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Sorry I'm a little confused, but as I understand it, only some of the LD routes will have the ONE car for both dining and lounging. Does anyone know at this point if the same current lounge cars will be used (say on the CZ)? If so, will half the upstairs simply have dining? What about downstairs? Basically, I want to travel a bit next summer, but am not interested if the current observation lounge cars aren't going to be available due to the diners. I certainly don't want to be trapped in my seat with nothing to do. I understand why so many rail fans are angry at these changes. It seems to me that many of these folks ought to also be furious with the Bush administration. If we weren't paying tens of billions of dollars for a war, Amtrak might get a bigger slice of the budget.
Mr. Toy Member # 311
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You are correct that only some trains, yet to be determined, will have just one dual purpose lounge/diner. During peak travel periods, they will add a second such car to the trains.
Converted diners will only have upstairs seating for both eaters and loungers. Food will be served continuously from 6:00am to 11:00pm.
Converted lounges will also have upstairs seating for eaters and loungers and the same food service hours. In addition, downstairs they will have reserved seating for more formal dining service.
Only Superliner I diners and lounges (the first generation of Superliners built in the late '70s-early '80s) will be converted. Superliner II lounges and diners (built in the early '90s) will continue as single purpose cars on full service trains as they do today.
Given the popularity of the sightseer lounge on trains like the CZ, I doubt they will use converted cars on that train or other routes with heavy doses of scenery.
sutton Member # 1612
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Thanks Mr. Toy! Do you imagine the Lakeshore Limited would be one car or the other? That's one of the trains I'll be taking as well. And with these converted cars, does it mean there will still be reservations, 'formal' seating with all those great tables in use--or sort of a come-as-you-may informal situation?
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Mr. Sutton, the Lake Shore is assigned single level equipment; from an article appearing in November TRAINS, it appears the amenity curtailment there will be even more draconian than anything planned for Superliner assigned trains.
PaulB Member # 4258
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One of the ideas I've heard floating around is that the Heritage diners will be sold/retired, and an Amfleet dinette will be a diner/lounge.
sutton Member # 1612
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Thanks, guys, for the info. Yes, I'd forgotten that the LSL is single level. I did like the little lounge car I rode on two years back on the now defunct Three Rivers. Will the lounge car attached to LSL next summer likely be similar? Or do you anticipate NO lounge whatsoever? Not sure what you meant by draconian. I do not want to travel if my only option is my coach seat.
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