The Question is not Equipment but where to line up the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$2 would be better for daytime tri-weekly service between NOL and Jax.
1 engine
1 bag/crew combo coach
1 coach
1 dine/cafe
1 option dome/sight see'r
Not the Sunset Limited.... A seperate day train.Dude, I can't help but admire your spunk on the Sunset Limited, but...
I'd suggest they run it with 3 coaches, a Coach bag, and a Diner/Lounge.
I was thinking since the number of Superliners are limited, Amtrak would use the single deck coaches.1 P421 Transition Sleeper (selling 6 rooms to the public)
1 Cross Country Cafe
1 Coach Baggage
1 Coach
Amtrak has no combination coach/bag/crew dorm single level cars on its active roster. And I don't recall them ever having such a car in the last ten years or so either.Actually they still have a couple left. they are used on special occasions though.
Its my understanding that the Boston section of the LSL and the Twilight Shoreliner lost their sleepers because Amtrak didnt have enough to go around. So where would Amtrak get 2 Viewliners for this service?You could do like the Gulf Wind used to do. Leave New Orleans at 8:30PM to arrive at Jacksonville at 1:30PM. Maybe bump times a little earlier or something. Name it the Gulf Breeze. If it was my choice, I'd do Miami to New Orleans though.
2 P42s
1 baggage
2 Viewliner sleepers
1 diner
1 cafe
4 coaches
Same layout the Crescent uses to get from New York -> New Orleans. Maybe just 1 sleeper....
Oh, I was not aware of this. I think they should get a few more made somehow because if they ever want to expand, they'd need them of course......Its my understanding that the Boston section of the LSL and the Twilight Shoreliner lost their sleepers because Amtrak didnt have enough to go around. So where would Amtrak get 2 Viewliners for this service?
I understand what you were thinking and I do think that it's great that you are thinking.I was thinking it would be a start. 1 trainset could do tri-weekly...1 change of crew stop
3 trainsets could do daily....
Eventually expand the service past JAX with sleepers.
That make sense, however I think its harder to start a route then it is to increase the number of trains.One example was the Texas Eagle. This train was a failure as a tri-weekly train. After it went daily, it became a super success.I understand what you were thinking and I do think that it's great that you are thinking.I was thinking it would be a start. 1 trainset could do tri-weekly...1 change of crew stop
3 trainsets could do daily....
Eventually expand the service past JAX with sleepers.
My worry is that such an approach will end up back firing just like it did with Acela. Amtrak thought that if they could get the nice, fast, shinny new trains running even if it only hit top speed for 18 miles, that Congress and everyone would see what a great idea it was and give Amtrak still more money to improve the corridor for the full length and eventually build high speed corridors else where.
Instead, and in part because of the cost overruns, many people looked at Amtrak and said "you spent all that money for a train that can only hit it's top speed for 18 miles of a 450 mile run?" "What a waste of money!"
In that same light, I'm afraid that starting with a 3 day a week service that is not a continuation of the Sunset, will lead to it's becoming the poster child for most subsidized train. That in turn would make it impossible to ever get to a 7 day a week service. Perhaps it wouldn't happen, but it is a major concern for me.
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