Viewliner II - Part 1 - Initial Production and Delivery

[AmtrakLKL]

I will bet Amtrak is trying to get as many of these as possible in service before the Thanksgiving rush, the busiest weekend of the year for Amtrak. Even a couple would help alleviate the crunch. I know Amtrak attempts to basically get every possible piece of rolling stock in service, nothing in the shops, for that weekend. If they can get 3 diners onto the LSL, they can use the Amfleet II cafes currently used on the LSL to supplement other (shorter-distance) trains. Same if they can cram 2 into service on the Cardinal. Adding 4 back to the Silver Star for the weekend might be appropriate to avoid overloading the cafe.

Of course there's the problem of "training", but perhaps there was enough training on #8400 and on the Viewliner II baggage cars to allow for a quick deployment on at least some routes?

On Track On Line believes there are only 11 active heritage diners on the roster, plus #8400. That's very strained.

Amtrak is more concerned with getting revenue cars on the road that can be filled with fares. While do you earn revenue selling food, food service cars are considered non-revenue. I haven't heard anything one way or the other, but I personally doubt this one car will be in service by Thanksgiving.

 

[PVD]

All hands on deck for Thanksgiving. Not sure how it is elsewhere, but in the past they have run some "extras" with borrowed cars and no food service on the NEC.

 

[StriderGDM]

I'd be shocked if any of the Viewdiners, including Annapolis are in service by Thanksgiving.

 

[daybeers]

All hands on deck for Thanksgiving. Not sure how it is elsewhere, but in the past they have run some "extras" with borrowed cars and no food service on the NEC.

Yup, they do that every year. If you try to make a reservation on the NEC around Thanksgiving, some trains are numbered 1xxx, which usually means they use borrowed cars because of the very high demand.

 

[TiBike]

It took more than a year of "training" for Amtrak employees to figure out how to use a bike rack. A new dining car is good for five or ten years of head (or whatever) scratching.

 

[tommylicious]

It took more than a year of "training" for Amtrak employees to figure out how to use a bike rack. A new dining car is good for five or ten years of head (or whatever) scratching.

HAHAHAHA!!!! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[neroden]

Amtrak can and does sell seats in (non-operating) cafe cars over Thanksgiving. Getting the dining cars in service would, as I said, free up cafe cars from the LSL and Cardinal to be used for this purpose.

 

[MikefromCrete]

I don't see Amtrak rushing these dining cars (or even one car) into revenue service within the next 20 days. Remember how long it took them to get the baggage cars running,

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

I'd be shocked if any of the Viewdiners, including Annapolis are in service by Thanksgiving.

2019 ?

 

[Thirdrail7]

Actually, it didn't take a year of "training" for employees to figure out how to use the bike racks. It took that long for the cars to receive and install the agreed upon components necessary to fulfill the requirements. This shouldn't be a surprise since we've covered it before and it was noted that Amtrak accepted the cars with defects to get then into service.

The training aspect went quite quick.

If it makes you feel better, there will be no training on the new cars and no tables. Everyone will stand in an open area and chow down. This is so you can "rush" them in service.

Hang on.

 

[Palmetto]

Hmm, sounds like a New Haven Line bar car. ^_^

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Thirdrail7--

Did I read your post (#3385) correctly? There will be no tables in the Viewliner II café cars?

I tried to find photos but found all the other types of cars but not the café car (no wonder they don't want to show photos, if there are no tables).

If I read this correctly, that makes no sense whatsoever--what passenger would spend an exorbitant amount of money for awful food to stand around on a moving train eating? (And those of us who trip over our own sneakers on solid ground certainly won't be going to the café car. )

Plus, where would the crew be able to sit and take up a couple of tables to relax and do their paperwork? :giggle:

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

If I read this correctly, that makes no sense whatsoever--what passenger would spend an exorbitant amount of money for awful food to stand around on a moving train eating? (And those of us who trip over our own sneakers on solid ground certainly won't be going to the café car. )

Isn't that what they need to do today? The tables are taken up by non-eating coach passengers looking for a nicer seat, leaving passenger buying food to either stand or return back to coach.

