sightseer on the TE these days?

[sweet tea]

hi gang.

excuse me if this has been covered elsewhere (no doubt); i didn't have any luck searching for it.

does the TE carry a lounge these days, or just the CCC?

we're riding from chicago to little rock in december. usually we get a roomette, but the price was just too high for us this time (~$250 for about 12 hours -- not including a full night -- and only one meal). i'm wondering if we're stuck in our seats the whole time, or if there's anywhere to wander. after the wildness of christmas, i'm usually happy enough to hole up in our room, but coach is a different ballgame.

related: anybody know what the low bucket is for a roomette on that trip? we'll probably try for an on-board upgrade. it's the day after christmas, so i don't rate our chances highly, but you never know....

 

[saxman]

Well I'm not sure about the TE lately. I haven't seen it, but I just looked and found that the lowest bucket for the sleeper between Dallas and Chicago is about $150. So i'm guessing to Little Rock, it will be slightly less then that.

 

[had8ley]

Well I'm not sure about the TE lately. I haven't seen it, but I just looked and found that the lowest bucket for the sleeper between Dallas and Chicago is about $150. So i'm guessing to Little Rock, it will be slightly less then that.

You might want to book to Dallas. I haven't checked the prices for comparison BUT there is input from people in Texas as to what fares will be charged in the state of Texas. In other words it might be cheaper to book to Dallas and just get off in Little Rock. Last trip we took on the TE the roomette was $80 from San Antonio to Fort Worth but only $40 from San Marcos~ the first stop after leaving San Antonio and we saved gas going to San Marcos. Just as a side line; does anybody know of any other stations that has two potential places to stop? San Marcos has two places and neither one is within view of the depot!

 

[Montanan]

Just as a side line; does anybody know of any other stations that has two potential places to stop? San Marcos has two places and neither one is within view of the depot!

Well, there's Elko, Nevada, where westbound Amtrak trains run on the former Southern Pacific mainline, and eastbound trains use the former Western Pacific line ... so Amtrak has two separate platforms and boarding areas.

 

[AlanB]

Sweet tea,

Last I knew the Eagle still ran with a CCC and a Sightseer lounge car, and I haven't heard differently.

 

[profwebs]

If this was taken around the time it was uploaded recently, then it does have a SSL

 

[spacecadet]

If this was taken around the time it was uploaded recently, then it does have a SSL

This also says it was taken on November 25: http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=262045&nseq=3

 

[had8ley]

Just as a side line; does anybody know of any other stations that has two potential places to stop? San Marcos has two places and neither one is within view of the depot!

Well, there's Elko, Nevada, where westbound Amtrak trains run on the former Southern Pacific mainline, and eastbound trains use the former Western Pacific line ... so Amtrak has two separate platforms and boarding areas.

Makes sense as the Class 1's do a lot of directional running~ north and east run on different tracks than south and west. A lot of this happened after the mega-mergers in the '90's. Thanks for the info; I'll look for the two platforms next time we pass through Elko

 

[daveyb99]

does the TE carry a lounge these days, or just the CCC?

as of 12-03-2008, BOTH

 

[daveyb99]

Just as a side line; does anybody know of any other stations that has two potential places to stop? San Marcos has two places and neither one is within view of the depot!

How do you mean. The small platform is about a 100-foot walk from the combined AMTRAK-Greyhound station. The train does make 'two stops', but one is for Sleeper, and the second for Coach --- not at two different locations.

AMTRAK - San Marcos, TX

 

[heavesrock]

Sightseer lounge was running on Sunday.

 

[sweet tea]

thanks, y'all. i'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Montanan]

Just as a side line; does anybody know of any other stations that has two potential places to stop? San Marcos has two places and neither one is within view of the depot!

Well, there's Elko, Nevada, where westbound Amtrak trains run on the former Southern Pacific mainline, and eastbound trains use the former Western Pacific line ... so Amtrak has two separate platforms and boarding areas.

Makes sense as the Class 1's do a lot of directional running~ north and east run on different tracks than south and west. A lot of this happened after the mega-mergers in the '90's. Thanks for the info; I'll look for the two platforms next time we pass through Elko

The paired track arrangement between the SP and the WP through Nevada has actually been in place since way back in 1924 ... of course, though, it's all Union Pacific now.

Originally, the two Elko stations were a couple blocks apart, but a track realignment back in the 1990s or so brought them pretty much next to each other. There are still two separate platforms and two separate shelters, though -- one labeled "Elko eastbound" and one labeled "Elko westbound."

 

[p&sr]

Originally, the two Elko stations were a couple blocks apart, but a track realignment back in the 1990s or so brought them pretty much next to each other. There are still two separate platforms and two separate shelters, though -- one labeled "Elko eastbound" and one labeled "Elko westbound."

Right. It doesn't look like much. Just an ordinary section of double-track, with platforms on both sides. There is a fence between the tracks to try and discourage people from crossing over (freight traffic can be very intense)... they'd much prefer you cross on the road bridge maybe 1/4 mile away.

If you're coming or going by taxi, be sure to specify which of the two platforms is yours.

 

[rtabern]

Rode today (12/10/08) from SPI-CHI on #22/322/422 and there was a CCC and a Sightseer Lounge.

