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

[STrRedWolf]

Why the Sleeper cannot be added/cut with the engine at WAS escapes me.

That is a puzzle as the last figures heard was that operating a car costs $4.00 / mile ? 187 miles X 2 (RT) x $4.00 == $1496 - ~6 miles to / from Ivy city = $24. So net savings are ~ $1472. Another advantage is if that car is at WASH if a sleeper for MIA , New Orleans, or CHI is bad ordered there would be a replacement available. Now the times give Ivy City maintenance time to fix the bad order. Other possible ways would be to drop a single sleeper on an inbound to NYP.

Yes a regular cut off sleeper on the 3 sleeper trains is also a possibility. Maybe Amtrak does not have any parking space until VRE gets its own parking yard there ? a

I think it's more of an operational and cost standpoint. If I remember correctly, Amtrak is always pull operation, and turning anything but an Acela is a requirement. So to take out the sleepers at WAS, you have to turn that equipment around (swap ends)... which is a trip through Ivy City Couch Yard's wye. That ties up an engine, and I doubt a regular pusher will do. That's power cost, crew cost...

Also, look at 65/67's scheduling. It hits at 6:30a/7a respectively. That's rush time Monday through Friday. To get off the line ASAP you gotta hold MARC and WAS-terminus trains, you got the VRE coming in... you don't have the time.

So why go through that pain when you can just leave the car on? It'll get turned at Newport News.

[Rockingham Racer]

I don't think there is a real strong need to turn a sleeping car, especially when half the seats
in the roomettes are always going backwards anyway. The bedrooms are different story, but I've ridden backwards on a Superliner bedroom on the Capitol Limited. It's not the end of the world, especially on this particular train where you're on your back for most of the trip.

[danib62]

One of the bedrooms is going to be “backwards” no matter which direction the car is pointing.

[west point]

My thought was disconnect the motor and sleeper together just as the Palmetto has done. The motor pushes the sleeper back to the car layover spot then disconnects anyway to go to the motor servicing location. At night a motor backs onto sleeper and then may either pull forward or if rear is clear just back to the holding point waiting for 66. After diesel detaches motor pushes itself and sleeper onto front of 66.
I imagine there is a hostler crew that moves cars around IVY during the day and night depending on what kind of service is needed for any car.

[RRspatch]

Mr. Dani, existing Labor Agreements call for one Attendant for each Sleeping Car.

What happened to Amtrak's plan to fix the call buttons and put attendants in the dorms since the attendant's room has been eliminated in the VIIs?

Someone figured Amtrak needed more baggage cars, some of which are in "axle count" service. Therefore Amtrak is short 15 VII Dorm cars. Twenty Five cars would have covered the Silvers, the Crescent, the Lake Shore and the Cardinal getting the OBS people out of the high priced rooms. Oh well.

[BandA]

Why do you need the attendant south of Washington? Tell the passengers there is no attendant to assist, but allow them to continue to occupy the space. The sleeper is cleaned at the final destination, right? The passenger can return the room keys to a conductor? Luggage - becomes the passenger's problem?

Who do you think cleans and turns the car? It's the room attendant.
And what keys?

I haven't taken an Amtrak train yet; I assumed they locked the unused rooms, guess they don't need to. So if the passenger gets off at Washington, and the Attendant gets off at Washington too, but the train continues I'm confused how the room is cleaned / "linens" changed.

[Greg Moore]

The rooms have no locks.

Typically at one of the major stations a wrapped set of linens and a laundry bag will be dropped in the vestibule.
A car attendant will typically start changing linens a couple of hours before the final destination (my understanding is they don't get paid for work after the train arrives at its destination, hence an incentive to get things done before the arrive).
Then they bag stuff and drop it in the vestibule.

I believe as NYP, when the car is turned at Sunnyside, the dirty laundry will be exchanged for new. That said, with current COVID protocols, they may have updated things a bit.

[bostontrainguy]

Another not so glowing review of the Night Owl. May have been much better if they got that night cap but Amtrak cafe attendant wasn't going to oblige. Why can't they ever seem to get ready beforehand so they can be open on departure? BTW - looks like the new blankets are there but they still don't make up the beds with them for you.

[jp1822]

Couple of comments:

Amtrak should still try and figure out a way that they can't just keep the car "in service" while it heads to the Tidewater of Virginia. It would only add to revenue and ridership. Amtrak operated the Twilight Shoreliner for SEVERAL years with sleeper service from Newport News to Washington DC to Boston etc. It worked!

If you watch the video that was posted above on the overnight experience (which looked and appeared to be awful by the way), not only was business class full on #66, but the Viewliner Sleeper was full too.

