Why can't things in the cabin be fixed?

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rosewood

Train Attendant
Joined
Jul 14, 2015
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I am on the Coast Starlight going north car 1430, roomette # 11. The only plug in is broken and the ceiling air vent closed and not able to open .

Had the attendant take a look, yep it's broken sorry.

Seems like these would be simple repairs, I have reported the problems any chance they will be looked at by any one before next trip ?
 
In theory, the attendant should note the problems on the "MAP-21" form for the car and maintenance would fix them when the car gets back to LA (the maintenance base for the Starlight).

In practice, they'll probably just turn the car, even assuming the attendant does write it up. My experience is that the ceiling vent control is broken in probably half the rooms I've been in, it is one of the most common defects I've noticed in the rooms. The plug usually works, though (I check it first thing, it is a medical issue for me as I have to have an operational plug for my CPAP).

Too bad the vent is stuck shut, more often they seem to be stuck full open, which you can address with a rolled up hand towel or duct tape. Another common problem is the heater control dial is often just decorative. That is not so bad when the heater is stuck off, but I had one room where it was stuck on full blast and the room became unbearably hot. Luckily, they had moved the passenger in the handicapped bedroom to another car, because the handicapped bedroom's heat didn't work at all, so the attendant moved me in there with additional blankets (it was on the Empire Builder in December through balmy North Dakota).

Now just wait until you get a car where the overly complex toilet system fails. You keep riding and that experience is just a matter of time.

Welcome to Amtrak.
 
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I had the vent stuck closed in June, The SCA said he would write it up to be looked at when the car is serviced. I used a long screw driver from my bag to pry the louvers open a little, then inserted a pen so they would remain open. later I found a rod a bit larger that I wedged in to increase thee opening size. When the outlet didn't work a couple years ago, the SCA checked all the breakers, found one was off.
 
Is there someone on board LD trains who is a designated mechanic or similar who can in fact fix certain things while the train is en route?
 
This is day 8 of a long distance train trip around the US so we have seen about everything. My husband is using the H rooms and a CPAP machine so far the electrical has worked in those rooms but one leg the sink area light would not go off. So he used a tool to take it apart and removed the light bulb . Sorry he couldn't fix it for the next guy. The only time he called for the attendant and they did not come .
 
No one aboard can fix problems. Maybe, and this is a real maybe, if at a full service stop where there are Amtrak Yard crews, they might come on to try to fix a critical problem. Otherwise, all problems wait until the train is serviced at the end of the run, time permitting.
 
I was on a trip a few years ago, comprised of 2 'legs': Sunset Ltd, and Crescent, and on each of the legs, there was some sort of problem.

On the Crescent, from Atlanta to New Orleans, the entire toilet system was broken, from about an hour into the trip, until we got to new orleans. The only functional toilet on the train was one in the club car, and the lines were pretty long.

On the Sunset, my roomette door locked me out (something the staff had 'never seen before'), and the Conductor and assistant used a sledgehammer (the Conductor had to swing it from the roomette across the hall, while the assistant held a giant metal bar against my door, which the hammer hit). Finally, they knocked it off the door track, and I slept with just the door curtains that night. They figured that the lock latch was so worn, that it flipped all the way over (something it's not designed to do, when new), and latched shut. The team were nice about it, and I'm glad that they were able to find the tools to do the job.
 
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It is never going to happen, but it would be nice to follow the India rail system where each coach has a "Complaints Book".

I feel that Amtrak do not have the time or resources to fix heat or power outlet or a/c issues. Easier if the attendant just "acts surprised" when the defect is mentioned to them for the umpteenth time.

Complain loudly and ask for compensation is the best advice... maybe then the repairs will get done.

Ed :cool:
 
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KmH said:
Oh, they have some serious tools on board.

The next time you're in the boarding vestibule of a car, look around to see what they have stored there.
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The sledgehammer and crowbar are safety equipment, not "tools".

