tommylicious
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Gorgeous photos. I just hope they do right by these beauties and staff and don't force them to serve post-MCC Litchfield slop!
Viewliner II - Part 1 - Initial Production and Delivery
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Cho Cho Charlie
Engineer
I guess I am in the minority here. The new dining cars are seriously UGGGGGGLY. Wow, they could not have made them look any more boring. Basic gray, huh? I have seen closed Carols with a better sense of style and décor.
TylerP42
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I love the beautiful interiors of the dining cars. They are stunning.
JohannFarley
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I agree they are great interiors. While I do prefer a more classic look to things, I know a lot of people really only care about clean and functional these days, along with simple design.
I agree with Charlie. The VW2 Diner interior has about as much ambiance as a Waffle House interior. IMO The ceiling needs to be a darker shade to give the impression that it's lower. That would provide a more personal feeling to the dining area; less like a school cafeteria or high school gym. Hopefully there will be serious thought given to window treatments. The upper windows need full length curtains or shades to lessen the "fishbowl" feeling of all that glass. Once In-Service I hope the lower windows use curtains or shades to block the sun when needed. Again that would lessen the "fishbowl" feeling and soften the institutional look.
Instead of the direct fluorescent or LED ceiling lights I wish they would have used full length, indirect lighting above the lower windows. That or use individual lighting for each table above the lower windows. This would also serve to lower the perceived ceiling height.
IMHO the whole dining area should have had the same lowered ceiling level as the corridor next to the kitchen. For manufacturing ease one wouldn't have to remove the upper window structure; leave them be or replace the glass with stainless panels. But of course we are stuck with what we've got; oh well.
The manufacturers pictures would look a whole lot better if the dining area had been "staged": table cloths, silver- and glass-wear, plates, etc, etc.
Instead of the direct fluorescent or LED ceiling lights I wish they would have used full length, indirect lighting above the lower windows. That or use individual lighting for each table above the lower windows. This would also serve to lower the perceived ceiling height.
IMHO the whole dining area should have had the same lowered ceiling level as the corridor next to the kitchen. For manufacturing ease one wouldn't have to remove the upper window structure; leave them be or replace the glass with stainless panels. But of course we are stuck with what we've got; oh well.
The manufacturers pictures would look a whole lot better if the dining area had been "staged": table cloths, silver- and glass-wear, plates, etc, etc.
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And if they had wanted that - the low ceilings "look", then they would not have made them the way they did with the higher ceiling and upper windows.
As with anything, you can't please everyone.
BTW, I've seen interior pics of 8400, the prototype and it has curtains on at least the lower windows.
jis
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Who needs dank dark ceilings to make them look low. We left the cave a long time back. I like light and airy and think the VL IIs look fine. Must be a generation gap thing 
Why would the manufacturer stage it. They're selling their work to companies that want to buy train cars. It's up to Amtrak (or whoever else buys their product) to make the cars look inviting to their own customers.
neroden
Engineer
They look an awful lot like the 8400. No curtains but I see curtain rail overhangs, so I figure they just haven't put the curtains in yet. If anything the design is slightly more "art deco" than the 8400 -- look at those ceiling lights!
I think they're pretty gorgeous and should attract customers,... if Amtrak markets them a little. (I remember meeting someone in the dining car of the LSL who had not realized that it had a dining car until she got on board. She was going from NYP to Schenectady and had always taken Empire Service. She ordered three mini-bottles of wine, and probably made quite a lot of money for Amtrak.)
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I hope there are no curtains because there will always be somebody who wants to eat with the curtains closed and scenery going by. For sunlight, some kind of shade that lets you see out while deflecting direct sunlight would be nice.
jis
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Wish they could start using on train Windows, those nifty electro-optical shade things that they have on the 787. Setting them at about half brightness works perfectly.
neroden
Engineer
Nobody wants the sun in their eyes while they're eating, so there'll have to be some sort of shade.
In my long-ago experience with the first life of 8400, two negatives stood out: 1) On a bright summer day the light was nearly unbearable. All the windows had curtains, but the uppers could only be moved by standing on the benches. Upper curtains closed on the sunny side seemed to be the best compromise. 2) The air conditioning came in at vents at the base of the lower windows (like the sleepers, but without the adjustable vents). On a hot day, window passengers' window side arms got nearly frozen. Aside from that, the car was quite nice, though I remember the chefs saying the aisle in the kitchen was narrower than the Heritage diners'. I'm looking forward to trying out the 21st century version!
Metra Electric Rider
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Add me to the not impressed with the interior crowd, especially compared to the "trains of yesteryear" or even a lot of trains around the world they seem dated already - which I suppose could be a good thing.
I've eaten in 8400 ( Indianapolis) Several times.and thought it was a big improvement over the Heritage Diners, especially the AC.
The Crews that I rode with all loved it too!
I agree that hopefully there will be some spiffing up done with colors and that useful curtains or blinds will be installed on the windows.
Bring 'me on already!!!
The Crews that I rode with all loved it too!
I agree that hopefully there will be some spiffing up done with colors and that useful curtains or blinds will be installed on the windows.
Bring 'me on already!!!
tommylicious
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hopefully the food on these beautiful new cars won't be this to recoup the cost: http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/vulture/2015/06/18/18-oitnb-food.w750.h560.2x.jpg
That's interesting, because my immediate distinct impression was that it was much smoother riding and the chef told me he "loved" it. The 8400 does not have the same interior as the one in the pics of the new cars.
brianpmcdonnell17
Conductor
It is also odd because the Crescent is known to be one of the smoothest LD trains.
jis
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Chock it up to each individual having their own strong opinions about stuff based on GOK what (GOK stands for God Only Knows).
PerRock
Engineer
The idea of 8400 is that the new cars will be pretty much the same as it; at least in layout; there maybe some cosmetic changes but when it comes to working & dining in it, they should pretty much all be the same. 8400 is the testing car, so they made up an interior layout, sent it out for service, then (supposedly) listened to what OBS said they liked & disliked, made changes, rinse, repeat. That being said I don' think 8400 actually went back the BG for any changes.
As for ride, I wouldn't be surprised if 8400 had a poor-er ride quality then the other Viewliner Is or the new ones. 8400 is one of the three oldest Viewliners in Amtrak's fleet, has been extensively reworked a couple of times, it's bound to be showing some wear & tear from all that.
peter
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