RAILROAD.NET

USRailFan wrote: ↑Wed Aug 12, 2020 1:30 am Doesn't VIA Rail Canada desperately need to replace their heritage cars?

Mr. US Fan (still cannot figure where you are from overseas), I'm likely not one to ask:

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=171935

CNJGeep wrote: ↑Fri Aug 14, 2020 10:34 am

ApproachMedium wrote: ↑Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:50 pm One of the viewsleeper replacements went south yesterday on a live train

In service?

Considering that train normally has 3 sleepers i will say yes.

Also night owl service will return shortly WAS to BOS

That's excellent news. If I ever start taking the train again to DC, the Night Owl might become an option...

And honestly if I was in charge of Amtrak I'd be throwing my sleeping cars on NEC trains and start advertising it as a smart way to travel up the corridor without wearing a mask.

That's a great idea; private, "first-class" compartments at a premium.

And honestly if I was in charge of Amtrak I'd be throwing my sleeping cars on NEC trains and start advertising it as a smart way to travel up the corridor without wearing a mask

I've seen a surprising number of stories in my phone's news feed that are written by folks mentioning how getting a room/roomette is a great way to enjoy mask-free travel. I wonder if the powers that be are sponsoring such things.

TBH, I'm one of those that would absolutely get a room for NEC travel for trips between Boston and Washington.

Reports, and video, "elsewhere" note that 62511 and 12, Saluda and St. Marys, were delivered last week. That means eleven V-II Sleepers are "sunning themselves down UNOWARE".

There are no reports any are in revenue service.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 20, 2020 9:34 am Reports, and video, "elsewhere" note that 62511 and 12, Saluda and St. Marys, were delivered last week. That means eleven V-II Sleepers are "sunning themselves down UNOWARE".

There are no reports any are in revenue service.

I would double check your source.

They were on Train 97 yesterday and should be arriving Hialeah this evening.

Rapidan River is also in service on yesterday's Train 97 as car 9712. Confirmed by multiple visual reports.

Well Mr. Acela 150, you have now become a source noting that at least one car is in revenue service.

These cars cant really just be dumped into service the crews will need one floating around to get familiar with. not everyone has had a chance to work on the crescent or cardinal that use the bag dorm

Acela150 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 20, 2020 6:42 pm

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 20, 2020 9:34 am Reports, and video, "elsewhere" note that 62511 and 12, Saluda and St. Marys, were delivered last week. That means eleven V-II Sleepers are "sunning themselves down UNOWARE".

There are no reports any are in revenue service.

I would double check your source.

They were on Train 97 yesterday and should be arriving Hialeah this evening.

Rapidan River is also in service on yesterday's Train 97 as car 9712. Confirmed by multiple visual reports.

It's believed that they may be "in line" for general crew familiarization. But there's no revenue bookings within this car. Can't confirm the actual revenue bookings in the Viewliner II Sleepers. Amtrak was set on ensuring that the Viewliner I and Viewliner II sleepers would NOT be intermixed. However, this is perhaps a good sign that they are being readied for launch on the Silver Meteor/Silver Star trains! Come October, with trains going tri-weekly, Amtrak should try to stage it so that the Viewliner II's go into operation and the Viewliner I's are pulled out. Under current train set assignments (number of sleeper), but a tri-weekly schedule, ONLY 24 Viewliner II's are needed to hold down service. Use the 25 Viewliner II sleepers that are on order to meet the demand and pull the Viewliner I's for storage or much needed renovation. One spare Viewliner II could be stashed in Sunnyside Yard along with some of the best Viewliner I's for susbstituting as needed. These are supposed to be BRAND NEW cars, so shouldn't the shop margin be low? One can dream! The 24 count doesn't include restoration of overnight service on the NEC. Amtrak could use Viewliner I's for this service if so desired.

Crescent - 2 train sets* x 2 Viewliner II Sleepers - 4 Viewliner II Sleepers Needed
Cardinal - 2 train sets x 1 Viewliner II Sleeper - 2 Viewliner II Sleepers Needed
Lake Shore - 2 train sets x 3 Viewliner II Sleeper - 6 Viewliner II Sleepers Needed
Silver Meteor/Star - 4 train sets x 3 Viewliner II Sleeper - 12 Viewliner II Sleepers Needed

* not sure if this requires two or three sets, but Amtrak could potentially get efficiencies out of better turns of trains at Sunnyside with a tri-weekly schedule!

TOTAL Viewliner II Sleepers Needed: 24 Viewliner II Sleepers Required in Tri-Weekly Single Level LD Service

How ironic that with tri-weekly service the numbers come out to needing 24 Viewliner II Sleepers......

Love to see them on a renamed Night Owl/Federal. One thing I'm thinking is what about a cafe or V-II diner? Given the late departures and early arrivals? Certainly, a lounge car might work.

A lounge car DID work. It was just ahead of the sleeping car, and it served sleeping car passengers a meal if one was desired. It was a great service that somehow Amtrak managed to screw up.

Fell victim to cost-cutting, like the other "luxuries" and amenities that the overnight "Twilight Shoreliner" Viewliner Sleeper had when introduced in the late 1990s.

Originally Amtrak had a Horizon Dinette in front of the VIewliner Sleeper on the Night Owl, turned Twilight Shoreliner turned Federal. But then it was removed and the business class car was setup in front of the Viewliner sleeper - it was a former First Class Metroliner Car so it had seats on both sides of the galley - galley in the middle of the car. It may have even operated as the only food service car on the train, not sure. Then an Amfleet 1/2 business class and 1/2 cafe car was subbed in - half business class seating, galley in the middle, and then table seating on the other side (Amfleet Business/Cafe Car). That I think lasted till nearly the end when the Viewliner was taken off altogether. I do remember a few times when the Viewliner Sleeper was cancelled out and Amtrak subbed a full business class car in its place. Ind DC during the engine switch, I spotted the B/O Viewliner Sleeper that was supposed to be in our consist out of Newport News, but obviously something had happened and it was pulled at DC.

hi55us wrote: ↑Mon Aug 17, 2020 5:38 pm And honestly if I was in charge of Amtrak I'd be throwing my sleeping cars on NEC trains and start advertising it as a smart way to travel up the corridor without wearing a mask.

Mr. HI (welcome back) , maybe closer to reality than one would think.

The inside cover of The Times Magazine, has a full page Amtrak ad showing a SB (compass; lest such be TT East) Empire near, I think, either Storm King or Rhinecliff, touting "how safe we are", but also "Private Rooms available".

I would think that twenty five Viewliners could cover every Regional, Keystone, and Empire set. When the frequency cuts take effect, and the V-II's are avsilable. they will have enough cars.