Amfleet Food Service Cars Get Rebuilt

[EmpireBuilderFan]

Empire Builder Fan, the Smoking Coach would be a la Amfleet II Lounge. It would have the "penalty box". The Amfleet II Lounges actually do a very good job, in that I haven't noticed the smoke smell in any of the refurbished lounges. As long as the smoking room does the job right, it would work out better having it situated mid-train, plus at least I think I remember Battalion bringing up, that the lounge does good business with smoke. But, I guess the Smoker could be at the rear, or it may just wind up in random order.

I'm glad to hear that the smoking box does a better job on the Amfleet lounges than the downstairs smoking room does on the Superliners. I haven't ridden in a smoker coach on a Superliner in a while, but everytime I walk through one, I remember why I don't like riding in them. Last time I rode in a smoker coach, everything I had in the car (including myself!) smelled like I spent the entire trip inside of the smoking room. The cigarette smell was on everything. Perhaps somewhere down the line Amtrak will upgrade the ventilation in the Superliner smoking rooms so that the smoke doesn't escape everytime someone opens the door.

 

[AlanB]

The smoking areas in the Amfleet lounges are newer than those in the Superliners and therefore probably better designed, which I'm sure does help to control escaping smoke.

However I also suspect that part of the reason that Amfleet boxes do a better job has a lot to do with the simple fact that the box is in the lounge. My reasoning behind this is the fact that on the Superliners, passengers seem to have a tendency to prop the door open to reduce the amount of smoke within the box.

Obviously any passenger trying to do the same thing in the Amfleet lounge would be quickly dissuaded by the presence of the LSA. Even if they weren't dissuaded simply by the LSA’s presence, then I'm sure that the LSA would quickly move to close the door and give them a talking to.

 

[Amfleet]

Here's the scoop. When you own a company that provides a service of transportation, true you want a consistant fleet of equipment, but at the same time minimize cost and maxamize the use of what you have. You don't want full consists just sitting around for "emergancy purposes". It's lost revenue. However, it's okay to have a couple spares sitting in yards (Sunnyside, Hialeah, South Hampton Street, etc.) when needed. That aside, I also don't see the big deal with a Viewliner/Amfleet consist. Right now, what makes single level consists so "ugly" is the mix of Heritage Baggages, Dorms, and Diners. Having a Viewliner Dorm/Baggage (IMHO, a conductors office is a waste of space, just have them use a table in the Lounge), Sleeper, Diner, followed by 4-6 Amfleets is not a bad deal.

What I was getting about on the Amfleet II cars is just remanufacture the whole fleet. Making all the Lounges into dinette configurations. Take 30 Amfleet II Coaches and reman them as Smoker Coaches, and then just reman the rest of the Coaches as is. For the time being, Viewliner Coaches and Lounges seem impractical. Once the Cardinal is able to use Superliners again and out of service Viewliner Sleepers are back on the road that situation will be set. Now all that's needed is 30 Dorms and 30 Diners and I think Amtrak is on the ball for LD's in the east.

So with maximizing with what you can do with existing and equipment have and minimizing the costs of new trains, you can still keep a consistant consist. While it would be nice, to see a full train of Viewliners, it is most likely out of the question until 5-10 years up the road, maybe more.

 

[battalion51]

I'd like to see some east coast Viewliner baggage cars. Why you ask. Here's why. The Heritage fleet is incompatible with what's called blended braking. Blended braking is a system that uses a combination of air brake, dynamic brake, and locomotive brake systems (locomotive break comes on until the dynamic brake sets up). This braking system is used on all NEC trains (all Amfleet trains) and most commuter systems because it produces a powerful brake, but a smooth brake. If an engineer were to come into a station at Full Service with the brakes set to direct release, you'd get a rough stop. But with blended brakes it's as smooth as butter. Blended brakes allow you to brake in a shorter distance vs. standard braking system and are a lot easier to use. If you have a combined Viewliner/Amfleet train you can use blended braking. Also, Amfleet you do need a Conductor's office, simply because it's hard to get and stay organized on those tabletops in the lounge. This is why most of the NEC are getting Conductor's offices.

 

[Amfleet]

Okay, but I wasn't saying Heritage cars were still gonna be used. After the new Viewliners are put in place they would most likely be sold off or scrapped. Also, the only conductors offices I know of are on the 20 Acela trainsets and in the 9 Amfleet I Acela Cafes. I'm not sure on the reman Amfleet Cafes, but I doubt it. Even still, I think 10 standard rooms, 2 showers, a conductors office, and an organzied baggage area can be put into one car.

