Amtrak Now Has a "Travel Planner Available"

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Viewliner

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From this weeks NARP Hotline:

"Amtrak America - Your Travel Guide to Amtrak Routes and Services - 2003-2004" may be ordered, for free, from Amtrak's web site. The guide is similar in format -- and replaces -- the Travel Planner that was published in previous years. Other publications, including timetables, may be ordered from the same part of Amtrak's web site.
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To order it and other Amtrak publications, Click Here
 
Just picked up two copies today when I went to the Providence rail station to pick up the tickets to Chicago. The cover is some what interesting with the Empire Builder powered by P-40 807 and P-42 74 elephant style in Phase V and a Superliner Coach Baggage in Phase IVb, but without the red stripe. The Phase IVb scheme on the Superliner was obviosly done with a computer and looks somewaht odd. The logo and number on the locomotives also seem computer generated. On the rear cover is the Coast Starlight with two engines in Phase V and an entire Superliner consist in Phase IVb, including the Pacific Parlor Car! The material inside is basicly carbon copied from the 2002-2003 travel planner, except for the renaming of the trains in the Northeast (ie. Acela Regional to Regional). Amtrak Vacations is now given out in a seperate publication, which I received by mail a few weeks ago.

Also when I was at the station I witnessed #165 come from Boston. The conductor gave me a thumbs up as the train pulled out of the station. All in all a good day.
 
Its good, but as Amfleet said it looks like a CC on most of the Planner, I've noticed on the Midwest Corridor that it still shows the Kentucky Cardinal route. And Amfleet noticed the Coast Starlight on the back... I would say that it is Computer Generated, Why you say? The engines, which are in Phase V don't not show the Large Numbers on the side as all the Phase V engines show. And that the AMD engine on the front page, #807 was wrecked and scrapped after being in the Bourbonnais wreck... Maybe a memorial to #807. But #74 is in service. But it is good. :)
 
His a real big mis print. Go to page 16, the Cardinal page. Notice how in the write up it says:

...you'll see them as they can only be seen by train, amplified by the huge, wraparound windows of the Viewliner Lounge.
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Passengers who read that and then board the train to find an Amfleet Cafe/Dinette will be somewhat disapointed I would think.
 
Amfleet said:
His a real big mis print. Go to page 16, the Cardinal page. Notice how in the write up it says:
...you'll see them as they can only be seen by train, amplified by the huge, wraparound windows of the Viewliner Lounge.
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Passengers who read that and then board the train to find an Amfleet Cafe/Dinette will be somewhat disapointed I would think.
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I would be dissapointed too. (Unless of course Gunn has plans of ordering them, although I doubt it, it would be nice.) I sent away for a travel planner the other day. Anyway, it still is nice to have a travel planner again.

Why can't they put real photos on the Travel Planner? They could have another contest, or I'd even do the photos and pay for the developing out of my own pocket. :lol: B)
 
Can't you guys just pick up a travel planner when you're in a station -- it costs Amtrak lots of $$$ (that they don't need to spend) to mail these out to all of us "fans". :rolleyes:

BTW, the new travel planner has seemingly "shrunk" compared to last years, hasn't it? What is missing that was in it before??? ;)
 
Nice avatar, Amfleet! Much better than that old antique red train you had before! :lol:
 
Nice avatar, Amfleet! Much better than that old antique red train you had before! :lol:
 
The new Travel Planner is missing the Amtrak Vacations section, which is now in a seperate publication with many more destinations. The Accomadations section was also significantly reduced from about 10 pages to about 5.

As for postage, Amtrak most likely has a contract with the USPS that involves a pre-paid postage service.

My old aviator happened not to be a "red antique train", but a modern MBTA commuter train, though it was hard to tell in the photo.
 
Amfleet said:
My old aviator happened not to be a "red antique train", but a modern MBTA commuter train, though it was hard to tell in the photo.
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Sorry Amfleet - I guess that's what I get for living out on the west coast! :D Where does the MBTA run these trains?

Thanks for the info on the Travel Planner - I knew something had to be missing, but didn't have a copy of the old one to compare the new one to.
 
