Railroad Forums 

  • Usage of new diners - split from v2 thread

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1491571  by superstar
 
There was a rumor going around a couple months ago that there was going to be a hot breakfast option. I'm disappointed it never came to fruition because I think the single breakfast option is the biggest weakness of the service.
 #1491829  by eolesen
 
Under union workrules, can Amtrak even have the diners assigned to other trains and open for use without a food service worker present?

I get that people don't want to see new cars sitting in a yard, but that cost of ownership is money already spent. You're not saving any money by using them. If anything, you're probably wasting it.

In the yard, they're not breaking down requiring service, they don't need to be cleaned, and they aren't causing incremental fuel burn.

Putting them into service on a state service elsewhere simply means they're not available to swap into service when they're needed for another car that's out of service, and they're now a new type of car that the mechanical guys will have to deal with and won't necessarily have the parts to repair with if something does break... Sure, there's commonality with the other VL2's, but not necessarily with the interior fittings, and those are the things that will break if they're opened to the public.
 #1492651  by jp1822
 
Amtrak stored Amfleets and other cars that I won't even mention, and it took stimulus money and other funds to get them back into working order, while other cars put to storage in "new" condition were scrapped. There's an inherent cost to store or keep them inactive as well. Amtrak has 14 potential Viewliner II Diners to swap into service where only 11 are required for service (8 if you want to consider Viewliner Diners with operational kitchens).
 #1494704  by jp1822
 
Eight (8) Viewliner II's are in active duty as regular diners on the Crescent and Meteor
Three (3) Viewliner II's are in active duty as sleeper lounges on the Lake Shore Limited

That's a total of 11 Viewliner II Diners in regular use, out of 25 that could be used (counting Indianapolis). VIewliner II Diner Albany has not been re-delivered yet, otherwise the number would be 26.

So that means Amtrak has 14 (FOURTEEN) VIewliner II Diners in storage right now - Hialeah, Florida in all likelihood.

ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS AND SUCH A WASTE OF A GREAT RAIL CAR WITH A LOT INVESTED IN IT. Remember - it doesn't HAVE to operate as a diner. Close the kitchen and operate as a sleeper lounge on other single level long distance trains, or as a "lounge" on long distance day trains. Car has great opportunity and potential for serving and adding value to a patron's travel on Amtrak. That's the greater goal of Amtrak.