Viewliner II Delivery/Production

You can go HERE to see the Viewliner diner names, and HERE to see the Viewliner II acceptance status (updated monthly).

You folks are getting rusty... Harrisburg and Hartford have left the building.

As of the past week I have not seen any heritage diners on the long haul trains. I only see the long hauls about....4 days a week. It seems to be that the new diners have made into rotation and hopefully the next set of accepted units can start filtering diners in to the trains that have lost their diner service.

Let's see, with Mr. Moore's report and that Mr. Approach report he notes all eight sets for 19-20 and 97-98 seem to have V-D's, there appear to be eleven, including 8400, on the property.

One protect can now be assigned to Miami, New Orleans, and New York, even though I'm sure there is one or more H-D hanging around each facility.

So I guess the next hurdle is to get four more on the property so that full-service Dining can be restored to 48-49.

Beyond that, the call is with 60 Mass to assign the remaining eleven V-D's. Will 91-92 have full service Dining restored? Will 50-51 have same? Will 8400 get assigned to company service?

Stay tuned.

Do any single level long distance trains ever get 2 diners? (or if they used to, are V-IIs productive enough that that's not going to be needed again?)

Besides deadhead moves, no, not even during the Thanksgiving rush, which I think is the only time you'll see 4 Viewliner sleepers on a train.

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Gilbert B Norman wrote: Beyond that, the call is with 60 Mass to assign the remaining eleven V-D's. Will 91-92 have full service Dining restored? Will 50-51 have same? Will 8400 get assigned to company service?

Why not... all of the above?

^ Please don't raise the Star's costs & losses and cut its sleeper ridership by putting the diner back on (will take this to the Silver Starvation thread)

The Harrisburg and whatever the other one was were spotted at WAS on the hind end of 97 today.

Arlington wrote:^ Please don't raise the Star's costs & losses and cut its sleeper ridership by putting the diner back on (will take this to the Silver Starvation thread)

Out of genuine curiosity, what percentage of your 3,244 posts (and counting) are about your desire to get rid of dining cars and sleeping cars? 1/3? 1/2?

Gilbert B Norman wrote:Let's see, with Mr. Moore's report and that Mr. Approach report he notes all eight sets for 19-20 and 97-98 seem to have V-D's, there appear to be eleven, including 8400, on the property.

One protect can now be assigned to Miami, New Orleans, and New York, even though I'm sure there is one or more H-D hanging around each facility.

So I guess the next hurdle is to get four more on the property so that full-service Dining can be restored to 48-49.

Beyond that, the call is with 60 Mass to assign the remaining eleven V-D's. Will 91-92 have full service Dining restored? Will 50-51 have same? Will 8400 get assigned to company service?

Stay tuned.

Let's hope the Lake Shore gets Viewliner Diners sooner than later.

I wouldn't be surprised if 8400 goes off to company service or special charter service etc.

The remaining prediction is tough, but hopefully the Cardinal (50/51) gets a Viewliner Diner along with a permanent second sleeper. Eastbound, the Cardinal's sleeper is on sold out status for about a month plus right now! It almost seems that this train shouldn't get a full service diner unless two sleepers and coaches can be filled on its meandering three day a week meandering path from NYC to Chicago. IF Amtrak wanted to, it can assign a second Viewliner to the Cardinal's consist year round.

But after that, we'll have to see if the Star gets outfitted with Viewliner Diners or perhaps the Capital Limited converts back to a single level consist once the full CAF order is delivered (with the possibility of a New York City/Philly connection or vice versa). I hope it doesn't.....Superliner LD train set it feel is superior than single level.

Looking back, was there any value to Gunn's statement that he would have liked to seen a car that could be as versatile as a sit down traditional diner, but also have a "cafe counter" for takeout food so to speak. That could have been the better sell for food service on the Cardinal and Star.

Let's get through the diners so the sleepers with their higher end rent can get out on the rails.

