Federal, Night Owl, Twilight Shoreliner (Trains 65, 66, 67)

johnpbarlow wrote: So all of 67's passengers were sitting in 2 coaches except for the biz class passengers travelling in the cafe car? Must have been child's play for AEM #946.

Im sure that you know already that an average regional consist is 6 amfleets. Just to add, one reason why the consist is so short is because of the cafe car. Its 1/2 cafe 1/2 business class. Im sure you also know that business class would be the first car of the train. To be honest with you, I would rather have a Business class rather then 1/2 cafe/business.

acela 2036 wrote:I would rather have a Business class rather then 1/2 cafe/business.

Even better, I would like 1/2 Club for the Business Class end.

jp1822 wrote: Furthermore, could day rooms be had in running the Viewliners from Boston or Washington DC back to Sunnyside etc. for rotation etc.

IIRC, the Viewliners have a max speed of 110.

I have wondered before how a "high end " train would go on the NEC . I.e a daytime train running with dining car , and say compartments / sleeprs as day rooms . i would think there would be enough people travelling Boston to washington , willing to pay a premiuim fare .Question would be would amtrak benefit , or would the extra cost of the train exceed the extra revenue .

i would think there would be enough people travelling Boston to washington , willing to pay a premiuim fare

Check out the Limoliner bus between Boston and NYC: 3-4 daily departures at $89 one way for a 4.5 hr avg ride with amenities:
Your choice of a variety of beverages: coffee, tea, soda, juice or water
Meal service: a light breakfast or lunch
Also a light snack service mid-trip
Free wireless Internet access at each seat
110 volt electrical outlet
Two DVD movies and live satellite television
5 different satellite radio stations at your seat
Current magazines
Fleece blankets and pillows
A large, clean restroom with hot & cold running water
Clear cell phone signal

http://limoliner.com/

I can get quite a bit of that just by riding an Amtrak Thruway Bus (Concord Coach Lines) between Boston and Portland. Free Coffee/Water & snack, pleather seats, 110v outlet, DVD movie and 4 channels of music, blankets/pillows on the late night trips, free wi-fi in the Portland Terminal, and best of all...NO Cell phone signal (since they are prohibited).

The rule that lets 66/67 carry private cars also lets it carry a baggage car since I believe the baggage cars are rated to 110mph, not 125mph needed to run on other regionals and 66/67 run at 110mph to keep their overnight schedule.

There are a few topics, including one I started, if your interested in baggage service on the NEC.

Correct. The Carolinian also operates with a baggage car and is therefore limited to 110 mph.

When did Amtrak discontinue the sleepers on the Northeast Corridor? Train 67 leaves Boston at 9:45pm and arrives in Washington DC at 7:00am the next morning. When I was a student, I rode this train in coach and just slept in my seat. Now that I can afford something better, I see there are no options. I would pay quite a bit for a roomette, considering hotels in DC are $250/night and up. Bring back the Slumbercoach! or maybe a Viewliner.

BTW, I believe this used to be called the Night Owl. Am I correct?

BRUCE

amtrak discontinued the "night owl" and "twilight shoreliner" sleeper service due to a "shortage" in sleepers, however people on this board argue that with better scheduleing amtrak could free up sleepers for a sleeper on 66/67.

While there has been much past discussion regarding the need for NEC Sleeper service, let us simply note that there are only 49 active Viewliner cars (one was lost at Hynesville May 2003 IIRC) and Amtrak must assign such elsewhere.

Regarding the history of named Corridor Sleeper trains, The New Haven's GCT-Boston train was named the Owl. It operated on a six hour schedule and I believe it could hold schedule without exceeding 50mph anywhere en route (defer to Mr. Weaver). The PRR NY-Wash train was named The Edison. Boston Wash service was provided by the through NH-PRR "The Federal".

Any of these trains had consists of ten Pullmans into the '60's.

Amtrak named its first incarnation as the Night Owl, they also operated an NY-Wash set out Sleeper that was christened The Executive.During the late 90's, the service was renamed the Twilight Shoreliner and the service extended Boston-Newport News. The Gunn administration rechristened the service as The Federal, and when the Sleeper was discontinued during 2004 (IIRC), any name was dropped in favor of simply Regional 66-67.

To add one note to Mr. Norman's summary of NEC sleeper services, the Federal was discontinued at Amtrak's startup on 5/1/71 and for about a year there was no overnight service between Boston and Washington, until the Night Owl was instituted as a reincarnation of the Federal in 1972. The New Haven's Boston-New York Owl had been previously cut by Penn Central.

I certainly agree with the concept that Boston-Washington would still be a natural market for overnight sleeper service. I can only assume that Amtrak management feels for whatever reason that the available Viewliners are better deployed elsewhere.

Amrak has about 10 Viewiners that are not used in regular service. As a northeast corridor rider, I strongly think a sleeper car service is needed for what is now referred to as Regional trains 66/67. Although this would require more complexity, it would be great to see the service extended back to the tidewater region of Virginia, and then depart/arrive at Washington DC and Boston around 8:00 a.m. respectively. If Amtrak felt that the Viewliners could be used elsewhere, they wouldn't have around 10 Viewliners not in regular service. Where these 10 are is a mystery to me. I could reason that three are likely rotated for regular mainteance.

I think the status quo has just set in for not operating sleeping car service on the Northeast Corridor. The Viewliners could be switched in/out of the Florida Amtrak trains at Washington DC as needed for service at the facility near Miami. Previously the Night Owl turned Twilight Shoreliner turned Federal had its Viewliner rotated through the Boston Lake Shore Limited sleeper, which was since been eliminated. When the Federal was launched under the Gunn administration between Washington DC and Boston only, the sleeping car service had good ridership. Prior to that, Warrington had re-christened it as the Twilightshoreliner and the train operated to the Tidewater Region of Virginia, it was to mimic the premiere train operating on the West Coast, that is the Coast Starlight. Whenever I rode the Twilight Shoreliner, it also had good ridership, at least on the days I rode it.

First, all should be pleased to know that according to On Track On Line, a consistently reliable source for rosters, 50 Viewliners are in service. Therefore, i was mistaken with my earlier comment that one was lost at Hinesville.

Secondly, Mr. Clouette makes an interesting point in his originating posting that the prevailing rate for a hotel in the destination city could be a determinant in what a Sleeping Car accommodation could fetch. Quite true, a business traveler can expect to part with at least $300 in either Boston or Wash (and I'm talking commercial grade such as Marriott or Hyatt and "not exactly" Hay Adams, Willard, or on the other end, the Ritz).

Now the "comparo" is simply what is Amtrak commanding for a Roomette in the few overnight markets they have that could be considered as business traveler friendly. Check representative rates for example Chi-Denver, Wash-Atl, NY-Savannah, Chi-Memphis and see how the Accommodation Charges compare with hotels in any of those cities.

But much as some such as Mr. JP would like to see a restoration of this service (and despite Amtrak's aversion for en route breaking of consists, having a car assigned BOS-67-WAS-91-MIA is "doable - and railfans would welcome being assigned space in that car on 91 for the railviewing out the rear'), we must presume that 60 Mass is not populated by dummies and that they have concluded that the best use of the scarce Viewliner fleet is the existing car assignments.

Have all the Heritage Sleepers been scrapped or could a few be brought back for a new nighttime sleeper service? I remember a few were remodeled for the three rivers back in 2000 and continued to operate 5 years after any other Heritage sleeper.