Passenger Trains > A Preview of the Viewliner II...

Inside this months Amtrak Ink:

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/BlobServer?blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1249230571499&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobheadername1=Content-disposition&blobheadervalue1=attachment;filename=Amtrak_AmtrakInk-081511.pdf

It needs some color - you will need sunglasses to sit in there. Also the tables are too small. Looks more bland and un-inviting than a White Castle.

Note the publicity shot of the Texas Eagle on page 6 with THREE units and a Sighteeer. Hah.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/11 11:17 by joemvcnj.

October 2012 for the first single-level car, a diner. You have to have the patience of Job when dealing with these guys.

In the diners, will they really seat only two at the small tables, as is shown? Or try and cram four people in? Seating at tables for two was common on crack trains before Amtrak, and is normal in Europe today.

Also are they really going to use full china service?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/11 12:01 by Ptolemy.

Wow, it looks like an Apple store with all of that white interior! Hope they can rework that or as the other poster said, you'll have to wear your Hollywood's to deal with it!

Yea, maybe a little bit of blue accents thrown in there would be nice. :p

Just looks too plain the way it is..

--Robert

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Must be the physical model not presentable to the public yet.
Looks like the set of a Progessive Insurance commercial (w/o that stupid brunette).

No more center divider in the window ?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/11 11:53 by joemvcnj.

i haven't got my issue yet but i see quite a few familiar names in that retirement section and in about 5 years that retirement section section is going to look like a phone book

Looks like the whole interior of the Viewliner diner could be washed down with a pressure hose -- which might be needed after serving everyone for breakfast the Bob Evans Scramble.

Ptolemy Wrote:
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> In the diners, will they really seat only two at
> the small tables, as is shown? Or try and cram
> four people in? Seating at tables for two was
> common on crack trains before Amtrak, and is
> normal in Europe today.

I'm being insensitive and politically incorrect here, but it looks like its 2 and 2 for obese people and 4 and 4 for skinny. If you are in the median for size, you are out of luck.

chakk Wrote:
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> Looks like the whole interior of the Viewliner
> diner could be washed down with a pressure hose --
> which might be needed after serving everyone for
> breakfast the Bob Evans Scramble.

Ouch! Like those pay toliets that hose everything down between uses?

But in all fairness, didn't Amtrak drop the Bob Evans Scramble years ago?

cabcar Wrote:
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> Yea, maybe a little bit of blue accents thrown in
> there would be nice. :p
>
> Just looks too plain the way it is..

I don't think (at least I hope not) that any color scheme is being depicted; hence the solid white.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/11 12:15 by GenePoon.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It needs some color - you will need sunglasses to
> sit in there. Also the tables are too small. Looks
> more bland and un-inviting than a White Castle.
>
> Note the publicity shot of the Texas Eagle on page
> 6 with THREE units and a Sighteeer. Hah.


I highly doubt that is the final coloring. When evaluating a design, models will often be done that are monochrome in order to look at the forms, then color is decided.

Color can be a very polarizing and involved process. In developing designs, my firm will often not create drawings or models with any color or just subtle color until later in the process so that the client will not focus on that aspect and get distracted.

Z

zephyrus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I highly doubt that is the final coloring. When
> evaluating a design, models will often be done
> that are monochrome in order to look at the forms,
> then color is decided.
>
> Color can be a very polarizing and involved
> process. In developing designs, my firm will
> often not create drawings or models with any color
> or just subtle color until later in the process so
> that the client will not focus on that aspect and
> get distracted.

Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense.

Here's the new attendant uniform they'll be wearing to match the decor....

Dave

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Wow! Reminds of of Hot Pants and red boots in the 70s. Yes, Amtrak ladies wore them......

DavidP Wrote:
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> Here's the new attendant uniform they'll be
> wearing to match the decor....
>
> Dave


If only some one photoshopped her to be holding an Amtrak ticket....

Amtrak has a good thing going with the current design setup of the Heritage Diners, that is the way the tables are laid out and the kitchen is in a separate and enclosed area. Why mess with a good thing? I hate to say, but the tables remind me of the tables that operate on teh Talgo trains (etched glass, seating for 2 on one side, while having seating for four on the other).

But wit the VII, It would appear to me that Amtrak is trying to get four people into these booths - no booths for 2. However the table size does seem to add confusion. Get a SQUARE TABLE and be and be done with it. Yes, it is nice to "slide" in better with the table edges "rounded off" a little on the end," but this space ends up beig used for food, drink, and even the waitstaff. And that should be the norm - 12 tables that seat 48 people (4 people to a table). Amtrak should have ample room to do this with the Viewliner concept.

I am sure the "mockup" doesn't incude all the "decorative" trim that will come about. But with a Viewliner II, Amtrak has the possibility to create a GREAT dining experience with the double row of windows and large "open space" that will be afforded by such.

And the picture is somewhat deceiving with what "lies behind" tables pictured." It almost looks like there is some sort of divider and then another set of tables. Again, I think the concept to keep things as open as possible with the VII design, with light streaming in from a double row of windows, is perfect. Too much sun, close the windows on the lower set of windows!

Amtrak has a great margin of error to mess up the sleeper design, as many designs have been speculated and debated. But one car they definitely can get right is the Viewliner Diner. 25 of these Viewliner Diners *could* and should put one on the Cardinal:

3 - Lake Shore Limited
4 - Silver Meteor
4 - Silver Star
4 - Crescent

TOTAL: 15 Viewliner Diners (60% fleet utiization)

2 - Cardinal (3 if the Cardinal goes daily, third can come from former prototype diner Viewliner 8400)
3 - Additional Single Level Trin TBD (i.e. Three Rivers/Broadway Limited, Montrealer)
5 - RESERVE

TOTAL: 25 Viewliner Diners (100% fleet allocation including reserves)

I also hope that Amtrak isn't too quick in disposing of the existing Heritage Diners, particularly those with the Terimosa (green interior) rebuild. Amtrak may need these diners as supplements or reserve diners. The Three Rivers was put back on the map as a coach only train but then gained a Heritge 10-6 refurbished sleeper from around 1999 to 2002 (getting an extension on the retention tank issue). Then came the Heritage Dorm cars from refurbished 10-6 sleepers.

So lesson altogether - don't be too hasty with scrapping or selling the existing Heritage Diners, especially after some have gone through a recent rebuild and could be used as lounge cars or otherwise within Amtrak's single level overnight long distance trains.

The Heritage diners gotta go - the floors are seriously corroded beneath the kitchens.

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> The Heritage diners gotta go - the floors are seriously corroded beneath the kitchens.


Too bad, if true. The long distance Eastern trains really need a GOOD lounge car.

The embellished Amfleet crummysnackbars aren't it!