Unpleasent Auto Train trip, not the norm!

[jis]

This time it is the electrical beans instead of the beans of the dinero kind

What is an LEF by the way?

 

[FormerOBS]

I hadn't heard about the return of the second A-T lounge until I read it here, so I did a bit of checking.

The second lounge, adjacent to the sleeper diner, was removed a little over a year ago. This left one lounge car on each consist. Usually they are the special Auto Train lounges, but sometimes a Sightseer Lounge is used. The train ran with just one lounge car for about a year or so. Several months ago an Amtrak V.P. rode the train and saw the crowded conditions, and ordered the second lounge to be returned. The second lounge was therefore returned a few months ago, and is called the "satellite lounge". For some reason, a sufficient number of lounge cars was no longer available. I have heard conflicting stories about the whereabouts, and current or future availability, of the cars previously used. Since those lounge cars are not now available, extra diners have been used as ersatz lounges. They do not have facilities for showing the film, so all passengers who want to see the film must still crowd into the one regular lounge car. An LSA is assigned, although I understand this position has occasionally been unfilled. There is minimal secured storage area for stock in the diner, so the LSA is only able to handle a very limited selection of product.

I understand the same V.P. rode the train more recently and has said he does not consider the new arrangement adequate.

This information is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate. It has been gathered from a number of sources which have not always been complete, and which have not always agreed on every detail.

Tom

 

[fixj]

I will be on 52 June 16 and will update on the status at that time. I rode AT last August with only one lounge car and it was so packed I had no desire to spend any time in it. [SIZE=10.5pt]Fortunately[/SIZE] we had a bedroom in the Deluxe sleeper and did very well. They did have 4 dinner seatings on either 52 or 53 return.

 

[fixj]

I also wonder about the layout of the sleepers with the addition of the sleeper lounge car. When we traveled last August, they had the only lounge car followed by the sleeper dinner followed by all the sleepers. It would be nice if they go back to three sleepers on both sides of the sleeper lounge/dinner. I'll also report on that after my June trips.

Jim

 

[jis]

I also wonder about the layout of the sleepers with the addition of the sleeper lounge car. When we traveled last August, they had the only lounge car followed by the sleeper dinner followed by all the sleepers. It would be nice if they go back to three sleepers on both sides of the sleeper lounge/dinner. I'll also report on that after my June trips.

Jim

It is usually between the Deluxe Sleeper and the Diner.

 

[fixj]

Last August, after thay had dropped the sleeper lounge earlier in the year, they had the two deluxe sleepers behind the sleeper dinner with the 4 standard sleepers behind them. Prior to the time when they dropped the sleeper lounge your information is correct. One deluxe sleeper was on either side of the sleeper dinner and lounge making it 3 sleepers on either side of the dinner and lounge. I am wondering if they will revert back to that layout now that a sleeper lounge has been added. Thanks.

Jim

 

[rrdude]

The room attendant knew they requested dinner delivered so she would not have to talk between cars, but told them she could not do 9pm they'd asked for at check in as she'd be setting up beds by then. They agreed her suggestion of 8:30 would be fine. By 9 and no dinner they paged her and caught her in the hall a bit later. She said the paging system was down. She said the kitchen told her they could not have the dinners ready for another 20 minutes. Finally at 9:45 (remember, she insisted she'd need to bring at 8:30) she delivered them and as you'd guess they were stone cold.

The SA has many duties, and many passengers to attend to. If by 9pm (kind of late for a dinner IMHO), the SA normal duties involve converting all the roomettes and bedrooms to their night-time configuration, I can easily see it being reasonable that the SA would not want to take on something additional like delivering a late dinner.

The fact that the SA was accommodating (bending her hectic schedule) when the dining car was running late, and bringing the food at 9:45, I see as a plus. I don't think it was appropriate for you all to ridicule the SA for what should be a pat-on-the-back. What did you rather want the SA to do? Tell you that the since the diner car is running late (past 9pm), you're not going to get your meal at all now?

Sorry that your meal was "stone cold". I guess you should have sent it back to the dining car and hope that someone there, could fix it.

BS. If you aren't being an "Ampoligist" Charlie, then I've never seen one. Bringing "Stone Cold" food alone, is a gross insult to those of us who have made their living in the hospitality business.

 

[Headache]

Thank you for being proactive in looking into the issues that occured. For myself I would really be in a bind if I couldn't get to a working toilet on the lower level. Food while a seperate issue I'd be able to deal with, the toilets would definitely become an issue quickly. I'm hopeful that my inaugral trip starting NEXT WEEK is uneventful. WWWEEEEEEE!!

 

[neroden]

I hadn't heard about the return of the second A-T lounge until I read it here, so I did a bit of checking.

The second lounge, adjacent to the sleeper diner, was removed a little over a year ago. This left one lounge car on each consist. Usually they are the special Auto Train lounges, but sometimes a Sightseer Lounge is used. The train ran with just one lounge car for about a year or so. Several months ago an Amtrak V.P. rode the train and saw the crowded conditions, and ordered the second lounge to be returned.

...like I (and many others) said was going to be needed back when the second lounge was cut. Overcrowding of the lounge. I'm glad there's a VP who knows what he's doing, but I wonder who the idiot under him was who cut the lounge in the first place...

The second lounge was therefore returned a few months ago, and is called the "satellite lounge". For some reason, a sufficient number of lounge cars was no longer available. I have heard conflicting stories about the whereabouts, and current or future availability, of the cars previously used. Since those lounge cars are not now available, extra diners have been used as ersatz lounges. They do not have facilities for showing the film, so all passengers who want to see the film must still crowd into the one regular lounge car. An LSA is assigned, although I understand this position has occasionally been unfilled. There is minimal secured storage area for stock in the diner, so the LSA is only able to handle a very limited selection of product.

I understand the same V.P. rode the train more recently and has said he does not consider the new arrangement adequate.

This information is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate. It has been gathered from a number of sources which have not always been complete, and which have not always agreed on every detail.

Tom

Thanks for the information.