(Just to clear up any potential confusion - I meant the existing roomettes in the existing Viewliners, not the new ones!)
Viewliner roomettes sell at artificially-high prices because they are in such short supply, especially during peak travel periods such as major holidays, Eliminating private toilet facilities and failing to restore in-room entertainment systems are major mistakes that further short-change passengers who are already paying premium rates for sub-premium accommodations.
Re: the BAG/DORM, does the general public really care if there’s dorm space in there or not? Until that occurred to me two minutes ago, I was in favor of the name, but now I say just call 'em all BAGGAGE.
Re: the entertainment system, as Amtrak pointed out when it removed them from the older cars, most people bring along their own entertainment nowadays, so there isn’t much need for it. But there is definitely a need for all trains to have reliable Wifi.
Why are new lounge cars not part of this order of viewliner equipment.It is hard to believe the current aging single level fleet of lounge cars will be adequate for the future.A single level version of the superliner lounge cars should be included in this latest order.
loosing the toilet is the best thing sinse sliced bread. its plain embarrassing to use the toilet during the night when sharing the room with someone else
I will miss the in-room toilets…a recent trip in an econo room on a superliner was a bit primative without that amenity…fortunately I don’t have a problem that necessitates frequent night visits. Various sleeping car attendants have told me over the years that a combination of men toileting in the “manly way” and a swaying train often results in unpleasant consequences with the toilet being right next to the bed…remember the old single bed slumber coaches had the toilet actually under the mattress when the bed was made up. You actually slept on top of the toilet…which did involve a bit of mattress rearrangement if you needed night-time relief
Having recently ridden in a Superliner sleeper I must agree with those who also have found the Viewliner to be superior. The compartments on a Viewliner seem to be just a bit wider, window-to-door, and that room helps. I also believe removing the in-room toilets is a mistake.
Good riddance to the “entertainment systems”. Y’got windows to look out of.
Maybe the time has come to revisit the “Slumbercoach”. The price was right and the capacity increased. I loved 'em on the NYC/ACL/SAL routes. A sleeper on the former “Owl” would be worth a test. So would a second diner for the LSL Boston section.
I never did cotton to a crapper in my room. I couldn’t stomach the odor even after I did my own business.
With these new Viewliner cars and adding some sleeper space on the Florida trains, I’m hoping Amtrak will return to running split operations of the Florida trains south of Jacksonville or Orlando. It’s ridiculous with the dogleg trip on the Silver Star to Tampa and the fact both Silver service trains have a schedule of only a couple hours apart from each other between Winter Haven and Miami.
As for the color scheme, I welcome the return of the tri-color band. The current scheme on the single level cars fades to a greensih blue and the pinstripes turn pinkish red too fast. The tri-color band really last and it stands out.
These new cars will help alleviate a problem of passenger over crowding,they are a nice change,since stainless steel is easier to clean,and does not rust,or get pitted.and shines longer then other types of steel.And the railroad needs new cars,means more revenue.Toot,toot.