Fixed Air Conditioning on SWC yet?

[ciship]

Hope someone knows this answer. We are on the Chief in a week, and my husbands health cannot tolerate the heat. Does anyone know if the air conditioning has been fixed on the SWC yet?

 

[AlanB]

Hope someone knows this answer. We are on the Chief in a week, and my husbands health cannot tolerate the heat. Does anyone know if the air conditioning has been fixed on the SWC yet?

The SW Chief uses several different train sets, so even if they didn't fix that particular car that you were in, you probably have a 1 in 6 chance of ending up on the same trainset or consist. And then with either 2 or 3 sleepers, the odds of landing in the same sleeper goes up too. Plus cars can be switched in or out of a consist either in Chicago or LA.

So could it happen that you find the same car, sure, there is a slight chance. But I'd think it very unlikely that you'd land in the same car. And most likely it was pulled out of the consist to be fixed, but there is no way that we can tell that or guarantee that.

 

[njulian]

Hope someone knows this answer. We are on the Chief in a week, and my husbands health cannot tolerate the heat. Does anyone know if the air conditioning has been fixed on the SWC yet?

So..you were on the SWC with no air conditioning? Me too..it was pretty hot, wasn't it. Hope it is fixed for you. Sure soured some of the comfort of train travel. I just flew on another trip and at least the air worked.

 

[AlanB]

My car on the Zephyr last weekend also had A/C problems. When the sun wasn't on the car it would cool down, but during the day it was a problem at the bedroom end of the car.

 

[PRR 60]

My car on the Zephyr last weekend also had A/C problems. When the sun wasn't on the car it would cool down, but during the day it was a problem at the bedroom end of the car.

It wasn't that much better at the Roomette end (although a bit better than your end). It had to be well over 80 degrees in there. Brutal. At least it cooled down at night.

 

[had8ley]

My car on the Zephyr last weekend also had A/C problems. When the sun wasn't on the car it would cool down, but during the day it was a problem at the bedroom end of the car.

It wasn't that much better at the Roomette end (although a bit better than your end). It had to be well over 80 degrees in there. Brutal. At least it cooled down at night.

Sometimes I find that the downstairs of the Sightseer Lounge is quite cool especially at night when everyone has turned in. It's at least an oasis to cool down. Also the diner usually has a fairly good A/C unit and after dinner hours it seems to stay on the cool side.

 

[frj1983]

So once again I can make my point,

The acquaintence I know who works for Amtrak and rides metra with me in the morning stated again, recently, that a number of older Superliner Sleepers need overhauling badly, especially the electrical circuits and air conditioning. Funny you all experienced an AC problem shortly after he told me this! Or maybe it wasn't so funny!!

I am glad that Alexander Kummant was recently quoted as saying at a congressional hearing that cars can only be refurbished so many times before they need replacement. I hope some sort of capital monies come through for Amtrak, so more equipment can be overhauled and new equipment ordered!

 

[RailBirder]

Sunday, on the Coast Starlight, the Pacific Parlour car was very hot during the wine and cheese tasting. I suppose being packed with people added to the stress on the A/C. People left the wine and cheese tasting early because it was so uncomfortable. The downstairs theater in the Parlour car was very cold, too bad it was not balanced out. The A/C in the lounge car wasn't having any problems.

 

[AlanB]

So once again I can make my point,
The acquaintence I know who works for Amtrak and rides metra with me in the morning stated again, recently, that a number of older Superliner Sleepers need overhauling badly, especially the electrical circuits and air conditioning. Funny you all experienced an AC problem shortly after he told me this! Or maybe it wasn't so funny!!

I am glad that Alexander Kummant was recently quoted as saying at a congressional hearing that cars can only be refurbished so many times before they need replacement. I hope some sort of capital monies come through for Amtrak, so more equipment can be overhauled and new equipment ordered!

Well here is the problem, the Superliner I cars were only refurbished, not overhauled. And there is a big difference. Refurbished means that they got new furnishings, like new seat cushions, new bathrooms, new paneling in the halls, new carpeting; basically the things that the passenger sees. They were not rebuilt, sadly, which means that nothing was done to improve the electrical equipment, no replacements or changes for the A/C, vacuum system, or stuff like that.

So those Superliner I's look real nice to the passengers, but they are still falling apart underneath all that new stuff.

 

[A Hall]

I just returned from a westbound Southwest Chief trip from Chicago to L.A. and the air conditioning quit working about Kansas City on Car 330 (Sleeper next to Diner) The Upstairs Roomettes had no cooling, which has "repaired" in Albuquerque and managed to work to L.A. The staff said this happens frequently, at least once a week, they said that Chicago is understaffed and send cars out that should be repaired.

 

[AmtrakFan]

If Amtrak was smart they would have included the underside of the car in the Refurbishment. How does it improve a good state of repair when only doing seat cousions?