ThirdRail7 wrote:Playing fleet manager again, JP1822? Well, in this case you are at least partially correct. The reason they didn't go to Superliner equipment is they are tight on equipment since some of it was sent west.I can say this, apropos of both the Cardinal and the Lake Shore Limited: I'm booked on 449(25) and 50(31), for the entire length plus a transfer on both ends on both. On 449, only the Accessible Bedroom is available, for $1100. On 50, there are no sleeping accommodations available period. I know they're full initially because I called Amtrak to see if I could switch sides of the train on both reservations and it wasn't possible on either one. But I did check Amtrak.com as well before posting.
As for the Viewliners, there is a protect in WAS. It has actually been used a few times. However, you are correct in saying they could eek out another viewliner if they desired. This is because you left out one thing: The Lake Shore Limited is running with one less viewliner since the New York section was cut.
I suppose they cut it to one sleeper for the same reason they cut one off the LSL. Some people probably don't want to transfer and it maybe it was noticed in the reservations.
Still, it would have been nice to make the space available and see it you can fill them.
It would seem that Amtrak is leaving money on the table for at least those two days, but who knows.