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

[me_little_me]

I guess there's no chance of the Star getting its diners back by the middle of next month for my upcoming trip. Oh well! :wacko:

Take the Meteor if you want a diner.

Too long a wait for the Meteor as it doesn't stop in Cary, my departure station. It was only a joke as the Star might not get diners back this year, if ever.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

According to posts on trainorders, Friday CAF will serve up Two Diners,68002 (Atlanta) and 68003 (Agusta).

Hopefully the testing will go well, and many more will be rolling out of the Factory!

I read just now on trainorders that they're leaving tomorrow, not Friday.

 

[Thirdrail7]

According to posts on trainorders, Friday CAF will serve up Two Diners,68002 (Atlanta) and 68003 (Agusta).

Hopefully the testing will go well, and many more will be rolling out of the Factory!

I read just now on trainorders that they're leaving tomorrow, not Friday.

These are not test cars, Bob Dylan. Once they make to to HIA, they will undergo a few mods and barring any unforeseen issues, be released for revenue service.

Speaking of the Meteor, Wednesday is the moment for Ryan and Blue to shine. Hopefully they can grab some pictures of the cargo on the rear.

 

[Thirdrail7]

I wonder whether we will first see a route *abandon its Heritage*, or whether we will see a *Restoration*. (Hoping for the latter.)

Sorry, I know the Lake Shore Ltd is your train, but I'm hoping it gets new diners last. Among the many advantages of the new cars should be improved reliability in every way. One way that matters a lot to Amtrak, is cars that fail on the NEC, and cars that go slow on the NEC.

When ALL the slow and failure-prone Heritage cars are gone from the NEC, the On Time Performance should improve for ALL other trains. You can't get the full effect you need with many new cars replacing many Heritage cars, or replacing most of them. It's ALL or nothing. And it's worth it.

So the one and only LD train that never operates on the NEC should be the last to benefit from new diners. Such is life.

None of that will matter until they've finished the truck profiles on the existing viewliner fleet, Woody. When that occurs, your statement may hold water.

 

[Ryan]

Speaking of the Meteor, Wednesday is the moment for Ryan and Blue to shine. Hopefully they can grab some pictures of the cargo on the rear.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

According to posts on trainorders, Friday CAF will serve up Two Diners,68002 (Atlanta) and 68003 (Agusta).

Hopefully the testing will go well, and many more will be rolling out of the Factory!

I read just now on trainorders that they're leaving tomorrow, not Friday.

These are not test cars, Bob Dylan. Once they make to to HIA, they will undergo a few mods and barring any unforeseen issues, be released for revenue service.

Speaking of the Meteor, Wednesday is the moment for Ryan and Blue to shine. Hopefully they can grab some pictures of the cargo on the rear.

Weather looks promising. Rain should be gone by the time it comes by me.

 

[pennyk]

Speaking of the Meteor, Wednesday is the moment for Ryan and Blue to shine. Hopefully they can grab some pictures of the cargo on the rear.

59675328.jpg

May I assume that they will pass me on Thursday?

 

[WoodyinNYC]

I wonder whether we will first see a route *abandon its Heritage*, or whether we will see a *Restoration*. (Hoping for the latter.)

Sorry, I know the Lake Shore Ltd is your train, but I'm hoping it gets new diners last. Among the many advantages of the new cars should be improved reliability in every way. One way that matters a lot to Amtrak, is cars that fail on the NEC, and cars that go slow on the NEC.

When ALL the slow and failure-prone Heritage cars are gone from the NEC, the On Time Performance should improve for ALL other trains. You can't get the full effect you need with many new cars replacing many Heritage cars, or replacing most of them. It's ALL or nothing. And it's worth it.

So the one and only LD train that never operates on the NEC should be the last to benefit from new diners. Such is life.

None of that will matter until they've finished the truck profiles on the existing viewliner fleet, Woody. When that occurs, your statement may hold water.

You mean, we get to wait for Viewliners all over again? Oy vey.

But thanks for that info. I didn't know that.

It does make me think that upgrading the Viewliner I sleepers will not be indefinitely delayed, as some have suggested here.