The crew has no training and no qualifications to fix vents and electrical outlets enroute. Defects are supposed to be written on the Map 21 and/or reported on the EMD. Some defects must in addition be called in to CNOC. Amtrak does not want non maintenance employees to be injured doing repairs who are not qualified .

However if someone hs been working a while they probably have some basic knowledge of stuff that can be done enroute and that can't be done. So sometimes it is a breaker that is tripped and can be reset. But if the breaker is tripped because of a ground it will trip again. That has to be fixed at a terminal. Sometimes that has to wait a few trips. Depends on the equipment turns. Some people are naturally handy and can work out how to get the heat working but you can't be expected most crew members to be handy. Some crew members carry their own screwdriver and leatherman, cause they are that type, others would not know what to do with a screwdriver. If the crew works as a team sometimes some things can be corrected enroute.
 
Lonestar648 said:
No one aboard can fix problems. Maybe, and this is a real maybe, if at a full service stop where there are Amtrak Yard crews, they might come on to try to fix a critical problem. Otherwise, all problems wait until the train is serviced at the end of the run, time permitting.
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Last year on the SWC, the door to our bedroom came off the track and wouldn't close. Later, at the stop in ABQ, "mechanical" took care of it.

EDIT: Our SCA notified mechanical upon arrival in ABQ.
 
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On one Viewliner trip, as I came into one of the Sleepers, a ceiling panel had fallen and was swinging by the safety chains. Must have just happened because it was blocking the corridor. I simply pushed it back up and held it in place while I used my Pocket Screwdriver to turn the corner locks. Simple, straight forward and I was quickly back on my way.
 
On another Texas Eagle/Sunset trip, when we boarded at FTW, our Sleeper Attendant told us the upstairs Roomette john was out of order. At the SAS layover, I got off for a while and when I came back, as I rounded the stairs here was the commode sitting in the hall and one of the maintenance guys grousing about what he had found in the plumbing, despite the warning signs in restrooms about how to properly dispose of such items. A few minutes later he had the place back in top shape and no further problems developed down the line.
 
rosewood said:
I am on the Coast Starlight going north car 1430, roomette # 11. The only plug in is broken and the ceiling air vent closed and not able to open .

Had the attendant take a look, yep it's broken sorry.

Seems like these would be simple repairs, I have reported the problems any chance they will be looked at by any one before next trip ?
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Sadly, a lot of Amtrak rolling stock is going into a state of disrepair; Congress does not provide enough funding and yes I have expressed my desires for better Amtrak funding to our wonderful Georgia politicians.

Last week I was on the CZ #5 and our sleeper car had no hot water - the water from the hot faucets didn't even come out in any room or bathroom. I thought they would be able to make a simple fix (like a valve was mistakenly turned off) but when we got to Denver the mechanical crew said it couldn't be fixed. Very unfortunate as that was our first trip in a large bedroom accommodation and it wasn't inexpensive. We used the shower in the next car over and the water in that car was VERY hot.

When we got on CS #14 in Oakland, one of the reading lights in our Bedroom "E" would not turn off. The switch was obviously broken. Maybe the problem just occurred. We did report it to the attendant but I am not sure what he did with the report. We stuffed a t-shirt near it, but those halogen bulbs are VERY hot and so we were a little concerned about them catching the fabric on fire. This trip was the one time I didn't travel with duct tape; that would have been a better solution since it would have allowed more airspace over the bulb.

On that same consist, the business coach's door opener switches (the black pad that you push near the middle of the door or lightly kick near the bottom of the door) were operating sporadically. One a few occasions passengers needed crew assistance to open the door. It just wouldn't open no matter how many times you pushed it. Their solution: give the switch a very hard kick. Not good; and in an emergency having a door not open on the first or second try is a serious issue.

I wonder what's going to happen to the Superliners; they need major refurbishment on the inside and I can see these small problems will increase in numbers. It could start to turn some people away given the expense of the accommodations.
 
