This hasn't happened to me for some years now: I'm on NER 188 between WAS and BAL, and when boarding, I noticed a 66 seat Amfleet I business class car located in the coach section. No signs saying that it's busines class, and it's the car right behind the cafe. (The real BC cars on the Northeast Regionals are located up front, the first car on the train.) This is nice. Amfleet II legroom, curtains (though I don't need them tonight.) The only thing missing is the free soda, and who needs that? All for my $17 low-bucket Value Fare (up from $16 last month.)
I never understood why Amtrak does this? Shortages of Amfleet I coaches? Do they need to move the car? This was much more common in the mid 2000s, when there were still Amfleets that hadn't gotten the blue renovations and were still in thier earth tone 1970s faded glory. Heck, they were even putting 2-1 seating former club cars in the coach section. At that time I figured that many Amfleet I coaches were in the shop getting their blue upholstery, so Amtrak was just backfilling with the BC cars. But I think all that work is done. But who's complaining. It reminds me of my days circa 1970 riding the Penn Central and getting a nice long-distance coach for your ride up to New York. (Of course, on the way back, you could get stuck in a non-air conditioned P-70 that rattled and rolled down the track.)
I never understood why Amtrak does this? Shortages of Amfleet I coaches? Do they need to move the car? This was much more common in the mid 2000s, when there were still Amfleets that hadn't gotten the blue renovations and were still in thier earth tone 1970s faded glory. Heck, they were even putting 2-1 seating former club cars in the coach section. At that time I figured that many Amfleet I coaches were in the shop getting their blue upholstery, so Amtrak was just backfilling with the BC cars. But I think all that work is done. But who's complaining. It reminds me of my days circa 1970 riding the Penn Central and getting a nice long-distance coach for your ride up to New York. (Of course, on the way back, you could get stuck in a non-air conditioned P-70 that rattled and rolled down the track.)
And the available I was "forced" 
