What a difference!

[FLtoNC]

We were on the Silver Star from NYP to North Carolina yesterday and on our stop at Washington DC (pretty long because they switch from the electric engine to the diesel) I got out to stretch my legs and the train parked on the next track was a double decker and even had a dome car!!! Being a train travel amatuer and only experiencing the "Silver" trains I was quiet impressed ... I asked the car attendant what train that was and he told me it was the Crescent! My husband and I both agreed one day we are going on a train like that!

I must say though in defense of the Silver Star it was more upgraded than the Silver Meteor we took on the trip north to NYP! and much cleaner! I realize that the Silver Meteor had originated in Miami and we were getting on it's last leg of the trip and on the Silver Star we were in the very last coach car and so walk through-traffic wasn't an issue.... but still the Star felt newer than the Meteor.

I really liked that view from the back window!

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

We were on the Silver Star from NYP to North Carolina yesterday and on our stop at Washington DC (pretty long because they switch from the electric engine to the diesel) I got out to stretch my legs and the train parked on the next track was a double decker and even had a dome car!!! Being a train travel amatuer and only experiencing the "Silver" trains I was quiet impressed ... I asked the car attendant what train that was and he told me it was the Crescent! My husband and I both agreed one day we are going on a train like that!
I must say though in defense of the Silver Star it was more upgraded than the Silver Meteor we took on the trip north to NYP! and much cleaner! I realize that the Silver Meteor had originated in Miami and we were getting on it's last leg of the trip and on the Silver Star we were in the very last coach car and so walk through-traffic wasn't an issue.... but still the Star felt newer than the Meteor.

I really liked that view from the back window!

Sorry to burst your bubble but that train definately was not the Crescent. The Crescent is extremely similar in appearance to the Silver trains. You may have seen the Capital Limited, which is a superliner train from Washington to Chicago. . Not quite sure about the "dome" you mention. It does not normally carry an old-fashioned dome, unless perhaps it was deadhead for some reason.(i.e. being moved, empty, from one place to another, sort of as a passenger itself). Maybe you were looking at the sightseer lounge car, which is not striclty a true dome.

But again, for sure, the attendant was wrong. Sorry about that. I live in Atlanta and the Crescent is "my" train but I cannot tell a lie!!! It looks li just like the Silver service trains.

 

[FLtoNC]

But again, for sure, the attendant was wrong. Sorry about that. I live in Atlanta and the Crescent is "my" train but I cannot tell a lie!!! It looks li just like the Silver service trains.

Wow! ~~burst~~ So much for my trip to New Orleans... I guess I'm bound for Chicago. It must have been the sightseer lounge because I found a picture of a dome car and it wasn't that.

Thank for the reality check.... but it was still neat to see the difference.

 

[MrFSS]

Wow! ~~burst~~ So much for my trip to New Orleans... I guess I'm bound for Chicago. It must have been the sightseer lounge because I found a picture of a dome car and it wasn't that.
Thank for the reality check.... but it was still neat to see the difference.

Did it look like this?

Sightseer Lounge Car

 

[FLtoNC]

Wow! ~~burst~~ So much for my trip to New Orleans... I guess I'm bound for Chicago. It must have been the sightseer lounge because I found a picture of a dome car and it wasn't that.
Thank for the reality check.... but it was still neat to see the difference.

Did it look like this?

Sightseer Lounge Car

That was it! Now I noticed the large name painted on the side.... haha

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Well, if you do take that to Chicago, you can then take the City of New Orleans train from Chicago to New Orleans, and that train is also a double-level Superliner. So you CAN take a Superliner train to New Orleans, just not the Crescent.

 

[FLtoNC]

Well, if you do take that to Chicago, you can then take the City of New Orleans train from Chicago to New Orleans, and that train is also a double-level Superliner. So you CAN take a Superliner train to New Orleans, just not the Crescent.

