Amtrak California's Comet Cars (removed from regular service)

[Bjartmarr]

I'm currently on 712 in a Comet, still in regular service!

The seats are the standard Amtrak LD seats like in the Superliners. They don't slide forward when they recline; at least the ones in this car don't.

The doors are all manual, which really delays loading: they've only been opening two doors at stops, and of course loading passengers with bags into high floor cars takes time.

Is Amtrak California leasing the NPCU's and horizon dinettes on these trainsets, or did they buy them outright? Unlike the ones on the Surfliner, I don't think they're planning on returning them anytime soon.

No bike racks on these cars, though the plans I saw were to put a rack next to the ADA space. I guess there are racks in the cabbages?

 

[neroden]

Leasing. They will be returned soon, when the bilevels arrive.

 

[Bjartmarr]

So what will they use for cab and food service cars on the comet trainsets after they return the horizon and NPCU's?

 

[rickycourtney]

I'm currently on 712 in a Comet, still in regular service!

The seats are the standard Amtrak LD seats like in the Superliners. They don't slide forward when they recline; at least the ones in this car don't.

I don't know where that rumor about the seats sliding forward came from. The seats on the Comet cars are Amtrak's standard, short-haul seats. No legrests, no center armrests and no footrests but they do recline (quite generously). The California-owned Surfliner cars (different from the Pacific Surfliner train) have seats that recline by sliding forward.

The doors are all manual, which really delays loading: they've only been opening two doors at stops, and of course loading passengers with bags into high floor cars takes time.

Agreed. The biggest problem with these cars is that they are high-level cars. Granted, high-level cars are the norm for most of the country, but they aren't ideal. Passengers in California are not accustumed to them and the timekeeping is hard since the schedules are created for bi-level cars.

Is Amtrak California leasing the NPCU's and horizon dinettes on these trainsets, or did they buy them outright? Unlike the ones on the Surfliner, I don't think they're planning on returning them anytime soon.

California has a long-term lease agreement for the NPCUs and the Horizon dinette cars. To my understanding, California paid to totally refurbish 3 NPCUs and in exchange they get to use them free of charge for a period of time (if it's like other deals, 5 years). The Horizon dinette cars were essentially surplus. They had been sitting in a corner of Beech Grove collecting dust.

So that's a roundabout way of saying... California is likely leasing them for a pretty low price and Amtrak is in no hurry to get those NPCUs and the Horizon dinette cars back. Even if Amtrak is getting very little money from leasing those cars to California, it's still more money if they sit unused.

No bike racks on these cars, though the plans I saw were to put a rack next to the ADA space. I guess there are racks in the cabbages?

That was the plan... but it was eliminated. I think there was concerns about passengers lugging bikes up the stairs into the passenger cabins... and concerns that in an accident the bikes could fall and injure someone.

There are bike racks in the NPCUs and passengers can check them for free at stations that offer checked luggage.

 

[Bjartmarr]

Oop, you're right, no legrests like the Superliners. (Incidentally, the wrecked/refurbished California Superliners have these nice short-haul seats.)

I hope the new bilevel order gets these, which are much more comfortable than the superliner seats.

 

[rickycourtney]

Oop, you're right, no legrests like the Superliners. (Incidentally, the wrecked/refurbished California Superliners have these nice short-haul seats.)

I hope the new bilevel order gets these, which are much more comfortable than the superliner seats.

I haven't seen any public documentation on what seats have been chosen, but all the renderings show blue and grey leather seats (similar to the Acela BC seats).

 

[Blackwolf]

The California Comets are still in active service. Riding San Joaquin #712 right now, and its a full Comet consist. All I can say is that it will be a combination of comfortable standard Amtrak coach seats and overcrowding as the train is nearly SRO already from Stockton.

 

[seat38a]

The California Comets are still in active service. Riding San Joaquin #712 right now, and its a full Comet consist. All I can say is that it will be a combination of comfortable standard Amtrak coach seats and overcrowding as the train is nearly SRO already from Stockton.

San Joaquin is a reserved coach train. Anyone who got on the wrong train should be FORCED to give up their seat to someone who is booked on the correct train.

 

[Blackwolf]

The California Comets are still in active service. Riding San Joaquin #712 right now, and its a full Comet consist. All I can say is that it will be a combination of comfortable standard Amtrak coach seats and overcrowding as the train is nearly SRO already from Stockton.

San Joaquin is a reserved coach train. Anyone who got on the wrong train should be FORCED to give up their seat to someone who is booked on the correct train.

You're talking with someone who knows this quite well. Yes, the SJ is a reserved train. They never did completely sell-out, and indeed one could have purchased a ticket for #712 from the platform today. Nearly everyone had a seat partner, though. And I can say I was relieved that mine was a young woman who was compelled to sleep most of the way. A substantial number of the other, more boisterous crowd who came aboard in Fresno made it quite clear in their continuing profanity-laced conversation they were ex-convicts who had just this morning been let free from Chowchilla State Penitentiary. Their ubiquitous white mesh "personal items" bags were another dead-giveaway.

 

[neroden]

So what will they use for cab and food service cars on the comet trainsets after they return the horizon and NPCU's?

When they return the Horizons and NPCUs, they will also sell the Comets. This will happen after all the bilevels are in service.

 

[PaulM]

No bike racks on these cars, though the plans I saw were to put a rack next to the ADA space. I guess there are racks in the cabbages?

That was the plan... but it was eliminated. I think there was concerns about passengers lugging bikes up the stairs into the passenger cabins... and concerns that in an accident the bikes could fall and injure someone.

I'm glad to see Illinois and Missouri aren't such nervous nellies. I've been lugging bikes up the stairs into Horizons without bike racks for over 20 years; and I've never heard of anyone getting hurt.