New Consist Arrangement forSilver Service and the Crescent

[Green Maned Lion]

Yes it is quieter there and for another that diesel smell in the sleeper is very irritating on trains like the City of New Orleans where there is no baggage ahead of the sleepers any longer.

Actually that has more to do with the lack of a Trans/Dorm, than it does with the lack of a bag. It's the Trans/Dorm, with its head end door that connects to single level cars that keeps the exhaust out of the Superliner cars. With a single level consist, everything is below the stack level of the P42 so you don't have any problems. But with the Superliners in general, the "front door", if you will, is right at the stack level.

Without a Trans/Dorm's lower level "front door", you have a problem. I've been in a Superliner with a bag between me and the engine, and no Trans/Dorm, and the exhaust was still a problem.

Are you suggesting the CONO runs without a trans/dorm? Cuz I know it runs with one.

 

[cpamtfan]

BTW, I had the crab cakes and thought they were delicious.

The new menus are out already? I thought that wasn't until summer!...

No, the current menu for the Meteor includes Crab Cakes. Although I can't wait to see the summer menu change!

cpamtfan-Peter

 

[cpamtfan]

I'll be down at NYP tonight to see the last sleeper-diner-lounge-coaches Silver Star. They've had this set-up since the Viewliners arrive on the property.

cpamtfan-Peter

 

[AlanB]

Yes it is quieter there and for another that diesel smell in the sleeper is very irritating on trains like the City of New Orleans where there is no baggage ahead of the sleepers any longer.

Actually that has more to do with the lack of a Trans/Dorm, than it does with the lack of a bag. It's the Trans/Dorm, with its head end door that connects to single level cars that keeps the exhaust out of the Superliner cars. With a single level consist, everything is below the stack level of the P42 so you don't have any problems. But with the Superliners in general, the "front door", if you will, is right at the stack level.

Without a Trans/Dorm's lower level "front door", you have a problem. I've been in a Superliner with a bag between me and the engine, and no Trans/Dorm, and the exhaust was still a problem.

Are you suggesting the CONO runs without a trans/dorm? Cuz I know it runs with one.

Yes, at least on occasion. I've seen several reports where a regular sleeper pinch hit for a Trans/Dorm.

 

[wayman]

BTW, I had the crab cakes and thought they were delicious.

The new menus are out already? I thought that wasn't until summer!...

No, the current menu for the Meteor includes Crab Cakes. Although I can't wait to see the summer menu change!

Wow--I didn't know the Silvers had different menus! I'll be taking them in May. How different are their menus from the rest of the system? Or is it just the Meteor, and the Star has the same menu as the rest?

 

[printman2000]

Yes it is quieter there and for another that diesel smell in the sleeper is very irritating on trains like the City of New Orleans where there is no baggage ahead of the sleepers any longer.

Actually that has more to do with the lack of a Trans/Dorm, than it does with the lack of a bag. It's the Trans/Dorm, with its head end door that connects to single level cars that keeps the exhaust out of the Superliner cars. With a single level consist, everything is below the stack level of the P42 so you don't have any problems. But with the Superliners in general, the "front door", if you will, is right at the stack level.

Without a Trans/Dorm's lower level "front door", you have a problem. I've been in a Superliner with a bag between me and the engine, and no Trans/Dorm, and the exhaust was still a problem.

Are you suggesting the CONO runs without a trans/dorm? Cuz I know it runs with one.

Yes, at least on occasion. I've seen several reports where a regular sleeper pinch hit for a Trans/Dorm.

Like the SWC we were all on on the way to LA last October.

 

[Ispolkom]

BTW, I had the crab cakes and thought they were delicious.

The new menus are out already? I thought that wasn't until summer!...

Some of the dishes like the crab cakes have already appeared on trains. We had them on the Capitol Limited at Xmas time and they were delicious. Lots of crab and not so much binder. Here's an article about the new menu items from October. I notice that the Sunset Limited and the Texas Eagle have beef barbecue. I wonder how it is.

 

[wayman]

BTW, I had the crab cakes and thought they were delicious.

The new menus are out already? I thought that wasn't until summer!...

Some of the dishes like the crab cakes have already appeared on trains. We had them on the Capitol Limited at Xmas time and they were delicious. Lots of crab and not so much binder. Here's an article about the new menu items from October. I notice that the Sunset Limited and the Texas Eagle have beef barbecue. I wonder how it is.

Yum! And I'll have slightly different crab cakes--different preparations/sauces on the Capitol and the Silvers. I'll let y'all know how the green chile tomatillo sauce is

 

[jis]

Yes it is quieter there and for another that diesel smell in the sleeper is very irritating on trains like the City of New Orleans where there is no baggage ahead of the sleepers any longer.

