Refreshed Superliners in service

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
The Heritage Diners,Lounges/ Club Cars and Pullmans had much softer Lighting than current Amtrak Cars, but the Coaches mostly had Harsh Lighting.
The harshness came mostly with the use of fluorescent lamps, specially early ones, which were very hard to modulate and control the spectrum and intensity of.

LEDs are superb when it comes to controlling both the color mix and intensity, so things should be much better if a proper lighting expert is used to design the lighting profile for the public spaces on the trains.
 
The harshness came mostly with the use of fluorescent lamps, specially early ones, which were very hard to modulate and control the spectrum and intensity of.

LEDs are superb when it comes to controlling both the color mix and intensity, so things should be much better if a proper lighting expert is used to design the lighting profile for the public spaces on the trains
With today's LEDs the ability to change the color temperature by switch or app makes it so much easier to spec one device for multiple areas. With fluorescent you would need to relamp, or with the earlier LEDs use a different luminaire. Any decent commerial stuff plays nice with lighting control systems as well now, clearly not the case early on.
 
The harshness came mostly with the use of fluorescent lamps, specially early ones, which were very hard to modulate and control the spectrum and intensity of.

LEDs are superb when it comes to controlling both the color mix and intensity, so things should be much better if a proper lighting expert is used to design the lighting profile for the public spaces on the trains.
Your last paragraph reminds me of observations from my time on a historic district design review board. As a rule of thumb, women preferred indirect and what I'd call "dappled" lighting, or highlights of particular features. Men preferred direct and bright lighting. Of course, there were individual tastes, but this 1950's vintage SP diner-lounge shows that the men who would have designed it had all the lighting distributed from up by the ceiling.
1969 SP Cascade Diner-Lounge - 1.jpg

1969 SP Cascade Diner Lounge - 2.jpg
 
Got off the Auto Train yesterday (P053-08), all of the coaches were refurbished as well as the diner, though unfortunately no sleepers (all Superliner II). No pictures of the coaches, however their numbers were 34130, 34119, 34127, and 34118. The diner was 32052.
IMG_1448.jpeg
I find it interesting how compared to the SL1 diner posted earlier in this thread the SL2 diner looks quite different. The main difference is the carpet that is still present on the walls.
 
Last edited:
Got off the Auto Train yesterday (P053-08), all of the coaches were refurbished as well as the diner, though unfortunately no sleepers (all Superliner II). No pictures of the coaches, however their numbers were 34130, 34119, 34127, and 34118. The diner was 32052.
View attachment 32816
I find it interesting how compared to the SL1 diner posted earlier in this thread the SL2 diner looks quite different. The main difference is the carpet that is still present
I find the planks above the windows on the SL2 much better. Makes it feel almost classy (the ceiling kind of ruins it -- I really wish they could change the ceiling it is incredibly ugly). The lack of the new carpet I don't mind too much, although the new carpet is much better. And just for some extra class I think they should change the boring grey walls by the galley to wood or something.

But either way, the new diners do look great and the presentation on those tables is excellent. What are the white cards placed at the end of the table by the aisle?
 

Attachments

  • 1686463062194.png
    1686463062194.png
    114.2 KB · Views: 3
I find the planks above the windows on the SL2 much better. Makes it feel almost classy (the ceiling kind of ruins it -- I really wish they could change the ceiling it is incredibly ugly). The lack of the new carpet I don't mind too much, although the new carpet is much better. And just for some extra class I think they should change the boring grey walls by the galley to wood or something.
Sorry, but did you mean SL2 or SL1? My photo is of an SL2, and the dark reddish color is actually carpet and not wood unfortunately. SL1 diners have wood planking along the walls and above the windows.
What are the white cards placed at the end of the table by the aisle?
I believe they were the table numbers.
The crew put them out before the first dinner seating, but they were gone by the time it started.
 
Sorry, but did you mean SL2 or SL1? My photo is of an SL2, and the dark reddish color is actually carpet and not wood unfortunately. SL1 diners have wood planking along the walls and above the windows.
Ah, yes I did mean the carpet. I think it looks better then the wood on the SL1's. I find the color a bit tacky.
 
Back
Top