As mentioned in my recent trip report, we lost our restrooms on both the Capitol Ltd 30 and Silver Meteor 98, no water available either on 30. The door between the two bedroom rattled so loudly it was difficult to sleep. Our car attendant eventually rammed a plaster hanger into the space between the doors which helped considerably. Most of the cars we have been in over the past few years have had mechanical or structural problems, some not so serious but certainly a detriment to promoting travel on Amtrak. Only new cars will solve some of the problems and that will not be happening for the Superliner fleet. And several more years until the Viewliner fleet is replaced. (It was more important to replace the old baggage cars instead of the sleepers and coaches?)

Such is life traveling on Amtrak. But we keep buying tickets and enjoying most of the rides. It is the nature of the beast :unsure: :)
 
I've actually approached Amtrak about a solution twice for this. The use of QR codes for customers to report issues. The more that report a particular issue, the more it bubbles up to the top.

http://www.quicr.net/About.aspx It's about time I approach them again.

There was actually some interest. I just need to escalate it again to the right people.
 
OlympianHiawatha said:
On one Viewliner trip, as I came into one of the Sleepers, a ceiling panel had fallen and was swinging by the safety chains. Must have just happened because it was blocking the corridor. I simply pushed it back up and held it in place while I used my Pocket Screwdriver to turn the corner locks. Simple, straight forward and I was quickly back on my way.
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That would be a good example, of what I would do. If its a simple fix, then I will just fix it myself. I look at it as something to do, to use up some of the long hours of the trip.

That's just the type of person I am. Who here, doesn't like working on trains? :D
 
When I worked sleepers, I always kept my Leatherman, a flashlight, Duct tape, and a few other handy-dandy tools in my grip. I couldn't fix everything, but I was able to address a lot of problems and come up with some kind of solution, even if it wasn't a perfect fix. I was also known to put some downright unfriendly notes on the MAP-21A form when something was reported more than once and not fixed.

When I first started working on the Auto Train in 1987, the train used Heritage cars and Amfleet II coaches. Since the train was so long and had so many cars that could present problems, we always had a traveling mechanic with us for emergency enroute repairs, and the guy was often busy. When the train converted to Superliners in the mid 1990's, we lost that person. I've often wondered whether the Company should go back to that practice.

Tom
 
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FormerOBS said:
When I first started working on the Auto Train in 1987, the train used Heritage cars and Amfleet II coaches. Since the train was so long and had so many cars that could present problems, we always had a traveling mechanic with us for emergency enroute repairs, and the guy was often busy. When the train converted to Superliners in the mid 1990's, we lost that person. I've often wondered whether the Company should go back to that practice.

Tom
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Mechanical has never recovered from the Gunn cuts. That being said, certain items aren't typically addressed until their 92 day inspections or it falls within the cycle of continous maintenance. It is an unfortunate side effect of equipment being in high demand.
 
The Talgos in the NW carry a Company Mechanical Rep in case anything goes wrong during their run.

Not sure if the States Pay for it, or the Company does, perhaps one of our NW Members has insight on this??
 
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Bob Dylan said:
The Talgos in the NW carry a Company Mechanical Rep in case anything goes wrong during their run.

Not sure if the States Pay for it, or the Company does, perhaps one of our NW Members has insight on this??
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That explains the guy wearing a shirt with "Talgo" on it. Amtrak uniform like, but with the Talgo logo on the chest.
 
Certain mechanical bases have developed a reputation for not fixing problems which are reported, *claiming* that they've fixed the problems, and sending the cars out anyway. This is no good but I've heard OBS complain about it more than once.
 
Part of the talgo contracts was a maintenance program where talgo provided the maintenance for their sets.
 
rosewood, I had the same problem on the starlight last summer and was worried my phone would die so I was going to the parlour to charge it. I asked my car attendant and he said it was common and he reset something for the car, like a circuit breaker or something and it worked. He indicated it happened a lot with everyone charging devices nowadays as compared to the days of when it was intended for an electric razor.
 
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