Passenger Trains > Amtrak River Runner Service Reinstated

Amtrak reinstated its River Runner Service in Missouri on Thursday 13-Jun-19 with GE 8-32BWH #500 on the point of Train 314 seen at Leffingwell Avenue in Kirkwood.

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Only 311 and 314!

unusual lashup.  interesting axle requirement cars
 

Quite the motley crew consist!!!  And I'm not talking about the rock band...

What a perfect use for a brand new diner. 

Seth-

That GE looks pretty good for its age. Nice catch on the odd and ends consist - just need a sleeper and It might be a reinstated National Limited.

On the signal issue, I would think having two locomotives would help. Guess not.

What a waste of equipment!  

sethamtrak Wrote:
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> What a perfect use for a brand new diner. 
>
> Seth-

This is SO wreckless!!! Amtrak puts a BRAND NEW VIEWLINER II DINER (multi-million dollar car) and BRAND NEW VIEWLINER BAGGAGE CARS (additional multi-million dollar cars) on a corridor train just for axle count (no passenger benefit whatsoever) exposing it to a potential chance the car could get damaged enroute, wrecked (God forbid), incur unneeded and unwarantted wear and tear, etc. etc. If these cars are good enough to use for axle count - running empty with no revenue or passenger value whatsoever - why is Amtrak not considering some sort of revenue use for these single level diners for the long distance routes or long distance day routes.

What's the difference in running the Viewliner II Diners on the River Runner or taking two and assigning to the Vermonter or Adirondack as a premium class car? I am NOT saying to open the kitchen or serve any food or even assign any labor to the car. Rather, it's just as VIA Rail Canada operated its "Totem" and "Totem Deluxe" service classes on the Prince Rupert train - the car is a means to view the scenery better. The single level Viewliner 2 Diner merely acts as a single level Sightseer/Viewing Car, which lacks East of the Mississippi River. But you pay a premium to access this car. Just like "Totem" class, there's a fee to occupy this car, special ticket that the conductor can collect. Easiest would be to put it at the rear of the train and sell it as a business class ticket package - regular seating in business class Amfleet car, but you also get access to the Viewliner II Diner ala Viewliner Observation Car. Better to view Lake Champlain or the Vermont countryside through the Viewliner's large double row of windows than the Amslit windows.  

Look - that's just one idea - I am sure there are others out there. Seeing this picture though of the Missouri River Runner with a brand new Viewliner Diner not in service or being used for something revenue related, so annoying. 

Amtrak has had the Viewliner II's stored at Hialeah WAY to long now. We heard they were overhauling them so they could be combined diner and cafe car. Long over due for show and tell. The Cardinal and Silver Star should have these VIewliner II Diners assigned to them, even if not operating a full service dining option. Sub them for the Amfleet II Diner Lite Car. Amtrak's delay tactic with these Viewliner II Diners is ridiculous, and then to seem them used on trains just for axle counts - totally dumb and wreckless.    

They can't even secure a parcels or express contract to fill those empty baggage cars across Missouri ?
The Cardinal has an Amfleet-2 dinette with a staff of 2 and a Biz-Dinette with no staff. They could split the manpower between the 2 cars, and run a Viewliner diner instead of the Amfleet-2. 
The Amdinette-2's that were on the Lake Shore Ltd as the diner-lite should be on the Adirondack right now. 
Totally vision-less, hapless outfit - Amtrak. Too bad NARP is perpetually out to lunch to propose any cheap do-ables,.

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> They can't even secure a parcels or express
> contract to fill those empty baggage cars across
> Missouri ?
> The Cardinal has an Amfleet-2 dinette with a staff
> of 2 and a Biz-Dinette with no staff. They could
> split the manpower between the 2 cars, and run a
> Viewliner diner instead of the Amfleet-2. 
> The Amdinette-2's that were on the Lake Shore Ltd
> as the diner-lite should be on the Adirondack
> right now. 
> Totally vision-less, hapless outfit - Amtrak. Too
> bad NARP is perpetually out to lunch to propose
> any cheap do-ables,.

Don't bang on RPA. I am sure they have told Amtrak and Congress about this.   Blame Propellar Head.  Hope he is out soon...

Blame the UP for the extra axles; they claim that one engine and three cars---16axles is not enough to activate (with reliability) the signal system. 

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO

Actually it's not one of the new Viewliner Diners.  It's the prototype Viewliner Diner Indianapolis built a few years ago and is "non-standard" now.  

Actually, we’d all prefer them to be wreckless. We just don’t want them to be reckless.

kcpsbn Wrote:
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> Actually it's not one of the new Viewliner
> Diners.  It's the prototype Viewliner Diner
> Indianapolis built a few years ago and is
> "non-standard" now.  

Non-standard to the point it still couldnt be used as a sightseer type car - NO!

I also didnt think that Indianapolis had been painted back to the older Amtrak Paint scheme. Its also not that far from being non-standard. American View is non-standard too and it's used in the business fleet. 

The most unique AMTRAK train in America!!