 

[Bob Dylan]

He was being sarcastic Patty!

And there's no Viewliner Cafe Cars, only long promised Diners!

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Oh--I forgot there was never a mention of new Viewliner café cars--how embarrassing :blush: . Thanks for clearing that up, Jim!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Thirdrail7--

Did I read your post (#3385) correctly? There will be no tables in the Viewliner II café cars?

I tried to find photos but found all the other types of cars but not the café car (no wonder they don't want to show photos, if there are no tables).

If I read this correctly, that makes no sense whatsoever--what passenger would spend an exorbitant amount of money for awful food to stand around on a moving train eating? (And those of us who trip over our own sneakers on solid ground certainly won't be going to the café car. )

Plus, where would the crew be able to sit and take up a couple of tables to relax and do their paperwork? :giggle:

You can see the tables in the new diner in the video.
I'm guessing TR7 was sitting at one of them when he made his post - j/k.

 

[jis]

Oh man! We really need a sarcasm emoticon since people miss it so often

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Oh man! We really need a sarcasm emoticon since people miss it so often

So true

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Oh--I forgot there was never a mention of new Viewliner café cars--how embarrassing :blush: . Thanks for clearing that up, Jim!

After 170 pages, I am left totally unsure as to what is true and what is not.

 

[TiBike]

"Training" was a quote from another's post. I didn't mean it literally. But it did take more than a year from the delivery of the first cars (and nearly a year from the last) to put something as simple as a bike rack into service. And I'm not limiting "employees" to onboard staff -- as an organisation, Amtrak does not operate in a coordinated, mission focused manner. What I get from the inspector general's reports (particularly regarding V2s and station signage) is that everyone is in charge of their little piece of turf, and projects bounce from one patch to another without anyone taking overall responsibility.

When the first baggage cars were delivered, there was apparently a long process of reengineering them so that the baggage shelves were up to spec. That indicates to me that there was little or no coordination between people managing construction (or not), the people who maintain equipment and the people who operate it. Maybe that's been fixed. But if it hasn't, then the maintenance and operations people are getting their first look at the latest design and it will be no surprise if they find surprises.

Actually, it didn't take a year of "training" for employees to figure out how to use the bike racks. It took that long for the cars to receive and install the agreed upon components necessary to fulfill the requirements. This shouldn't be a surprise since we've covered it before and it was noted that Amtrak accepted the cars with defects to get then into service.

The training aspect went quite quick.

 

[Triley]

Amtrak can and does sell seats in (non-operating) cafe cars over Thanksgiving. Getting the dining cars in service would, as I said, free up cafe cars from the LSL and Cardinal to be used for this purpose.

They don't sell seats in non-revenue cafe cars. They're just that, non-revenue. Back when there was a surplus of cafe cars they'd put an extra on got employees to deadhead on, so they're not trying to take revenue seats from paying passengers.

 

[A Voice]

Amtrak can and does sell seats in (non-operating) cafe cars over Thanksgiving. Getting the dining cars in service would, as I said, free up cafe cars from the LSL and Cardinal to be used for this purpose.

They don't sell seats in non-revenue cafe cars. They're just that, non-revenue. Back when there was a surplus of cafe cars they'd put an extra on got employees to deadhead on, so they're not trying to take revenue seats from paying passengers.

Actually, there are no cafe cars used on the Lake Shore Limited anyway. That train currently runs with two Amfleet II lounge cars, with the "diner-lite" rebuild, and one taking the place of the dining car.

I "think" the Cardinal also regularly uses an Amfleet Ii lounge, though I welcome corrections.

 

[PVD]

I thought a split club/cafe was added instead of the A2 lounge coming from Boston so they could sell the B/C now that the train is back to being joined at Albany.

 

[A Voice]

I thought a split club/cafe was added instead of the A2 lounge coming from Boston so they could sell the B/C now that the train is back to being joined at Albany.

Hmm, I'd forgotten about business class from Boston. Not sure about that one. But I know that a second Amfleet Ii lounge was added when the diner was removed.