Also, I noticed that on the Vermonter page that the route says "Washington, DC - St. Albans, VT - Montréal, QC", I know that there is a Motorcoach connection, but somebody new to Amtrak might not know when they book online (If they do book online) they might not notice the "Motorcoach" connection, so Amtrak should put (Bus Connection), that might help. And as I said before, the Midwest Corridor page still shows the Kentucky Cardinal on the map of the routes and on the “Explore America Fare” page. I like how Amtrak separated the Sleeping Car Bedrooms into two different pages with the Viewliners on two pages and the Superliners on two other pages. I like it, but it could be perfected a little more and Amtrak should have put in new photos. :)

And as Amfleet said "Only us railfans real can see the poorly done representations of the trains, an unexperience rail traveler won't really notice or care. ", thats so true!
 
jccollins said:
Amfleet said:
My old aviator happened not to be a "red antique train", but a modern MBTA commuter train, though it was hard to tell in the photo.
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Sorry Amfleet - I guess that's what I get for living out on the west coast! :D Where does the MBTA run these trains?

Thanks for the info on the Travel Planner - I knew something had to be missing, but didn't have a copy of the old one to compare the new one to.
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In the Boston area.
 
jccollins said:
Can't you guys just pick up a travel planner when you're in a station -- it costs Amtrak lots of $$$ (that they don't need to spend) to mail these out to all of us "fans". :rolleyes:
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Agreed. I'll do something that will be of benefit to Amtrak. I plan to pop up to New York Penn Station sometime this week or next, in order to get this guide in person, and I'll take Amtrak to do it. Amtrak saves the postage and gains a paying customer (truth is, I'm "burning" a ticket purchased but unused since last December, but don't tell them that!) B) B)
 
Superliner Diner said:
jccollins said:
Can't you guys just pick up a travel planner when you're in a station -- it costs Amtrak lots of $$$ (that they don't need to spend) to mail these out to all of us "fans".   :rolleyes:  
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Agreed. I'll do something that will be of benefit to Amtrak. I plan to pop up to New York Penn Station sometime this week or next, in order to get this guide in person, and I'll take Amtrak to do it. Amtrak saves the postage and gains a paying customer (truth is, I'm "burning" a ticket purchased but unused since last December, but don't tell them that!) B) B)
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I'd get it but there are no Amtrak stations that are close enough for me.
 
Viewliner said:
Superliner Diner said:
jccollins said:
Can't you guys just pick up a travel planner when you're in a station -- it costs Amtrak lots of $$$ (that they don't need to spend) to mail these out to all of us "fans".   :rolleyes:  
Click to expand...
Agreed. I'll do something that will be of benefit to Amtrak. I plan to pop up to New York Penn Station sometime this week or next, in order to get this guide in person, and I'll take Amtrak to do it. Amtrak saves the postage and gains a paying customer (truth is, I'm "burning" a ticket purchased but unused since last December, but don't tell them that!) B) B)
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I'd get it but there are no Amtrak stations that are close enough for me.
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My nearest station is 70 miles away and I probably won't be there again until September. I would gladly pay the postage for this but I didn't see any box marked "Check Here for Postage Due Delivery". (Hmm, maybe Amtrak should try that and see who bites! :lol: ) I suppose I could just them a check, anyway. B)

seajay
 
I was in NY Penn Station briefly on Wednesday, and could not find the Travel Planner anyplace. I asked in the customer service office (by Track 15), but they did not know what I was talking about.
 
I got mine today, and despite the drawings, it's still nice. In fact, its more up to date than part of Amtraks Website! :) B)
 
I personally think the Coast Starlight is even funnier. There are 11 Superliners in that consist all in Phase VI, no baggage car, and two engines without numbers! The only two pictures that don't look exceedingly cheesy in the entire book are the Auto Train pic, and the Cal Zephyr on page 36. Other than that I'd say a large number of them were done with a computer.
 
battalion51 said:
I personally think the Coast Starlight is even funnier. There are 11 Superliners in that consist all in Phase VI, no baggage car, and two engines without numbers! The only two pictures that don't look exceedingly cheesy in the entire book are the Auto Train pic, and the Cal Zephyr on page 36. Other than that I'd say a large number of them were done with a computer.
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Not to mention two transition cars next to each other, low vestibule to high.
 
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