Texan Eagle
Conductor
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2011
- Messages
- 1,705
In many threads I keep reading about a certain train having a CCC and some train having a "full diner". What exactly is the difference between the two?
That was the idea; yes. See here for an early review on NARP's blog. I remember encountering a diner with that configuration on the Capitol Limited two years ago but I recall it being a full-service diner, just with the different seating arrangement. I just looked at the City of New Orleans menu on Amtrak's website and it looks normal, although the timetable still mentions the Cross-Country Cafe and says "casual service offering complete meals."Wasn't the CCC supposed to replace both the diner and the SSL? IIRC, I read something about it on Wikipedia.
Grrrrrrrrrrrr, the dreaded "Mafia Seats"Here are a few pictures from the CONO.
Very good crab cake dinner the first evening, even before we left the station.
It isn't the same as a SSL type car window wise.
Oh god. I couldn't agree more.Grrrrrrrrrrrr, the dreaded "Mafia Seats"
Great for a lounge, but they Suck with a CAPITAL "S" for dining. Especially when they try and squeeze four travelers together! Ugh.
Full DinnerOk, among the Superliner trains, I have only ridden Texas Eagle in Sept 2011 and Southwest Chief in Nov 2011. Can someone tell off-hand if the thing I saw on both those trains was likely to be a full-diner or CCC? I don't recollect seeing anything different in the two trains, and definitely haven't seen those usually arranged seating someone posted above.
Is this full-diner or CCC? This was what I had on SWC-
The Eagle and the CONO (run through equipment) are the only LD Trains that regularly have a CCC for the Diner! CCCs are also used as substitutes for Bad Ordered Sightseer Lounges and Pacific Parlor Cars on the CS route! The Eagle consist I rode this weekend to/from DFW had been rehabbed in BeechGrove and only had the Mafia Seats in the "Lounge" end of the car, the "Diner" part had all 4 place tables which is much better in most peoples opinions!!! :wub:Do they use a CCC or regular diner on the Texas Eagle
I have eaten many meals on Amtrak, and while I am a "discerning eater", I have only been really disappointed in one dish, one time: the shrimp scampi. My son and I both ordered it and agreed it was awful.On a trip returning from Chicago in 2010 on the Capitol Limited we had the pleasure of dining in a CCC car. That was just a few months before the dining car returned. The seating was limited and the diner crew had trouble keeping up with the demand such to the point that dinner orders were taken at Union Station 30 minutes before departure and were served just as we pulled out of the station. The food quality was acceptable but the shrimp scampi that I ordered tasted more like shrimp creole. My wifes steak was grilled well and she enjoyed it. The CCC like the Superliner diners has a kitchen on the lower level but fewer seats and a smaller kitchen staff.
In comparing it to the food on our trip this past June the quality of food on the Crecents menu is better. The chef on the Crescent really cooked up an excellent meal and the dinner special out of New Orleans that day was Crawfish Etoufee (which tasted fresh prepared) and was surprisingly good.
I believe that all CCC's have been taken out of LD service or they may now be cafe cars. Its a fitting end to a bad idea.
Yes, yes, and yes.Grrrrrrrrrrrr, the dreaded "Mafia Seats"
Great for a lounge, but they Suck with a CAPITAL "S" for dining. Especially when they try and squeeze four travelers together! Ugh.
It also adds to the run time as you've got to play with switching now; adds to the costs since you now need a switching crew, a cleaning crew, and a crew base for the crew for those cars; you've got to setup inventory to handle the fact that not all cars go through, think another train number; and it's an annoyance to the passengers.I suspect the reason Amtrak doesn't drop cars at Memphis is that it would interfere with turning the equipment with the Texas Eagle.
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