Viewliner II Part 2: Dining Car Production, Delivery, Speculation

[chrsjrcj]

68006 is deadheading on the rear of 97-26.

 

[Lonestar648]

is the mod converting the DC to SL Lounge?

 

[Ryan]

No.

 

[cpotisch]

Sounds like they don't want to bother modifying the diners for Sleeper Lounge purposes, especially since doing so would mean that they'd have to keep the LSL ViewDiners in a separate pool from the Crescent/Meteor ViewDiners. I really don't see why any modifications would need to be made to the diners for use as a Sleeper Lounge anyway. From an equipment standpoint, the job is pretty much the same.

 

[me_little_me]

Sounds like they don't want to bother modifying the diners for Sleeper Lounge purposes, especially since doing so would mean that they'd have to keep the LSL ViewDiners in a separate pool from the Crescent/Meteor ViewDiners. I really don't see why any modifications would need to be made to the diners for use as a Sleeper Lounge anyway. From an equipment standpoint, the job is pretty much the same.

Wouldn't be a "lounge" in my mind then. I envision a lounge as having nice comfortable seats facing the windows or angled to them with more of an atmosphere of a place to sit, relax and have a drink or light meal. Instead, if not modified, it looks more like a cafe that's out of business.

Then, again, if the "plan" fails, restoring them to diners wouldn't take a lot of effort except to clean out the cobwebs and stored items in the cookers.

 

[cpotisch]

Sounds like they don't want to bother modifying the diners for Sleeper Lounge purposes, especially since doing so would mean that they'd have to keep the LSL ViewDiners in a separate pool from the Crescent/Meteor ViewDiners. I really don't see why any modifications would need to be made to the diners for use as a Sleeper Lounge anyway. From an equipment standpoint, the job is pretty much the same.

Wouldn't be a "lounge" in my mind then. I envision a lounge as having nice comfortable seats facing the windows or angled to them with more of an atmosphere of a place to sit, relax and have a drink or light meal. Instead, if not modified, it looks more like a cafe that's out of business.

Then, again, if the "plan" fails, restoring them to diners wouldn't take a lot of effort except to clean out the cobwebs and stored items in the cookers.

They call it a Sleeper Lounge, but it's not supposed to be a conventional lounge. It's really primarily a place for people to sit down and eat, but since it's exclusive to sleeper pax, they call it a lounge. It's not like an SSL, which is primarily to have a space to relax in your spare time.

 

[Ryan]

And again, they will still be light-years better than the current AmLounges caves.

 

[Lonestar648]

The former PPC had tables for eating plus a few chairs and lounge seating. I would say one can see the scenery much better from this car than any other single level car.

 

[cpotisch]

The former PPC had tables for eating plus a few chairs and lounge seating. I would say one can see the scenery much better from this car than any other single level car.

I would agree. However, since the Sleeper Lounge is effectively to replace the diner, not to function as an SSL, the PPC and its views are pretty much irrelevant. And remember that the other single-level trains have to put up with an AmCan as a lounge, and nothing else. As much as I hate the changes taking place on June 1st, I do feel like the Sleeper Lounge will offer (sleeper) passengers on the LSL a much nicer place to relax and dine than we have now.

 

[Thirdrail7]

That number never sat right with me. By my count, there are 16 delivered and in service? If there were 11 of them parked, we'd be hearing of the Meteor and Crescent going out without dining cars, but I've not heard anything of the sort.

The only reasonable explanation I can come up with is he merged the CAF cars with the Heritage cars that were in Hialeah at one point. After all, this is the same group that when asked about the future of sleeping cars, they basically said (paraphrasing) that 25 new cars were ordered and would be used on trains like Auto Train and Coast Starlight to upgrade the experience.

Sounds like they don't want to bother modifying the diners for Sleeper Lounge purposes, especially since doing so would mean that they'd have to keep the LSL ViewDiners in a separate pool from the Crescent/Meteor ViewDiners. I really don't see why any modifications would need to be made to the diners for use as a Sleeper Lounge anyway. From an equipment standpoint, the job is pretty much the same.

You have to wonder if they modify or alter the diners, will it impact the warranty with CAF. Perhaps it will so they'll leave it as is. We'll see what happens as they continue their march towards eliminating the F&B losses.

The former PPC had tables for eating plus a few chairs and lounge seating. I would say one can see the scenery much better from this car than any other single level car.

I would agree. However, since the Sleeper Lounge is effectively to replace the diner, not to function as an SSL, the PPC and its views are pretty much irrelevant. And remember that the other single-level trains have to put up with an AmCan as a lounge, and nothing else. As much as I hate the changes taking place on June 1st, I do feel like the Sleeper Lounge will offer (sleeper) passengers on the LSL a much nicer place to relax and dine than we have now.

I definitely am not a fan of what they're doing with the coach passengers when it comes to the lounge. Once this sleeper lounge is added to the train, the diner lite/lounge will be removed from the train. The coach passengers will have to join the business class passengers in the split/club lounge. That's not a lot of room. I was hoping the diner lite/cafe car would remain.

 

[cpotisch]

Yeah, in a way the Lake Shore Limited is now like the Starvation, when it comes to coach passengers. However, on the Star at least the whole Cafe is open. On the LSL, half the car is used up by BC passengers. So even though the LSL is the second longest Amtrak train, all coach passengers will have to get their junk food from one half of an AmCan, and Business passengers have to put with everyone, as well. It all sucks.