 

[Palmetto]

Speaking of the Meteor, Wednesday is the moment for Ryan and Blue to shine. Hopefully they can grab some pictures of the cargo on the rear.

59675328.jpg

May I assume that they will pass me on Thursday?

That would be correct. On train 97.

 

[PaulM]

None of that will matter until they've finished the truck profiles on the existing viewliner fleet, Woody. When that occurs, your statement may hold water.

For the ordinary Amtrak customer, what is a truck profile and how does the existing viewliner fleet relate to the appearance of new diners?

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

None of that will matter until they've finished the truck profiles on the existing viewliner fleet, Woody. When that occurs, your statement may hold water.

For the ordinary Amtrak customer, what is a truck profile and how does the existing viewliner fleet relate to the appearance of new diners?

Without the heritage diners in the consist, it makes sense for the Viewliner Is to be approved for 125 MPH operation on the NEC.

 

[jis]

The point Thirdrail is making I think is that it will be quite a while before that becomes reality even though everyone agrees with that being a goal.

 

[Ngotwalt]

Thirdrail7,

If I may ask, what does the truck profile work on the VIs entail? Do I recall correctly there were some trains run on the NEC a while back that were part of the certification for VI 125mph certification? How long will all that take? Because if I read Amtrak timetables right, my guess is that they could shave close to an hour (fifty minutes probably) off the Long Distance train schedules on the NEC, which is a pretty big time savings.

Cheers,

Nick

 

[Acela150]

Thirdrail7,

If I may ask, what does the truck profile work on the VIs entail? Do I recall correctly there were some trains run on the NEC a while back that were part of the certification for VI 125mph certification? How long will all that take? Because if I read Amtrak timetables right, my guess is that they could shave close to an hour (fifty minutes probably) off the Long Distance train schedules on the NEC, which is a pretty big time savings.

Cheers,

Nick

An hour?? More like 5-10 minutes at best.

 

[jis]

Right, 10 mins would be spectacular.

There is only maybe 100 miles of 125mph instead of 110mph.

The time difference would be 55 mins at 110mph vs. 48 mins or so at 125mph.

Most of the loose time in the timetable is to account for the lower priority at which the LD trains run on the Corridor and not the absolute speed at which they can run.

 

[StriderGDM]

Yeah, by itself, you don't save much time (there's not just enough distance nor difference in speed).

BUT, you do make scheduling a bit easier when more of your trains are all running at the same speeds.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

97(26) with two new diners bringing up the markers. Atlanta & Augusta.
Fox Point State Park, DE

97_WithTwoNewDiners_AtlantaAugusta_2017-04-26.mov

 

[PVD]

The LD trains also handle checked baggage at many stops, that adds to station time.

 

[mgl1978]

From today

https://youtu.be/zSbqyuouMNk

 

[Acela150]

97(26) with two new diners bringing up the markers. Atlanta & Augusta.

Fox Point State Park, DE

97_WithTwoNewDiners_AtlantaAugusta_2017-04-26.mov

I wasn't going out for several reasons.. Traffic in Philly has been terrible this week due to the NFL draft. 97 comes through Philly at 5pm no way.. The anti railfan clouds were out today. So that just added to the reasons not to go.

From today

https://youtu.be/zSbqyuouMNk

That's quite a train.

 

[Ngotwalt]

Thirdrail7,

If I may ask, what does the truck profile work on the VIs entail? Do I recall correctly there were some trains run on the NEC a while back that were part of the certification for VI 125mph certification? How long will all that take? Because if I read Amtrak timetables right, my guess is that they could shave close to an hour (fifty minutes probably) off the Long Distance train schedules on the NEC, which is a pretty big time savings.

Cheers,

Nick

An hour?? More like 5-10 minutes at best.

In other news I apparently can't read a timetable...and mixed up Alexandria with Washington...several times. I revise my statement to about fifteen minutes...and shutting up.

Nick

 

[CSXfoamer1997]

Well, at least the progress of the new diners is coming along now!

 

[tommylicious]

Yes the diners are beauties. Any idea what lines they're going to join?

 

[GaSteve]

Yes the diners are beauties. Any idea what lines they're going to join?

Single level eastern trains - Silver, Crescent, etc.

 

[tommylicious]

no LSL???