If Amtrak doesn't try to improve some basics with this service, it's going to be gone again. The sleeper at the head-end just doesn't work, especially for this train. Is it really that hard to move the sleeper and baggage car (if needed) to the rear? You get the breakfast box the night before? More stuff to try and stuff away in a small private room as it is? When Amtrak did run a table car (lounge car) in between the Viewliner Sleeper and Business Class Car, it did make for a nice "place to go" for both business class passengers and sleeper class passengers. Presently Amtrak runs a 1/2 business class car and 1/2 lounge car with this train. Perhaps a full business class car (or low density car) and then regular cafe/lounge car would work just as well (or even an Amfleet Diner Lite car).

Amtrak should treat the Viewliner Sleeper class the same as it does Acela First class. I always feel the Viewliner Sleeper is the step child.

This type of overnight service should "work" just as smoothly and positively as the Auto Train. I think one of the consists presently has a new Viewliner II Sleeper, while the other is clearly still operating with a Viewliner I Sleeper. Operating BOTH with a Viewliner II Sleeper would just be SO much better and help to win a positive experience. The Viewliner I Sleepers just need a lot of TLC and refurb right now. What company would launch a "restored" service with older equipment if new equipment is readily available? Again, a relatively easy fix I would think.

I never understood the concept of the sleeping car attendant taking space in the Viewliner Dorm/Baggage Car, with a call button that would "ring to the room there" for the attendant. If there were three sleepers, that attendant in the sleeper third car back is going to get quite the work out. I couldn't imagine the SCA not being in the same sleeper he or she is caring for (use roomette #12).... The Viewliner Bagg/Dorm would do what the Heritage Sleeper Dorms did - house other onboard staff in a separate car, and not in rooms that could be sold. OBS on eastern long distance single level overnight trains ONLY took up space in the Viewliner Sleepers once the Heritage Dorm/Sleeper was retired around 2007.

[danib62]

Well I booked my first NER roomette trip for September. Had a companion coupon to use so $289 for 2 people is pretty darn reasonable and given the flight schedule this actually made the most sense for us. I'll be sure to post my impressions here.

[danib62]

So just got back from my trip on 67 from BBY-WAS. Here are my quick impressions:

- The "soft" product was really good! We had snack boxes waiting for us in our rooms. The SCA was very friendly and helpful and made sure we knew we could go get some adult beverages in the cafe car. He was able to accommodate my wife getting off early at BWI and made sure we knew when our stops were coming. We were able to get breakfast in the cafe car in the morning with no issues. Both cafe car attendants were friendly and courteous.

- The "hard" product is awful. The V-Is are in desperate need of a refurbishment. They are utterly grungy. I almost felt embarrassed that this was my wife's first overnight Amtrak trip. Every little nook and cranny is just coated in grime. The safety instruction card was literally stuck on the fold out table with who knows what. The shower ran out of hot water within the first 20 seconds of starting it (this happened both before bed when I showered, and in the morning when my wife showered). The sink was pretty terrible to use. The curtains, cushions, and carpeting just all look and feel dirty.

- Announcements were made over the PA multiple times while approaching, laying over at, and departing NYP. This is inexcusable. The cafe care reopening doesn't need it's own announcement blasted to sleeper passengers at 3am. Thankfully these were the only the announcements during quiet hours in the sleeper car (and yes our speaker was turned all the way down).

[bostontrainguy]

There are reports that the "Night Owl" is returning on July 11 but it will not have a baggage or sleeper in the consist. Part of the problem is that 65/67 will be coming north from Newport News and 66 is coming north from Roanoke. Looks like a Sleeper would have to be added/removed in D.C. if they wanted to reestablish the sleeper service. Loss of baggage is a real blow to anyone traveling on a LD from north of NYC which was the only checked baggage train.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Considering all the adverse reports here and elsewhere the Sleeper collected, it was inevitable.

Eliminating the checked baggage @ BOS, means that they can eliminate all baggage handling positions there. In other times, that would be cause for some "whacking", but today I guess it means bodies available to fill other open positions under the BRAC Agreement.

Now if Amtrak wants to become more efficient, they will eliminate the through CHI-BOS cars making 448-9 a BOS-ALB connection. Really, no one will be rousted @ "0-dark-30". The Gunnmen had the right idea with this, but somehow the strong Boston political lobby got in the way, and "call me Alex" restored it.

[markhb]

Have they removed the checked baggage on 448/449?

Also, I feel the continued talk of dropping rail service on 448 and 449 entirely is wrongheaded. Boston (and by extension ME and NH) is every bit as worthy of its direct connection to Chicago as any other city on either coast.

[west point]

Eliminating the checked baggage @ BOS, means that they can eliminate all baggage handling positions there. In other times, that would be cause for some "whacking", but today I guess it means bodies available to fill other open positions under the BRAC Agreement.

Mr Norman. You may have missed it but BOS, PVD, New Haven all had baggage positios posted in the employment e mails. That may mean more baggage service but that is just speculation.