Viewliner II Delivery/Production

If it's components that I wouldn't see, that's a different story. But they look good, and everything worked in the rooms I've been in.

I'm of two minds on the toilets. When sharing a room with my partner, we often used the public bathroom anyway. But when traveling alone or late at night, it sure is nice not to have to dress to use the bathroom. I guess it doesn't make much difference at this point.

R30A wrote:Trains Magazine is incorrect. The two bathrooms together are in the slot of a single roomette module. There will be 12 Roomettes, with 11 available after you take the attendant room into consideation

I am the last person on earth to vouch for anything written by Bob Johnston. That said do you have a source/eyewitness for what the layout will actually be? (I like my documentation to be accurate.)

ApproachMedium wrote:I can vouch for how bad the rooms were with all the parts. The germans must have designed that toilet system. It was very intricate, took small hands and lots of patients to replace a toilet module in those cars. I know i have done it. It sucks. I am glad to hear they will only have 5 units to deal with now instead of 17! I am sure it will save them much headaches. Also these cars have been constant headaches for freezing up in cold weather since day one. With the massive amount of plumbing under them the major reduction in toilets will be a BLESSING for service!

I have to wonder if the new designs incorporate changes to improve operational reliability. I would have to think so but we'll have to see. Has anyone heard about whether or not the freezing issue has been addressed?

I have seen pictures of the restroom modules under construction. They are of similar design to the new Superliner 1 restroom modules, which are also half the size of a roomette. I believe it was also announced in one of the recent press releases, but I have not yet found such.

I believe room 13 is a shower and room 14 has two bathroom modules. If an attendant is in the car that leaves 11 revenue rooms. If the attendant is working 1 1/2 or 2 cars, that would leave 12 revenue rooms.

At least they kept the sinks...

R30A wrote:I have seen pictures of the restroom modules under construction. They are of similar design to the new Superliner 1 restroom modules, which are also half the size of a roomette. I believe it was also announced in one of the recent press releases, but I have not yet found such.

That's very interesting. It has been a while since I've been in a Superliner sleeper. If memory serves (which would be a miracle) there are two or three non-ADA toilets on the bottom level. Are they that small already or getting smaller?

D.Carleton wrote:

R30A wrote:I have seen pictures of the restroom modules under construction. They are of similar design to the new Superliner 1 restroom modules, which are also half the size of a roomette. I believe it was also announced in one of the recent press releases, but I have not yet found such.

That's very interesting. It has been a while since I've been in a Superliner sleeper. If memory serves (which would be a miracle) there are two or three non-ADA toilets on the bottom level. Are they that small already or getting smaller?

1 upstairs, 3 downstairs and yeah, they're pretty small! But I had no problem with 'em. Also the shower/changing room is downstairs and has a little more room than I expected.

I don't think the size of the modules is any different.

ApproachMedium wrote: Also these cars have been constant headaches for freezing up in cold weather since day one.

Tell me about it. I remember riding from GCT to Chicago in December in a roomette where the toilets had frozen up and were overflowing. We at least had a bed; the people who paid for compartments ended up riding in coach because their car had to be left in NYC for repairs.

amm in ny wrote:

ApproachMedium wrote: Also these cars have been constant headaches for freezing up in cold weather since day one.

Tell me about it. I remember riding from GCT to Chicago in December in a roomette where the toilets had frozen up and were overflowing. We at least had a bed; the people who paid for compartments ended up riding in coach because their car had to be left in NYC for repairs.

That's interesting. I once rode a sleeper from GCT to Detroit (sometime in the late '60s-early '70s, pre-Amtrak; Penn Central, as I recall) in the depths of winter and woke up somewhere in Ontario in a FREEZING roomette. The steam heat had failed during the night. But the toilet in my roomette still worked.
(I can't recall if it was the type that dumped the contents of the hopper directly onto the tracks. It was a former-PRR Tuscan red sleeper, if that tells anybody anything.)

I wonder what Pullman knew that Amtrak doesn't?

eastwind wrote:

amm in ny wrote:

ApproachMedium wrote: Also these cars have been constant headaches for freezing up in cold weather since day one.

Tell me about it. I remember riding from GCT to Chicago in December in a roomette where the toilets had frozen up and were overflowing. We at least had a bed; the people who paid for compartments ended up riding in coach because their car had to be left in NYC for repairs.

That's interesting. I once rode a sleeper from GCT to Detroit (sometime in the late '60s-early '70s, pre-Amtrak; Penn Central, as I recall) in the depths of winter and woke up somewhere in Ontario in a FREEZING roomette. The steam heat had failed during the night. But the toilet in my roomette still worked.
(I can't recall if it was the type that dumped the contents of the hopper directly onto the tracks. It was a former-PRR Tuscan red sleeper, if that tells anybody anything.)

I wonder what Pullman knew that Amtrak doesn't?

The old Pullman cars dumped waste on to the roadbed. You can't do that any more.

And that is where the problem lies. The lines going back to the waste tank is what freezes. There are so many of them under the current viewliners, and since its a vacuum system all it takes is ONE to freeze and then you have problems.

Obviously the current generation of sleepers have some problems. But I'm sorry they took the simpler solution of removing the toilets from the rooms. You would think they could design a freeze proof system by now. I value having the facilities in my room, where I don't have to get at least partially dressed to use them. As we age the frequency of bathroom calls increases.

Will the public toilets be in the same end of the car as the bedrooms, or will there be 2 holding tanks, in either case to avoid a freezable waste pipe the length of the sleeping car?