Viewliner II Part 4: Sleeping Car production, delivery, deployment

[railiner]

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Worked for me...

 

[dlagrua]

We just got back from a trip to Whitefish, MT via Chicago ( Cardinal) and will say that Viewliner II sleepers are badly needed. While the bedroom was in fairly decent shape, the staff great, the ride from CHI through Indiana and parts of Ohio was brutally rough. The track may have been the culprit but the car didn't handle those bumps very well. New Viewliners with a fresh suspension system may make the ride more pleasant

 

[pennyk]

I just saw 97 pass through Orlando at a Sunrail station. I took a video but am unable to post it. However I think I have screen shots of last 2 cars which are Viewliner 2 sleepers. The 12 sleeper car is Rapidan River. The first deadhead sleeper is Saluda River and second one is Saint Marys River.

 

[Seaboard92]

The Phase IIIb car ahead of the baggage car is probably New River. It wears Phase III and has since the Sunset Limited study train in Florida some years ago now.

 

[pennyk]

The Phase IIIb car ahead of the baggage car is probably New River. It wears Phase III and has since the Sunset Limited study train in Florida some years ago now.

Attached is a screen shot of what appears to be the 9712 car. I have no idea if it is in service, but its name is Rapidan River.

 

[Dakota 400]

the ride from CHI through Indiana and parts of Ohio was brutally rough. The track may have been the culprit

There are sections of the track that have been rough for many years.

 

[Seaboard92]

Attached is a screen shot of what appears to be the 9712 car. I have no idea if it is in service, but its name is Rapidan River.View attachment 18542

If it's the 9712 it should be in service, and that's a Viewliner II. No way of telling could be a glorified crew dorm right now the way load factors are.

 

[Acela150]

The Phase IIIb car ahead of the baggage car is probably New River.

One way that you can tell the difference between the I's and II's is pretty simple. Look at the rear windows on Engineers side of the train. The I's have upper and lower windows, and the II's just have upper windows.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

One way that you can tell the difference between the I's and II's is pretty simple. Look at the rear windows on Engineers side of the train. The I's have upper and lower windows, and the II's just have upper windows.

Well that, and the paint scheme.

 

[Dakota 400]

the II's just have upper windows.

What's below the upper windows?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

What's below the upper windows?

The toilets. That's where the bathrooms are.

 

[Dakota 400]

The toilets. That's where the bathrooms are.

Thank you.

 

[cocojacoby]

A little strange how the profiles of the I and II don't seem to be the same. I know they are but that would maybe be how the Viewliners and the Siemen's might look when coupled together. We have discussed their profile compatibility on other threads.

 

[mgl1978]

The Phase IIIb car ahead of the baggage car is probably New River. It wears Phase III and has since the Sunset Limited study train in Florida some years ago now.

It's was Rapidan River car #62502. It's a viewliner II sleeper. You can tell the difference, the viewliner I has a conduit all the way down the roof. The Viewliner II does not have this. If you look at the video I posted last Wednesday you can see this.

 

[mgl1978]

I've seen all the viewliner II types in service. The Silver Meteor with the diner, sleeper and baggage. The crescent with the diner and dorm.

 

[joelkfla]

So, has anyone ridden a Viewliner II sleeper yet? It would be nice to get impressions; even nicer to see some actual photos or videos of the accommodations in the wild.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

So, has anyone ridden a Viewliner II sleeper yet? It would be nice to get impressions; even nicer to see some actual photos or videos of the accommodations in the wild.

Only the bag-dorms are being used. I was tempted ask one of my SCAs on the Cardinals I took recently if I could get a peek at a room.

 

[Mailliw]

I thought they were already in use on the Silver Service.

 

[pennyk]

I often see the Silver Star 92 on my evening walks. Some time in the last week or so, I believe I saw a Viewliner II deadheading.

 

[Seaboard92]

Only the bag-dorms are being used. I was tempted ask one of my SCAs on the Cardinals I took recently if I could get a peek at a room.

I used the bag/dorm for a restroom on my last trip because it was closer to walk to than the nearest public one. The rooms look much nicer much more airy. But I think that could be from the color choice red reflects light and looks brighter than blue which absorbs more light. The lack of the toilet is nice as well. I think there are photos on my last trip report from Beech Grove.

 

[PVD]

The mock ups of the roomette modules that were on the RailPlan wbsite (mfr of modules) did not look appreciably different than the existing, but your observation about the color palette and the more modern lighting probably make them look much nicer.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Two more are heading down to FL on 97(14)

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

The lack of the toilet is nice as well.

The lack of a toilet will eventually make your eyes go crossed.

 

[DCAKen]

Yes, I agree the decor makes them look cheerier. Our SCA on the Cardinal let us take a quick peek at the new roomette on the bag/dorm.

 

[Willbridge]

Depends on whether there's funding for the supposed full renovation of the Viewliner Is (to remove the in-room bathrooms and have a separate bathroom). If there is funding for thta, I'd get the Viewliner Is out for that renovation ASAP. But I'm going to assume that there is no funding for this.

Also depends on time of year. We are at the trough of Eastern sleeper car demand in late January / early February. As spring arrives, I would lengthen the consists of trains in the following order:

#3: Sleeper on #66/#67, which should get a name back (the Night Owl or Twilight Shoreliner)... and should also go to Norfolk rather than NPN, IMHO. Also the southbound should run two hours earlier and the northbound should run two hours later. No dining car needed for this route. Yeah, Amtrak is nowhere near competent or clever enough to do this.

In a serious enterprise the name Night Owl would be brought back and the V-2's would be part of the publicity re-launching the service. The reasoning is that company officials would be likely to ride this train, get a look at the new equipment, get some employee reactions informally, look for defects, while only requiring a couple of cars (and a spare!), and serving big media markets.