Can anyone tell me what Superliner II means? Is it a newer car? (I'm assuming there must be a Superliner 1.) Just curious. Thanks!
Posted by irish1 (Member # 222) on :
i may be wrong but i believe the original order of superliners came out around 1984. they had like a burnt orange interior. the so called superlner II cars have a blue interior and came out around 1996[guess]
Posted by cajon (Member # 40) on :
Superliner Is were made first by Budd. IIs were made by Bombardier 94/95.
Posted by Jim (Member # 65) on :
Superliner Is were built by Pullman-Standard, not Budd, in late 1970s - early 1980s. (Budd built the ex-Santa Fe high-level coaches and lounges on which the Superliners are based.) As mentioned in a previous post, the IIs were built by Bombardier. (Pullman-Standard went out of business after building the original order of Superliners, and Budd got out of the passenger car business after building the Amfleet IIs used on Amtrak's eastern trains.) The primary difference between Is and IIs is that the IIs are modular, making maintenance much easier. They are also newer and more up-to-date styling wise (blues and grays, vs. browns and oranges) and have some refinements as a result of passenger input (complaints?) over the years. For example, the Is have a small closet in standard rooms, where IIs have just a small hangar bar, and the room feels more spacious as a result. Also, the lower level of the Sightseer lounge is different on Is vs. IIs as well. As a passenger, IIs are better for a couple of reasons: They are newer and therefore have less wear, they are easier on the eyes (unless you happen to like the earth-tones of the late 70s-early 80s) and the aforementioned refinements. Hope this helps.
Posted by reggierail (Member # 26) on :
Another difference is the showers in the newer Superliner sleepers are easier to use & the temperature controls are more precise. I have used both & really appreciate the newer cars. The heating & cooling systems are also upgraded to provide better climate control. The lower level snack bar in the lounge car is more open to passengers & allow them a better view of the products available for sale & also include built in trash containers eliminating the big brown bags which I thought were a bit tacky & prone to leaking & spillage. Reggie
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Posted by Dee (Member # 5) on :
Thanks to everyone. Speaking of improvements,wouldn't it be great if the top bunks in the superliner sleepers were made so a passenger could sit up in them like you can in the viewliner cars? (In my dreams, huh!)
Posted by Jim (Member # 65) on :
I agree, but unfortunately, height requirements don't allow it. The ceilings on all superliners can't be more than 6.5 ft. (My estimation.) It's one of the compromises necessary to make a "double decker" car. I am tall and appreciate the spaciousness of the higher ceilings in the single level cars, especially the Viewliners! (And I REALLY love the upper window!!) -Jim
Posted by Dee (Member # 5) on :
I agree, Jim. Being able to sit up in the upper bunk and look out of that big window is such a pleasure. A few years ago(after not traveling by train for a long time) we booked a Viewliner sleeper and it was really great. Sometime after that, I took a long trip with several segments on Superliners. I had assumed (stupidly) that ALL the sleepers would be similar, i.e. like viewliners. What a rude awakening THAT was! And that's not just figuratively speaking. You tend to FORGET that you can't sit up in that top bunk if you aren't used to it! I wonder who designed the Viewliners anyway. Does anyone know?
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
A few random thoughts on Superliner I vs. Superliner II:
The sleeper's upstairs toilet on the I model is oriented differently than any others. In that one toilet the "throne" faces the end of the car instead of the hallway door. That configuration creates an extra square foot of floor space that makes it much easier to use. Plus it allows a window (with a curtain in case you're not out in the country). They should all be that way.
Speaking of toilets, the Superliner I had a button to flush and the II flushes when you put the lid down.
As for the bedrooms, I prefer the hanger rod over the closet. Though the closet looks nicer, but it is easy to forget you have stuff in there when you get off. On the hanger it is in plain sight. We hung a garment bag with zipper pockets on the hanger and you can easily access the pockets while it hangs.
The upper bunks are definitely too cramped on all Superliners. It would really help if they had even a small window at the head of the bunk to relieve the claustrophobic feeling you get up there.
The low ceiling also makes it hard to get into. We had four of us traveling last summer, my wife and I plus my mother and sister. Neither my mother or sister are very agile and they were not able to get up there without great difficulty. My wife and I ended up in the two top bunks.
But even with these challenges, I really like the Superliner cars in general. They feel like a mini hotel on wheels. And the kid in me thinks the double-deck configuration is just plain fun.
------------------ Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth. -Mr. Toy
Posted by Santa Fe All the Way (Member # 526) on :
Here are four ways to tell the difference between the Superliner I and II's on the outside.
1) Superliner I's have european stye trucks while the II's have GSI trucks. Most II's I've seen have silver trucks, while the I's have black.
2) Every Superliner is in the phase 4 scheme. So you think it would be hard to tell the difference between I's and II's. It's actually quite easy. The I's were not completely repainted. A decal was simply put over the existing wide phase 3 stripes. As a result the silver of the car doesn't match the silver on the decal. The II's were painted in the phase 4 scheme so the silver matches thoughout the car. To tell if it's a I or II, just look at the red, white, and blue.
3) Superliner II sleepers are named after states. So if it says sleeping car by the entrance door, it's a Superliner I. If it is named after a state it's a Superliner II. The auto train has it's own sleepers named after Florida beach cities. All of these are Superliner II's. I have seen one named Superliner I sleeper. It's named after George M. Pullman, the I's were built by Pullman.
4) Superliner II's have lights by the entrance door. This was designed for night station stops to aide boarding passengers. This was intended for the Southwest Chief which makes many night stops. However, it is either hit or miss on this train now for Superliner II's, as certain trains carry full II consits, and the Chief gets what's ever avalible.
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
I rode on the George M. Pullman Superliner I last August on the Eastbound Zephyr. it looked a little tired and worn, but overall still comfortable,. However, the air conditioning to most of the rooms was broken. It still worked in the hallways, so it was just mildly uncomfortable, even in the Utah desert.
On the westbound trip we were in a Superliner II named Oregon. It was nice and clean and showed no signs of wear and tear. However, the A/C on that one worked too well. I had to wear a sweater through the desert!
------------------ Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth. -Mr. Toy
Posted by reggierail (Member # 26) on :
Just a little clarification for Santa Fe all the way. Superliner I's were built by Budd not Pullman. The Superliner II's were built by Bombardier a company which bought out the Budd company. Pullman hasn't built any cars since well before Amtrak even existed. The only train generally all Superliner II's would be the Coast Starlight. About a year or so ago there was talk of the Sunset Limited going all II's but from checking the consists I have found that not to be the case. I also rode the Sunset several times last fall & it was all Superliner I's. All of the overnight trains make late night stops & that is not unique to The Chief. Y'all keep riding the trains & keep posting here at the Forum. Yours Reggie