing axle count requirements in Illinois.”

Between Chicago and San Antonio, the Eagle will only have a single food-service car -- the Cross Country Cafe. When the Eagle merges on to the Sunset Limited between San Antonio and Los Angeles, it will have a Sightseer Lounge car.

Chestler emphasized that these are temporary moves driven by equipment shortages that arose due to coronavirus contingencies. While there’s no target date for restoration, the intent is to restore these cars once it’s possible -- just as Amtrak is doing with the traditional dining, which was dropped last year from Western trains in favor of the Contemporary Dining model as a response to Covid pandemic concerns and is now set to return.

The railroad is still working out the timing on restoring full dining on the Western trains as they work to recall and requalify crews, but the target is now June. Once traditional dining returns to the Western trains, the Eagle’s traditional dining will also be restored between San Antonio and Los Angeles. The contemporary/flexible dining will remain in place, for now, between Chicago and San Antonio, but once the traditional dining is brought back on Western trains in June Amtrak management tells Rail Passengers’ Mathews that they will begin work on “improvements to dining services on other [long-distance] routes, including the Eagle.”

______________________________
The equipment shortage excuse is spurious. What happened between the start of cutbacks due to the pandemic and now? Surely no additional wrecks.

 

[zephyr17]

Ah, well look on the bright side. Whatever excuse they're making as CYA, they're committing the return of the Sightseer. In the indefinite, unspecified future.

As to the car shortage blamed directly on "coronavirus contingencies", what happened? Did the cars themselves catch COVID-19 and now they're getting better?

 

[20th Century Rider]

Perhaps many of you saw this already, but the following was in today's RPA Weekly Hotline:

‘Equipment Shortage’ Temporarily Removes Sightseer Lounge From Texas Eagle, Capitol Limited

Rail Passengers has confirmed with Amtrak that “equipment shortage in this car type” is forcing the railroad to drop the Sightseer Lounge -- just temporarily -- from the Texas Eagle between San Antonio and Chicago, as well as from the Capitol Limited.

“While temporary, we do not yet have a defined timeline for increasing Sightseer Lounge availability, and have placed the other five Western LD routes at a higher priority for deploying these popular cars,” Larry Chestler, the VP in charge of the Long-Distance business unit, told Rail Passengers’ CEO, Jim Mathews. “We also are maintaining the Sightseer Lounge on the City of New Orleans due to our long-standing axle count requirements in Illinois.”

Between Chicago and San Antonio, the Eagle will only have a single food-service car -- the Cross Country Cafe. When the Eagle merges on to the Sunset Limited between San Antonio and Los Angeles, it will have a Sightseer Lounge car.

Chestler emphasized that these are temporary moves driven by equipment shortages that arose due to coronavirus contingencies. While there’s no target date for restoration, the intent is to restore these cars once it’s possible -- just as Amtrak is doing with the traditional dining, which was dropped last year from Western trains in favor of the Contemporary Dining model as a response to Covid pandemic concerns and is now set to return.

The railroad is still working out the timing on restoring full dining on the Western trains as they work to recall and requalify crews, but the target is now June. Once traditional dining returns to the Western trains, the Eagle’s traditional dining will also be restored between San Antonio and Los Angeles. The contemporary/flexible dining will remain in place, for now, between Chicago and San Antonio, but once the traditional dining is brought back on Western trains in June Amtrak management tells Rail Passengers’ Mathews that they will begin work on “improvements to dining services on other [long-distance] routes, including the Eagle.”

______________________________
The equipment shortage excuse is spurious. What happened between the start of cutbacks due to the pandemic and now? Surely no additional wrecks.

But therein lies the problem... no one knows whats happening and no one knows the cause of these changes!

Am I right?

Does anyone have the actual defined answer for the elimination of the SSC's???

We're all just guessing... some one tell me I'm wrong!

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

It makes absolutely no sense but then again not much else has recently either. I hope the lounges get better soon.

 

[zephyr17]

Whatever the real reason is, they'll never admit it.

Unless it is something the I.G. gets interested in.

 

[user 14106]

The reality is probably they parked a lot of equipment during tri weekly that needs work and did nothing to any of it. So some of it is probably not yet railroad worthy. Trying to look at this in a glass half full attitude that they at least addressed it. If there is indeed a shortage - it certainly made sense to prioritize the other 5 western routes - which are essentially the five most scenic routes in the system.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

Did they lay off maintenance personnel? Is there deferred maintenance that needs to be done? Probably no to both but it’s at least plausible

RPA is getting good at duplicating Amtrak double talk as well. From today’s hotline:

“Once traditional dining returns to the Western trains, the Eagle’s traditional dining will also be restored between San Antonio and Los Angeles.”

So in other words the Sunset Limited will get traditional dining back but not the Eagle. 421/422 or not that’s the Sunset Limited give me a break .

 

[SanDiegan]

Perhaps many of you saw this already, but the following was in today's RPA Weekly Hotline:

‘Equipment Shortage’ Temporarily Removes Sightseer Lounge From Texas Eagle, Capitol Limited

Rail Passengers has confirmed with Amtrak that “equipment shortage in this car type” is forcing the railroad to drop the Sightseer Lounge -- just temporarily -- from the Texas Eagle between San Antonio and Chicago, as well as from the Capitol Limited.

