The Amfleet cars, during that terrible winter in the late '70's (1977 or 1978? Not sure)... when the Chicago coach yard was frozen over, and entire train sets were deadheaded to New Orleans to thaw out, and long distance Amtrak service was "at its knees"....the Amfleet cars were temporarily pressed into long distance services for which they were never intended, and their heroic effort literally saved Amtrak from extinction.
Yes, I will certainly miss Amfleet when they are all gone. I like their sleek appearance in classic Budd fluted stainless steel, I like their large overhead baggage racks that until they added some baffles you could literally climb up into and sleep in, despite the curvature. The earlier streamliner overhead racks were mounted closer to the ceiling, and they were not nearly as 'deep'. I liked the indirect 'cove' lighting, the carpeted walls, the individual adjustable reading lights, and like the 'whoosh' of their HVAC system whose white noise made sleep come easy. I liked the fast responding car end doors, with the second 'kick' switch when carrying food from the cafe. I liked the tray tables, and the seats. I believe they also originally had a fixed center armrest, that prevented 'encroachment' from your seat mate. I liked the extra six inches of 'hip room' provided by their curved sides. The small windows were an issue if you were in an aisle seat, but not so much if in a window seat.
I suspect that with a minimum of maintenance, these cars could go on for decades, if parts were available. I wonder if their replacements will have near their longevity....
