Denver's Ski Train Returns in 2017 (Winter Park)!

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Just-Thinking-51 said:
Amtrak will be happy to provide dome car, and 1st class service. If your will to pay for it. So if Amtrak has teamed up with a ski resort they might be contracted to provide dome car, and 1st class service. Never say Never,
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Kind of a long shot, given the fact that then only own ONE dome car. You can't provide what you don't have, no matter what someone pays.

As to Amtrak's ability to provide truly first class service, frankly the corporate culture won't allow it, they just do not know how to do it. See the difference between the on-board service on the IP Hoosier State or the Canadian versus the "best" Amtrak trains like the Starlight, the Empire Builder or the Auto Train. Even the Acela.

I've got an idea...hire VIA Canadian onboard staff who are furloughed in the winter. They'd provide first class service.
 
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Seaboard92 said:
IP equipment might appeal to some people. But for the most part people on this type service don't care about the equipment. It's more of a point A to point B. Now on a train excursion then it starts to matter. Depends a lot on who you market to.
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Just because you say it doesn't mean it's true. Do you have any source for this?

Hoosier State Ridership is up, the only difference is the dome and service. The hoosier state is about as far away from an "Excursion" train as you can get. (Regional Corridor Train... not particularly scenic, terrible hours, etc.) - I'm not sure how the Hoosier State funding and costs are working out, but there is no doubt that the people riding it like the dome and first class service.

Also... whenever I ride the Coast Starlight, the people actually riding the train really seem to like and care about the Pacific Parlour Car.
 
zephyr17 said:
I've got an idea...hire VIA Canadian onboard staff who are furloughed in the winter. They'd provide first class service.
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Amtrak has staff that provides First Class Service... Dennis (SCA) on the Zephyr, Gul (SCA), Sergio (LSA), and Cody (Server) on the Empire Builder, Barbara (SCA) on the Starlight and Chief, they are out there. Unfortunately, Amtrak has alot of poor staff as well... it's the inconsistency that is the problem.
 
For a train like the ski train I don't think they need to provide a lot of fancy-pants service. It's only a couple of hours from Denver to Winter Park, they need staff who can efficiently load and unload the trains, take tickets and ride herd on a bunch of party-hearty skiers without offending them to the point that a drive over the Berthoud Pass seems like a better alternative.
 
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crescent-zephyr said:
zephyr17 said:
I've got an idea...hire VIA Canadian onboard staff who are furloughed in the winter. They'd provide first class service.
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Amtrak has staff that provides First Class Service... Dennis (SCA) on the Zephyr, Gul (SCA), Sergio (LSA), and Cody (Server) on the Empire Builder, Barbara (SCA) on the Starlight and Chief, they are out there. Unfortunately, Amtrak has alot of poor staff as well... it's the inconsistency that is the problem.
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That inconsistency is part of the culture I was referring to, you can't guarantee the quality and I doubt Amtrak can even identify the on-board staff that does provide good service. Both IP and VIA do provide consistent quality service.
 
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zephyr17 said:
crescent-zephyr said:
zephyr17 said:
I've got an idea...hire VIA Canadian onboard staff who are furloughed in the winter. They'd provide first class service.
Click to expand...
Amtrak has staff that provides First Class Service... Dennis (SCA) on the Zephyr, Gul (SCA), Sergio (LSA), and Cody (Server) on the Empire Builder, Barbara (SCA) on the Starlight and Chief, they are out there. Unfortunately, Amtrak has alot of poor staff as well... it's the inconsistency that is the problem.
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That inconsistency is part of the culture I was referring to, you can't guarantee the quality and I doubt Amtrak can even identify the on-board staff that does provide good service. Both IP and VIA do provide consistent quality service.
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Oh I totally agree. Amtrak does not seem to know or care who does a good job and who doesn't.

My experience with VIA and IP has been more consistent, but not always what I would call excellent. On a scale of 1-10, I've gotten service anywhere from a 1 - 10 on Amtrak, on VIA and IP it's been mostly 7-9. I can't recall a single IP or VIA employee that wowed me like Gul on the Empire Builder, or Barbara on the Starlight. But no one on VIA or IP has been overly or rude or as downright bossy as the Amtrak employees get to be.

(For reference I did travel on the IP overnight City of New Orleans as well as the Hoosier State.)
 
crescent-zephyr said:
It's really hard for me to imagine there is not a market for a true first class ski train experience.
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IIRC, didn't the Ski Train during the Anschutz era, offer accommodations in the spectacular private dome lounge 'California' for a period? Or was that strictly sold as an entire car charter for "high-roller's"? Not sure....
 
More info on the train: They are adding capacity to the train. It's doing well.

More here at the local business paper: http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2016/12/15/newwinter-park-ski-train-starting-jan-7th-already.html?ana=e_ae_set1&ed=2016-12-15&j=76772291&s=article_du&t=1481841357

Picture from the article, how the Viewliners are looking like (Amtrak pic):

winter%20park_1481842656043_7357146_ver1.0.PNG
 
The Superliner with the wrap ad (or one of them if there's more) is currently running on the end of Amtrak #6(14), the eastbound California Zephyr that will be arriving in Chicago today.

 
Just for fun I tried booking online (without confirming/paying). January 28 Denver to Winter Park, and return on January 29. It looked like it was going to accept the overnight. Fare was higher on Saturday than Sunday return and there is no AAA discount. The train shows "no checked baggage" and the only listed amenity is a wheelchair ramp.
 
Amtrak #6(15)'s last car has a different wrap ad for the Winter Park Express. This one says "Your Link to the Slopes." The train was seven hours and thirty-four minutes late at Agency, Iowa.

 
Agent said:
Amtrak #6(15)'s last car has a different wrap ad for the Winter Park Express. This one says "Your Link to the Slopes." The train was seven hours and thirty-four minutes late at Agency, Iowa.

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NavyBlue is on that one...
 
crescent-zephyr said:
It's really hard for me to imagine there is not a market for a true first class ski train experience.
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The former Ski Train between Denver and Winter Patk frequently carried a dome car and observation car that handled charter groups. It seemed to be a first class service.
 
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A third wrap ad was on Amtrak #6(17), but it was not on the last car this time. This one was "Your link to fresh tracks." It came through Agency, Iowa running seven hours and twenty-one minutes late. A post here says that three cars and an engine have been wrapped for the Winter Park Express. Anyone know more about that?

 
hermit said:
crazy people crossing with the guards down,at least the cemetery is close by...
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Ha, that was my thought exactly. Also, was that a heritage baggage car on there? I haven't seen one of those in months. I assumed they were all out of the system by now.
 
Video from today by YouTube user CameraManRailFan shows the coach with the "Your link to the slopes" wrap ad is now on a westbound Southwest Chief.

 

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