Viewliner and Amfleet Freeze Damage Update

[Amfleet]

So basically, in order of trains that are most likely to get screwed out of a Viewliner as Follows:
Silver Palm*

Federal

Boston-Lake Shore Limited

Cardinal

Crescent

New York Section-Lake Shore Limited

Three Rivers

Silver Star

Silver Meteor

*Silver Palm is now of course the Palmetto and thanks to the AT derailment and deferred maintence lost its sleeper to the Cardinal, which of course lost its for now as well.  Its at the top of the list since its long been missing its sleeper.

In my mind I think it would go more like this, with the trains being without Viewliners the most at the top:

Federal*

Lake Shore Limited - Boston*

Cardinal*

Three Rivers

Lake Shore Limited - New York**

Crescent***

Silver Star

Silver Meteor

Note:

*These trains are already running without Viewliners until the Spring.

**It was noted that the New York section will recieve two Viewliners instead of the normal of one you would find during the winter months.

***Already down to one Viewliner until the Spring when it should go back to two. I would suspect this train to be more reliable as it travels through warmer areas.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

Oh no this is very bad News and I want to know is all of this Trains will have fewer Cars on the Amtrak Trains?

 

[Amfleet]

Oh no this is very bad News and I want to know is all of this Trains will have fewer Cars on the Amtrak Trains?

Well, it is mostly a situation of sleeping cars. The Cardinal did loose its diner, but otherwise all the other trains are pretty much equiped with what would be the standard.

 

[Viewliner]

I think I've been hearing reports saying that one Lake Shore recently had either no lounge or a corridor lounge or a corridor coach even on the Boston section.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

Oh well so I know the Boston Lake Shore limited Train do not have a lounge Car or a Coach Car at this time and so for how long?

 

[battalion51]

Probably until April, the Cardinal has priority since it has no sleepers at all, at least the LSL has sleepers on the NY side.

 

[Amfleet]

Hold up. I don't no if its because its almost 11pm or what, but it sounds like you guys are saying the Boston section doesn't even have a coach and lounge along with no sleeper. Well passengers certainly won't be too happy to ride in a baggage car behind two roaring P-42s. :lol:

Anyway, the Boston section I know can sometimes run with all corridor equipment (Amfleet I) or a mix (Amfleet I and II). I think it just depends on what's avalbible.

 

[AMTRAK-P42]

Found this picture of the "new" cardinal...looks pretty pathetic indeed.

 

[NativeSon5859]

In terms of demand, which long haul routes should require more than one sleeper? Did the Cardinal usually fill its sleeper?

Steve/NOL

 

[AlanB]

Steve,

I haven't done a true scientific survey, since I don't have access to Amtrak's numbers. That said however from my personal observations, the Cardinal during winter and the Federal might be the only single level trains that should have only one sleeper.

All other trains should have at least two sleepers. This includes the Boston section of the LSL, which is often sold out, especially on weekends. Properly promoted, I'd bet that even the Federal could sell out two sleepers.

The Cardinal's problem is the 3 trips a week schedule. Make that train daily and I'd bet they could sell out one sleeper and make a good dent in a second sleeper. Mind you I'm also basing this on observations made prior to the train being extended to NY. Perhaps that change has already helped boost sleeper sales, but I don't know.

If the Palm were ever to return, I’m not sure if it would always require two sleepers either. During peak times certainly, but during off peak one might be sufficient. Battalion51 however, might know better about the Palm’s record of sleeper sales. The two times that I rode it northbound the sleeper was sold out or very close, but that’s hardly conclusive.

 

[battalion51]

The Palm(etto) needs two sleepers. If you weren't sold out coming out of South Florida, you would be coming out of Tampa. The Palm was a popular sleeper train in South Florida because of it's 5 PM departure from Miami, meaning you could get off work, get on the train, have dinner and be in the Northeast the next day. With the elimination of the sleeper on the Palm(etto) much of the sleeper traffic from Tampa has either diappeared or started to make the bus trip to Orlando. I did notice a significant jump in sleeper boardings in Orlando following the loss of a sleeper over there. The traffic is still there as the baggage car usually has at least a dozen to two dozen transfers to/from Tampa coming into or out of Orlando.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

Can somebody please help me out here because I want to know what is the latest Passager Cars haveing at this time on the Lake Shore Limited New York Train?

 

[Amfleet]

Can somebody please help me out here because I want to know what is the latest Passager Cars haveing at this time on the Lake Shore Limited New York Train?

2 P-42s (ALB-CHI)

1 P-32 (NYC-ALB)

1 Heritage Baggage

1 Heritage Dorm

2 Viewliner Sleeping Cars

1 Heritage Diner

1 Amfleet II Lounge (with Smoking box)

4 Amfleet II Coaches

It is baisiclly the same consist that comes from the Silver Star. My question is is how can an Amfleet II Lounge with a smokers box be garanteed? There are only 15 of them and they're not always avalible for a specific train. What about the Amfleet II Lounges that weren't referbished? Are they still allowing smoking a set periods during the day?

 

[AlanB]

My question is is how can an Amfleet II Lounge with a smokers box be garanteed? There are only 15 of them and they're not always avalible for a specific train. What about the Amfleet II Lounges that weren't referbished? Are they still allowing smoking a set periods during the day?

Because the train will rotate with 91/92, they can guarentee the box.

 

[Amfleet]

My question is is how can an Amfleet II Lounge with a smokers box be garanteed? There are only 15 of them and they're not always avalible for a specific train. What about the Amfleet II Lounges that weren't referbished? Are they still allowing smoking a set periods during the day?

Because the train will rotate with 91/92, they can guarentee the box.

So your saying no matter what, 91/92 will always consist of a smoker lounge and it will be made sure that it recieves one as well?

 

[AlanB]

My question is is how can an Amfleet II Lounge with a smokers box be garanteed? There are only 15 of them and they're not always avalible for a specific train. What about the Amfleet II Lounges that weren't referbished? Are they still allowing smoking a set periods during the day?

Because the train will rotate with 91/92, they can guarentee the box.

So your saying no matter what, 91/92 will always consist of a smoker lounge and it will be made sure that it recieves one as well?

You got it!

 

[F59 PHI]

so the star becomesthe lake shore?

what other train arrangements are there like this? I know the Empire Builder becomes the city of NOL, and i think the Capitol limited becomes either the cal zephyr or the southwest cheif, but do any other set upos occur like this?

Was the Cardinal paired up with anything like this?

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

And is the Lake Shore Limited Train have runing the Express Cars and Roadrailer Cars at this time?

 

[Amfleet]

And is the Lake Shore Limited Train have runing the Express Cars and Roadrailer Cars at this time?

Yes.

 

[P40Power]

Yep from Albany to Chicago the Lake Shore carries Roadrailers and Express Boxcars. They used to go to Springfield many of them, but that ended a few years ago and the mail center there closed down.

 

[battalion51]

So your saying no matter what, 91/92 will always consist of a smoker lounge and it will be made sure that it recieves one as well?

Well actually the Meteor has to have one, Star, and now the LSL. So, the LSL needs three sets, Star four, and Meteor four. Do the radio math and that's 11 cars needed daily. 14 cars are rebuilt. So that means that you can have a spare in Miami, a spare in NY and one for PM. All cars are in service as far as I know.