Amfleet Sleeper - AmSnooze

[bruceclouette]

Someone on the thread about the B&O-route from Washington to Cincinnati mentioned the two Amfleets that had sleeping compartments added to them - cars 22900 and 22901, I believe. Did this modification change the exterior appearance of the cars (i.e., windows blocked up?) Does anyone know if there are any pictures of one of these? I wonder if they had a steward for just two compartments, or were they self-service?

[Gilbert B Norman]

Ask the lady who rode one, or otherwise Ms. Bly.

[NellieBly]

No windows blocked up, just some interior partitions to set off the space for the two rooms. They were at the end of the car with the restrooms, and each room had a full Amfleet window.

As I recall, there was a coach attendant who also took care of the two rooms, although I remember making down my own bed (maybe the attendant had to show me how -- can't quite remember, it was 30 years ago now).

I've never seen any photos of the interior of the car, but surely they must exist. As I noted in a previous post, these were prototypes for Superliner economy rooms.

[hrfcarl]

No windows blocked up, just some interior partitions to set off the space for the two rooms. They were at the end of the car with the restrooms, and each room had a full Amfleet window.

As I recall, there was a coach attendant who also took care of the two rooms, although I remember making down my own bed (maybe the attendant had to show me how -- can't quite remember, it was 30 years ago now).

I've never seen any photos of the interior of the car, but surely they must exist. As I noted in a previous post, these were prototypes for Superliner economy rooms.

As to the layout, were the rooms across or next to each other? Seems like these "AmPads" would be a nice addition to business class cars on corridor trains, especially if Viewliner roomettes (keep sink, drop toilet & no shower) could be used, as an upgrade similar to what some aircraft are starting to offer on long distance flights.

[John_Perkowski]

Moderator's Note:

The installation of Economy Bedrooms in Amfleet cars is almost 30 years old. As Ms Bly pointed out, it was a 1:1 scale mockup in service, to test the return of the section accommodation to Amtrak. They were testbeds for the Superliner sleepers.

The test showing what it needed to, the experiment was finished and the cars restored to their normal configuration.

Don't think of this as something done in the past decade; this is, for us, the equivalent of someone on A-Day reaching back to the roll-out of the Southern Pacific Lark in 1941!

[David Benton]

things change in 30 years . ironically , the avaliability of sleeper chairs on long distance airplanes may lead to a similiar demand (or acceptance ) , on amtrak .

[spencer8b75]

Oh Man,, Am I ever so glad to see this post..Back in 1984-85ish my aunt used to treat me to an Amtrak trip when I got a B average on my report card. I was fourth grade living in Pelham Bay, NY. I ended up getting the B's and my aunt took me up to Niagra Falls on Train#63 out of Grand Central..We had an FL9 on the point of course. When we made our station stop at Croton Harmon the eastbound Lakeshore was in the station. I knew that I saw at least one Amfleet car in the consist in the phase 3 colors with the word "Sleeper" written over the white stripe near the door in place of the word "Coach". Those days were the best era to be a railroader or railfan...FL9's, Turbos, Heritage Sleepers, Lounges, F40's and B23-7's, SPV's + RDC"S on Metro North.. My Aunt, Inez Vaquez used to work for Metro North as a Physicans Assistant at Grand Central when they had the medical department on the lower level. DR Herlin (May He Rest In Peace) who ran the office would let her take me to work with her when I was out of school for the summer. I would usually sit in an empty exam room and sleep, eat and read railroad books that my aunt would buy me. Things changed after Chase, MD. That office got much busier with the random drug testing of train crews. Every now and then she used to work at the Croton Harmon Medical Trailer and Id get to spend a few hours on the Platform watching trains...What a variety!! I got a head end ride from Croton to Poukepsee on FL9# 2002 on one of the "Bomb Trains". I even got special treatment at the Harmon Shop open houses..I met Peter Stangl and shook his hand at age 12. He gave me his card which I still have to this day and told me to come back and see him when I was old enough to work for the railroad. The medical department closed in the early 90's and my aunt moved down to Sarasota, FL..That was the beginning of the end of a great era to be a railfan or railroader. Its seems like the Nazi Style Railroad Management we have today was less prevalant back in the those good old days

[jp1822]

I heard the Amsnooze was added or put together, if you will, cause at the time, Amtrak was required to operate a sleeper on any overnight route. Being short on sleepers, this was the next best thing that Amtrak could operate on the routethe Amsnooze was usually on - I believe a route that originated from Washington and went West from there perhaps to the Cumberland Valley region? So by just offering these two or four bedrooms, Amtrak was able to "get around" the overnight rule!

[Kaback9]

Had this concept held up would we have seen an order for viewliners or would who ever held the rights at the time to the Amfleet design have built a sleeper variation?

[Matt Johnson]

I've always wondered if at the very least, Amtrak could take some stored Amfleet coaches and reconfigure them with 2-1 business class leather seating. On the trains that operate with the half cafe/half business class cars, I've consistently found that business class sells out well in advance. It seems there might be enough demand to warrant an entire coach with that type of seating.

[TomNelligan]

things change in 30 years . ironically , the avaliability of sleeper chairs on long distance airplanes may lead to a similiar demand (or acceptance ) , on amtrak .

If so, Amtrak could use as a model Canadian National's "Daynighter" coaches of the 1960s and 1970s, which had large, comfortable individual seats that reclined almost to horizontal, not unlike the "sleeper" accomodations on some aircraft. I suspect that there would be a market for long distance accomodation that was roomier than a shared coach seat but cheaper than the phenomenally expensive sleepers, but of course any sort of new long distance equipment is only a fantasy without a Congessional budget authorization.

[Gilbert B Norman]

I've always wondered if at the very least, Amtrak could take some stored Amfleet coaches and reconfigure them with 2-1 business class leather seating.

Mr. Johnson, A-I Food Service cars 20132-36 were converted shortly after being placed in service during 1976 from their as delivered 18 "2-1" Club, Food Service, 28 Coach configuration to that of 18 Club, FS, 15 Club and renumbered 20670-74. AmClubs 20675-77 were delivered with that same configuration.

Source: RPC Publications

[jp1822]

Amtrak could create a completely new service class if they had a 2-1 all Amfleet business class car that had leather seating, extra leg room etc. This could be had from stored Amfleet cars and adding them to certain trains that operate at certain periods of time during the day (i.e. peak period on the corridor). I'd add onto that some sort of enhanced meal service for passengers seated in this car, where there's some sort of galley for food prep. This would be similiar to the Metroliner Amfleet First Class Car that once existed. I think the market is there on the corridor if Amtrak wants it. Business class on the NEC has morphed into something that is almost "not worth it."