"IF ONLY I COULD HAVE ONE WISH!"

[chuljin]

(2) The Pacific Parlour Cars and Amtrak's last dome NOT to be sold off in 2012 like the plan calls for

Oh my...where did you hear/read that?

 

[Green Maned Lion]

(2) The Pacific Parlour Cars and Amtrak's last dome NOT to be sold off in 2012 like the plan calls for

Oh my...where did you hear/read that?

Boardman's fleet strategy. Boardman publicly backed off of the get rid of part of it, though.

 

[sunchaser]

(2) The Pacific Parlour Cars and Amtrak's last dome NOT to be sold off in 2012 like the plan calls for

Oh my...where did you hear/read that?

Boardman's fleet strategy. Boardman publicly backed off of the get rid of part of it, though.

Boardman did say they would replace the Parlor Cars with other Bi-Level Cars, but no other details were included.

 

[Donctor]

For Amtrak to order some Viewliners with a layout like this.

Will Amtrak be able to sell roomette space in the new baggage/dorms on routes with fewer crew members?

 

[AlanB]

For Amtrak to order some Viewliners with a layout like this.

Will Amtrak be able to sell roomette space in the new baggage/dorms on routes with fewer crew members?

I'm not aware of any such plans and with most runs having at least 6 crew members needing rooms and only 9 rooms in the Bag/Dorm, I think it unlikely. There is no real seperation like there is the Superliner Trans/Dorm where the stairs & bathroom sort of make a dividing line. And short of the Cardinal, which has the fewest crew members, most other runs typically during peak times run with 7 to 10 crew members needing rooms which would max out the car anyhow.

As an aside, your drawing while interesting, is not what the finished product will look like.

 

[MisterRick]

If you could have one wish concerning Amtrak's service just might would it be ???

Restoration of service to Tallahassee for those of us who need or would like to travel to the Capitol building, especially when our legislature convenes for their annual session. Would be easier and less expensive then travelling from Orlando International to Tallahassee Regional.

 

[had8ley]

If you could have one wish concerning Amtrak's service just might would it be ???

Restoration of service to Tallahassee for those of us who need or would like to travel to the Capitol building, especially when our legislature convenes for their annual session. Would be easier and less expensive then travelling from Orlando International to Tallahassee Regional.

One of the lounge car LSA's trivia questions used enroute from L.A. to Miami used to be; "What is the ONLY state capital that the Sunset Limited travels to?" I won a bottle of decent wine !

 

[dlagrua]

I hiope that all those wishing for domes realize that a dome mixed into a Superliner consist is useless. You won't be able to see over the Superliner cars, so most of the charm of the dome would be wasted. And a dome that could see over the tops of the Superlier cars is a dome that won't make it through many of the tunnels out there.

I believe that the Capital Limited runs a dome on a Superliner train. It may be located behind the low baggage car but it is there.

 

[Ryan]

No, it doesn't.

It ran a dome when I took it in 1994, but that was back when it was single level.

 

[Monon81]

Only one wish?

Twice a day frequency between CHI and major cities ca. 400 miles out: Twin Cities, Omaha, KC, Louisville, Cincinnati, Cleveland (i.e. a day train).

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Boardman did say they would replace the Parlor Cars with other Bi-Level Cars, but no other details were included.

Boardman's fleet strategy was to replace all Amtrak cars continuously on a rotating 20-30 year cycle. It was an ambitious plan that will never make it, and Boardman knows politics enough to realize that. Its what's known as posturing. Amtrak can use new single level coaches and cafes, but they don't need them at present. Between the Hiawatha change over and the stimulus cars Amtrak will have enough single levels ready for quite some time.

The Amfleets are not over the hill, and most within Amtrak know that. If the Feds want to fund their replacement, that's jes' fine. The Amfleets will go into service as backup equipment and peak-period services and so on.

What Amtrak NEEDS RIGHT FREAKIN NOW PREFERABLY SOONER! is new diners and baggage cars, because the Heritage cars aren't over the hill. Oh, no, they are rolling down the road dead and biodegrading. The Pacific Parlour cars aren't in the same status as the other cars. The other cars are being rode into the ground, have always been road into the ground. Most of them are not ex-Santa Fe, they are ex-eastern and ex-Burlington. They are in poor shape, and they are probably quite a bit older than you are, Sunchaser.

Some of that equipment ran down the road under Truman. Its been neglected since the 1950s or 60s, over run, over used, beaten up, down and sideways. And have not received major refurbishment since the HEP conversions 30 years ago.

Just as an example:

8502 Silver Diner:

1948: Built for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy for service on the California Zephyr.

3/2/1970: Transferred to ownership of Burlington Northern.

4/16/1970: Roster renumber to 1294- number never applied.