 

[Thirdrail7]

I thought a split club/cafe was added instead of the A2 lounge coming from Boston so they could sell the B/C now that the train is back to being joined at Albany.

Hmm, I'd forgotten about business class from Boston. Not sure about that one. But I know that a second Amfleet Ii lounge was added when the diner was removed.

The second AMII lounge does not operate now that the shuttle is canceled. The split club from BOS acts as the second lounge.

Amtrak can and does sell seats in (non-operating) cafe cars over Thanksgiving. Getting the dining cars in service would, as I said, free up cafe cars from the LSL and Cardinal to be used for this purpose.

They don't sell seats in non-revenue cafe cars. They're just that, non-revenue. Back when there was a surplus of cafe cars they'd put an extra on got employees to deadhead on, so they're not trying to take revenue seats from paying passengers.

Table cars are often pressed into service during peak periods and sold as revenue seats. However, the cafe care tables remain non revenue.

"Training" was a quote from another's post. I didn't mean it literally. But it did take more than a year from the delivery of the first cars (and nearly a year from the last) to put something as simple as a bike rack into service. And I'm not limiting "employees" to onboard staff -- as an organisation, Amtrak does not operate in a coordinated, mission focused manner. What I get from the inspector general's reports (particularly regarding V2s and station signage) is that everyone is in charge of their little piece of turf, and projects bounce from one patch to another without anyone taking overall responsibility.

When the first baggage cars were delivered, there was apparently a long process of reengineering them so that the baggage shelves were up to spec. That indicates to me that there was little or no coordination between people managing construction (or not), the people who maintain equipment and the people who operate it. Maybe that's been fixed. But if it hasn't, then the maintenance and operations people are getting their first look at the latest design and it will be no surprise if they find surprises.

Actually, it didn't take a year of "training" for employees to figure out how to use the bike racks. It took that long for the cars to receive and install the agreed upon components necessary to fulfill the requirements. This shouldn't be a surprise since we've covered it before and it was noted that Amtrak accepted the cars with defects to get then into service.

The training aspect went quite quick.

Sure...and you're probably right about whatever happens to come out this time versus what we saw last time. You're probably also correct in saying there are problems with oversight, management, last minute changes and fiefdoms. Heck, even I have made recommendations for modifications on behalf of this board.

A perfect example is the lack of tables to expedite the delivery. However, when you're handed lemons, you make lemonade. Since the food that is being provided is no longer "sit down" restaurant quality food, instead of raising the bar on the food, we'll make it look better in comparison. It is taking the "bistro" concept to the next level. You'll order your food to go and mingle with your fellow passengers.

I'm forward thinking. This answers a few problems like crews congregating in the dining cars. It also raises the amenities and level of service because without tables, it helps out with the whole Are Dining Cars Open During Non-Meal Hours? thread.

Soon, the answer will be yes and boy are you passengers in for a throwback, good time. Who remembers the piano/bar car that was assigned to the Montrealer? Well, that isn't coming back, but when the lights go down and the last meal is served, the disco ball comes out! That's right, you'll shake your money maker to the disco ball and moonlight through the viewliner windows. Additionally, those low energy L.E.D lights put on a heck of a light show. Talk about maximizing space. Imagine sitting at a grade crossing, watching that new LDSL dining/dancing car pass at restricted speed as it follows yet another freight. I'm sure the locals will watch the light show and say "well, that just looks like fun. Let's book a trip."

Now, there is a slight training problem with deploying the disco ball and members along the Cardinal actually said the preferred Line Dancing. Additionally, strobe light warnings have to etched into the F.R.A approved glazing as well as any the grade crossings the train will traverse. The D.O.T's are dragging their feet which has added to delays. It may take time as TiBike mentioned to coordinate all of this stuff.

You're welcome!

One more thing...to save more time. the sleeping cars may emerge without doors on the sleeping cars....exterior doors. 1/3 of them were completed when someone finally realized the only way in was from an adjacent car. The exterior doors were omitted to solve the problem of ice and snow build up around the doors. If we get rid of the doors, that's one less area for it to build, right? Right?

This story is now on the internet...therefore, it must be as true as anything else in this tread...right? :hi: