Viewliner II - Part 1 - Initial Production and Delivery

[Dutchrailnut]

8400 is NOT a Viewliner II it is one of ViewLiner I prototype cars build by Budd in 1983/4

 

[AmtrakBlue]

8400 is NOT a Viewliner II it is one of ViewLiner I prototype cars build by Budd in 1983/4

I know that. But it can be easily be mistaken for the Viewliner II diner, right?

 

[Dutchrailnut]

not really, as no Viewliner Dinners have been delivered or accepted.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

not really, as no Viewliner Dinners have been delivered or accepted.

??

He said it appeared to be a VLII diner. I said maybe it was the 8400 - which I believe some people might mistaken to be a VLII. Since the VLII diner was recently out for testing, he may have thought 8400 was it.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Hi,

I saw an interesting comment about future utilization of the new Viewliner 2 diners on Railroad.net and I am copying it below by someone with the name "Bostontrainguy".

"Don't know the exact savings but with my example of the Jacksonville turn of the dining equipment, you would go from a three day round-trip to a two day round-trip for the diner combo and crew. You would go from needing three diners and crews to two.

And you would double the seating capacity from 48 to 96 . . . for three sittings that raises potential people served from 144 to 294 per meal. Not everyone will eat in the diner of course, but seeing the tremendous response to the sold-out-first-sitting $8.95 Salisbury Steak special on our last trip, there is untapped potential in those captive coach cars.

At least maybe a better alternative to the drastic solution of just removing the diner!"

I have seen the Chicago to Carbondale trains with at least three extra Amfleet cafe cars coupled to the rear end so that they have enough axles on the train to activate the track signals as the CN requires. This is a horribly bad use of valuable equipment.

As Bostontrainguy suggested, Amtrak should assign these Amcafe cars to various single-level trains to get better utilization out of the dining cars and MAKE MORE MONEY instead of taking dining cars off of trains. This is a EASY revenue generator they could be implemented in a week or two depending on logistics of hiring back a laid-off waiters and ordering more food. The Amcafe car's storage space would naturally be used to store the additional needed stock items.

Some of the old retired baggage cars could be used to add a axles on the Chicago to Carbondale trains. I saw them assigned to the Hoosier State when Amtrak had it on days there was no deadhead equipment to lengthen that train for more axles to activate track circuits on the CSX. Bostontrainguy's idea of short-tuning the dining cars at Jacksonville, Florida is also interesting.

The politicians that are hurting Amtrak by saying the dining cars are losing money and coach passengers who don't use it are "subsidizing" the sleeping car passengers should go to the Embassy Suites hotel in Orlando Florida and hold a PROTEST press conference in front of the very PROFITABLE HOTEL that gives away free brunches every day. Because if they have anyone staying there that does not eat the brunch, that person would be subsidizing the other hotel customers, just like an Amtrak coach passenger that do not eat in the diner.....

For the record, the axle count cars have been baggage cars for quite some time. There is a thread about it on this board. One of the reason for cutting the diner was to allow the use of a single diesel on the Star. Additionally, cutting cars in JAX may be fashionable on paper, but Jis hit the nail on the head. Additionally, who is adding and cutting the cars at JAX? Who will service the equipment as it sits there? Who is performing the calendar day inspection? Are there facilities available to keep this car on power and air while it sits there?

 

[Caesar La Rock]

That plan would work if it was done at Sanford. However, the Amtrak station at Sanford (the non Auto Train one) has been closed for almost 11 years now.

 

[Ryan]

not really, as no Viewliner Dinners have been delivered or accepted.

??He said it appeared to be a VLII diner. I said maybe it was the 8400 - which I believe some people might mistaken to be a VLII. Since the VLII diner was recently out for testing, he may have thought 8400 was it.

Worry not, the reasonable people understood what you were saying. Some people just like to be difficult. The retired train driver is one of them.

 

[R30A]

And incorrect too! There have been two deliveries which have had Viewliner II Diners. They both happened to be 68000 and it went back to Elmira both times... but it was certainly delivered. But wait... he said Viewliner II DINNERs! I suppose that is correct. People have yet to be served dinner in a Viewliner II.

I heard two should be in service in June from about as good of a source as there could be. I hope to be riding them soon!

 

[PRR 60]

And incorrect too! There have been two deliveries which have had Viewliner II Diners. They both happened to be 68000 and it went back to Elmira both times... but it was certainly delivered. But wait... he said Viewliner II DINNERs! I suppose that is correct. People have yet to be served dinner in a Viewliner II.

I heard two should be in service in June from about as good of a source as there could be. I hope to be riding them soon!

I guess it depends on your definition of "delivered." Neither event was a "delivery" as defined as providing a car for in-service use. Both cases were sending cars to Amtrak as part of the QA/QC and design review process. When a car is sent to Amtrak with the intention of having that car entered on Amtrak active roster and placed in service, that will contractually constitute a "delivery."

 

[CCC1007]

I have heard unconfirmed reports of 61000 being used as the crew dorm for 29(22). Can anyone get a video or photo, or confirm that this is actually correct?

