"Exciting" new contest re Food Delivery (to sleeper passengers) Design

https://designphiladelphia.org/food-delivery-design-amtrak-–-get-carried-away

The picture of the superliners up top do not inspire confidence in Amtrak getting rid of the diner on the Western LD Trains... And the grand prize is 1 free ticket on the Acela? That's not much of an incentive in my opinion.

Really? Amtrak has brought meals to passengers rooms since Amtrak’s beginning in 1971. It’s not rocket science.

I recently mentioned on here the $12 dinner at your seat for coach passengers Anderson oversaw the discontinuation of shortly after his arrival. This whole thing makes no sense at all. Why is it so hard to do something they already do or did well.

I wouldn't think much of the fact that the picture is of a Superliner train; it looks to me like the Capitol Limited given the scenery. Besides, Amtrak isn't exactly known for much attention to detail.

This whole thing makes no sense at all. Why is it so hard to do something they already do or did well.[/QUOTE]

Probably because they don't have a clue that their own SCAs and LSAs already have the best plan in place and know what they're doing and have been doing it well for years. Says a lot about what Anderson and friends think of the people they manage. They seem to have almost as much disdain for them as they do for sleeper car passengers.

Because sleeping car attendants would deliver just an handful of meals. This kinda leads me to think, soon, they’ll be serving ALL meals in the sleeper, which will take a bit more work and ingenuity.....because the diners are coming off completely. It’s the only thing that makes sense.

I like it...
Amtrak is offering “would-be planners”, an opportunity to poke around their equipment, interact with employees, and present their best ideas for improving the service.

It may all be just a publicity stunt to quiet critic’s, but if you have a good solution and you are in the area, and you don’t seize this rare chance...
“forever hold your piece”...

railiner said:

I like it...Amtrak is offering “would-be planners”, an opportunity to poke around their equipment, interact with employees, and present their best ideas for improving the service. It may all be just a publicity stunt to quiet critic’s, but if you have a good solution and you are in the area, and you don’t seize this rare chance...“forever hold your piece”...

Click to expand...

If they really wanted some genuine help they'd host a transparent auditing contest instead of this silly meals on parade charade.

There is a limit as to how many different tasks one employee can juggle, some simultaneously.

Skyline said:

There is a limit as to how many different tasks one employee can juggle, some simultaneously.

Click to expand...

When you're going about the business of cutting, keep in mind the old proverb about the scientist and the frog. The scientist's notes:

"With four legs, frog will jump eight feet on command."
--Scientist cuts off a leg--
"With three legs, frog will jump six feet on command."
--Scientist cuts off another leg--
"With two legs, frog will jump four feet on command."
--Scientist cuts off another leg--
"With one leg, frog will jump two feet on command."
--Scientist cuts off the last leg--
"With no legs, frog loses the ability to hear."

I can't make it to Philadelphia for this, but here is my suggestion. This cart found in a 30-second search of Amazon has the right wheel design and overall shape, but the wire basket is probably not totally the best design. Anyway, I think this cart could hold several dinner boxes, and make it between cars and around tight corners with its big two wheels.

https://www.amazon.com/Whitmor-Delu...=gateway&sprefix=two+wheel+sho,aps,248&sr=8-6

TC_NYC said:

https://designphiladelphia.org/food-delivery-design-amtrak-–-get-carried-away

The picture of the superliners up top do not inspire confidence in Amtrak getting rid of the diner on the Western LD Trains... And the grand prize is 1 free ticket on the Acela? That's not much of an incentive in my opinion.

Click to expand...

I have already designed a better system -- for a train originating at Chicao, preorder meals from multiple local Chicago caterers, delivers to Amtrak in a standardized box with the customer's name and ticket number on it, refrigerated by Amtrak and retrieved when the customer requests, perhaps with a standardized sub-box to be heated in the convection oven. Amtrak can use my design for free. Just please replace the current sugarbomb trash on the Eastern trains ASAP. We are trying to get them to listen.

Devil's Advocate said:

If they really wanted some genuine help they'd host a transparent auditing contest instead of this silly meals on parade charade.

Click to expand...

Ha. Yeah. Fixing the accounting is nontrivial, but needs to be done.

Shortline said:

Because sleeping car attendants would deliver just an handful of meals. This kinda leads me to think, soon, they’ll be serving ALL meals in the sleeper, which will take a bit more work and ingenuity.....because the diners are coming off completely. It’s the only thing that makes sense.

Click to expand...

If they are serving meals at all they need, at a minimum, a very large refrigerator, and probably some form of oven. They cannot take the dining cars off because they will have nowhere to store food. There are already problems with trains without baggage cars not having room for baggage.

I know Amtrak hates the airlines, but how about simply borrow their idea? Pre-load an airline style of chart? The LSA will being a cart to each sleeper, and the SCA will simply go down the isle and drop off a meal or two at each room.

Of course, those who choose rooms on the lower level of a Superliner, would follow the wildly successful Star-vation business model.

Well, if you apply this to the Viewliner trains you avoid that particular issue.

By the way, am I the only one who finds a mild disconnect between an LD F&B service delivery contest yielding an Acela ticket for the winner?

Cho Cho Charlie said:

I know Amtrak hates the airlines, but how about simply borrow their idea? Pre-load an airline style of chart? The LSA will being a cart to each sleeper, and the SCA will simply go down the isle and drop off a meal or two at each room.

Of course, those who choose rooms on the lower level of a Superliner, would follow the wildly successful Star-vation business model.

Click to expand...

VIA does just that on the Montreal-Quebec route. Works fine.

Tom Booth said:

VIA does just that on the Montreal-Quebec route. Works fine.

Click to expand...

I'd argue that it works at least as well as, if not better than, the Acela food. Aside from having slightly fewer options, VIA's Business Class service beats that on the Acela in many respects.

PKP Inter City also has a form of cart service on the Berlin-Warsaw Express.