Viewliner II Part 2: Dining Car Production, Delivery, Speculation

[me_little_me]

Nope. We've been through this - Albany is a prototype car which has to be brought up to the current ViewDiner design and spec, and which we've known all along will be delivered last (of the diners). It would make absolutely zero sense to deliver 24 of the 25 diners in normal spec and then somehow have the last be in some different layout for use as a special all-in-one food service car on what would have to be a single consist. No sense whatsoever.  :help:

So, you're saying Amtrak will do it? :giggle:

 

[chrsjrcj]

Jackson is on 92 today (assumingly) deadheading. 

 

[pennyk]

Tallahassee deadheading on today's 98.

 

[cpotisch]

Tallahassee deadheading on today's 98.

View attachment 11209

View attachment 11210

Any idea where it’s going? They’ve all already entered service, right?

 

[Acela150]

Any idea where it’s going? They’ve all already entered service, right?

Well since it's on 98, NYC.  

 

[cpotisch]

Any idea where it’s going? They’ve all already entered service, right?

Well since it's on 98, NYC.  

I more meant it in the “What is it heading to NYC for?” kind of sense...

 

[me_little_me]

Will probably be converted into a bus for the Southwest Chief. :giggle:

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

Crickets...

When do we assume the rest of the orders been cancelled? As a public company we all pay for,  it’s time for management to come clean and give some updates.

How many of the diners are actually stored?

 

[neroden]

Given the amount of money Amtrak is leaving on the table by not having enough Eastern sleepers in the summer, it is blatant mismanagement to not get them.

 

[cpotisch]

How many of the diners are actually stored?

11 Viewliner Diners are in service at any given time, on the LSL, Silver Meteor, and Crescent. Excluding 8400, Amtrak currently has a total of 24 ViewDiners (25 once 68000 Albany is delivered), so even with protects in Chicago, Hialeah, Sunnyside, and New Orleans, they still have 9 or so pretty much doing nothing. Not a great use of some brand new and pretty state of the art $3M dining cars. SMH.

 

[Ryan]

It’s like there is an echo in here. 

The numbers don’t mean that the other diners are stored doing nothing. 

SMH, indeed. 

 

[cpotisch]

It’s like there is an echo in here. 

The numbers don’t mean that the other diners are stored doing nothing. 

SMH, indeed. 

Let me put it this way: do you agree that there are physically enough diners to be put on more routes (for example the mere two-consist Cardinal)? They could keep serving the same food, and they wouldn’t need to add staff (I will concede that you can’t use a Viewliner Diner as a Cafe car like the current diner-lite on the Card, but they could just move snack service to the split Business/Cafe car). The Cardinal has phenomenal scenery, and currently, no real facilities to enjoy it from.

It just seems to me like poor use of a bunch of brand new cars.

 

[Ryan]

do you agree agree that there are physically enough diners to be put on more routes

Not if those diners are somehow tied up doing something that would make them unusable for daily service.  Something like this, perhaps?

This is, tentatively, correct per my understanding.  A whole lot of (understandable) FUD got going around, but basically right now the convection ovens used for the (one) hot entree can only do one item at a time.  This causes things to get backed up.  The new equipment (which triggered the "gutting" rumors) is supposed to be able to handle heating 24 items at a go (!), which will give them a lot more flexibility...but the yards can only do so much updating at a time (between their own capacity and the need for equipment to be in use) so it's gonna be slow...

 

 

[cpotisch]

Not if those diners are somehow tied up doing something that would make them unusable for daily service.  Something like this, perhaps?

This is, tentatively, correct per my understanding.  A whole lot of (understandable) FUD got going around, but basically right now the convection ovens used for the (one) hot entree can only do one item at a time.  This causes things to get backed up.  The new equipment (which triggered the "gutting" rumors) is supposed to be able to handle heating 24 items at a go (!), which will give them a lot more flexibility...but the yards can only do so much updating at a time (between their own capacity and the need for equipment to be in use) so it's gonna be slow...

Interesting, didn’t see that. Thank you!

 

[Anderson]

Presuming that all 25 diners are "in hand", there are enough to cover the LSL, Meteor, and Crescent under the current circumstances (that's 11) if a bunch are being overhauled.  As far as longer-term plans go (and there are plenty of rumors on this front), some of that depends on what they plan to do with the Viewliner IIs.  If the plan is to plop them on a route that's presently a Superliner route, that complicates the longer-term picture, now, doesn't it?

 

[Pipp]

I'm sorry If this been answered, But why are these painted in Phase 3 Scheme?  It doesn't make sense.

 

[cpotisch]

I'm sorry If this been answered, But why are these painted in Phase 3 Scheme?  It doesn't make sense.

The plan under Boardman was to have a separate “Amtrak America” brand for long distance services, and as such, they wanted to distinguish long distance equipment with their own special color scheme. I guess they concluded that since Phase III was particularly attractive and was very distinctive as a classic Amtrak color scheme, that it was the best candidate for the job.

 

[VT Hokie]

As I predicted, the Phase III, in addition to making the consists look worse, also shows dirt and grime more.  Hopefully at some point Amtrak will go back to a standardized Phase IV.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqLJxTVB4tb/

The two English ladies seated on the right were tourists who had arrived on the QM2, and were obviously accustomed to proper first class service.  They were so unsatisfied with the boxed meals that they asked if they could order another item instead, told sorry only one item per sleeper passenger, and then given a phone # to call and complain.  I explained to them the unfortunate and controversial cost cutting downgrades, and assured them that the meal service on their next leg aboard the California Zephyr would be better.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqLPEGJh_lb/

 

[cpotisch]

As I predicted, the Phase III, in addition to making the consists look worse, also shows dirt and grime more.  Hopefully at some point Amtrak will go back to a standardized Phase IV.

I have to disagree about Phase III looking worse. I personally love the large red-white-and-blue stripe and the pointless arrow, and I'm pretty sick of virtually every peace of equipment in the Amtrak fleet having nothing but the drab, dark blue stripe that is Phase IV. In my book, any variation would be welcomed, and I think that if we ever get uniform Phase III consists (in which the Amfleets and maybe even the locos would also have that paint), it would look even better.

 

[Ryan]

Amen!

 

[jis]

Agree with cpotisch on that.

 

[cocojacoby]

I also agree that Phase III is fine but even better if everything matched.  The new engines look rather boring next to a Phase III heritage unit. 

 

[me_little_me]

I could care less about the colors. I just want diners to be diners, not cold-food-carrying storage cars.

 

[west point]

Yes let us worry more about getting more equipment not spending money on paint jobs ! 

 

[PVD]

I took 2 trains last week. One had 700 and one had 715 old paint/new paint, amfleet 1 cars that look tired. Saw them for 2 minutes or so. But I spent 5 1/2 hours inside in each direction, and the refreshed interiors with seats that actually had padding, clean carpets and bathrooms are sure to attract more repeat customers than if the paint jobs matched. I overheard passengers commenting on the cars being nice, that is a good thing, for sure.