Great idea! Two places I've always wanted to visit New Orleans and Chicago, and on a Superliner! Definitely a trip for our future. That's why I love this forum... so helpful.

 

[had8ley]

Well, if you do take that to Chicago, you can then take the City of New Orleans train from Chicago to New Orleans, and that train is also a double-level Superliner. So you CAN take a Superliner train to New Orleans, just not the Crescent.

Great idea! Two places I've always wanted to visit New Orleans and Chicago, and on a Superliner! Definitely a trip for our future. That's why I love this forum... so helpful.

And as an added bonus on the City of New Orleans you get to ride Amtrak's newest brain storm "The Cross County Cafe."(Amtrak has created single car service to eliminate both the diner and the lounge.) As a side note to all you who have wondered just why the lounges close anywhere from an hour or more from the terminating station. The LSA's have had to check off a pretty heavy duty computerized inventory list. In other words they were having to physically count each bag of chips and cans of Pepsi. With the new diner lite cars Gate Gourmet (Amtrak's contracted caterer) has agreed to inventory the car AFTER it reaches the bumper at the terminating station thus freeing the attendant up to do what he was placed there to do~ serve passengers and increase Amtrak revenue. And they even have ice cream. Now I have to find an open date to go. From all indications~ both Amtrak management and revenue passengers~ it is a big hit. And they have even lowered some of the food prices.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

So far as traveling from Washington to Chicago is concerned, be sure you stay with the Capitol Lilmited. The Cardinal also travels between those two points but on a different route but is single level, like the silver trains and the Crescent.

Also, keep in mind that on superliner equipment the roomette does not have toilet and lavatory. I am very fond of superliner bedrooms because you are in sort of a penthouse, and large and roomy.

Also, the reason some trains cannot be double deck is due to older style stations and their tunnel clearances, such as in NYC.(where the silver trains and Crescent originate).

 

[VentureForth]

If you're ever Orlando-bound, you could also drive to Lorton, VA and take the Auto Train to Sanford, FL. Longest (by number of cars) passenger train in the US and it's all double decker.

It's sort of funny - I've been riding Superliners while living in Texas and New Mexico. Now I'm looking forward to riding the Amfleets here in the East. I have been on the Silver Meteor and don't think I like the Amfleets quite as much as the Superliners. But I will say that they seem to ride smoother because they have a lower center of gravity. Those Superliners (especially if you're sleeping on the top bunk of a roomette) really jerk on some of those switches.

 

[TVRM610]

I actually much prefer the Amfleet ride to Superliners. On the Amfleet, you feel the bumps more, but on the Superliner, you feel the sway and rocking more. I would much rather feel the bumps than the sway!

The upside to the Superliner cars is, obviously you have more room, and on trains that still carry the Sightseer Lounge, that is definately a great view!

But I always try to get as much of my route as possible on the low-level Amfleet equipment.

 

[wayman]

The upside to the Superliner cars is, obviously you have more room, and on trains that still carry the Sightseer Lounge, that is definately a great view!

I thought the Cross Country Cafes were re-fitted Sightseer Lounges. Are they completely re-doing the top half of the car's exterior (ie, putting on a solid roof and reducing window size) in addition to re-doing the interior? Why?

 

[AlanB]

The upside to the Superliner cars is, obviously you have more room, and on trains that still carry the Sightseer Lounge, that is definately a great view!

I thought the Cross Country Cafes were re-fitted Sightseer Lounges. Are they completely re-doing the top half of the car's exterior (ie, putting on a solid roof and reducing window size) in addition to re-doing the interior? Why?

The initial 10 CCC's (Diner-Lounges) are converted Superliner Dining cars, not Sightseer Lounges.

Now the original plan did call for the eventual conversion of 40 of the Sightseer Lounges to Diner-Lounges, but last I heard that part of the plan had been put on indefinate hold. If Amtrak has taken the plan back off the shelf, then at least so far they aren't telling anyone.

