Viewliner II Part 3: Bag/Dorm Car Production, Delivery, Speculation

[cocojacoby]

ImageUploadedByAmtrak Forum1536634746.365192.jpg

This is a picture of the inside of the New York baggage car. And for those wondering how I got it my car is adjacent to it. So I walked to my glass door and peaked in.

Looks kind of empty to me.

 

[Dakota 400]

Seaboard92,

I appreciated seeing your picture of the baggage car. Never have seen the inside of one and have wondered what they might be like.

Your photo leads to a question: How is the baggage organized when placed in the baggage car? The luggage has to be boarded and removed so quickly at most stations, i.e. Fort Lauderdale, and there is no baggage car employee to do this (I am fairly sure). The fact that Amtrak can do this so well with few complaints (as far as I know) of missing luggage when a traveler arrives at her/his destination is impressive to me.

 

[me_little_me]

At the rate Amtrak is dumping baggage handling locations (and agents), I'm surprised nobody has proposed a speculation topic on possible uses for all that space with the already-delivered baggage cars and the soon-to-be-delivered bag dorms?

Storage for the unnecessary cooking equipment from the new diners?

Coach lounges?

New standee-only "economy coach"?

New economy sleeper class with User-provided sleeping bags?

Storage for all that uneaten food from the "fresh choices" meals?

Bus storage for the bus bridges?

 

[cpotisch]

Bus storage for the bus bridges?

What would that even be?

 

[PVD]

sarcasm.....

 

[cpotisch]

sarcasm.....

I know. I'm just curious as to what he meant by that hypothetical and sarcastic thought.

 

[ainamkartma]

sarcasm.....

I know. I'm just curious as to what he meant by that hypothetical and sarcastic thought.

In the event of a bus bridge, Amtrak will obviously have to somehow transport the buses to each end of the bridge, duh. So since ridership and baggage checking will be way down, there will be plenty of room to transport the buses in the new baggage car capacity coming on line. I envision one bus parked in each of those "bays" visible in Seaboard's photo, or maybe even two buses stacked up to the ceiling. I hope Amtrak restores the vital amenity of cleaning the windows of PV cars riding on Amtrak trains at every stop, though (this was standard practice for _exactly_ 11 months from A-day, 1971), so that we can get better pictures next time around.

I hope this makes the situation crystal clear,

Ainamkartma

 

[Seaboard92]

I cleaned our windows yesterday morning they are clear as it gets now. So no need to worry about that.

 

[neroden]

ImageUploadedByAmtrak Forum1536634746.365192.jpg

This is a picture of the inside of the New York baggage car. And for those wondering how I got it my car is adjacent to it. So I walked to my glass door and peaked in.

This is why a bag-dorm would be used on the NYP section of the LSL. All baggage except bags destined to/from NYP would go in the BOS baggage car. Crew would be moved out of the revenue sleepers making more rooms available for sale. Also the bag dorms would be cycling through NYP where swaps could be made with the one other service that is likely to get bag-dorms. With only 10 of them, what ever services they do go on they are going to have to share a common layover facility as there wont be a large protect margin.

The only issue is: is a half-bag enough for the massive baggage demand out of and into NYP? During peak times I'm pretty sure it's not, but maybe they can add an extra baggage car around Thanksgiving...

 

[PVD]

It is an interesting question, do we have a read on what the actual baggage load is? The VL sleepers and AM-2 coaches are certainly not luggage friendly in the manner of a SL

 

[neroden]

We only have isolated data points: the evidence is that the baggage load is *usually* low, but has some massive peaks on high-travel days.

 

[PVD]

That's sort of what I thought. Unfortunately, the extra rooms help most when the full bag is probably most useful. I guess there really isn't a reason the full bag can't be added when demand is expected to be high. Lots of double spots already.