 

[Scott Orlando]

Fwiw: At Orlando - 6 coaches on 97(31) and a special guest star appearance by Indy 8400

 

[cpotisch]

Fwiw: At Orlando - 6 coaches on 97(31) and a special guest star appearance by Indy 8400

Deadheading or in service?

 

[Scott Orlando]

In service!

 

[railiner]

Just a thought...if the "new order" in dining service becomes a reality that endures (I hope not), how much would it cost to convert the Viewliner's from food service cars (or whatever they want to call them), into full sleeping cars? Doesn't their "modular design" make that a possibility?

That way, they could solve some of the sleeper shortages, without the immediate need for all new cars, and could utilize what I believe are an excess of Amfleet food service cars to substitute for them....

 

[cpotisch]

Just a thought...if the "new order" in dining service becomes a reality that endures (I hope not), how much would it cost to convert the Viewliner's from food service cars (or whatever they want to call them), into full sleeping cars? Doesn't their "modular design" make that a possibility?

That way, they could solve some of the sleeper shortages, without the immediate need for all new cars, and could utilize what I believe are an excess of Amfleet food service cars to substitute for them....

They'd have to chop up the walls to fit more windows, install a vestibule with end doors, redo the interior, install the room modules, etc. It's doable, but I honestly think they'll just use the ViewDiners as Sleeper Lounges.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Just a thought...if the "new order" in dining service becomes a reality that endures (I hope not), how much would it cost to convert the Viewliner's from food service cars (or whatever they want to call them), into full sleeping cars? Doesn't their "modular design" make that a possibility?

That way, they could solve some of the sleeper shortages, without the immediate need for all new cars, and could utilize what I believe are an excess of Amfleet food service cars to substitute for them....

We haven't seen a CAF sleeper since the prototype rolled out. Perhaps we should see what how they appear before considering making the late arriving dining cars into them.

It would likely be easier to keep them as dining cars and convert the sidelined AMcafes into coaches.

 

[Ziv]

Are we just a couple weeks from seeing the last diners delivered from CAF? This seems hard to believe. It is going to be a red letter day when the 68024 diner serves its first meal, cold or hot.

And, possibly, the first bag-dorms a couple months after that?

I hope the bag-dorms are released by CAF a bit faster than the diners, but I am not going to hold my breath. I generally only take SuperLiner sleepers, but I will be super happy to see the VL-II sleepers arrive, whenever that happens.

 

[cpotisch]

Are we just a couple weeks from seeing the last diners delivered from CAF? This seems hard to believe.

We are not. We've still got Albany, Concord, Dover, Frankfort, Springfield, and Tallahassee left.

 

[Ziv]

Oh, snap! I forgot about the skip-over'ed diners! I am not sure that that is a word, but I can't think of a better one.

I knew I was being too optimistic...

I thought it was just Springfield and Tallahassee left. An extra 4 diners means another (2 * 5) weeks, probably, on top of the couple weeks for Springfield and Tallahassee. So somewhere around 3 more months for the diners last delivery.

Thanks, C.

Are we just a couple weeks from seeing the last diners delivered from CAF? This seems hard to believe.

We are not. We've still got Albany, Concord, Dover, Frankfort, Springfield, and Tallahassee left.

 

[cpotisch]

Oh, snap! I forgot about the skip-over'ed diners! I am not sure that that is a word, but I can't think of a better one.

It’s not, so I would just go with “skipped”.

 

[me_little_me]

Sounds like they don't want to bother modifying the diners for Sleeper Lounge purposes, especially since doing so would mean that they'd have to keep the LSL ViewDiners in a separate pool from the Crescent/Meteor ViewDiners. I really don't see why any modifications would need to be made to the diners for use as a Sleeper Lounge anyway. From an equipment standpoint, the job is pretty much the same.

Wouldn't be a "lounge" in my mind then. I envision a lounge as having nice comfortable seats facing the windows or angled to them with more of an atmosphere of a place to sit, relax and have a drink or light meal. Instead, if not modified, it looks more like a cafe that's out of business.

Then, again, if the "plan" fails, restoring them to diners wouldn't take a lot of effort except to clean out the cobwebs and stored items in the cookers.

They call it a Sleeper Lounge, but it's not supposed to be a conventional lounge. It's really primarily a place for people to sit down and eat, but since it's exclusive to sleeper pax, they call it a lounge. It's not like an SSL, which is primarily to have a space to relax in your spare time.

Yeah! They want to disappoint new sleeper passengers who have a different view of what the word "lounge" means. Gets more letters to the VP of Customer Dissatisfaction.

 

[GBNorman]

There are reports of a sighting over at another site of 449(2) at BBY with V-II "Nashville" in consist .

 

[PVD]

That depends, if you are a regular traveler on current single level LD trains, the CAF diner is a more pleasant place to sit than what is available as a lounge for sleeper passengers now. Time will tell if w will get to use them as "hangouts"

 

[cpotisch]

That depends, if you are a regular traveler on current single level LD trains, the CAF diner is a more pleasant place to sit than what is available as a lounge for sleeper passengers now. Time will tell if w will get to use them as "hangouts"

Yeah, regardless of the meals or service, the ViewDiners are definitely a hell of a lot nicer to sit in than the existing AmCans.