Actually that has more to do with the lack of a Trans/Dorm, than it does with the lack of a bag. It's the Trans/Dorm, with its head end door that connects to single level cars that keeps the exhaust out of the Superliner cars. With a single level consist, everything is below the stack level of the P42 so you don't have any problems. But with the Superliners in general, the "front door", if you will, is right at the stack level.

Without a Trans/Dorm's lower level "front door", you have a problem. I've been in a Superliner with a bag between me and the engine, and no Trans/Dorm, and the exhaust was still a problem.

Are you suggesting the CONO runs without a trans/dorm? Cuz I know it runs with one.

Yes, at least on occasion. I've seen several reports where a regular sleeper pinch hit for a Trans/Dorm.

Like the SWC we were all on on the way to LA last October.

Same happened to me on the Texas Eagle, the only time I was hoping to experience a Transdorm. Got a regular Superliner Sleeper instead.

 

[Philzy]

Well this should make things easier to organize in Charlottesville, VA (CVS). When riding the Crescent Northbound it's always a pain cuz everyone (the past three times i've been on it, it's been an average of about +50 people) bunches up around underneath the bridge and then simultaniously makes a mad dash to be the first on the train... it never works out as planned. it would be nice to have people more "spread out" on the platform, and it'll mean a shorter walk for the sleeper car customers as well... but a long ass hike down the platform for us traveling in steerage :-D

 

[cpamtfan]

Saw the Star leaving for Synnyside last night. Can't wait to see how the new consist looks!

cpamtfan-Peter

 

[MattW]

Saw the good ol' Crescent this morning with Viewliners properly up front for the last time. She sure was a pretty train. Just won't be the same with those Amcans just behind the baggage now.

BTW-wouldn't putting the Amcans right behind the baggage actually decrease security for the baggage car? It's one thing with sleepers where there is sort of a checkpoint at the diner, but not with the Amcans.

 

[printman2000]

BTW-wouldn't putting the Amcans right behind the baggage actually decrease security for the baggage car? It's one thing with sleepers where there is sort of a checkpoint at the diner, but not with the Amcans.

I don't see why. Other than more people are right next to the baggage. If there was not a security problem with the sleepers being next to it, there should not be one with the coaches next to it.

Do they lock the end door on the baggage cars?

 

[AlanB]

BTW-wouldn't putting the Amcans right behind the baggage actually decrease security for the baggage car? It's one thing with sleepers where there is sort of a checkpoint at the diner, but not with the Amcans.

I don't see why. Other than more people are right next to the baggage. If there was not a security problem with the sleepers being next to it, there should not be one with the coaches next to it.

Do they lock the end door on the baggage cars?

No lock, and no key to a lock.

The advantage to the sleepers being next to the bag were that the sleeping car attendants pretty much controlled access, so it would have been rather hard to get into the bag to steal anything. Having the bag close at hand also allowed a sleeping car attendant the ability to stick a few bags inside the baggage car when passengers brought more luggage than would fit in their rooms.

On the other hand, with the coaches you have more people staring at you, should you try to go into the bag. And of course one needs to know how to drop the bar that bars access, and probably undog the door.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

BTW-wouldn't putting the Amcans right behind the baggage actually decrease security for the baggage car? It's one thing with sleepers where there is sort of a checkpoint at the diner, but not with the Amcans.

I don't see why. Other than more people are right next to the baggage. If there was not a security problem with the sleepers being next to it, there should not be one with the coaches next to it.

Do they lock the end door on the baggage cars?

No lock, and no key to a lock.

The advantage to the sleepers being next to the bag were that the sleeping car attendants pretty much controlled access, so it would have been rather hard to get into the bag to steal anything. Having the bag close at hand also allowed a sleeping car attendant the ability to stick a few bags inside the baggage car when passengers brought more luggage than would fit in their rooms.

On the other hand, with the coaches you have more people staring at you, should you try to go into the bag. And of course one needs to know how to drop the bar that bars access, and probably undog the door.

That would be rather difficult with sixty people watching you since all the seats face forward. I suppose it would be possible at night and everybody assumed you were the train crew. That, and the people within eyeshot could hypothetically watch the train crew get into the bag and figure out how to deal with the bar and dogs--

Sure there is greater risk, but it still seems like kind of a stupid idea to sneak into the bag to steal from luggage. There are much simpler ways-- the racks I suppose, esp in the Superliners when nobody is down there watching. I have always wondered about the Coach/Bag Superliners... the door to one seemed to operate like any other door on the train. I pressed it, and got access once by accident thinking it was LL seating.

