So on my last trip, in addition to talking to a few other passengers , this has come up a few times. On our last leg on the Texas Eagle from Chicago to Fort Worth, when the A/C compressor would turn on, primarily the bedrooms would get a quick but strong lav odor. It wouldn’t last long but it was strong when it happened. Also, when we were on the Southwest Chief, there was an announcement about a similar smell in the SSL and coach cars. Then, during a drive to East Texas and back a couple of days ago, I was able to do a little train watching and saw the 22 Texas Eagle go by, and by golly, after it passed at around 70mph, the air smelled horribly like the lavs. So is this something that is getting to be more regular? Does anyone know if Amtrak is addressing the problem? Are the tanks or vacuum system’s aging and needing to be replaced? If this isn’t on the front burner, what is the best way to get this addressed, because even as a life long railfan and Amtrak lover...this is horrible and needs to be fixed. The smell was even enough for even me to wonder if I really want to risk smelling it on another long distance trip.
Any thoughts?
Any thoughts?