“While temporary, we do not yet have a defined timeline for increasing Sightseer Lounge availability, and have placed the other five Western LD routes at a higher priority for deploying these popular cars,” Larry Chestler, the VP in charge of the Long-Distance business unit, told Rail Passengers’ CEO, Jim Mathews. “We also are maintaining the Sightseer Lounge on the City of New Orleans due to our long-standing axle count requirements in Illinois.”

Between Chicago and San Antonio, the Eagle will only have a single food-service car -- the Cross Country Cafe. When the Eagle merges on to the Sunset Limited between San Antonio and Los Angeles, it will have a Sightseer Lounge car.

Chestler emphasized that these are temporary moves driven by equipment shortages that arose due to coronavirus contingencies. While there’s no target date for restoration, the intent is to restore these cars once it’s possible -- just as Amtrak is doing with the traditional dining, which was dropped last year from Western trains in favor of the Contemporary Dining model as a response to Covid pandemic concerns and is now set to return.

The railroad is still working out the timing on restoring full dining on the Western trains as they work to recall and requalify crews, but the target is now June. Once traditional dining returns to the Western trains, the Eagle’s traditional dining will also be restored between San Antonio and Los Angeles. The contemporary/flexible dining will remain in place, for now, between Chicago and San Antonio, but once the traditional dining is brought back on Western trains in June Amtrak management tells Rail Passengers’ Mathews that they will begin work on “improvements to dining services on other [long-distance] routes, including the Eagle.”

______________________________
The equipment shortage excuse is spurious. What happened between the start of cutbacks due to the pandemic and now? Surely no additional wrecks.

This ....

 

[jruff001]

The reality is probably they parked a lot of equipment during tri weekly that needs work and did nothing to any of it. So some of it is probably not yet railroad worthy. Trying to look at this in a glass half full attitude that they at least addressed it. If there is indeed a shortage - it certainly made sense to prioritize the other 5 western routes - which are essentially the five most scenic routes in the system.

Agreed. But "reality" is underappreciated around here.

 

[jruff001]

Did they lay off maintenance personnel? Is there deferred maintenance that needs to be done? Probably no to both but it’s at least plausible

Really? You don't think Amtrak has done any layoffs during Covid?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Really? You don't think Amtrak has done any layoffs during Covid?

They shouldn’t have... wasn’t all that money given to them so they wouldn’t need to?

 

[west point]

Think about it. There is a shortage of roadworthy SSLs train sets now with 3 day a week service. What happens when the Amtrak service returns to full 7 day a week ? Hope I am wrong but will not be surprised if some LD trains are cancelled for lack of equipment before full summer. Or maybe many LD trains will become 1 loco and 4 - 5 cars3

 

[20th Century Rider]

They shouldn’t have... wasn’t all that money given to them so they wouldn’t need to?

Hey Joe! Where' ya going with all the money??? I don't know of a better answer for that question... now twang them strings!

 

[Cal]

They've been using them on at least one Surfliner consist, and some Illinois services.

 

[user 14106]

Think about it. There is a shortage of roadworthy SSLs train sets now with 3 day a week service. What happens when the Amtrak service returns to full 7 day a week ? Hope I am wrong but will not be surprised if some LD trains are cancelled for lack of equipment before full summer. Or maybe many LD trains will become 1 loco and 4 - 5 cars3

I interpreted it more that they've prioritized the SSLs to support the return to daily service of the 5 mentioned routes (as well as the CONO with the axle count requirements) and that the shortage prevents SSLs from also being on the TE and CL daily.

 

[jis]

I don't think griping and constantly reiterating the same criticisms of railroad management is going to get us any further with this. Help me out, guys. Let's try to connect some dots. When did this start? When was the last time the SSL was on the TE and on the CL? When did SSLs start showing up as axle count cars on midwest trains? I have a hunch. If the SSLs disappeared in March, it may have something to do with the coming end of triweekly service.

Also, does the CL also have a CCC? If not, then I suppose that means no café service for coach passengers...? Not good.

CL has had a CCC for for what seems like at least half a dozen years now.

The CCC plan was initially put together in the Boardman era, and since then has been an on again - off again thing. There is very little that is new here, including the periodic convulsions and anger and frustration. The cycle goes on with no one including RPA seemingly able to do anything about it.

Oddly enough, they took an additional two SSLs out of service within the last three or so years (in addition to the ones that they sold off, including theone with a tree growing in it!), and now are surprised that they have equipment shortage? To me there is more to it than what RPA is parroting from Amtrak. I wish RPA stopped being an Amtrak shill and actually did further investigating on its own on the side a bit.

 

[Barb Stout]

Capitol has been running a Diner/Lounge (the car type actually used with the long defunct Cross Country Cafe branding) for years. When I rode it a few years ago, and what I understand was the standard practice, is the lounge end of the diner provided cage service. The Diner/Lounge was coupled to the Sightseer, which provided lounge space with the downstairs service area closed and not staffed.

I will connect one set of dots. They had enough Sightseers to run them on the Capitol, the CONO and the Eagle last year under daily schedules, and I don't think they've put any the ground since.

What does cage service mean in this context? I'm pretty sure it doesn't have anything to do with my Amazon parrot even though that's what Google told me.