1 set is needed
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Dutchrailnut
Conductor
The Question is not Equipment but where to line up the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
Dude, I can't help but admire your spunk on the Sunset Limited, but...
I'd suggest they run it with 3 coaches, a Coach bag, and a Diner/Lounge.
I'd suggest they run it with 3 coaches, a Coach bag, and a Diner/Lounge.
Not the Sunset Limited.... A seperate day train.
NativeSon5859
Conductor
1 P42
1 Transition Sleeper (selling 6 rooms to the public)
1 Cross Country Cafe
1 Coach Baggage
1 Coach
1 Transition Sleeper (selling 6 rooms to the public)
1 Cross Country Cafe
1 Coach Baggage
1 Coach
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I was thinking since the number of Superliners are limited, Amtrak would use the single deck coaches.
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
Amtrak has no single level coach-bag-dorm cars.
S
SUNSETLIMITED02
Guest
Actually they still have a couple left. they are used on special occasions though.
Amtrak has no combination coach/bag/crew dorm single level cars on its active roster. And I don't recall them ever having such a car in the last ten years or so either.
There have been crew dorm/baggage cars in service, but to my knowledge never a coach/bag/dorm.
Crescent Mark
Service Attendant
You could do like the Gulf Wind used to do. Leave New Orleans at 8:30PM to arrive at Jacksonville at 1:30PM. Maybe bump times a little earlier or something. Name it the Gulf Breeze. If it was my choice, I'd do Miami to New Orleans though.
2 P42s
1 baggage
2 Viewliner sleepers
1 diner
1 cafe
4 coaches
Same layout the Crescent uses to get from New York -> New Orleans. Maybe just 1 sleeper....
2 P42s
1 baggage
2 Viewliner sleepers
1 diner
1 cafe
4 coaches
Same layout the Crescent uses to get from New York -> New Orleans. Maybe just 1 sleeper....
blueman271
Lead Service Attendant
Its my understanding that the Boston section of the LSL and the Twilight Shoreliner lost their sleepers because Amtrak didnt have enough to go around. So where would Amtrak get 2 Viewliners for this service?
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
Amtrak did have 3 Baggage-Dorm-Chair cars in service in '72, ex Seaboard Coast Line/Seaboard Air Line Budd cars built in 1939-40. SCL 5030-5032. One of them had a previous life as Florida East Coast Indian River. That one was built for the Henry M. Flagler, the others for the Silver Meteor.
I'm almost positive they weren't converted for Head-End power.
The last Bag-Dorms were retired with the delivery of the Superliner IIs, I'm pretty sure.
I'm almost positive they weren't converted for Head-End power.
The last Bag-Dorms were retired with the delivery of the Superliner IIs, I'm pretty sure.
Crescent Mark
Service Attendant
Oh, I was not aware of this. I think they should get a few more made somehow because if they ever want to expand, they'd need them of course......
A day train would be nice, but maybe it should go all the way to Miami, and sleepers are neccessary for that.
Frankly if Amtrak isn't going to restore the Sunset Limited which automatically brings one seat run through business at NOL, then it's not worth setting up a three day a week NOL-JAX train. The ridership simply won't be there, especially compared to the costs that will be incurred. IMHO it's either run a new service 7 days a week or restore the Sunset. Anything else isn't worth the effort.
I understand what you were thinking and I do think that it's great that you are thinking.
My worry is that such an approach will end up back firing just like it did with Acela. Amtrak thought that if they could get the nice, fast, shinny new trains running even if it only hit top speed for 18 miles, that Congress and everyone would see what a great idea it was and give Amtrak still more money to improve the corridor for the full length and eventually build high speed corridors else where.
Instead, and in part because of the cost overruns, many people looked at Amtrak and said "you spent all that money for a train that can only hit it's top speed for 18 miles of a 450 mile run?" "What a waste of money!"
In that same light, I'm afraid that starting with a 3 day a week service that is not a continuation of the Sunset, will lead to it's becoming the poster child for most subsidized train. That in turn would make it impossible to ever get to a 7 day a week service. Perhaps it wouldn't happen, but it is a major concern for me.
That make sense, however I think its harder to start a route then it is to increase the number of trains.One example was the Texas Eagle. This train was a failure as a tri-weekly train. After it went daily, it became a super success.
The pro-rail crowd should use this as an example for the cardinal and sunset and this day train if it every happens.
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