Train 40-41 Floridian Miami - Chicago via Washington DC 2025

[west point]

What makes no sense is why not add a 3rd sleeper now to whatever train set(s) that one can be added to. That instead of leaving a surplus sleeper wasting away on the storage track. Maybe one train that is already sold out.?

 

[hlcteacher]

jumping in...gonna take this train CLE-MIA soon (coach) wondering if anyone can tell me how many ounces (about) in the coffee cups and if i can just purchase hot water....thank you

 

[PVD]

Hot water is supposed to be available by request in the cafe car. It does not need to be purchased.

 

[hlcteacher]

thank you

 

[phillycheeze]

btw, the third sleeper isn’t getting added to the Floridian until April. Just 2 sleepers now, and fares are commonly at high bucket.

I hope not since I’m booked on car 4112 for March 25.

 

[trimetbusfan]

I hope not since I’m booked on car 4112 for March 25.

From other reports on the thread, it appears 4112 is replacing 4111 for the time being. So there is a 4112 car but there is only two sleepers. You can always update this thread after your trip if others haven’t confirmed by then

 

[phillycheeze]

From other reports on the thread, it appears 4112 is replacing 4111 for the time being. So there is a 4112 car but there is only two sleepers. You can always update this thread after your trip if others haven’t confirmed by then

Must’ve missed that in the thread, apologies. I’m also on the 4012 for the return a couple days later. Do you know why they would swap car numbers like that?

 

[trimetbusfan]

Must’ve missed that in the thread, apologies. I’m also on the 4012 for the return a couple days later. Do you know why they would swap car numbers like that?

My guess (which could be completely wrong) is since that they were planning to run 3 sleepers (10/11/12) starting in March.

My guess is only half the roomettes were sold in the 12 car initially (since the other half would be for crew). So it might have been easier to move whoever was booked in car 11 rather than move all of the crew rooms to car 11. Again that is completely speculation

 

[Harmon Shay]

What makes no sense is why not add a 3rd sleeper now to whatever train set(s) that one can be added to. That instead of leaving a surplus sleeper wasting away on the storage track. Maybe one train that is already sold out.?

Amtrak's top equipment assignment guy told Trains Newswire recently that parts availability was a problem in getting Viewliner sleepers going again. That apparently is the reason for the delay in getting that third sleeper on the Floridian, and getting the second sleeper reliably back on the Crescent.

 

[west point]

Amtrak's top equipment assignment guy told Trains Newswire recently that parts availability was a problem in getting Viewliner sleepers going again. That apparently is the reason for the delay in getting that third sleeper on the Floridian, and getting the second sleeper reliably back on the Crescent.

This spare parts problem goes way back. It is time for a performance section due to spare parts to be in all purchase contracts.

 

[IndyLions]

Because of an electrical issue, we are currently about six hours late leaving Pittsburgh on 41 (7).

Just curious - does anyone have a feel for how late the train needs to be before they'll annul the train in DC?

Just curious.

 

[Septa9739]

It has operated, so far (to my knowledge) without being annulled due to lateness. Delays of over 10 hours have happened.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

This spare parts problem goes way back. It is time for a performance section due to spare parts to be in all purchase contracts.

Spare parts package have been a part of the manufacture package. Amtrak is not known for purchasing them. Hanger queen is more of an Amtrak style of getting spare parts.

The viewliner one had a 10 year maintenance, which of course not extended.

Hanger queen is a unit (railcar) that is stripped of parts to keep other units moving. Common practice that gets so bad at some point try to get it roadworthy is a very extensive and lengthy process.

Former employee had a failure to start tractor (truck class 8), that I was able to diagnose because I was recently in the shop for a week with the same issue. Once the problem was diagnosed it was a matter of a minute to replace the relay, it was a good week before they replaced all the items borrowed from it. Mirrors, steps, tires.

In recap you pay up front or pay over the life timeline for repairs.

 

[Trogdor]

Because of an electrical issue, we are currently about six hours late leaving Pittsburgh on 41 (7).

Just curious - does anyone have a feel for how late the train needs to be before they'll annul the train in DC?

Just curious.

Why would they annul the train in DC, short of some track outage south of there? Miami is the train’s maintenance base, and they still have a ton of passengers and a train’s worth of OBS crew that need to get from DC back to their MIA base.

The train would probably have to be close to a day late before they’d look at a DC annulment.

 

[IndyLions]

Why would they annul the train in DC, short of some track outage south of there? Miami is the train’s maintenance base, and they still have a ton of passengers and a train’s worth of OBS crew that need to get from DC back to their MIA base.

The train would probably have to be close to a day late before they’d look at a DC annulment.

Thanks - just checking for opinions. I always have to have Plan B ready with Amtrak - just in case...

 

[TrainAttendantLady]

Because of an electrical issue, we are currently about six hours late leaving Pittsburgh on 41 (7).

Just curious - does anyone have a feel for how late the train needs to be before they'll annul the train in DC?

Just curious.