5/1/1971: Transferred to Amtrak as part of buy in.

6/3/1971: Renumbered for Amtrak service as #8051. Carries name.

2/21/1973: Receives mildly updated interior for service on the Broadway Limited

10/12/1979: Converted to Head-End-Power, gets then common Amtrak brown interior refurb, trucks replaced.

Its trucks were replaced, obviously, again in 2009. Other than that, and repairs, it has received no major overhauls. Under Amtrak, it has averaged about 180,000 miles a year, or 7,020,000 miles... Seven Million, Twenty Thousand Miles. If it averaged half that under Burlington, it has travelled about 9 million miles in its life.

By asking the world, Boardman and others within Amtrak are probably hoping that they can get these methuselahs replaced.

Comparatively, the PPCs have been used a lot less, have recieved major refurbishments in 1973, 1981, 1996, and 2008, and have travelled many less miles. And were built in 1956. And served on the better maintained western routes, especially much under light use on the Coast Starlight as first class lounge cars for the past 15 years. They are in much better shape.

I believe that the Capital Limited runs a dome on a Superliner train. It may be located behind the low baggage car but it is there.

If you saw one, it was either a private car or 10031 Ocean View deadheading somewhere.

 

[Donctor]

As an aside, your drawing while interesting, is not what the finished product will look like.

Thank god. If the finished product looked anything like my 4-minute sketch, I would be thoroughly appalled.

According to photographic evidence and my grandfather's memory (I rode many a train with him as a child), the interior of the Heritage bag/dorms wasn't much like that of the 10-6 sleepers.

 

[sunchaser]

Boardman did say they would replace the Parlor Cars with other Bi-Level Cars, but no other details were included.

Boardman's fleet strategy was to replace all Amtrak cars continuously on a rotating 20-30 year cycle. It was an ambitious plan that will never make it, and Boardman knows politics enough to realize that. Its what's known as posturing. Amtrak can use new single level coaches and cafes, but they don't need them at present. Between the Hiawatha change over and the stimulus cars Amtrak will have enough single levels ready for quite some time.

The Amfleets are not over the hill, and most within Amtrak know that. If the Feds want to fund their replacement, that's jes' fine. The Amfleets will go into service as backup equipment and peak-period services and so on.

What Amtrak NEEDS RIGHT FREAKIN NOW PREFERABLY SOONER! is new diners and baggage cars, because the Heritage cars aren't over the hill. Oh, no, they are rolling down the road dead and biodegrading. The Pacific Parlour cars aren't in the same status as the other cars. The other cars are being rode into the ground, have always been road into the ground. Most of them are not ex-Santa Fe, they are ex-eastern and ex-Burlington. They are in poor shape, and they are probably quite a bit older than you are, Sunchaser.

Some of that equipment ran down the road under Truman. Its been neglected since the 1950s or 60s, over run, over used, beaten up, down and sideways. And have not received major refurbishment since the HEP conversions 30 years ago.

Just as an example:

8502 Silver Diner:

1948: Built for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy for service on the California Zephyr.

3/2/1970: Transferred to ownership of Burlington Northern.

4/16/1970: Roster renumber to 1294- number never applied.

5/1/1971: Transferred to Amtrak as part of buy in.

6/3/1971: Renumbered for Amtrak service as #8051. Carries name.

2/21/1973: Receives mildly updated interior for service on the Broadway Limited

10/12/1979: Converted to Head-End-Power, gets then common Amtrak brown interior refurb, trucks replaced.

Its trucks were replaced, obviously, again in 2009. Other than that, and repairs, it has received no major overhauls. Under Amtrak, it has averaged about 180,000 miles a year, or 7,020,000 miles... Seven Million, Twenty Thousand Miles. If it averaged half that under Burlington, it has traveled about 9 million miles in its life.

By asking the world, Boardman and others within Amtrak are probably hoping that they can get these methuselahs replaced.

Comparatively, the PPCs have been used a lot less, have received major refurbishments in 1973, 1981, 1996, and 2008, and have traveled many less miles. And were built in 1956. And served on the better maintained western routes, especially much under light use on the Coast Starlight as first class lounge cars for the past 15 years. They are in much better shape.

I believe that the Capital Limited runs a dome on a Superliner train. It may be located behind the low baggage car but it is there.

If you saw one, it was either a private car or 10031 Ocean View deadheading somewhere.

GML, they indeed are older than I am. I personally do not want the Parlor Cars to go away. I know it's kind of selfish on my part, since I am so new to trains I really want to be able to experience them at least for a few more years. Since we would at most ride them once a year, that narrows our time on them. As I have said before, hubby & I really enjoyed using them, & they are a big reason for us taking the train again. Hubby really likes the Coast Starlight, so do I!