 

[cpotisch]

IMO, here's what it comes down to. The Boston section of the LSL is typically two AM-II coaches, a split AM-I 2x1 business/cafe, and one sleeper. If say the train were sold out, with coaches and business class full, and every room is occupied by 2 passengers, you'd have 165 passengers. That is the theoretical maximum number of Boston section passengers currently. I highly doubt that that would ever happen (especially having two people in every room), but if it did, you would probably need a full baggage car. But again, that would only happen if every single seat and berth were occupied between Boston and Albany. I don't know what percentage of passengers check their bags or how many bags can fit in a baggage car (or bag-dorm), but I just doubt that they will virtually have enough passengers checking bags to and from stops between Boston and Albany such that a full bag would be required. And as PVD said, if really necessary, they could possibly scrounge up a couple full bags during peak season if it does become an issue,

 

[PVD]

The bags already exist, the train runs with 2 full bags now. If the NY bag were changed to usually be a B-D, the former full bag would be in reserve unless it was repurposed to add bag service to a train that does not currently have it. No need to scrounge.

 

[MARC Rider]

My experience is that the percentage of people who check thier bags is pretty low. The baggage carousels at Chicago and Washington have never been crowded for me, and even in Baltimore and Boston where there's only one baggage handler, I rarely have to wait behind any other passengers with bags. I typically only check baggage when I have my ski gear and the big roller duffle, or once when both my wife and I were traveling in a viewliner roomette. Otherwise, there's plenty of room for carry on, both in coach and the sleepers. I suspect most Amtrak LD travelers don't check bags.

 

[cpotisch]

Ok, so its been like like three months since 69000 was delivered. Any more bag-dorms coming along or has CAF just shut down production?

 

[Acela150]

Well considering ThirdRail is missing who knows.

 

[cpotisch]

Well considering ThirdRail is missing who knows.

We still have multiple Amtrak employees on the forum. Knightrail is one of them and he’s been keeping the “Just the facts” thread updated. So I don’t think the lack of Thirdrail makes it impossible to figure this stuff out.

 

[PVD]

Not impossible, but harder. I don't know why he is MIA, I only hope all is well, and there is nothing beyond a personal choice to take a break.

 

[jis]

Not impossible, but harder. I don't know why he is MIA, I only hope all is well, and there is nothing beyond a personal choice to take a break.

It may be corporation induced personal choice, is my guess. I know that I would have been shown the door at my workplace quite a while back if I posted the type of stuff he was posting about his employer. Maybe his cover was blown by someone.

 

[PVD]

Sadly, you may be right. I certainly hope the "no good deed goes unpunished" force is at work.

 

[cpotisch]

I feel like even if his “cover was blown” and he had to stop posting on AU, I feel like he could still say that he has to leave. It just seemed a bit “abrupt”, it that makes sense...

 

[jis]

I feel like even if his “cover was blown” and he had to stop posting on AU, I feel like he could still say that he has to leave. It just seemed a bit “abrupt”, it that makes sense...

After you have worked in the industry a year or two and been warned by your boss, then come back and say if you would take the risk of posting a goodbye message or not, specially if the threat involved impacting your retirement. I am not saying that this is what happened, but it is well within the realm of possibilities. Insubordination is somewhat looked down upon, more so if you are already in a bit of trouble.

 

[cpotisch]

I feel like even if his “cover was blown” and he had to stop posting on AU, I feel like he could still say that he has to leave. It just seemed a bit “abrupt”, it that makes sense...

After you have worked in the industry a year or two and been warned by your boss, then come back and say if you would take the risk of posting a goodbye message or not, specially if the threat involved impacting your retirement. I am not saying that this is what happened, but it is well within the realm of possibilities. Insubordination is somewhat looked down upon, more so if you are already in a bit of trouble.

Fair enough.

 

[Dakota 400]

I feel like even if his “cover was blown” and he had to stop posting on AU, I feel like he could still say that he has to leave. It just seemed a bit “abrupt”, it that makes sense...

After you have worked in the industry a year or two and been warned by your boss, then come back and say if you would take the risk of posting a goodbye message or not, specially if the threat involved impacting your retirement. I am not saying that this is what happened, but it is well within the realm of possibilities. Insubordination is somewhat looked down upon, more so if you are already in a bit of trouble.

What happened to freedom of speech?