Wrapped Acela

[VentureForth]

If you do a google search, you can find some photos of the History Channel's Acela Wrap.

On cross country trains, I think states should consider thinking about ads on the baggage car with U-Haul-like images for their state.

I don't think Amtrak wants to spend the money on paint jobs like the Vermonter baggage car, but it would sure be a nice comeback!

 

[AlanB]

It's only very cool if you are on the outside looking in. However it is my understanding that if you are riding inside the wrapped set, that it kind of sucks as it really hurts the ability to see out of the windows.

 

[battalion51]

You'll recall Amtrak has experimented with this before...

As you might be able to tell based on the current paint jobs of our locomotive fleet, it didn't work out too well. Advertising for short term promotions and events work okay, but national advertising campaigns generally don't work out too well. You see a train for such a short period of time, that the message really doesn't have an opportunity to make it's impact on the target market.

 

[AlanB]

You'll recall Amtrak has experimented with this before...

The difference is that they only wrapped the locos in that experiment. In this case they wrapped the entire train from the lead power car to the trailing power car, and in doing so severly hampered the ability to see out of those nice big windows that they were smart enough to put in originally.

So far I've heard nothing but complaints from those who've been riding inside the one trainset that got wrapped. Hopefully Amtrak will here those complaints and not do this again. Or find some way to avoid covering the windows.

 

[battalion51]

I'd have to agree with those passengers. We have a bus here at FSU that's fully wrapped, and it's darn near impossible to see out those windows. Defeats the purpose of the large Acela picture windows in this case.

 

[x-press]

Correct. The wrapped windows are unpleasant, and, in my case, actually lead to a slight case of motion-sickness.

I won't be spending any more money on Acela upgrades as long as this unfortunate idea is roaming the system. Few things have moved me to write complaint letters to Amtrak; this is one of them.

JPS

 

[VentureForth]

Not suprisingly, here's what Amtrak said (before the debut):

The vinyl wrap will appear on both sides of the train's two locomotives and six cars. It will be visible from the outside but won't impede the view out the windows, Amtrak said Tuesday. Posters advertising Brokaw's program will also appear inside the wrapped train.

I'm guessing that it ain't so... :angry:

 

[The Metropolitan]

If you've ever ridden a wrapped city transit bus, you'd know what its like - the wrap material is like a perforated mesh over the windows - yes you can see out, but it's like looking through a honeycomb of sorts.

One thing in particular that concerns me is artifacts once the wrap is removed. We have buses in our fleet that haven't carried a wrap in YEARS, yet there remains a clear residue outline of where the mesh once was on the windows. Hopefully they used a lighter duty adhesive that doesn't leave such artifacts, but considering the track speeds of 150mph vs. a max of 60 on a bus, I have my doubts.

 

[haolerider]

If you've ever ridden a wrapped city transit bus, you'd know what its like - the wrap material is like a perforated mesh over the windows - yes you can see out, but it's like looking through a honeycomb of sorts.
One thing in particular that concerns me is artifacts once the wrap is removed. We have buses in our fleet that haven't carried a wrap in YEARS, yet there remains a clear residue outline of where the mesh once was on the windows. Hopefully they used a lighter duty adhesive that doesn't leave such artifacts, but considering the track speeds of 150mph vs. a max of 60 on a bus, I have my doubts.

It sure is hard to keep everybody happy. This is a revenue generator for Amtrak and it won't last forever. You hear a lot of comments on the various forum boards about how Amtrak never does anything new and/or innovative and they try something like this and get nothing but negative comments. It should attract attention to the train and isn't that the idea - to attract attention and perhaps get new business??

 

[VentureForth]

I love the wrapped locos. Wonder why we don't see more of those. Something I mentioned elsewehere, it would be real nice to bring back painted baggage cars like the Vermonter. Ask the states to pay for them, or do a cost sharing. Maybe they can get the same artist that did the U-Haul trucks...

The one time I saw the Vermonter baggage car, I was in Dallas. Made me really feel like thinking about a trip to the cooler NE! The wrapped train looks cool, but if folks are complaining about riding in it, it needs to be rethought. At least the inside of the trains aren't like the inside of a typical Japanese commuter train with something like 250 leaflet flyer-ads posted in each car...

 

[Trogdor]

Ah, yes. The painted baggage cars. I remember having the Adirondack baggage car on the California Zephyr I rode a few years ago.

I haven't really taken a close look at the photos of this train (though I have seen a few). However, I wonder if they could have designed an ad that could have left the windows (or at least, most of the window) clear. Many transit systems have bus ad wraps, but don't allow them to cover the windows.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

I think that the folks at Amtrak who are responsible for making the decision of whether to apply a wrap that covers the passenger's windows should first be required to apply the same wrap to all the windows of their personal vehicles, including the front windshield, for the duration of the time that the same wrap is on the Amtrak passenger cars' windows, before they are allowed to sign off on the idea of applying it to the railcar windows. See how THEY like it. That would work to ensure that the passengers' view is not significantly degraded.

 

[had8ley]

Anyone know if the Legoland car is still rolling on the West Coast? Last saw it in San Diego about 5 years ago.