 

[Donctor]

What Amtrak NEEDS RIGHT FREAKIN NOW PREFERABLY SOONER! is new diners and baggage cars, because the Heritage cars aren't over the hill. Oh, no, they are rolling down the road dead and biodegrading.

That is, when they're rolling at all.

 

[WICT106]

I'd wish for the Empire Builder to be re-routed through Madison, on its' way between Chicago and Saint Paul. The project that is on the boards now does not offer that.

 

[AlanB]

As an aside, your drawing while interesting, is not what the finished product will look like.

Thank god. If the finished product looked anything like my 4-minute sketch, I would be thoroughly appalled.

I meant in the sense that you have a H-room and a Bedroom in your drawing. The proposed Viewliner Bag/Dorm will not have those rooms.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

As an aside, your drawing while interesting, is not what the finished product will look like.

Thank god. If the finished product looked anything like my 4-minute sketch, I would be thoroughly appalled.

I meant in the sense that you have a H-room and a Bedroom in your drawing. The proposed Viewliner Bag/Dorm will not have those rooms.

That was his wish list. I have a wish dream for a round-tail observation Viewliner that Congress would permanently approve of. Never happen, I know, but I dream.

 

[Donctor]

I meant in the sense that you have a H-room and a Bedroom in your drawing. The proposed Viewliner Bag/Dorm will not have those rooms.

Oh, I wasn't assuming so. If the car is going to be 100% crew, having such rooms would not be utilizing the space to its fullest potential.

 

[MattW]

And one of my dreams is 500mph 4-level trains connecting every major city to every other major city (mesh topology)

Sorry, but I couldn't resist

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

As an aside, your drawing while interesting, is not what the finished product will look like.

Thank god. If the finished product looked anything like my 4-minute sketch, I would be thoroughly appalled.

I meant in the sense that you have a H-room and a Bedroom in your drawing. The proposed Viewliner Bag/Dorm will not have those rooms.

That was his wish list. I have a wish dream for a round-tail observation Viewliner that Congress would permanently approve of. Never happen, I know, but I dream.

I have a thing about round tail observation cars also. Our coach reservations were screwed up on the first train I ever rode, age three. So we had to ride in the observation car for the beginning of the trip until some coach space opened up. Whether I actually remember that-- no sure. But the attraction has to come from somewhere.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

I wish Amtrak owned as many route miles of 500 MPH double track as there are route miles of Interstate Highway in the US.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

I'm not aware of any such plans and with most runs having at least 6 crew members needing rooms and only 9 rooms in the Bag/Dorm, I think it unlikely.

If the BOS section of the LSL gets a Bag/Dorm and the NYP section of the LSL also gets a Bag/Dorm, there will only be two crew members in the BOS dorm (the coach attendant and cafe attendant), assuming that the sleeper attendant stays in the sleeper, and assuming that the BOS section stays at two coaches and continues to not have its own dining car. So you'd be proposing that Amtrak should lose probably over $1000 a day in revenue from the 7 roomettes that would be wasted in each daily departure in this scheme.

There is no real seperation like there is the Superliner Trans/Dorm where the stairs & bathroom sort of make a dividing line.

There's no separation with the crew in the revenue sleepers today, though.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Actually Plate H (double stack) or Plate K (triple auto rack) clear 20' 3", or so, which gives you a couple of feet or three worth of room above the roof of Supers for a dome. Supers fit within Plate F (17') I believe.

You would need to be careful to not make a 20' passenger car too top heavy, though. Having double stack freight roll over is somewhat less unacceptable than having a passenger car roll over.

But if you're going to make taller cars, the other possibility to consider is whether you could make either three level cars, or sleepers with compartments that have more vertical space (somewhat like Viewliner compartments).

 

[Donctor]

I wish Amtrak owned as many route miles of 500 MPH double track as there are route miles of Interstate Highway in the US.

I wish that there was enough funding to actually operate trains over all that trackage.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I wish Amtrak owned as many route miles of 500 MPH double track as there are route miles of Interstate Highway in the US.

I wish your wish never comes to be.

If the BOS section of the LSL gets a Bag/Dorm and the NYP section of the LSL also gets a Bag/Dorm, there will only be two crew members in the BOS dorm (the coach attendant and cafe attendant), assuming that the sleeper attendant stays in the sleeper, and assuming that the BOS section stays at two coaches and continues to not have its own dining car. So you'd be proposing that Amtrak should lose probably over $1000 a day in revenue from the 7 roomettes that would be wasted in each daily departure in this scheme.

If Amtrak ever runs two bag/dorms on the LSL, I'll be at Mass. Ave. giving the person who decided such a dressing down you wouldn't believe. They wouldn't do it. It simply makes no sense.