Viewliners or Superliners

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

Keith1951

Service Attendant
Joined
Jun 29, 2021
Messages
123
Location
Ohio
Is there a way to pick which liner you want for a trip? I know one had or still has a toilet in the roomette and one does not.
 
Joined
Oct 16, 2018
Messages
3,280
Location
12 miles from Walt Disney World
Is there a way to pick which liner you want for a trip? I know one had or still has a toilet in the roomette and one does not.
All Long Distance trains west of Chicago run Superliners. The Texas Eagle runs Superliners.

Between Chicago & Washington DC, the Capitol Ltd. runs Superliners, and the Cardinal runs Viewliners.

All other trains east of Chicago run Viewliners.

Superliners do not have a toilet in Roomettes. There are 2 versions of Viewliners: Viewliner I has a toilet in Roomettes; Viewliner II does not. There's no way to know for sure whether a Viewliner on any particular train will be a version I or II, but you can ask here on this board what is the usual consist.
 
Joined
Jul 23, 2009
Messages
7,664
Location
Washington State
As others have noted, Superliners west of Chicago, plus the Capitol Limited and Auto Train. Viewliners east of Chicago.

As to toilet/no toilet roomettes in Viewliner Is versus Viewliner IIs one of the few ways to find out is to monitor here. Amtrak treats the two generations as interchangeable and changes the equipment/car line assignments periodically. 4812/4912 was assigned a V II and 4810/4910 had a V I until recently. Now reportedly 4812/4912 has a V I and 4810/4910 has a V II. Last November I was in 4911 that had a V II as what was apparently a one time substitution.
 
Joined
Oct 16, 2018
Messages
3,280
Location
12 miles from Walt Disney World
As others have noted, Superliners west of Chicago, plus the Capitol Limited and Auto Train. Viewliners east of Chicago.

As to toilet/no toilet roomettes in Viewliner Is versus Viewliner IIs one of the few ways to find out is to monitor here. Amtrak treats the two generations as interchangeable and changes the equipment/car line assignments periodically. 4812/4912 was assigned a V II and 4810/4910 had a V I until recently. Now reportedly 4812/4912 has a V I and 4810/4910 has a V II. Last November I was in 4911 that had a V II as what was apparently a one time substitution.
I thought 48/49 only had 2 sleepers numbered 11 & 12, and they were changed from 1 VL1 + 1 VL2 to 2 VL1's. And the Boston sleeper, which I think is numbered 20, was changed from a VL1 to a VL2.
 
Joined
Jul 23, 2009
Messages
7,664
Location
Washington State
I thought 48/49 only had 2 sleepers numbered 11 & 12, and they were changed from 1 VL1 + 1 VL2 to 2 VL1's. And the Boston sleeper, which I think is numbered 20, was changed from a VL1 to a VL2.
My mistake if the Boston sleeper is the 20 car. I seem to recall it showing 4910 when I walked the platform in Albany, but I could have mis-remembered now that you point it out.
 
Joined
Sep 2, 2021
Messages
1,367
Location
The Real Maine (East of Ellsworth)
My mistake if the Boston sleeper is the 20 car. I seem to recall it showing 4910 when I walked the platform in Albany, but I could have mis-remembered now that you point it out.
The eTicket from our last LSL trip out of Worcester MA shows the sleeper as 4920 and 4820 respectively.
 

AmtrakBlue

Engineer
Gathering Team Member
Joined
May 6, 2011
Messages
14,988
Location
Delaware
My mistake if the Boston sleeper is the 20 car. I seem to recall it showing 4910 when I walked the platform in Albany, but I could have mis-remembered now that you point it out.
You can't trust the number on the outside of the cars. ;) I've seen a Silver Meteor car in Harrisburg, PA. I've seen other cars with wrong numbers next to the doors.
 
Joined
Oct 16, 2018
Messages
3,280
Location
12 miles from Walt Disney World
You can't trust the number on the outside of the cars. ;) I've seen a Silver Meteor car in Harrisburg, PA. I've seen other cars with wrong numbers next to the doors.
Was that a coach? I don't see any LD trains going thru Harrisburg. The line numbers on the coaches are generally ignored by everyone. I don't think OBS bother to update the signs.
 

jis

Chief Dispatcher
Staff member
Administator
Moderator
AU Supporting Member
Gathering Team Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2003
Messages
36,541
Location
Space Coast, Florida, Area code 3-2-1
Was that a coach? I don't see any LD trains going thru Harrisburg. The line numbers on the coaches are generally ignored by everyone. I don't think OBS bother to update the signs.
Most likely an Amfleet II Coach on the Pennsylvanian.
 

JP1822

Service Attendant
Joined
Mar 8, 2019
Messages
139
Last week Lake Shore Limited had VLII or Boston sleeper and two VL1’s for NYC section. I believe that has been the standard for a bit, as mentioned in a previous post. The 12 car had been a Viewliner II Sleeper, but that has since changed.
 
Joined
Jul 23, 2009
Messages
7,664
Location
Washington State
Was that a coach? I don't see any LD trains going thru Harrisburg. The line numbers on the coaches are generally ignored by everyone. I don't think OBS bother to update the signs.
I seem to recall hearing somewhere (maybe even on a thread here) the access to the line number indicators were plated over or otherwise rendered inaccessible on Amfleet IIs by some modification other and no longer even can be changed.

Of course, I am just doing my internet duty by repeating a rumor, so take that into account.
 

railiner

Engineer
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Messages
10,365
Location
X
I seem to recall hearing somewhere (maybe even on a thread here) the access to the line number indicators were plated over or otherwise rendered inaccessible on Amfleet IIs by some modification other and no longer even can be changed.

Of course, I am just doing my internet duty by repeating a rumor, so take that into account.
That seems like a strange modification.
If they were doing so to avoid a more costly refurbishment of the indicators, you would think they would at least remove the digits or set them all to “0000”, to avoid giving erroneous indications…🤔
 
Joined
Jul 23, 2009
Messages
7,664
Location
Washington State
That seems like a strange modification.
If they were doing so to avoid a more costly refurbishment of the indicators, you would think they would at least remove the digits or set them all to “0000”, to avoid giving erroneous indications…🤔
If memory serves they got blocked by something.
 
Joined
Oct 16, 2018
Messages
3,280
Location
12 miles from Walt Disney World
I seem to recall hearing somewhere (maybe even on a thread here) the access to the line number indicators were plated over or otherwise rendered inaccessible on Amfleet IIs by some modification other and no longer even can be changed.

Of course, I am just doing my internet duty by repeating a rumor, so take that into account.
Considering the state of repair on Amtrak, maybe whatever had been covering it on that car fell off.
 
Last edited:
Top