They were only using half of the CCC and running it like a diner... the other half was being used for storage of napkins, utensils, other crap.

The SSL was like a regular SSL -- snacks being sold on the bottom level.

Even though I am all in favor of keeping the SSL on the Texas Eagle -- it seems like a big waste of money to renovate all the dining cars and turn them into CCC -- just to sit there and use them like regular dining cars.

Why not save the money and just keep the original dining cars on the Texas Eagle then?

There was a lot less seating in the CCC too today than a regular diner -- it's just totally stupid and a waste of money.

I hope they stop the CCC conversion process immediately and put the money into building new or renovating the old sleeping cars.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I think the CCC conversions are partially about rebuilding and refurbishing the old dining cars, which need them. I think the CCC concept is partly a dodge to come up with an excuse for why this work would be good.

 

[AlanB]

I think the CCC conversions are partially about rebuilding and refurbishing the old dining cars, which need them. I think the CCC concept is partly a dodge to come up with an excuse for why this work would be good.

I might buy that idea, but for the fact that they are also doing this to the Sightseer lounges and if they didn't already have a program in effect to refurbish the Superliner II dining cars.

 

[had8ley]

Rode today (12/10/08) from SPI-CHI on #22/322/422 and there was a CCC and a Sightseer Lounge.
They were only using half of the CCC and running it like a diner... the other half was being used for storage of napkins, utensils, other crap.

The SSL was like a regular SSL -- snacks being sold on the bottom level.

Even though I am all in favor of keeping the SSL on the Texas Eagle -- it seems like a big waste of money to renovate all the dining cars and turn them into CCC -- just to sit there and use them like regular dining cars.

Why not save the money and just keep the original dining cars on the Texas Eagle then?

There was a lot less seating in the CCC too today than a regular diner -- it's just totally stupid and a waste of money.

I hope they stop the CCC conversion process immediately and put the money into building new or renovating the old sleeping cars.

I don't think you'll find too many people on here that would disagree with you. What is amazing

to me is that managers ride to implement these blunders then you never see them again. Must be nice to sit behind a desk somewhere and say you're managing a train 3,000 miles away!

 

[daveyb99]

I remember most of this CCC and Diner do-overs were because a few in Congress thought 'We The People' were subsidizing meals for the folks on the trains?

While I support the idea of refurb, the total concept never went to the end design because it was a bad plan.

 

[Montanan]

I might buy that idea, but for the fact that they are also doing this to the Sightseer lounges and if they didn't already have a program in effect to refurbish the Superliner II dining cars.

Alan, have you heard lately whether they're still actively creating additional CCC cars, either out of diners or sightseers?

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Only one Sightseer has been scheduled for a makeover into a different kind of car- Kummant made a point of stressing they were different- how do we know that they are not another simple refurbishment of a different kind of car, with the same excuse?

Before we use sightseer refurbishment as a reason for believing the worst, lets wait until Beech Grove releases one.

 

[AlanB]

I might buy that idea, but for the fact that they are also doing this to the Sightseer lounges and if they didn't already have a program in effect to refurbish the Superliner II dining cars.

Alan, have you heard lately whether they're still actively creating additional CCC cars, either out of diners or sightseers?

The latest data that we have is from August, when one car was released. At that time there were two more scheduled to be completed before the year was over in September. In the notes section however they state that the program was stopped with 13 for the year, meaning that one more should be released. It's unclear whether it's been stopped just for this past year or for all time.

 

[AlanB]

Only one Sightseer has been scheduled for a makeover into a different kind of car- Kummant made a point of stressing they were different- how do we know that they are not another simple refurbishment of a different kind of car, with the same excuse?
Before we use sightseer refurbishment as a reason for believing the worst, lets wait until Beech Grove releases one.

Actually there were 3 Sightseer's scheduled for the conversion this past year, 2 Superliner I's and 1 Superliner II. That plan has since been scaled back.

And by the way, if Amtrak was using this as an excuse to just get the cars a major makeover, why continue building something that every cook at Amtrak will tell you is a horrible layout for the kitchen, especially if you're working solo down there? Additionally to continue to rework something that reduces the capacity of the dining car under the guise of "well this is a way to get things refurbished", isn't a very good plan or idea.

 

[Larry H.]

I remember most of this CCC and Diner do-overs were because a few in Congress thought 'We The People' were subsidizing meals for the folks on the trains?
While I support the idea of refurb, the total concept never went to the end design because it was a bad plan.

Yes thats true.. I just heard a radio discussion over the weekend, on PBS I think, about the fact that the Senators Dining room charges about half to a third less than the exact item as sold to visitors to the capitol.. Perhaps they should look at their own padded lunches for a change! Just wait till they are running the Auto industry as well as the Banks and now probably health care.. Well we all know they have great health care we pay for while we get none.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I took a quick day trip to FTW on the Heartland Flyer today (29 DEC) and noticed there was no Sightseer on the southbound TE which arrived just after we did. I sure hope that's just the result of a bad ordered car or some one time circumstance and not from Amtrak finally deciding to pull the car altogether. It's sure a scrawny train without a true lounge!