posted
There are a lot of interesting ideas in the thread, Mr. Norman.
I really would like to see both bedroom and roomette expansion. Sinks and toilets in each roomette would be nice. How about TV and radio in each sleeper?
I count only about 8 Amtrak trains that will let you take bicycles aboard and it seems there is a limit of around 8 bikes. Possibly they will allow an expansion of that limit. I also would like to see most LD trains taking on bicycles. It would be great for trips to national parks. Bicycles would be nice to have for the Glacier Park stops of Whitefish, Apgar, and East Glacier.
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
So the first cars will enter revenue service this summer, huh? Well, I'm glad they're getting this new equipment and they do look nice…..but none of this addresses west coast issues at all. It's 100% east coast. Boooo!!
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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quote:Originally posted by yukon11: Sinks and toilets in each roomette would be nice. How about TV and radio in each sleeper?
Once upon a time, Viewliner roomettes did have TVs and onboard Video/DVD equipment. But the stuff rarely worked, and much of it was stolen or vandalized as the trains sat empty in railyards. The surviving equipment was removed.
While the current Viewliner roomettes do still have individual toilets, they tend to malfunction. And many passengers -- including Yours Truly -- are justifiably skeeved out by having a toilet right next to the bed. For those reasons, Amtrak has banished in-room toilets from the new Viewliner roomettes.
I'd be willing to bet, however, that Amtrak's decision to install only two public toilets per car -- for so many roomettes, often containing two passengers apiece -- will prove to be a design mistake.
Superliner sleepers have a higher toilet-to-roomette ratio than the new Viewliners. And even then, you can have a lengthy wait before one becomes available, particularly during the morning rush.
Granted, the new Viewliners will retain the in-roomette washbasins. But many passengers will use the less cramped public restrooms anyway to fully wash up, shave, and fuss with their hair. Which naturally takes far more time than a quick in/out pit stop.
And if one (or both) of the two restrooms floods or clogs and is declared out of order? Forget it.
During all of my trips, I've never seen a passenger use a Viewliner shower (most attendants use it for luggage, trash, or linen storage).
The shower space would be better utilized for a third restroom. As it stands now, two will definitely be too few.
posted
What Amtrak calls a Roomette, Pullman called a SECTION... (except Amtrak added walls, a la the UP early Cities trains of 1935)
-------------------- The City of Saint Louis (UP, 1967) is still my standard for passenger operations Posts: 1404 | Registered: Oct 2001
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Passengers now carry their own TVs and radios in the form of smartphones and tablets. Equipping all trains with wi - fi would take care of that.
Posts: 510 | From: Richmond VA USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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