Amfleet Specifications

[Trogdor]

passengers who are walking thru the cars will not perceive the closing in feeling of the circular shell near their eyes.

I've never noticed this. Maybe I'm not super tall (5'8"), but eye-level for me in an Amfleet is about baggage rack height. The "closing in" is above the baggage racks, so it really feels no different on an Amfleet vs. a Horizon.

I'm not in an Amfleet cafe that often, so I don't really have that as an immediate reference in my mind (just the coaches), but even still, the times I have been in one, I don't recall having that feeling.

 

[jis]

Now if only we could adapt the popular Sky Interior design of planes for passenger cars. That is what would remove the cramped feeling more than anything else. Alternatively there are those clear Lexan base luggage racks that do the trick too.

 

[PVD]

That is an excellent point. Advanced interior design has made a huge difference in airplanes. The fuselage cross section of a 737 has not changed, yet continuous steps forward in interior design allow a passenger to feel like they are in a much more open space. Everything form bin design, to ceiling panel sculpting and lighting, and even a slightly different wall panel contribute to a much more pleasant surrounding. I remember when the first "wide body style" retrofit interiors (later standard) were rolled out on 737 and 727 aircraft -p made you feel like you were on a "new" airplane....An enclosed overhead bin instead of a rack was considered a radical step forward.....

 

[railiner]

The Horizon cars are the same overall width (10' 6") as the Amfleet cars. Instead of curving in below (and above) their 'belt rail" as the Amfleets, they have a notch in at floor level in order to clear the high level platforms....

As for the interior design...I personally like the flat ceilings better on both rail cars and airliner cabins, then the new "sculpted" look....