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

[pennyk]

I know there are a couple of threads here already talking about the new Viewliner II equipment, but I just don't understand them. Or at least I can't figure out how to ascertain the information I'm looking for. That's my bad...

Any idea of when the new Viewliner II sleeper cars will be in-service on the Lake Shore Limited? I've read that they will be rolled-out during 2020 and that they will augment the existing Viewliner cars.

Any specific information and/or dates available out there? Thanks.

(We're on the LSL in early April...I'm just curious.)

Unlikely that the new Viewliner II sleepers will be on the LSL in early April.

 

[StanJazz]

Today I received a new email with a new e-ticket for a Lakeshore Limited trip in August. There are NO changes. Same times, same price. same car and the same room number. Could the change be that the car was changed to a Viewliner II?

 

[OBS]

Today I received a new email with a new e-ticket for a Lakeshore Limited trip in August. There are NO changes. Same times, same price. same car and the same room number. Could the change be that the car was changed to a Viewliner II?

There is no way they could/would plan something like that this far in advance....

 

[jis]

Today I received a new email with a new e-ticket for a Lakeshore Limited trip in August. There are NO changes. Same times, same price. same car and the same room number. Could the change be that the car was changed to a Viewliner II?

I received new tickets for BC NYP - SDY for early March too. I suspect they have made some changes in the reservation system. Unlikely to have anything to do with Viewliners.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Rivanna and Rocky heading this way on the usual pattern next week.

 

[Ryan]

I'll actually be home (not that I'll have anywhere to be), and the sun should actually still be up. I'm game. 97(25) is my target of interest?

 

[Thirdrail7]

I'm game. 97(25) is my target of interest?

 

[pennyk]

I'll actually be home (not that I'll have anywhere to be), and the sun should actually still be up. I'm game. 97(25) is my target of interest?

Since I am losing track of what day it is, if someone will remind me (Ryan or Betty), I will try to get a look at it on the 26th.

 

[gaspeamtrak]

Rivanna and Rocky heading this way on the usual pattern next week.

Yippee !!! Yahoo !!!
Thank you...

 

[cocojacoby]

If I had to travel now, I would love to have the choice to ride in a brand new squeaky clean private room in a train vs. any other mode. Get then up and running ASAP.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I "caught" the new sleepers yesterday at NRK (Newark, DE). They went by in a blur, of course.

 

[pennyk]

I "caught" the new sleepers today at a SunRail station a couple of miles north of ORL. They went by in a blur, also, but not as fast as through NRK, according to Betty. I was took a video showing 2 coaches and 2 new sleepers deadheading but am unable to post. I have texted the video to at least one computer genius. Maybe he is able to post.

 

[railiner]

New Viewliner sleeper's? I wish I'd have known that...I passed thru Hialeah this morning on Tri-Rail...didn't look very hard, just glanced at the Amtrak equipment...

 

[pennyk]

New Viewliner sleeper's? I wish I'd have known that...I passed thru Hialeah this morning on Tri-Rail...didn't look very hard, just glanced at the Amtrak equipment...

I assume the new sleepers are on their way to Hialeah now.

 

[gaspeamtrak]

I assume the new sleepers are on their way to Hialeah now.

 

[dlagrua]

When the Viewliner II sleepers are finally available I would hope that Amtrak would prioritize the Cardinal route as that is a long 28 hour trip from NY-CHI.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

When the Viewliner II sleepers are finally available I would hope that Amtrak would prioritize the Cardinal route as that is a long 28 hour trip from NY-CHI.

The Silver Star is 31 hours and the Crescent is 30 hours, so those should get priority if that's the criteria. Plus they run 7 days a week.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

The Silver Star is 31 hours and the Crescent is 30 hours, so those should get priority if that's the criteria. Plus they run 7 days a week.

There is also relatively little end-to-end traffic on the Cardinal. The average trip distance for sleeper passengers is actually the shortest on the Cardinal of the 5 Viewliner sleeper trains, with the SM having the longest average travel distance. The SS and Crescent are nearly tied with one another for 2nd longest average travel distance.

