Viewliner II Delivery/Production

Then give them a larger dedicated work space to do their paperwork, or use some sort of labor-saving device so they don’t have to lay out all of the silverware beforehand. It’s stupendously frustrating to passengers to see crew spread out at a table, but gratifying to see them at a dedicated work station - even if that work station takes up nearly the same amount of space.

Again, to folks who are saying the dinging car was intentionally as cold as I noted for my first dinner, having had 5 meals in it now, I have to beg to differ.
All 4 of the other meals were cold, but not frigid. I highly suspect the first meal was an anomaly.

Anyway, on the way back it was 60013, I believe Hartford.

The meals overall were far better. I give credit to the cook. A good cook can make the difference between WAY overcooked greenbeans (dinner on the way down) and nearly perfect (on the way back). And the cheesecake and pudding this time didn't taste like they had been thawed/frozen multiple times (nor have the texture like that.)

I have two thoughts about the new Viewdiners:
I like them a LOT better, but the empty poster frames need some posters and someway to personalize each car. They're very functional, open, airy and comfortable, but devoid of any possibility. One I idea I had was to allow each state to pay a fee to personalize their "capital car" each year.

The 2nd is, I didn't understand until now the way they're handling ADA compliance. There appear to be what I'm going to say 10.5 tables. 10 tables with 2x2 Across seating and then 1 table with 2 abreast seating but no bench across from it. This is the ADA compliant table (though I didn't see any "lock-down" points, but I may have missed them).

The spot where table 12 was in older cars was used for storage, etc. I thought the ADA compliance still somehow having 12 tables with room for a wheelchair. Not a huge issue, but, tying this back to the other complaints, it would seem to me that making the area for table 12 a "work area" with more storage probably makes sense.

I did not see any table fully occupied (at least during dinner) by crew or table prep stuff. So there were 11 full (well 10.5 + ADA compliance) tables available.

Today was supposedly the day a crew would go out to Elmira to pick up two new dining cars [not diners; they are buildings.] Anyone have any news on that?

Greg Moore wrote:I have two thoughts about the new Viewdiners:
I like them a LOT better, but the empty poster frames need some posters and someway to personalize each car. They're very functional, open, airy and comfortable, but devoid of any possibility. One I idea I had was to allow each state to pay a fee to personalize their "capital car" each year.

Heck, just send away to each state's tourism promotion board or rail passenger development office for some posters. Why bother charging a fee?

mtuandrew wrote:

Greg Moore wrote:I have two thoughts about the new Viewdiners:
I like them a LOT better, but the empty poster frames need some posters and someway to personalize each car. They're very functional, open, airy and comfortable, but devoid of any possibility. One I idea I had was to allow each state to pay a fee to personalize their "capital car" each year.

Heck, just send away to each state's tourism promotion board or rail passenger development office for some posters. Why bother charging a fee?

Any possibility of selling ad space? Hotels along the way? Rental car companies? Attractions around Florida on the Silver trains? Online gift services (e.g., pajamagram, My Pillow, etc.)? Don't know.

I think contemporary ads would cheapen the ambience, but if they could find some old hotel posters from the 1920's that might enhance it.

bostontrainguy wrote:

mtuandrew wrote:

Greg Moore wrote:I have two thoughts about the new Viewdiners:
I like them a LOT better, but the empty poster frames need some posters and someway to personalize each car. They're very functional, open, airy and comfortable, but devoid of any possibility. One I idea I had was to allow each state to pay a fee to personalize their "capital car" each year.

Heck, just send away to each state's tourism promotion board or rail passenger development office for some posters. Why bother charging a fee?

Any possibility of selling ad space? Hotels along the way? Rental car companies? Attractions around Florida on the Silver trains? Online gift services (e.g., pajamagram, My Pillow, etc.)? Don't know.

That would be an excellent way for Amtrak to make some extra money to offset the cost of stocking and staffing the dining car, while telling passengers about some "last mile" and lodging services available after they get off the train. Though Mica is gone, this could help calm some of the remaining anti-dining car bean counters.

This project is going so slow, what is the projected end date for the last car delivered?

I'd like to understand why these cars are taking so long to build. I understand that there were problems getting started, and all kinds of delays, but now that they are in production, what accounts for the slowness? Are we just talking about the decline and fall of American manufacturing, or are there more specific issues?

Rockingham Racer wrote:Today was supposedly the day a crew would go out to Elmira to pick up two new dining cars [not diners; they are buildings.] Anyone have any news on that?

Thank you Mr. Rockingham for another attempt to get this topic back on topic.

If the two cars to be delivered are in numeric order, they would be #---18 and #---19 - Montpelier and Nashville. That means six in numeric order plus the four that were "runaround" or a total of ten remain undelivered.

Messrs Flyer and Grossman, if two per month holds, then this July. If they can deliver the remaining thirty five Sleepers and Dorms at same rate, the order will be complete by Xmas 2019.

Five years to deliver 130 cars!!!!!!

Will the Acela II production and delivery be such a debacle? My corner bet says it will.

mtuandrew wrote:

Greg Moore wrote:I have two thoughts about the new Viewdiners:
I like them a LOT better, but the empty poster frames need some posters and someway to personalize each car. They're very functional, open, airy and comfortable, but devoid of any possibility. One I idea I had was to allow each state to pay a fee to personalize their "capital car" each year.

Heck, just send away to each state's tourism promotion board or rail passenger development office for some posters. Why bother charging a fee?

Because installing posters, replacing them, and any other items takes time and money.

Greg Moore wrote:

mtuandrew wrote:

Greg Moore wrote:I have two thoughts about the new Viewdiners:
I like them a LOT better, but the empty poster frames need some posters and someway to personalize each car. They're very functional, open, airy and comfortable, but devoid of any possibility. One I idea I had was to allow each state to pay a fee to personalize their "capital car" each year.

Heck, just send away to each state's tourism promotion board or rail passenger development office for some posters. Why bother charging a fee?

Because installing posters, replacing them, and any other items takes time and money.

And requires the cars to be in a location where the posters can be installed by advertisement people who know nothing about the railroad. It was a huge problem at NJ Transit but has since been corrected.

At one time, the builder was bragging that it would have 2 assembly lines, so it could turn out the same kind of car twice as fast, or make 2 different kinds of cars at the same time.

Fair point about two assembly lines. I think they may have moved to one.

Keep in mind two that in some ways, my understanding is a diner is the most complex of the car types. The sleepers may seem more complex, but, especially with the plumbing changes, should probably be mostly a matter of slipping each module into place.

But also it dawned on me, the current number may be rate limited by Amtrak itself. While they may want the diners faster, it may be they don't have the staff to accept the new diners and check them out before putting them into service.

Greg Moore wrote:Fair point about two assembly lines. I think they may have moved to one.

Well they are also building 24 trolley cars for the MBTA which are supposed to be delivered in 2018(!), so how much room do they have?

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