2 bottles of water per person per trip has been reduced to 1

[Ryan]

I didn't say that it should be an excuse.

 

[VentureForth]

You don't have to use those words. By suggesting that there is a reason for something not to happen, you have, indeed, created an excuse. Perhaps a nicer term would be "a reason". So let me rephrase (though it won't change the meaning or tenor of my message):

That would be a poor reason to not have the proper supply of goods on a train.

 

[Ryan]

No, I pointed out a possible cause for the water shortage, while remaining completely silent on what should or should not happen.

Any further meaning you ascribe to my statement is in your head.

 

[jebr]

Just because only three were loaded onto the sleeper may not mean that that's all they had access to, either. As OP mentioned earlier, there were reserves elsewhere on the train...it's possible that either that stock wasn't fully loaded, for some reason wasn't accessible, or the SCA thought (or wanted their sleeper passengers to think) that that wasn't really available for the SCA to hand out.

 

[C&O RR]

Just because only three were loaded onto the sleeper may not mean that that's all they had access to, either. As OP mentioned earlier, there were reserves elsewhere on the train...it's possible that either that stock wasn't fully loaded, for some reason wasn't accessible, or the SCA thought (or wanted their sleeper passengers to think) that that wasn't really available for the SCA to hand out.

According to the OBS person they are always only loading 72 bottles of water for the 3 day trip. She said that this started in May.

 

[winterskigirl]

There's allot of space on the lower level of the Superliners downstairs in the luggage racks. Seems to me they could install a water cooler in that space.

 

[crescent2]

Where does the water that the dining car staff serve in cups come from? Is it from the same potable water tanks for the other faucets on the train?

Two friends and I just got back from a round trip on the Crescent, and the water we were served with our meals in the dining car tasted fine, and we're not sick. Most of the people were served water in clear plastic cups with their meals, even if they ordered another beverage. I didn't see anyone with a purchased bottle of water during the time we were in the diner.

I rarely buy any bottled water. I sometimes take my (well used before I retired) stainless steel water bottle of tap water with me, but not on trains because of space and weight. Also, on the long distance trains I've used, passengers aren't allowed to get off the train and go inside the station for refills as was suggested; not enough time.

If the dining car and the other faucets on the train use water from the same potable tanks, it seems to me it is probably safe. Otherwise, wouldn't there be frequent, known problems? The diner presumably uses water to make tea and coffee. It's heated for that, but not boiled.

Is there really a problem with the potable water tanks?

Count me in the group who think being stingy with water bottles for sleeper passengers would be counter-productive re profits.

 

[Ispolkom]

We know the sleeping cars are inspected by some health department, hence the removal of the open cooler of ice. If the potable water on board had any higher bacterial load than bottled water (and how clean is that, I ask), corrective measures would have been taken.

There's one time I'm not happy about drinking water out of the tap on Amtrak, and that's when the car has been topped off in Minot. The water there has never tasted good.

 

[fillyjonk]

Where does the water that the dining car staff serve in cups come from? Is it from the same potable water tanks for the other faucets on the train?

Two friends and I just got back from a round trip on the Crescent, and the water we were served with our meals in the dining car tasted fine, and we're not sick. Most of the people were served water in clear plastic cups with their meals, even if they ordered another beverage. I didn't see anyone with a purchased bottle of water during the time we were in the diner.

I rarely buy any bottled water. I sometimes take my (well used before I retired) stainless steel water bottle of tap water with me, but not on trains because of space and weight. Also, on the long distance trains I've used, passengers aren't allowed to get off the train and go inside the station for refills as was suggested; not enough time.

If the dining car and the other faucets on the train use water from the same potable tanks, it seems to me it is probably safe. Otherwise, wouldn't there be frequent, known problems? The diner presumably uses water to make tea and coffee. It's heated for that, but not boiled.

Is there really a problem with the potable water tanks?

Count me in the group who think being stingy with water bottles for sleeper passengers would be counter-productive re profits.

When I ask for water in the diner, often I am asked, "Do you want bottled water or is tap water okay?" So apparently at least some trains can do either.

Usually the tap water is fine, though I wouldn't be surprised if the diner tanks got cleaned more often (and emptied more often) than the sleeper tanks.

My biggest issue with the bottled-water-in-rooms is the sheer inconsistency of it. If I bother to lug along my own water, often there is bottled water in the rooms but I'm sure the one time I forget to, there will be NO bottled water anywhere. And when a person is traveling for maybe 3 weeks on a route where luggage can't be checked (getting on at an unmanned station), every added ounce of weight counts....