Viewliner II Part 2: Dining Car Production, Delivery, Speculation

[AmtrakBlue]

Thanks, Thirdrail7. I am having a brain freeze (or an overload of acronyms in my life)--could you remind me what PM stands for?

Positioning Move

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Positioning Move

Oh, of course--thanks!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Oh, of course--thanks!

I had to think about it myself, though I figured that was why the diner was deadheading.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

PM is Preventive Maintenance.


The vehicle is due for work.
Why it’s deadheading and not in service is for convenience, with a small chance of something broken that would prevent it been used as a dinner.

 

[OBS]

PM is Preventive Maintenance.


The vehicle is due for work.
Why it’s deadheading and not in service is for convenience, with a small chance of something broken that would prevent it been used as a dinner.

This is the answer.

 

[me_little_me]

Thanks, Thirdrail7. I am having a brain freeze (or an overload of acronyms in my life)--could you remind me what PM stands for?

Preventive Maintenance

 

[Thirdrail7]

Why it’s deadheading and not in service is for convenience, with a small chance of something broken that would prevent it been used as a dinner.

They often deadhead equipment as you stated so it can be conveniently added/removed. It keeps them from having to break apart the train later.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Two of the diners listed as concept prototyping....could this be the start of the future single level food service cars?

How do you like the concept?

 

[jis]

I have seen a secret photo of the proposed new layout.

 

[lordsigma]

I suspect the photo I saw is the same. New counter installed on the end of the kitchen - much smaller amount of new seating. Looks like they could be going for something similar to the Acela cafe but the photo I saw at least it isn’t totally clear.

 

[Seaboard92]

I’ve heard a crew rumor from someone on one of the effected trains who said the diners were coming back. I’ll believe that when Gardner is on unemployment but not before.

 

[Dakota 400]

I’ve heard a crew rumor from someone on one of the effected trains who said the diners were coming back. I’ll believe that when Gardner is on unemployment but not before.

The diners may be returning? That's the most encouraging news that I have heard today.

 

[Brian Battuello]

I heard the same rumor from an assistant conductor on the lake shore limited about 10 days ago. He said it was nothing official just talk around the barn…

 

[MikefromCrete]

That's good news if its true, but I wouldn't put too much faith in roundhouse gossip.

 

[Willbridge]

My father, now 97 years old, used to enjoy riding in the lead coach of secondary trains. The lights would stay on all night as short-haul passengers were accommodated and the employees riding on passes would repeat all the rumors. If there was a shortage of rumors, they would tell stories about colleagues and customers. He enjoyed listening, but knew how to evaluate them.

 

[Mail4MrTed]

I’ve heard a crew rumor from someone on one of the effected trains who said the diners were coming back. I’ll believe that when Gardner is on unemployment but not before.

We recently rode from New Orleans to New York. There was a new diner on the train for "first class" passengers and one "lead service attendant" in the diner. Who she leading since there were no other employees was not clear. Everything was self service. For some elderly people that was not easy. One sleeping car attendant said he was not going to even offer food service to people's rooms! One the way back, the attendant took orders and delivered the "food bowls," as I call them, to the tables. She asked me not to write a letter complimenting her on the extra effort because she didn't "want to get in trouble." Imagine getting in trouble for providing service! So, now that Amtrak has fired a lot of dining car employees, are diner really coming back? Iffy at best with the current crowd in control.

 

[cocojacoby]

I’ve heard a crew rumor from someone on one of the effected trains who said the diners were coming back. I’ll believe that when Gardner is on unemployment but not before.

Well maybe someone with a brain realized that it was impossible to satisfy the needs of an entire single-level LD train with one limited food service car?

 

[chrsjrcj]

Possibly just in reference to the Silver Star?

 

[Mail4MrTed]

The Silver Service and Crescent consists have been running the sleepers in the front for some time now.

Hmmm... Just noticed on the other thread that the sleepers have been moved to the rear on Silver trains. Don't know about the Crescent, but its consists differ slightly because of the Business Class coach.

On a recent New York/New Orleans trip, the sleepers were at the front of the train, then diner, then cafe. While the car rode OK South of Washington, we were very alarmed at the "wagging" that went on on the Northeast Corridor when the speed was up near 100 mph. The sleeper was literally slamming sideways, back and forth at an alarming enough intensity that I was worried about an accident.

 

[PVD]

I thought BC on the Crescent was scrapped. Last time I was on the Crescent it was an AM-2 in front of the sleepers, but I'm pretty sure it isn't there anymore.

 

[Thirdrail7]

I thought BC on the Crescent was scrapped. Last time I was on the Crescent it was an AM-2 in front of the sleepers, but I'm pretty sure it isn't there anymore.

The quoted post from @GaSteve is from 2016. The sleepers are typically in the rear (unless the BHM track work causes them to run around the train at ATL) and business class on the Crescent has been gone for a couple of years.


That being said, the concept car is just that. It is a concept car.

 

[PVD]

That makes sense, I just saw it in the post above, not realizing they were commenting on something that old....

 

[Larry H.]

I've never liked the changes Amtrak made of having the sleepers up front. I much preferred them in the rear. There was a reason the old Pullman Cars had a sign in them about the number of years without a death in the Pullman section. That of course being due to the worst damage normally was up front. I am always nervous about that.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Two type of derailment.

A) the train has the damage on the front.
B) the train has the damage to the rear.

When your engine hits something the deceleration forces impact the front of the train.

When there is a track defect the front of the train will cross over the defect and the following cars will cause it the rail to spread, then the rear of the train hits the ground and gets the drag/deceleration damage.

Front of the train has less slack action and a better ride. The rear likes to get knock around from the ride. In the front you get to hear the horn for ever crossing.

High fare passenger complaint no matter where the car is located. For ever plus there is a negative.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Trenton lost out because the Viewliner II diner names were assigned in alphabetical order for state capitals east of the Mississippi. Check the list of assigned and planned names for the Viewliners at On-Track On-Line. The diner names start with Albany and run through Tallahasee. Of course, Amtrak could change the naming scheme and, say, drop Frankfurt KY, because it is not as if Kentucky is a hotbed of Amtrak support and service.

And neither is Tallahasee!