Typical consist of long distance Northeast Regionals

[dadonatrain]

Not sure where to post this, but I’m sure admin will tell me where I should put it!

What is the typical consist on some of the long distance northeast regionals such as Roanoke-Boston, Boston-Norfolk/Newport News? E.g., dining car or cafe only for eating? If it’s an overnighter are there always Viewliner sleepers?

Used to be, on the old fashioned paper timetables, Amtrak would include this info, but if it’s on their websites now I can’t find it?

 

[Acela150]

8-9 cars. Business class and Quiet car are the last two cars. Cafe towards the middle of the train.

 

[dadonatrain]

Thank you!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

8-9 cars. Business class and Quiet car are the last two cars. Cafe towards the middle of the train.

Usually there are only 3 cars behind the cafe. A noisy coach, the quiet car & the business car. So on the 9 and sometimes 10 car trains it can be a long walk to the cafe if you’re in one of the front cars.

 

[Acela150]

Usually there are only 3 cars behind the cafe. A noisy coach, the quiet car & the business car. So on the 9 and sometimes 10 car trains it can be a long walk to the cafe if you’re in one of the front cars.

Valid point that I didn’t think about.

 

[dadonatrain]

Thx again.

Another Q about the northeast regionals. Are coach seats always UNreserved? I.e., first come first served? Or could I request a coach seat in the quiet car?

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

First come, first serve. Someday you might be able to book a particular seat, just not today.

 

[dadonatrain]

Thx

 

[lordsigma]

Most are 8-9 cars with a full business and full cafe but the trainsets that do the 65/66/67/124/151/186 runs are four coaches and a club-dinette. Four coaches is the standard for NEC branch off state supported services that primarily operate during the prime daytime hours in the off NEC area and hit the NEC during off hours. You'll also see four coaches on trains like the Vermonter, Pennsylvanian, Carolinian, etc. Sometimes with a club-dinette and sometimes with a full business and full cafe. In some cases there can be a cut off coach for the corridor too - the Vermonter does operate on the NEC part of the way during prime NEC hours and as a result there is a cut off coach based at New Haven that just runs Washington - New Haven. The Vermonter's cut off extra NEC coach had been pulled for quite a while but it recently returned in the last year or so.

 

[Acela150]

First come, first serve. Someday you might be able to book a particular seat, just not today.

Don’t put that idea out there.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Valid point that I didn’t think about.

Since you have to walk the whole train while on duty, guess it's a no brainer right?

 

[user 13416]

I wish the Norfolk train had a sleeper car. It's 7 hours to Philly.

 

[TransitTyrant]

I wish the Norfolk train had a sleeper car. It's 7 hours to Philly.

They would if Virginia paid for it.

 

[Joe from PA]

We make 2 trips to Boston from Philadelphia each year. On the way up, we can change seats in NYC, since almost everyone gets off. The NYC mob is kept upstairs until the departing passengers are upstairs. Leaving the second Boston stop, we wait up front, since the train has loaded from the rear. Don't be fooled by "reserved" seats. Many will be aside a wall rather than a full window. It is a very scenic trip from NYC to Boston that is worth a full window.

 

[Anderson]

They would if Virginia paid for it.

I actually made a business case for VA adding a few cars to the Viewliner II order way back when...