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

[Ziv]

It may be happening slowly but the VL2 order is actually happening. I am always forgetting how many are going to eventually be delivered and the names, so I added the list, including the original VL1 Diner, Indianapolis. So 1 VL1 Diner plus 25 VL2 Diners, then, someday, 25 VL2 Sleepers.

Viewliner1 Diner
8400 Indianapolis

Viewliner2 Diners
68000 Albany*
68001 Annapolis
68002 Atlanta
68003 Augusta
68004 Baton Rouge
68005 Boston
68006 Charleston
68007 Columbia
68008 Columbus
68009 Concord
68010 Dover
68011 Frankfort
68012 Harrisburg
68013 Hartford
68014 Jackson
68015 Lansing
68016 Madison
68017 Montgomery
68018 Montpelier
68019 Nashville
68020 Providence
68021 Raleigh
68022 Richmond
68023 Springfield
68024 Tallahassee

* Not sure what is up with the Albany, but I don't think it ever came back from its first showing.

Columbia hits the road today on 98(29).

 

[Steve4031]

Well that's 7 not including Albany and 8400. I suspect the hurricane(s) slowed down the work in Hialeah. Would not surprise me if a couple of batches of 3 or 4 car deliveries moved things along.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[PVD]

I thought Columbia was skipped in delivery so far, could that be Columbus?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I thought Columbia was skipped in delivery so far, could that be Columbus?

Both were delivered. Either TR7 forgot his alphabet or they may be skipping Concorde

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[PVD]

Ok, I thought that the last delivery was just one and not 2 cars. Good to hear.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Ok, I thought that the last delivery was just one and not 2 cars. Good to hear.

Columbia was delivered with its predecessor. Columbus was delivered solo.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[PVD]

Got it, thanks.....I'm on the Lake next month, mine is likely to be named "Amdinette" with a 28XXX

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Actually all of the Amfleet II cafes have names, but they were removed.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

* Not sure what is up with the Albany, but I don't think it ever came back from its first showing.

What did happened to the Albany, 68000, VL2 diner ? Is it parked somewhere?

Did it fall victim to the Turboliner law suit?

 

[Ngotwalt]

Albany was like a preproduction prototype, it was sent to Amtrak for them to examine and recommend changes. It will likely be the last diner delivered, because in essence CAF has to tear it apart and incorporate all the changes as they put it back together.

Nick

 

[AmtrakLKL]

Charleston, 68006, is on the way to NYP today. Tagging along on the bottom of 98(03).

 

[cpotisch]

Charleston, 68006, is on the way to NYP today. Tagging along on the bottom of 98(03).

Deadheading or in service?

 

[jis]

Charleston, 68006, is on the way to NYP today. Tagging along on the bottom of 98(03).

Deadheading or in service?

If "bottom of" means "tail of" then clearly deadheading.

 

[AmtrakLKL]

Charleston, 68006, is on the way to NYP today. Tagging along on the bottom of 98(03).

Deadheading or in service?

If "bottom of" means "tail of" then clearly deadheading.

Correct, 68006 is deadheading on the rear. 68007 is the diner in service.

Sent from my iPad using Amtrak Forum

 

[cpotisch]

Charleston, 68006, is on the way to NYP today. Tagging along on the bottom of 98(03).

Deadheading or in service?

If "bottom of" means "tail of" then clearly deadheading.

Whoops! Only just noticed the "bottom of" part.

Between V-IIs 68001-68008 and 8400, Amtrak has 9 Viewliner Diners. 4 more and we may well see diners on the LSL! As someone who is taking #48 CHI-NYP in February, I've got my fingers crossed.

 

[A Voice]

The more pertinent question, I'd submit, is just why Charleston is headed for New York. Specifically, something to do with the ongoing AC issues (back to CAF?), perhaps.

 

[west point]

Question was there a Heritage diner or a V-2 diner as the regular diner ? If a regular Heritage probably a return to CAF. If V-2 maybe to NYP to replace one of the Heritage diners consists ?