 

[F59 PHI]

I dont think they are in the reman cafes, although im not quite sure if im remembering things correctly. the reman cafes are nice, ubt the seat backs of tan and yellow and brown really dont fit in wioth the Blue-Gray of the rest of the car. Another thing about the remans--- they dont have a small restroom.

I saw the car in august on the cardinal, and was in it for the majority of the trip. what was more surprising than being omn an amfleet I lounge was that the diner was a horizon lounge.

 

[battalion51]

Even still, I think 10 standard rooms, 2 showers, a conductors office, and an organzied baggage area can be put into one car.

Amfleet. I hate to say it, but not only no, but no way will that ever work. I've seen baggage cars in the peak times, and you need every square inch of that 73 feet that you can get. Often times out of Orlando New York will take 1/4 of the car by itself, much less bags for other stops. Until you see these beasts during the peak travel times you have no appreciation for the room you have in those cars. Only heavily travelled routes you need a full baggage car, not a crappy 20 baggage room. And don't even start with the shelves, they won't work. :lol: h34r:

 

[F59PHI]

What might work is the conversion of some unrebuilt amfleet 1s into baggage cars, which would fit in with viewliners and amfleets both aesthetically and mechanically.

 

[F59 PHI]

ps... can anybody tell me why my computer keeps on signing off?

 

[Amfleet]

Even still, I think 10 standard rooms, 2 showers, a conductors office, and an organzied baggage area can be put into one car.

Amfleet. I hate to say it, but not only no, but no way will that ever work. I've seen baggage cars in the peak times, and you need every square inch of that 73 feet that you can get. Often times out of Orlando New York will take 1/4 of the car by itself, much less bags for other stops. Until you see these beasts during the peak travel times you have no appreciation for the room you have in those cars. Only heavily travelled routes you need a full baggage car, not a crappy 20 baggage room. And don't even start with the shelves, they won't work. :lol: h34r:

Why can't a decent shelving system work?!?!?!?!?! The Viewliners are high enough to support three shelves spread about 3-4 feet apart. In a 30' space, that would be equivilent to what you can store in a 70' Heritage Baggage, maybe more. It can also be organized so bags destined to certain destinations can be put on certain shelves. Organization and efficency is the key here. Amtrak can save millions on combining crew and baggage into one car. It seems a waste of equipment to spread bags all over the floor of one car. There's still plenty of cubic feet left over above those bags filled with wasted space. Think of the production and maintainence costs being saved here! Now, tell me your reason behind why a shelving system wouldn't work?

 

[Amfleet]

What might work is the conversion of some unrebuilt amfleet 1s into baggage cars, which would fit in with viewliners and amfleets both aesthetically and mechanically.

That probably wouldn't work just because; 1. Amlfeet I cars, while there are a lot of them, they are all needed for service. 2. A baggage door just wouldn't fit properly in the curved body of the car. However, there was an Amfleet II Coach that got half its seats taken out and replaced by a baggage area. It was tested, but I believe it did not work out so well.

 

[battalion51]

Amfleet. Here's why shelving won't work. Conductors are really good at stackin bags, often times their stacks are taller than me, and I'm 6'2". Now if their stacks are taller than me, and the baggage car is still full shelves won't work. Also, shelves still won't work because if anything it will make things more cluttered. When you go to a stack of bags you know where it is, heavy stuff on the bottom, light stuff on top, it's well defined. Amfleet it's this simple, Conductors will get p/o'd if you give them shelves. They will sabotage the shelves, most likely chucking them out of the cars over rivers, I know I would. And then you'll be stuck with a little room that's useless, since you now need full baggage cars. Until you work a baggage car in July Amfleet with 3 floats of bags, you don't know what it's like.

 

[Amfleet]

Amfleet. Here's why shelving won't work. Conductors are really good at stackin bags, often times their stacks are taller than me, and I'm 6'2". Now if their stacks are taller than me, and the baggage car is still full shelves won't work. Also, shelves still won't work because if anything it will make things more cluttered. When you go to a stack of bags you know where it is, heavy stuff on the bottom, light stuff on top, it's well defined. Amfleet it's this simple, Conductors will get p/o'd if you give them shelves. They will sabotage the shelves, most likely chucking them out of the cars over rivers, I know I would. And then you'll be stuck with a little room that's useless, since you now need full baggage cars. Until you work a baggage car in July Amfleet with 3 floats of bags, you don't know what it's like.

Okay then, that's all I needed. B) You can have your baggage car.