New Viewliner Fleet

[coachseats]

I was reading an article on the National Corridors Initiative Inc. website and found the following encouraging information:

"Riders can look for some changes for the better on the single-level long distance trains. Gunn thinks it is long past time to phase out all high-maintenance Heritage cars, inherited from the private railroads decades ago. So he has budgeted for design of 75 replacement Viewliners. Procurement would begin in 2006. If this plan goes forward, look for a return of the diner and lounge combo car on some routes. He cites the separate diner and lounge currently on the Cardinal. “You can meet the demand on that train with just one car instead of two,” Amtrak’s CEO believes." -From http://www.nationalcorridors.org/df/df02162004.shtml

While it is all based on Amtrak receiving sufficient funding from the feds, I do think it is a step in the right direction. This came from a good weekly newsletter that is always full of passenger train information.

 

[Viewliner]

Well I certainly like the the concept, I just hope there's more care put into the design/construction of these cars vs. the 50. Naturally I'm excited about this, and I hope it works out. What I wouldn't give for more information on the cars...

 

[AlanB]

What I wouldn't give for more information on the cars...

Here, I'll give you a little more info on the cars. They will be new. Amtrak will run them. They will carry passengers, except for dorms and bags. They will be single level cars. They'll have couplers that mate with the current cars. And they'll probably be in Phase XVI paint by the time they arrive.

Does that help? :lol:

 

[P40Power]

Haha, there always has to be a wise guy

 

[Viewliner]

Does that help? :lol:

About as much as Warrington Deferring maintenece. :lol: B)

 

[gswager]

Hey Viewliner, care to show your plans to Gunn? If I remember correctly, you were drawing plans of Viewliner fleet.

 

[Viewliner]

I'll see, maybe I'll try to show them to someone, but I think Amtrak has a better chance of getting full funding.

 

[EmpireBuilderFan]

If this plan goes forward, look for a return of the diner and lounge combo car on some routes.

Maybe this is how the diner will return to the Three Rivers, assuming that Amtrak is able to build these new Viewliner cars.

 

[Viewliner]

If this plan goes forward, look for a return of the diner and lounge combo car on some routes.

Maybe this is how the diner will return to the Three Rivers, assuming that Amtrak is able to build these new Viewliner cars.

I guess the Palmetto, Cardinal and Three Rivers would be the three ideal candidates for that, and if you really needed it, you could put it on the NY or Boston Section of the LSL. This order has to include additional sleepers its clearly the most needed piece of the puzzle. I'd say about 15-25 of the 75(+) Viewliners should be sleepers, the rest Dorms, Diners, and Diner/Lounges.

 

[Steve4031]

They'll have couplers that mate with the current cars.

Alan,

I'm surprised at you. This is a family forum.

Sorry. Could not resist.

 

[F59 PHI]

hey..... they stole my idea!!

if they get new viewliners, I would guess that they would

1 Add More sleepers

2 Replace the Crewdorms

3 Replace Heritage Diners with Dinerlounges, and straight diners

So, there should be 25 new crewdorms, as thats how many there are now. As to configuration I would guess that they would have 10 rooms with a lounge area at the other end. Maybe they would get 30 total to keep some spares.

on the Dining cars, there are 26 in use right now. I am not sure, but the card, the palm and the 3r, would probably be the users of the diner lounges. so that would probably be 10 right there, then maybe 20-25 to replace the rest of the heritage diners.

So with those 2 in mind, there would likely be 10-20 new sleepers, as those arent for replacing cars, they are just for adding to spares. Would these sleepers be of the same configuration as the current ones? I would like to see a slumbercoach, but i dont expect that they will make any more of them. Maybe they will add a deluxe bedroom or 2 into the layout of the car. who knows...

This seems like an ideal opportunity to get 62091, 2300, and 8400 up and running, just rebuild them into the new design of viewliners.

What would be their numbers?

in In amtrak history, there are some tendencies in numberings.

1000s tend to be baggage

Such as in the heritage baggage and the superliner coach baggage cars. Also the old baggage dorms were in this grouping. This may be where the viewliner dorms would be numbered.

2000s tend to be sleepers.

so, as 62000-62049 are the current viewliners, maybe the new sleepers would get numbers in the 62050 series, or maybe in the 62500 series if they end up being different.

3000s tend to be lounges.

Both the superliners and old heritage cars follow this. I would expect any viewliner lounges to be in the 63000 series.

4000s tend to be long distance coaches.

5000sand 6000s seem to be sort of random,

like the 35000 series superliner snack cars.

7000s are often short distance coaches, as in the old 7000, 7500 and 7600 series coaches in the northeast.

8000s are almost always diners. even the amfleet 2s follow this. The new diners would likely be in either the 68000 or 68400 series IMO

9000s are also varied, but as the superliner dorms are in the 39000 series, i think that this may be the viewliner series dorms end up.

 

[Viewliner]

Numbers would be the Same as the Superliner series, just with a 6 instead of a 3 as the first digit. Either on this or a subsequent order (maybe Lounges and Coaches later), I'd order a few Deluxe Sleepers for Silver Service, as from experience I know they'd sell out fairly easily.

