Equipment photos from NARP @ CUS

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Nice photo's, thanks for posting!
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Is it just me, or do other's find the lighting in the new diner's (from the photo, I haven't actually been in one yet), rather harsh? It would be fine for doing a deep cleaning, but I think subdued lighting, with perhaps some PRR style table lamps, would make the atmosphere more conducive to "fine dining"....
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Railiner I definitely felt the lighting temperature could be warmer. The white temperature makes it feel more like a cafeteria than a restaurant. But, overall, the car is great and I think you would enjoy it all the same.
 
Nice photo's, thanks for posting!
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Is it just me, or do other's find the lighting in the new diner's (from the photo, I haven't actually been in one yet), rather harsh? It would be fine for doing a deep cleaning, but I think subdued lighting, with perhaps some PRR style table lamps, would make the atmosphere more conducive to "fine dining"....
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Unfortunately today's train travel doesn't offer "fine dining". It is more appropriately cafeteria food. As for warming the atmosphere; all that's needed is a light dimmer. The new diners look very nice but no curtains on the windows for the extreme sunny days. Still no word on the sleepers or even the baggage dorms that were returned to CAF. .
 
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There is a single dimmer in the public address panel, but it only dims the spots that shine directly down on the tables. While an improvement, it really doesn't do that much for the ambiance. The other lights should be on a dimmer as well.
 
Nice photo's, thanks for posting!
default_smile.png


Is it just me, or do other's find the lighting in the new diner's (from the photo, I haven't actually been in one yet), rather harsh? It would be fine for doing a deep cleaning, but I think subdued lighting, with perhaps some PRR style table lamps, would make the atmosphere more conducive to "fine dining"....
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Unfortunately today's train travel doesn't offer "fine dining". It is more appropriately cafeteria food.. .
I don't know.....$36. (Field and Sea Combo) sounds a bit steep for "cafeteria food", don't you think?
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Nice photo's, thanks for posting!
default_smile.png
Is it just me, or do other's find the lighting in the new diner's (from the photo, I haven't actually been in one yet), rather harsh? It would be fine for doing a deep cleaning, but I think subdued lighting, with perhaps some PRR style table lamps, would make the atmosphere more conducive to "fine dining"....
default_unsure.png
.
Unfortunately today's train travel doesn't offer "fine dining". It is more appropriately cafeteria food.. .
I don't know.....$36. (Field and Sea Combo) sounds a bit steep for "cafeteria food", don't you think?
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So in your view the price determines the quality? You're going to love your first stay in a hospital. The finest dining you'll have ever eaten.
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We have approximately 37 threads discussing the quality of the food.

Could we please keep this one on-topic and discuss the photos?
 
It would have been kind of neat if the window glazing had elctro-optical shade like on the 787. But that would probably be too expensive to install and maintain in the railroad environment.

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It would have been kind of neat if the window glazing had elctro-optical shade like on the 787. But that would probably be too expensive to install and maintain in the railroad environment.
At first I thought those shades were pretty cool, but over time I started to see them as more of a technical gimmick than a practical solution. Their inability to block all of the light and the perpetual twilight that results is really annoying when I'm trying to sleep. It looks just like one of those early flat panel televisions where the backlight creates an ugly grayish glow that seeps through the dark areas of the screen. Half the time you can't even manipulate the controls because the flight attendants locked them down. That sort of thing is fine for landings and takeoffs but some flight attendants keep the shades locked for most of the flight. That being said, most of these complaints would mainly apply to using such windows on coaches and sleepers. Perhaps in a dining car it would be more of a benefit and less of an annoyance. I think the main concern would be lack of sufficient technical maintenance along most of the network, eventually leading to window shades that became permanently stuck with no way to open or close them until the next heavy maintenance period. Honestly it seems kind of odd that the builders apparently "forgot" the sun can be a problem during the design phase. Is it possible curtains simply haven't been installed yet?
 
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The windows have pull down shades.
The windows have pull down shades.
Yes I just noticed that the Viewliner dine rwindows do have pull down shades. The tracks at the side of the lower windows seem to confirm that. Don't see any provision for shades on the upper windows. The designers probably thought that they were not needed.
 
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The windows have pull down shades.
The windows have pull down shades.
Yes I just noticed that the Viewliner dine rwindows do have pull down shades. The tracks at the side of the lower windows seem to confirm that. Don't see any provision for shades on the upper windows. The designers probably thought that they were not needed.
I remember when the prototype ran on the CL lo these many moons ago that the staff would tape menus over the upper windows on the sunny side of the car.
 
I see those old time train cars every weekday on my metra ride to and from downtown Chicago (metra tracks are on far side of the field). Are those cars all owned by Amtrak? How are they reserved?
 
I see those old time train cars every weekday on my metra ride to and from downtown Chicago (metra tracks are on far side of the field). Are those cars all owned by Amtrak? How are they reserved?
No private rail cars.

American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners (AAPRCO). Is the trade group.

Google private rail cars will list several dealers.
 
I see those old time train cars every weekday on my metra ride to and from downtown Chicago (metra tracks are on far side of the field). Are those cars all owned by Amtrak? How are they reserved?
The ones in the picture above, are formerly railroad owned cars that are now privately owned....see www.aaprco.com for more info...
 
There was a significant presence of AAPRCO members, including the President, at Rail Nation. I had the pleasure of sitting next to the President at the dinner, and had a very interesting conversation. Several of them came in their cars, which were parked in the 14th St. Yard.

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