Heritage Diner Disposal

[Tadman]

So now that there are some new View Diners on the way, and a recently refurbished fleet of heritage diners, is there going to be a "bargain of the century" situation wherein private owners and Class 1 business train fleets get virtually new diners for nothing?

[mtuandrew]

I wonder whether VIA will pick up any cars as well - for rebuild stock if nothing else. Their last experiment with heritage cars direct from Amtrak (the Northern Spirit sleepers) didn't work so well out of the box, from what I'm told.

[Greg Moore]

So now that there are some new View Diners on the way, and a recently refurbished fleet of heritage diners, is there going to be a "bargain of the century" situation wherein private owners and Class 1 business train fleets get virtually new diners for nothing?

Sounds like the "bargain" of a car I got from my dad. $1.

Then $700 dollars in brakes and other work the next day before it was safe to drive.

[gaspeamtrak]

So now that there are some new View Diners on the way, and a recently refurbished fleet of heritage diners, is there going to be a "bargain of the century" situation wherein private owners and Class 1 business train fleets get virtually new diners for nothing?

Think about it!
Via helped out Amtrak last fall with cars for the Adirondack.
I think Via will get first crack at those diners. They are quite short of them. Also got God forbid if the have and accident with the " Canadian" they would be up the creek with out a paddle!
I think they should at least give it some though and look at them if Amtrak wants to deal with them...

[lirr42]

Or maybe Amtrak should keep them, gut the kitchens, install more tables, and use them as the long sought after "table cars" on slower routes.

[mtuandrew]

How about:
-Amtrak deeds the entire Heritage dining car fleet, some number of baggage cars, and the full parts store to VIA. VIA runs, rebuilds, sells, or parts them out as they see fit.
-VIA formally includes Rouses Point - Montreal as part of its national network, and negotiates a far better deal for Amtrak with CN. In the long run, they agree to handle negotiation and share improvement costs for a renewed Montrealer.

Win-win, no?

[electricron]

VIA might be interested in some of them. Presently, Amtrak has 20 Heritage Diners. VIA has 9 Budd built ex-CP Diners. I'd be very surprised if VIA bought all 20 used Amtrak diners. Of course, having more diners in their roster might make it easier for VIA to change their present policy of thrice weekly service for the Canadian back to daily service, or at least increase the number of trains each week.

[Greg Moore]

Or maybe Amtrak should keep them, gut the kitchens, install more tables, and use them as the long sought after "table cars" on slower routes.

Whole goal is to reduce the costs of maintenance. There's really no reason to keep them.

[EastCleveland]

Keep the Heritage dining cars, even those "not needed."

So that if/when the new generation of cars proves to have serious design flaws -- or simply falls apart within a decade thanks to the prevailing 21st Century "Not Built to Last" corporate mindset -- Amtrak will still have enough dining cars to serve its long distance passengers.

Once the Heritage cars are sold off, they're gone.

----------------------------

[GWoodle]

So now that there are some new View Diners on the way, and a recently refurbished fleet of heritage diners, is there going to be a "bargain of the century" situation wherein private owners and Class 1 business train fleets get virtually new diners for nothing?

In the "private owners" group there may still be some dinner trains, museums, & scenic operators like the GCR that may be getting some "new" diners?

[CHTT1]

The way things are going with VIA, they'll be needing less cars, not more. So, you guys think this 60-70 year old relics actually have some life left in them? Maybe for some low-mileage dinner trains or museums, but not for daily transit use.

[Greg Moore]

Keep the Heritage dining cars, even those "not needed."

So that if/when the new generation of cars proves to have serious design flaws -- or simply falls apart within a decade thanks to the prevailing 21st Century "Not Built to Last" corporate mindset -- Amtrak will still have enough dining cars to serve its long distance passengers.

Once the Heritage cars are sold off, they're gone.

----------------------------

And again, good riddance. I highly doubt the cost of maintaining them for a decade (you can't simply leave them parked at Bear and do nothing for 10 years) would ever be worth it. Better to take that same money, put it savings and spend it on newer cars if the new ones fall apart.

There's simply a point where it just doesn't take economic sense to keep trying to keep these things running (and at slower speeds than the long-distance trains they hang on to.)

(remember, it's NOT just the maintenance savings, it's also the fact it's easier to schedule a Silver Service train at the same speeds as Regionals, than 15mph per slower for top speeds)

[jstolberg]

They have working seats, which are in short supply at certain times of the year. I would suggest keeping several for use on long distance trains during holidays and summer weekends, at least until 2016 when some of the Horizon cars are freed up. But if Amtrak is to keep them, they should become revenue cars with the seats sold at the top bucket rate.

[Matt Johnson]

I think Via will get first crack at those diners. They are quite short of them. Also got God forbid if the have and accident with the " Canadian" they would be up the creek with out a paddle!
I think they should at least give it some though and look at them if Amtrak wants to deal with them...

If VIA is short of diners then yeah, seems like a no-brainer to pick up a few of 'em at least. I'm sure VIA would try to select the best of the bunch. My bet would be a few go to Canada, a couple to private car buyers, and maybe a few get stripped and scrapped.

[Noel Weaver]

These cars are ancient, most are well over 60 years old. They use different parts than the current equipment uses, are obselete and probably need much work in order to have any future anywhere. I don't think it is worth it. Maybe one or two will be sold to a tourist railroad but as far as Amtrak or Via, I doubt it very much. Ride and eat in them now before it is too late and photograph them now again before it is too late.
Noel Weaver