Viewliner II Part 4: Sleeping Car production, delivery, deployment

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I recently traveled in Bedroom B on the Lake Shore Ltd. from D.C. to Chicago. It was a new Viewliner II car. The room was fine -- except for what sounded like a traditional through-the-wall air conditioning unit that clicked on and off every 20 seconds for the entire trip. It seemed to be located just above and/or outside BR-B and was clearly audible and invasive. The conductor said it was the air circulation system for the entire car that circulates fresh air, and that someone would look at it when we stopped at Albany to see if it was functioning properly. This didn't happen.

I'm wondering if anyone has any information about this system, or has experienced it? As a light sleeper, it made the trip rather difficult and I don't think I would do it again.
 
Manny T said:
I recently traveled in Bedroom B on the Lake Shore Ltd. from D.C. to Chicago. It was a new Viewliner II car. The room was fine -- except for what sounded like a traditional through-the-wall air conditioning unit that clicked on and off every 20 seconds for the entire trip. It seemed to be located just above and/or outside BR-B and was clearly audible and invasive. The conductor said it was the air circulation system for the entire car that circulates fresh air, and that someone would look at it when we stopped at Albany to see if it was functioning properly. This didn't happen.

I'm wondering if anyone has any information about this system, or has experienced it? As a light sleeper, it made the trip rather difficult and I don't think I would do it again.
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Wow, that’s the first I have heard of that. Sorry to hear. You might be able to get some compensation for that if you call into customer relations.
 
Manny T said:
I recently traveled in Bedroom B on the Lake Shore Ltd. from D.C. to Chicago. It was a new Viewliner II car. The room was fine -- except for what sounded like a traditional through-the-wall air conditioning unit that clicked on and off every 20 seconds for the entire trip. It seemed to be located just above and/or outside BR-B and was clearly audible and invasive. The conductor said it was the air circulation system for the entire car that circulates fresh air, and that someone would look at it when we stopped at Albany to see if it was functioning properly. This didn't happen.

I'm wondering if anyone has any information about this system, or has experienced it? As a light sleeper, it made the trip rather difficult and I don't think I would do it again.
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We've had several reports about the Bedrooms on the VLIIs having this problem, but not the Roomettes!
 
Bob Dylan said:
We've had several reports about the Bedrooms on the VLIIs having this problem, but not the Roomettes!
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Well in a way it's good for me to now there have been others who have mentioned this -- it means I wasn't imagining things or being overly sensitive. Bedroom B being more or less in the center of the car, it makes sense for the air unit to be located there. The roomettes are pretty much removed from this location, so they would be quieter.

Certainly one solution for me next time would be to book a roomette and not a bedroom...if there is a next time!
 
Manny T said:
Well in a way it's good for me to now there have been others who have mentioned this -- it means I wasn't imagining things or being overly sensitive. Bedroom B being more or less in the center of the car, it makes sense for the air unit to be located there. The roomettes are pretty much removed from this location, so they would be quieter.

Certainly one solution for me next time would be to book a roomette and not a bedroom...if there is a next time!
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My understanding is that the culprit is the waste management system. The vacuum system is the one that is at least one source of the noise each time someone flushes any toilet in the car. The holding tank intake is apparently right under Bedroom B in the new cars. Our resident expert @pennyk can illuminate further.
 
jis said:
My understanding is that the culprit is the waste management system. The vacuum system is the one that is at least one source of the noise each time someone flushes any toilet in the car. The holding tank intake is apparently right under Bedroom B in the new cars. Our resident expert @pennyk can illuminate further.
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The first time I was in Bedroom B in a V2 (in 9810), I thought the person in A was flushing the toilet constantly. I learned the next day that the tank is under the bedrooms and what I was hearing was every flush in the 10 car. In addition to the 10 car passengers flushing, I learned that many of the 11 car passengers, who did not want to use their in room toilets, walked to the 10 car to use one of the public restrooms. Consequently, there was a lot of flushing going on.

I am not sure where the tank is located in a V1, but I do not recall hearing a lot of flushing during the night when I am traveling in Bedroom B (which I did last week). WIthout going into restroom/flushing habits, I believe that more flushing occurs in the middle of the night in public restrooms than in the V1 roomettes. Also, there would be no traffic from other cars. Additionally, there were many vacant rooms on last Monday's 91.

I now know what to expect and I bring a white noise machine with me to drown out the flushing noise, since I am a light sleeper. Even with the noise, I prefer a bedroom with my own restroom facilities.
 
There is no question that the sound I heard could certainly be flushing. For example, when the passenger in Bedroom A flushes, you certainly hear it in Bedroom B.

But you have to take into account -- and I am not making this up -- it happened literally every 20 seconds. That's three times a minute, on a regular basis, for the whole 18 hour trip. Now that can't be random people flushing, no matter how often. Too regular and consistent. It's got to be programmed to operate that way.

So if it's the waste disposal system, then it must be pumping stuff from point A to point B at a consistent rate, constantly. Independent of actual flushes.

Yet at the same time, the conductor told me it was the HVAC circulating air to the entire car. And as I mentioned, it did sound like an AC cycling on and off.

I'd like to at least try to explain this thing intelligently when I contact Customer Relations. Right now I'm uncertain what I was hearing. Thanks all for the information offered!! Really helpful sorting through the options.
 
Manny T said:
There is no question that the sound I heard could certainly be flushing. For example, when the passenger in Bedroom A flushes, you certainly hear it in Bedroom B.

But you have to take into account -- and I am not making this up -- it happened literally every 20 seconds. That's three times a minute, on a regular basis, for the whole 18 hour trip. Now that can't be random people flushing, no matter how often. Too regular and consistent. It's got to be programmed to operate that way.

So if it's the waste disposal system, then it must be pumping stuff from point A to point B at a consistent rate, constantly. Independent of actual flushes.

Yet at the same time, the conductor told me it was the HVAC circulating air to the entire car. And as I mentioned, it did sound like an AC cycling on and off.

I'd like to at least try to explain this thing intelligently when I contact Customer Relations. Right now I'm uncertain what I was hearing. Thanks all for the information offered!! Really helpful sorting through the options.
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I did not hear the sound every 20 seconds. I am pretty sure what I heard was flushing. It is possible we are talking about 2 different sounds.
 
I think that is correct. Another point, what I heard seemed to be coming from the ceiling area, above the bedroom. That would seem to be more consistent with an air-conditioning or HVAC unit rather than something connected to the waste system which is probably operating underneath the carriage.
 
Sorry if this is in the wrong thread, but it shouldn't cost to switch from one car to another right?
 
trimetbusfan said:
No cost associated with it, but some agents don’t know how to do it.
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You can sometimes do it at booking time HOWEVER switching cars at a point in time well after you book may result in being subject to the current bucket price. I had to do it once to be in the same car as a family member I was traveling with that has a disability. I had booked with points - the AGR agent could not get around the price difference - I needed to talk to the disability service office in order to get a special exemption to waive the price difference and because it was points the disability service agent could not do it themselves they had to do it in concert with an AGR agent - but managed to get it done.
 
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