 

[jordank66]

I'm on 29 right now and there does seem to be a new Viewliner car. I'm in the sightseer lounge right now and can only see it going around a curve. I get off at Pittsburgh and can post a better picture of it.

 

[KnightRail]

I have heard unconfirmed reports of 61000 being used as the crew dorm for 29(22). Can anyone get a video or photo, or confirm that this is actually correct?

Being that 61000 is a full baggage car, I'm sure the crew is thrilled to be sleeping on luggage racks, in a car that is currently in South Florida.

I'm on 29 right now and there does seem to be a new Viewliner car. I'm in the sightseer lounge right now and can only see it going around a curve. I get off at Pittsburgh and can post a better picture of it.

Ladies and gentlemen we need to get something straight here. Just because you see a Viewliner car in phase III(equal red white and blue stripes) does NOT mean it is a new CAF/LDSL/Viewliner II. 8400 is now in phase III, and so is at least one other Viewliner I sleeper 62043. 62043 is deadheading to the Beech. That is all.

 

[CCC1007]

There is a reason I asked for confirmation here, and thank you for confirming it is not 61000 as a dorm, even though it could be on the train. I still want to know what car it is.

 

[KnightRail]

There is a reason I asked for confirmation here, and thank you for confirming it is not 61000 as a dorm, even though it could be on the train. I still want to know what car it is.

62043. The car behind the locos and ahead of the baggage car on the referenced Capital Limited is 62043.

 

[Acela150]

There is also at least 1 VL I sleeper in Phase III "paint".

 

[AmtrakLKL]

There is a reason I asked for confirmation here, and thank you for confirming it is not 61000 as a dorm, even though it could be on the train. I still want to know what car it is.

62043. The car behind the locos and ahead of the baggage car on the referenced Capital Limited is 62043.

There is also at least 1 VL I sleeper in Phase III "paint".

62043 is the only Viewliner I currently in Phase III. It is enroute to Beech Grove for wreck repair.

 

[CCC1007]

There is a reason I asked for confirmation here, and thank you for confirming it is not 61000 as a dorm, even though it could be on the train. I still want to know what car it is.

62043. The car behind the locos and ahead of the baggage car on the referenced Capital Limited is 62043.

There is also at least 1 VL I sleeper in Phase III "paint".

62043 is the only Viewliner I currently in Phase III. It is enroute to Beech Grove for wreck repair.

Wreck repair? Would it be possible to get information on what happened?

 

[TylerP42]

There is a reason I asked for confirmation here, and thank you for confirming it is not 61000 as a dorm, even though it could be on the train. I still want to know what car it is.

62043. The car behind the locos and ahead of the baggage car on the referenced Capital Limited is 62043.

There is also at least 1 VL I sleeper in Phase III "paint".

62043 is the only Viewliner I currently in Phase III. It is enroute to Beech Grove for wreck repair.

What train is it on?

 

[CCC1007]

There is a reason I asked for confirmation here, and thank you for confirming it is not 61000 as a dorm, even though it could be on the train. I still want to know what car it is.

62043. The car behind the locos and ahead of the baggage car on the referenced Capital Limited is 62043.

There is also at least 1 VL I sleeper in Phase III "paint".

62043 is the only Viewliner I currently in Phase III. It is enroute to Beech Grove for wreck repair.

What train is it on?

29(22)

 

[Thirdrail7]

There is a reason I asked for confirmation here, and thank you for confirming it is not 61000 as a dorm, even though it could be on the train. I still want to know what car it is.

62043. The car behind the locos and ahead of the baggage car on the referenced Capital Limited is 62043.

There is also at least 1 VL I sleeper in Phase III "paint".

62043 is the only Viewliner I currently in Phase III. It is enroute to Beech Grove for wreck repair.

Wreck repair? Would it be possible to get information on what happened?

I thought there was a thread on this board regarding this incident, but here is the gist of it.

 

[KnightRail]

I thought there was a thread on this board regarding this incident

There was definitely a thread here discussing the delay. Can't find it.

 

[TylerP42]

a bit tired, but trying to follow... If the cars got "tore up" How are they dead heading? What exactly do they mean by "tore up"?

 

[KnightRail]

a bit tired, but trying to follow... If the cars got "tore up" How are they dead heading? What exactly do they mean by "tore up"?

Under car damage of some sort.

 

[AmtrakLKL]

a bit tired, but trying to follow... If the cars got "tore up" How are they dead heading? What exactly do they mean by "tore up"?

a bit tired, but trying to follow... If the cars got "tore up" How are they dead heading? What exactly do they mean by "tore up"?

Under car damage of some sort.

Look under a Viewliner next time you see one. There is a lot of equipment hanging under the car including air conditioning packs, water tank, waste tank, battery boxes, air brakes, etc. Hialeah repaired what they could so the car could be moved to Beech to fix the rest of the damage. It was pretty ugly.

 

[jis]

Viewliners still have under floor A/C units? I thought like most other modern cars the A/C units are now compact sealed units above the vestibule along the roof line. Well maybe not.