62050-62074 (maybe fewer than this but this is a general assumption) additional Sleepers. Names could be eastern states, ex. "New Jersey View" etc.

[62500-62509 Deluxe Sleepers, names would be Silver Series, ex. "Silver Star", "Silver Palm", "Silver Meteor", "Silver Comet", etc. Approx 9 Deluxe Rooms, plus one for the Attendant]

69000-69024 Crew Cars, 10-12 Standard Rooms (if 10, 2 could be linen closets). Area of Deluxe Rooms would be conductors office and small lounge area for the crew.

Diner- 68000 Series 48 Seats, based on Dimensions Similar to Heritage Diners, as 8400 had a less desirable working environment.

Diner-Lounge, 68500 Series, I'm not really familiar with Diner-Lounges as they were before my time, maybe Bill or another rider with some experience in these cars could help me out a little. My Guess is that the seating may be part booth and part like an unrebuilt Amfleet II Lounge, a counter like that of a Temoinsa Rebuilt Diner maybe suitable to have the lounge attendant located at.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

First, Viewliner, I like the names you have for the deluxe sleepers, including the name "Silver Comet". I think I have finally gotten over my old-timer problem with that . After all, many trains have their old names but with different routes.....many of them in fact......(I realize you are talking about car names in this context, not train names but either way, it is ok with me now. I would just be glad to have the name back in any case) ALSO--I would LOVE to see a Viewliner sleeper full of just deluxe rooms. Would like to see the ones on A-T which are Superliner all deluxe rooms. But I probably never will....I would never drive my car that far to ride it. I do not drive long distances.

As to diner-lounges, they looked all sorts of ways, as did lounge cars in the older days. Some diner lounges were genuinely built as such from the beginning. In that case there would be a true dining area and a true lounge area, with seating somewhat like that on a superliner lounge. The kitchen and any counter area for the lounge were sometimes in the middle of the car but that could vary.

Some diner-lounges were actualy rebuilds from full diners or full lounges. They could sometimes have a haphazard touch to them. Sometimes it just meant half of the diner tables were removed and chairs of some sort stacked against the wall, with some standing ashtrays in the aisle. Believe me,all kinds of arrangements.

Diner-lounges served one of two needs, 1.On a thinly patronized train, it served for the whole train, 2.A heavily patronized train it might serve as an additional space to help relieve the stress on the full diner and the full lounge.

 

[Viewliner]

One thing I notice with 8400's design, is that it doesn't have the linen closets at the A end, would it be ok to incorporate it within the kitchen unit (say storage near the booth end of the kitchen, or what?) Also, would a counter be practical in the full diner, like the Temoinsa rebuilds, only without the stools?

 

[battalion51]

Well, as far as a linen locker goes, I would do something similar to a Temoinsa's design, with storage cabinets on the A-End. The counter is very practical, especially for a Diner/Lounge situation. The counter would allow the lounge LSA room to work, serve, etc. My only problem with a Diner/Lounge is that, the Lounge LSA basically has to shut down his operation during peak meal hours, since there is a lot of traffic back and forth to the kitchen. You don't want to move the Kitchen closer to the Dining area because of the heat it produces. But, if you were to create a Superliner II style lounge service area (downstairs with the food), it would make access to the kitchen very hard. You basically can't take a Temoinsa Diner and call it a Diner/Lounge. You will need to completely change the entire design of the car. If I feel like it I might draw up some plans for it to send into Amtrak, if I can wrap my head around the situation. :lol:

 

[Viewliner]

I basically finished my designs, based on some input from Battalion51. The Diner and Diner/Lounge are layed out like the Temoinsa Diners, the linen closet and electrical lockers are moved to the B end instead and everything shifted over slightly. The Diner-Lounge sacrifices booths 7-10 and replaces them with "Lounge" style seating. The "Lounge" Seating is based on an Auto Train Lounge, with 2 round booths on the Engineers side, and two half booths on the Fireman's side. The drawings aren't computerized, but I can scan and post it if anyone's interested.

 

[Amfleet]

Well lets say that 25 Diner/Lounges are built. At the "A" end will be a linen cabinet, then 10 tables, then a kitchen design much like the Temoinsa cars with a service counter. On trains like the Silver Meteor, Silver Star, and Crescent the car would operate as a straight Diner, a seperate lounge would provide normal snack bar service.

Then on trains like the Palmetto and Three Rivers, passengers can walk up to the snack bar and purchase a freshly cooked meal from the kitchen or just a light snack as well as drinks and such. There would be no table service and one would wait at the counter or sit at a table until their food is ready. Sleepers would get the complimentary meals while coach passengers would pay. Who knows how it will work, but I think it would be better for Amtrak to narrow down on one Diner deign instead of seperating into two.

Also, just commenting on the Cardinal. I would hope enough Superliners would become avalible so it can atleast run with 1 Sleeper, Diner or Lounge, and a few Coaches. I think the scenery along that route is much more suited for Superliner's and their large windows.