Devil's Advocate
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I thought the Viewliners were designed to be modular, correct? If so can former Viewliner diners be converted to coach or sleeper cars with a vending machine or automat? Wait, haven't we seen this before somewhere?
Silver Star has new Café menu and no diner
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Slightly used? Probably brand new, never used, mint-in-yard condition. :giggle:
neroden
Engineer
Amtrak management: cutting off nose to spite face.
The future of the Amtrak Florida services looks very poor from where I'm looking. All Aboard Florida is poised to eat their intra-Florida business; first Orlando-Miami, then Orlando-Jacksonville and Miami-Jacksonville, and everyone expects Tampa next.
The Silver Meteor will suffer from this but will be supported by the Florida-(DC/NY) market.
The Silver Star mostly exists to serve Tampa and when the Tampa business dries up I wouldn't be surprised to see it cancelled entirely. With unacceptable levels of service for an overnight train, the Florida-(DC/NYC) business isn't going to keep it afloat.
If I were Amtrak I would be making plans to relocate Hialeah maintenance yard. It's in a bad location prone to flooding in any case -- all of Florida south of Orlando is a bad location prone to flooding -- and the Viewliners should be maintained nearer to their primary point of deployment, New York City.
The future of the Amtrak Florida services looks very poor from where I'm looking. All Aboard Florida is poised to eat their intra-Florida business; first Orlando-Miami, then Orlando-Jacksonville and Miami-Jacksonville, and everyone expects Tampa next.
The Silver Meteor will suffer from this but will be supported by the Florida-(DC/NY) market.
The Silver Star mostly exists to serve Tampa and when the Tampa business dries up I wouldn't be surprised to see it cancelled entirely. With unacceptable levels of service for an overnight train, the Florida-(DC/NYC) business isn't going to keep it afloat.
If I were Amtrak I would be making plans to relocate Hialeah maintenance yard. It's in a bad location prone to flooding in any case -- all of Florida south of Orlando is a bad location prone to flooding -- and the Viewliners should be maintained nearer to their primary point of deployment, New York City.
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Brightline (formerly known as All Aboard Florida) can't get anyone to buy their tax-free municipal bonds to pay for the construction. They just received a second extension for one more year to sell the bonds. It appears investors are skeptical there will be enough riders to make a profit (gasp!).
Part of me is holding out hope that it's "permanent" only in the sense of "we don't know when the new diners will arrive, so we'll just keep it off until we have the dining cars to support the servce, and then magically we'll restore dining car service."
Hope springs eternal, I know, but it seems really strange that they'd keep the diner removed even once the new dining cars come into service, whenever they do.
Hope springs eternal, I know, but it seems really strange that they'd keep the diner removed even once the new dining cars come into service, whenever they do.
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KnightRail
Lead Service Attendant
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PERMANENT
For those needing further clarification on the definition of Permanent: adjective - "lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely."
Again, PERMANENT.
For those needing further clarification on the definition of Permanent: adjective - "lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely."
Again, PERMANENT.
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Have they layoff the crews off yet? Or did they forget to?
Sorry but into Amtrak cuts the staffing to support only one train with a dining cars, then I believe it.
Mr.Boardman retirement can not come soon enough.
Death by a thousand cuts, or death by negligence. Pick one. Nice pattern of we don't care for anything other than the NEC.
Ryan
Court Jester
Thanks for that valuable insight. I suppose that means that the Sunset Limited is going to start running any moment since the suspension is only temporary?
Right. That's why there are new Viewliners rolling off of the production line. And BC being added to LD trains. And wifi. And negotiations for re-routing (TE) and to keep routes alive (SWC).
Stupid statements like "we don't care for anything other than the NEC" can't be retired soon enough.
Viewliner were order years ago.
BC is haphazard if not a simple money grab.
Reroute of TE been in progress years now.
SWC is also Amtrak inaction, not proactive.
Improvements Wifi on long distance train? Maybe or just a NEC program that crossed over. (Slowly)
Only recent improve that might be a sign of some cares. Would be the adding a car to the Cardinal for business class. Of course with the three day a week schedule, not as helpful as running daily.
So yes I still a high level of inaction on the long distance fleet. Lots of low hanging improvements available. So I stand by my statements.