As things stand right now to the best of my knowledge, there will be 10 Diner-Lounges plying the rails by sometime next year.

 

[JimInVa]

Well, if you do take that to Chicago, you can then take the City of New Orleans train from Chicago to New Orleans, and that train is also a double-level Superliner. So you CAN take a Superliner train to New Orleans, just not the Crescent.

Great idea! Two places I've always wanted to visit New Orleans and Chicago, and on a Superliner! Definitely a trip for our future. That's why I love this forum... so helpful.

And as an added bonus on the City of New Orleans you get to ride Amtrak's newest brain storm "The Cross County Cafe."(Amtrak has created single car service to eliminate both the diner and the lounge.) As a side note to all you who have wondered just why the lounges close anywhere from an hour or more from the terminating station. The LSA's have had to check off a pretty heavy duty computerized inventory list. In other words they were having to physically count each bag of chips and cans of Pepsi. With the new diner lite cars Gate Gourmet (Amtrak's contracted caterer) has agreed to inventory the car AFTER it reaches the bumper at the terminating station thus freeing the attendant up to do what he was placed there to do~ serve passengers and increase Amtrak revenue. And they even have ice cream. Now I have to find an open date to go. From all indications~ both Amtrak management and revenue passengers~ it is a big hit. And they have even lowered some of the food prices.

It's actually even worse than that: they have to count EVERY ketchup packet, EVERY plastic fork, EVERY salt packet, and on, and on and on. And if the numbers don't add up, the LSA has to PAY FOR IT out of their own pockets. No wonder they get grumpy about having to do their "paperwork."

JimInVa

44,000+ train miles...and counting!

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

I have on one occasion seen the Crescent run with Superliners. It was a few years back and I believe the story was the Southbound was to late to be turned into the Northbound becuse of equipment failure. They had 2 spare Superliner coaches, one Superliner Cafe car and one Locomotive. I saw it make the stop in Anniston, the sleeping car passengers were apparently given refunds for the difference between sleeper and coach and boarded with coach. I assume they terminated it at DC and put everyone on Regional trains. I'm not sure how they handled getting the extra trainset back. They apparently don't do this anymore because yesterday's Southbound lost 8hrs between BHM and TCL, and todays Northbound is being held 3 hrs at NOL.

 

[wayman]

I have on one occasion seen the Crescent run with Superliners. It was a few years back and I believe the story was the Southbound was to late to be turned into the Northbound becuse of equipment failure. They had 2 spare Superliner coaches, one Superliner Cafe car and one Locomotive. I saw it make the stop in Anniston, the sleeping car passengers were apparently given refunds for the difference between sleeper and coach and boarded with coach. I assume they terminated it at DC and put everyone on Regional trains. I'm not sure how they handled getting the extra trainset back. They apparently don't do this anymore because yesterday's Southbound lost 8hrs between BHM and TCL, and todays Northbound is being held 3 hrs at NOL.

Well, they could have just not had any spare cars or engines sitting in NOL this time, too.

If this had happened while the Hurricane Fleet was in NOL, would they have built a make-shift Crescent out of that just to have something running on time? Or is the Hurricane Fleet just too awful for revenue service (square wheels, not to mention lack of food service or sleepers).

If the train got to NOL at 3:30 and they're delaying departure until 10:20, that answers my question of what minimum turn-around time is. But what's the limiting factor here--cleaning, inspecting, restocking, turning? Or crew mandatory time-off for sleeping? Or are they about the same?

 

[AlanB]

If this had happened while the Hurricane Fleet was in NOL, would they have built a make-shift Crescent out of that just to have something running on time? Or is the Hurricane Fleet just too awful for revenue service (square wheels, not to mention lack of food service or sleepers).

No, those cars could not have been used. They need a major inspection/overhaul to the operating parts before they can be used in revenue service. The FRA granted a waiver to Amtrak for those cars to be used in an emergency evacuation of New Orleans only.