 

[Greg]

Saw the Star leaving for Synnyside last night. Can't wait to see how the new consist looks!
cpamtfan-Peter

I found it fascinating that the onboard crew would use the transdorms for access to the baggage car inroute to let favored sleeper passengers go there and smoke!!

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Saw the Star leaving for Synnyside last night. Can't wait to see how the new consist looks!
cpamtfan-Peter

I found it fascinating that the onboard crew would use the transdorms for access to the baggage car inroute to let favored sleeper passengers go there and smoke!!

What are you talking about? Firstly I don't know how many Amtrak regs and probably a few FRA regs that breaks--

Secondly, we're not talking about transdorms.

 

[Greg]

Saw the Star leaving for Synnyside last night. Can't wait to see how the new consist looks!
cpamtfan-Peter

I found it fascinating that the onboard crew would use the transdorms for access to the baggage car inroute to let favored sleeper passengers go there and smoke!!

What are you talking about? Firstly I don't know how many Amtrak regs and probably a few FRA regs that breaks--

Secondly, we're not talking about transdorms.

I'm sorry if I offended you ALC. I meant to quote another article. I am so sorry.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Saw the Star leaving for Synnyside last night. Can't wait to see how the new consist looks!
cpamtfan-Peter

I found it fascinating that the onboard crew would use the transdorms for access to the baggage car inroute to let favored sleeper passengers go there and smoke!!

What are you talking about? Firstly I don't know how many Amtrak regs and probably a few FRA regs that breaks--

Secondly, we're not talking about transdorms.

I'm sorry if I offended you ALC. I meant to quote another article. I am so sorry.

You didn't offend me, I just fail to understand what your point is. The new consist arrangements are for the single-level trains which don't use the Superliner Transdorms, for obvious reasons... Not to mention I have never heard of that behavior-- an employee would get thrown off the train (figuratively) for such a transgression.

 

[gaspeamtrak]

It's about time! This had been talked about on several occasions over the last few years. There has long been a safety issue existing with having no vestibule exit at one end of the dining car. I, for what it is worth, believe this is in the best interest of safety, and it will allow the sleepers to placed in their rightful place in the consist. The first class passengers should be placed in the area away from the locos as they have paid a higher cost.
OBS gone freight...

I just rode the Lakeshore on 4/8/09 and had the Boston sleeper up front going to Chicago and heard the horn all night.

I rode back to Buffalo on 4/09/09 and had the last New York City sleeper with the baggage car behind us. I definately like the sleeper at the back of the train, plus it's a nice short walk for the NYC sleeping car passengers leaving Chicago!! Just my opinion.

 

[had8ley]

Yes it is quieter there and for another that diesel smell in the sleeper is very irritating on trains like the City of New Orleans where there is no baggage ahead of the sleepers any longer.

Actually that has more to do with the lack of a Trans/Dorm, than it does with the lack of a bag. It's the Trans/Dorm, with its head end door that connects to single level cars that keeps the exhaust out of the Superliner cars. With a single level consist, everything is below the stack level of the P42 so you don't have any problems. But with the Superliners in general, the "front door", if you will, is right at the stack level.

Without a Trans/Dorm's lower level "front door", you have a problem. I've been in a Superliner with a bag between me and the engine, and no Trans/Dorm, and the exhaust was still a problem.

I'll second that...seems like I posted a very similar experience in the past and no one agreed.

 

[battalion51]

No lock, and no key to a lock.

I'm going to argue that point Alan. You can most definitely close the bulkhead door and lock it using a coach key. The rear door of the train is typically locked using this mechanism to prevent someone from tucking and rolling or messing around with the backup hose (or typically if there is a deadhead car on the bottom). Are they likely going to start using the bulkhead with the key? No. I can almost guarantee that bulkhead door will be closed though.

 

[printman2000]

Saw on another board (reported as an unusual sighting) of one of the silver trains with the sleepers on the rear. Won't be unusual for long.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

I wonder how this is going to affect stations like Orlando?

The north half of the platform is open, and works well for the informal/casual loading of sleeper passengers. The south half of the platform is set up with a queuing maze for loading of coach passengers.

Now, the sleepers will be in front of the queuing maze, and coach will be in front of the open area.

BTW, I am referring to northbound trains at the station, and I think for Orlando, most departing passengers are heading north.

 

[AlanB]

No lock, and no key to a lock.

I'm going to argue that point Alan. You can most definitely close the bulkhead door and lock it using a coach key. The rear door of the train is typically locked using this mechanism to prevent someone from tucking and rolling or messing around with the backup hose (or typically if there is a deadhead car on the bottom). Are they likely going to start using the bulkhead with the key? No. I can almost guarantee that bulkhead door will be closed though.

Yes, that's true. But that's a door on the coach car, not a door on the baggage car.