 

[jiml]

Our last Cardinal trip (during peak season) we booked on the single scheduled sleeper, taking a roomette since no bedrooms were available. By the time we travelled they had found an additional sleeper and we got a bedroom. Another sleeper dead-headed to Beech Grove on that same train. They seem to be able to find them when needed - just not enough to make it part of the schedule.

 

[Dakota 400]

Our last Cardinal trip (during peak season) we booked on the single scheduled sleeper, taking a roomette since no bedrooms were available. By the time we travelled they had found an additional sleeper and we got a bedroom. Another sleeper dead-headed to Beech Grove on that same train. They seem to be able to find them when needed - just not enough to make it part of the schedule.

When did you learn that you had been provided with a bedroom? Did your cost increase?

 

[jiml]

When did you learn that you had been provided with a bedroom? Did your cost increase?

We booked about 6 months out for August travel Chicago to Manassas, VA, 3 years ago. Not seeing any sleeper space online at all, I called a live agent and was told that all bedrooms were sold out, but there were 2 roomettes available - not together. He suggested that I book one and waitlist, since there was a possibility of cancellations or an additional sleeper being added for peak season - but no guarantees. On April 24 I received a call (again a real person) that an additional sleeper had been added and that some customers had relocated to it, freeing up a bedroom in the car where we were already booked. The difference was $307 (roomette $264, bedroom $571). I didn't have access to tools like Amsnag back then, but the up-charge seemed fair at the time.

I mentioned this particular trip previously here in a discussion about waitlisting and was told Amtrak doesn't waitlist. I still have the emailed receipt:

Change Summary - Ticket Number xxxxxxxxxxxx

Original Amount Paid
$435.00
Revised Trip DetailsTrain 50: CHICAGO (CHICAGO UNION STATION), IL - MANASSAS, VADepart 5:45 PM, Saturday, August xx
2 ADULT - AAA RAIL FARES
$171.00
1 BEDROOM
$571.00
Ticket Terms & Conditions3-DAY ADV RES & AAA MEMBR I.D. RQRD ONBRD
Subtotal
$742.00
Revised Fare
$742.00
Total
$307.00

 

[dlagrua]

Acording to what I read on OTL. This is the status of the Viewliner Sleepers

So where re they now??? Delivered

62500	Sleeper	Portage River		Jun-14	001B12	rtn to CAF
62502	Sleeper	Rapidan River		Jan-19	003B15	Accepted Mar-19
62503	Sleeper	Rappahannock River		Oct-19		Accepted Nov-19
62504	Sleeper	Raritan River		Nov-19		Accepted Dec-19
62505	Sleeper	Reedy River		Nov-19		Accepted Dec-19
62506	Sleeper	Rivanna River		Mar-20		Accepted Apr-20
62508	Sleeper	Rocky River		Mar-20		Accepted Apr-20

 

[cocojacoby]

Acording to what I read on OTL. This is the status of the Viewliner Sleepers

So where re they now??? Delivered

62500	Sleeper	Portage River		Jun-14	001B12	rtn to CAF
62502	Sleeper	Rapidan River		Jan-19	003B15	Accepted Mar-19
62503	Sleeper	Rappahannock River		Oct-19		Accepted Nov-19
62504	Sleeper	Raritan River		Nov-19		Accepted Dec-19
62505	Sleeper	Reedy River		Nov-19		Accepted Dec-19
62506	Sleeper	Rivanna River		Mar-20		Accepted Apr-20
62508	Sleeper	Rocky River		Mar-20		Accepted Apr-20

What's with all the "R"s? Couldn't they find some other rivers?

 

[PVD]

They start at A and work their way down past R all the way to W but since they renamed the original 50 with river names they got to R for this cluster. At first I thought they hired an alliteration consultant for an exorbitant fee, but alas, just coincidence...There are even more "S"

 

[railiner]

Kind of nice that they are naming them, and not just numbering them...goes back to old Pullman tradition. For "spotter's", it makes it easier to recall if you have seen or ridden in a particular car.