Hi! I was the attendant that got on this train today at Pittsburgh. I feel really bad for you all, but I hope that my crew and I were able to make things better for all of you. Despite the massive delay, it has been great speaking to and serving all of you. Hope that you are able to get to your destination safely and thank you for riding Amtrak! I hope that we are able to have another chance to make it right.

 

[Literalman]

A point of interest: "hangar queen" comes from aviation; a hangar queen is an aircraft that is always being repaired or waiting for parts and spends more days in the hangar than flying.

 

[pennyk]

I live in downtown Orlando close enough to the tracks that I used to be able to hear the train horns when trains passed through town (before Orlando became a quiet zone). I miss hearing the trains. However, this evening, I heard the northbound Floridian (train 1040) as it passed through Orlando (north of the station). My windows were open and I loved hearing the sound.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

A point of interest: "hangar queen" comes from aviation; a hangar queen is an aircraft that is always being repaired or waiting for parts and spends more days in the hangar than flying.

Amtrak’s ACS-64 #642, the veterans unit, has the reputation of being the “Shop Queen” on the NEC. Though I’ve heard it’s been running well recently.

 

[Cal]

I live in downtown Orlando close enough to the tracks that I used to be able to hear the train horns when trains passed through town (before Orlando became a quiet zone). I miss hearing the trains. However, this evening, I heard the northbound Floridian (train 1040) as it passed through Orlando (north of the station). My windows were open and I loved hearing the sound.

I also live close enough to hear plenty of freight and passenger trains, and I too love hearing the sound of them (and the planes overhead)!

 

[Qapla]

Two of the Floridian trains on the map are numbered 1040 and 1041 while the other two are still 40 and 41

 

[Cal]

Two of the Floridian trains on the map are numbered 1040 and 1041 while the other two are still 40 and 41

Because of the time change this weekend, nothing too special

 

[IndyLions]

Hi! I was the attendant that got on this train today at Pittsburgh. I feel really bad for you all, but I hope that my crew and I were able to make things better for all of you. Despite the massive delay, it has been great speaking to and serving all of you. Hope that you are able to get to your destination safely and thank you for riding Amtrak! I hope that we are able to have another chance to make it right.

We are not quite there yet – but it has been a good trip! Thank you for all your efforts! (from the Uno couple!)

 

[IndyLions]

Here is a wild one.

My wife and I boarded 41(7) at South Bend, IN - traditionally a station with luggage service. We were planning on checking 2 bags plus my bike (under the normal bike reservation).

When we arrived at SOB, we discovered only a "caretaker" - not the normal full service employee - so no checked luggage that night. The bike was fine because that doesn't require a station employee - it gets handed directly to a conductor in the baggage car under a separate policy. So it didn't have an official Amtrak luggage tag - but that's not that unusual. It happens every time a bike is loaded at a non-luggage stop under the bike policy. Of course, I put my own tag on it with my ID, and in this case I also added the destination MIA in large letters for good measure.

Because of relativity cood weather and rain en route, I didn't get off the train for a fresh air break until Savannah. Much to my surprise - No Baggage Car! Turns out they dropped it in DC due to a bad bearing. Soooooo....my bike hopefully is heading south on 41(8) or 97(8), but we'll see.

Worse yet was a family which boarded in NC. They showed up at the station for their (very) late train to discover no checked baggage service - and bags too big to fit in a roomette. The SCA kindly stored them in an empty room with other passengers' bags who were in a similar situation. Unfortunately, when they arrived in MIA their bag was nowhere to be found. It was likely unloaded in Tampa with the other bags it had been stored with. Yikes.

 

[MARC Rider]

Here is a wild one.

My wife and I boarded 41(7) at South Bend, IN - traditionally a station with luggage service. We were planning on checking 2 bags plus my bike (under the normal bike reservation).

When we arrived at SOB, we discovered only a "caretaker" - not the normal full service employee - so no checked luggage that night. The bike was fine because that doesn't require a station employee - it gets handed directly to a conductor in the baggage car under a separate policy. So it didn't have an official Amtrak luggage tag - but that's not that unusual. It happens every time a bike is loaded at a non-luggage stop under the bike policy. Of course, I put my own tag on it with my ID, and in this case I also added the destination MIA in large letters for good measure.

Because of relativity cood weather and rain en route, I didn't get off the train for a fresh air break until Savannah. Much to my surprise - No Baggage Car! Turns out they dropped it in DC due to a bad bearing. Soooooo....my bike hopefully is heading south on 41(8) or 97(8), but we'll see.

Worse yet was a family which boarded in NC. They showed up at the station for their (very) late train to discover no checked baggage service - and bags too big to fit in a roomette. The SCA kindly stored them in an empty room with other passengers' bags who were in a similar situation. Unfortunately, when they arrived in MIA their bag was nowhere to be found. It was likely unloaded in Tampa with the other bags it had been stored with. Yikes.

A good reason to avoid checking luggage in general (applies also to airlines.)