By the way I have yet to see a fully loaded Viewliner baggage car.....if Amtrak is going to continue with long distance trains, it likely would have done better with the original distribution of Viewliner bagg/dorms just so they could free up revenue space in the sleepers, or even Superliner Trans/Dorm Sleeper. For example more often than not, the Capital Limited would be better off with two regular sleepers, a Trans/Dorm sleeper that is all revenue sleepers, and then a Viewliner bagg/dorm.

jp1822 wrote:Looking back, was there any value to Gunn's statement that he would have liked to seen a car that could be as versatile as a sit down traditional diner, but also have a "cafe counter" for takeout food so to speak. That could have been the better sell for food service on the Cardinal and Star.

Let's get through the diners so the sleepers with their higher end rent can get out on the rails.

By the way I have yet to see a fully loaded Viewliner baggage car.....if Amtrak is going to continue with long distance trains, it likely would have done better with the original distribution of Viewliner bagg/dorms just so they could free up revenue space in the sleepers, or even Superliner Trans/Dorm Sleeper. For example more often than not, the Capital Limited would be better off with two regular sleepers, a Trans/Dorm sleeper that is all revenue sleepers, and then a Viewliner bagg/dorm.

Good points.

I'm still not clear on why Amtrak can't just offer Acela Express first class food to sleeping car passengers on its long-distance trains. A car that is 1/2 table car, 1/2 true lounge, with true lounge furniture, would be great. When I'm in a sleeping car, I rarely leave the room, but it would be nice to have a true first-class lounge where I could go chill during a long train trip--not the cafe car.

I'm also not clear on why a full baggage car is needed. Are Amtrak baggage cars ever full? I'd think even a room or two in them, for Amtrak personnel, would be a much better use of space, to free up Viewliner space for paying passengers. Little do I know, though.

SouthernRailway wrote: I'm still not clear on why Amtrak can't just offer Acela Express first class food to sleeping car passengers on its long-distance trains.

If they did that, I will happily GIVE you my AGR Select Plus status! After two DETESTABLE, partially edible breakfast meals in Acela 1st Class, I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER ride Acela 1st again...not even on an AGR Select Plus upgrade coupon!

Interesting. When I was still riding the Acela Express from time to time, I was writing reviews and while I found the breakfasts the most lackluster, I never found them that bad. I wonder if something has changed since I rode them.

As for baggage cars. Yes, at times they're reportedly full. That said, even when they're not, the extra room does give the crew some advantages in sorting stuff out which supposedly makes it easier to load/unload at stops (i.e. they don't have to move stuff around to get to the right luggage).

BUT, keep in mind, there IS an order of baggage/dorms coming that does exactly what you suggest, put in rooms for 1/2 the crew.
This is a small, but significant increase in sellable space. For example, I believe 448/449 is scheduled to get a baggage/dorm so it'll add revenue space to itself (and by extension to 48/49) and still have enough baggage.

So, it will happen.
That said, looking forward to my trip on the Crescent this coming spring (and possibly Chicago again next year.)

jp1822 wrote:But after that, we'll have to see if the Star gets outfitted with Viewliner Diners or perhaps the Capital Limited converts back to a single level consist once the full CAF order is delivered (with the possibility of a New York City/Philly connection or vice versa). I hope it doesn't.....Superliner LD train set it feel is superior than single level.

Looking back, was there any value to Gunn's statement that he would have liked to seen a car that could be as versatile as a sit down traditional diner, but also have a "cafe counter" for takeout food so to speak. That could have been the better sell for food service on the Cardinal and Star.

Let's get through the diners so the sleepers with their higher end rent can get out on the rails.

By the way I have yet to see a fully loaded Viewliner baggage car.....if Amtrak is going to continue with long distance trains, it likely would have done better with the original distribution of Viewliner bagg/dorms just so they could free up revenue space in the sleepers, or even Superliner Trans/Dorm Sleeper. For example more often than not, the Capital Limited would be better off with two regular sleepers, a Trans/Dorm sleeper that is all revenue sleepers, and then a Viewliner bagg/dorm.

Where would you propose to get single-level coaches - already in short supply, probably more so than any other car type - to equip a hypothetical single-level Capitol Limited? Restored through cars at Pittsburgh (Three Rivers) doesn't require both trains use low-level equipment.

A Viewliner II baggage-dorm lacks sufficient capacity for some eastern long-distance trains (Florida services), at least during busier seasons, hence the rationale for more full Viewliner baggage cars. Doesn't mean you are often going to completely fill the car, but just that the baggage-dorm would be too small.