Ryan
Court Jester
I'm pretty sure that Boardman has been president for "years now" as well.
Cho Cho Charlie
Engineer
I would assume, like with a new vehicle, as soon as Amtrak "drives" them away to bring them to Miami or Wilmington, they are used.
Yes however he has given up on the long distance trains only recently, and now is NEC only guy. IMHO
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
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Well I suppose my and Ryan's MHO disagrees with yours, and since they are just opinions it is OK.
Trust me, if Boardman was really in favor of shutting down the LD trains several would have been gone already. Heck we could star a thread to discuss which ones first
. But whatever rocks ones boat ....
NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!Well I suppose my and Ryan's MHO disagrees with yours, and since they are just opinions it is OK.
Trust me, if Boardman was really in favor of shutting down the LD trains several would have been gone already. Heck we could star a thread to discuss which ones first
Cho Cho Charlie
Engineer
I wonder if Amtrak could do a "reverse" experiment with the Silver Meteor.
Add a Business Class coach, physically located on the Sleeper side of the Dining Car, and have BC include meals too. Kind of echoing the AutoTrain upgrading their new BC passengers to Sleeper level meals.
Silver Star: No meals. Bring a bologna sandwich from home, or buy a Kwik-E-Mart hot dog from café.
Silver Meteor: Meals for Sleeper and Business Class. Maybe even add a second Dining Car to handle the number of diners (the one the Star will never be using).
Add a Business Class coach, physically located on the Sleeper side of the Dining Car, and have BC include meals too. Kind of echoing the AutoTrain upgrading their new BC passengers to Sleeper level meals.
Silver Star: No meals. Bring a bologna sandwich from home, or buy a Kwik-E-Mart hot dog from café.
Silver Meteor: Meals for Sleeper and Business Class. Maybe even add a second Dining Car to handle the number of diners (the one the Star will never be using).
Ryan
Court Jester
As I stated before, I think you can believe AmtrakLKL.
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
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Remember it is Amtrak. Inconsistency and unkept promises is their forte. You can never tell what will actually happen "forever" based on anyone's statement.
A change of regime is coming up. No choice other than to wait and see IMHO.
A change of regime is coming up. No choice other than to wait and see IMHO.
WoodyinNYC
Conductor
NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!... if Boardman was really in favor of shutting down the LD trains, several would have been gone already. Heck we could start a thread to discuss which ones first
The cure for what ails Amtrak is more Amtrak. Not less.
More cars, more frequencies, more routes, more connections, more stations with longer platforms, more ADA-compliant facilities, more passengers, more revenue, more investment.
With Boardman's help, one of the first Stimulus projects completed was to take 90-plus cars out of the wreck yard. Most of the rehabs were Superliners, and soon went to work improving the Western LD trains.
Next came the order for 70 new electric locomotives to more reliably haul trains on the NEC. Medium distance and LD trains like the Crescent, Star, Meteor, Palmetto, Carolinian, Cardinal, Lynchburger, the Newport News train, and the Norfolk train, as well as the Pennsylvanian and the Vermonter.
Even the specs for the orders for next-generation bi-level cars and the new diesels to haul them, in the Mid-West and on the West Coast, were worked out with Amtrak in the lead.
Of course, what Amtrak needs most is 1,200 new coaches and a couple hundred locomotives, to replace obsoleting equipment both single-level and bi-level, and to expand service. Count that in the Billions and then be prepared to wait n wait -- and that won't be Boardman's fault, or the NEC's.
Boardman has steadied Amtrak, after a period when CEOs came and mostly went with disturbing frequency, and it's been a productive, no-drama administration.
Meanwhile, before Boardman, it seemed like every article about Amtrak started with a paragraph about the characteristic lateness of its trains. I guess the on time performance has improved, or maybe Boardman has been able to quietly change the topic of the conversation.
IINM we've been down that road several times on AU! Most of us feel that INCREASING the number of Trains. Heck we could star a thread to discuss which ones first
and frequencies and NOT eliminating Trains is the smart way to go!
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neroden
Engineer
Nah, they're just raising the interest rates. You can always sell bonds if the interest rate is high enough.
Construction is actually already *happening*, so the bonds are backfill financing.
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