 

[A Voice]

Question was there a Heritage diner or a V-2 diner as the regular diner ? If a regular Heritage probably a return to CAF. If V-2 maybe to NYP to replace one of the Heritage diners consists ?

See post #739. Diner 68007 is a Viewliner II.

 

[jis]

Question was there a Heritage diner or a V-2 diner as the regular diner ? If a regular Heritage probably a return to CAF. If V-2 maybe to NYP to replace one of the Heritage diners consists ?

Huh? How does the Diner in service have anything to do with why another Diner was being deadheaded? What is it that would disallow a Diner being returned to CAF just because the regular service Diner in the train was a Viewliner?

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Question was there a Heritage diner or a V-2 diner as the regular diner ? If a regular Heritage probably a return to CAF. If V-2 maybe to NYP to replace one of the Heritage diners consists ?

Huh? How does the Diner in service have anything to do with why another Diner was being deadheaded? What is it that would disallow a Diner being returned to CAF just because the regular service Diner in the train was a Viewliner?

I'm thinking he was assuming that if the deadheading car was being moved to replace a Heritage Diner, the train would have had to have an active Viewliner diner, otherwise it would just replace the Heritage Diner in that consist rather than deadheading. While it is possible the car is being moved to replace a Heritage Diner, I doubt it as the Heritage Diner set likely would have been sent to Hialeah in the next few days anyway. Personally, I don't think there is enough to go off of to make a reasonable guess.
Sent from my SM-J327P using Amtrak Forum mobile app

 

[west point]

The question is where does Amtrak store its excess Heritage diners ? May already be one at MIA, WASH, NOL so send one or two to NYP ? So the V-2 replaces a Heritage that goes to standby. IMO very good planning to prevent Amfleet-s dinettes ?

 

[jis]

What about the possibility that Charleston is going back to CAF? Have we definitely eliminated that?

The out of service Heritage Diners are mostly hanging out in Hialeah as far as I can tell, until they are moved to their final resting place I suppose. Sunnyside as it is, is so short of space that it is highly unlikely they'd be storing random collection of out of service stuff there.

OTOH, the one of the ways to rotate a Viewliner Diner to Crescent would be via Sunnyside.

 

[GaSteve]

The question is where does Amtrak store its excess Heritage diners ? May already be one at MIA, WASH, NOL so send one or two to NYP ? So the V-2 replaces a Heritage that goes to standby. IMO very good planning to prevent Amfleet-s dinettes ?

There is not a protect diner stored at NOL

 

[jis]

Neither is there any single level Diner stored in Ivy City. No single level LD train terminates or originates in Washington any more so no reason to keep anything there, yet another woefully short of space facility.

NYP in good times has one maybe two, AFAICT. CHI is lucky to have one under unusual circumstances. Yeah, and certainly none in NOL.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

It may be happening slowly but the VL2 order is actually happening. I am always forgetting how many are going to eventually be delivered and the names, so I added the list, including the original VL1 Diner, Indianapolis. So 1 VL1 Diner plus 25 VL2 Diners, then [10 bag-dorms], then someday, 25 VL2 Sleepers.

Viewliner1 Diner
8400 Indianapolis

Viewliner2 Diners
68000 Albany*
68001 Annapolis
68002 Atlanta
68003 Augusta
68004 Baton Rouge
68005 Boston
68006 Charleston
68007 Columbia
68008 Columbus
68009 Concord
68010 Dover
68011 Frankfort
68012 Harrisburg
68013 Hartford
68014 Jackson
68015 Lansing
68016 Madison
68017 Montgomery
68018 Montpelier
68019 Nashville
68020 Providence
68021 Raleigh
68022 Richmond
68023 Springfield
68024 Tallahassee

* Not sure what is up with the Albany...

Columbia hits the road today on 98(29).

Thanks for this list, ZIV.

Special thanks to AmtrakLKL for the good news on Columbia. I don't mind if they come one at a time, as long as they sort of keep coming. LOL.