posted
I rode the Coast Starlight this week, and arrived in LA on Tuesday, Cinco de Mayo. You know that espresso machine that Amtrak purchased for the Pacific Parlour Cars? Broken
Not only that, but apparently it makes the hot chocolate too, so no hot chocolate either.
smitty195 Member # 5102
posted
And they spent $7,500 per machine on those things. They get a workout on European trains every day, and this is why Amtrak bought them---because they are specifically manufactured for commercial use on a moving train. Leave it to Amtrak to break them.
sbalax Member # 2801
posted
Something is very wrong here. Perhaps there was no training?
I know that the units that fly on Continental's 767's and 777's are very reliable and easy to learn how to use. No major problems with them.
Frank in cloudy SBA
George Harris Member # 2077
posted
quote:Originally posted by smitty195: And they spent $7,500 per machine on those things. They get a workout on European trains every day, and this is why Amtrak bought them---because they are specifically manufactured for commercial use on a moving train. Leave it to Amtrak to break them.
Maybe somebody forgot that the standard electric current is different between US and Europe?
ehbowen Member # 4317
posted
Or maybe somebody decided that it was quicker and easier to hang an "Out Of Order" sign on the unit than to take it apart for a proper cleaning?
MDRR Member # 2992
posted
Eric's suggestion is probably closer to the truth, that and/or an extra board attendant working car who has no knowledge of working the machine, and/or don't have proper coffee/supplies to operate machine. All are likely scenarios based on my experience.
PaulB Member # 4258
posted
I rode the CS from SLO to LAX on Monday. Same crew as I had on my previous trip, but different PPC attendant. The PPC we had on this trip was 39973, while on the previous trip I believe we had 39974.
Again, on this trip, I went to the attendant and tried to order a hot chocolate, and she replied that the machine wasn't working
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
posted
Why Amtrak ever went out and spent whatever they did on those contraptionxs ($40K?), especially when a Mr. Coffee can be had at Wally World for $30, escapes me. It's all the same - it's just coffee.
Seems that Starbucks business model is in need of an overhaul of late as there appears to be, as the economists say, "resistance" to a hit of bilgewater @ $5 a throw.
The only time I have occasion to be near a Starbucks is on my out of town trips knowing that most of them do carry The New York Times. Last one I was in was during my April journey and at the Atlanta area Norcross Mall; when I picked up my Times and was getting ready to pay for it, the sales clerk (don't they have some funny sounding name for them?) says in a tone suggesting that I'm forgetting something "Is that all?".
But then that's from someone for whom "coffee is coffee', and I guess could draw responses to the effect of "what's the big diff whether the wine is in a box saying Franzia on it rather than Kistler on the label?".
Yes, waste is endemic in anything Feddybucks touch and no doubt Rush and Sean are compiling a laundry list of such arising from ARRA '09, but how many complimentary wine tastings could be hosted by Amtrak with that $40K they dropped of those devices?
smitty195 Member # 5102
posted
Thanks for the update, Paul. I'm really curious now and I am going to ask someone at Amtrak management about this, because that is not acceptable. It's not that it's not acceptable to not have hot chocolate, but rather it's not acceptable to have two cars with brand new very expensive machines that are already broken. Or I should say, "Broken" because with Amtrak, who knows what the real reason is behind something.
So just to make sure I have the correct info, it was 39974 on the #11 that arrived LAX on May 5th, and 39973 on the #14 the departed on May 25th?
Railroad Bob Member # 3508
posted
quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: (don't they have some funny sounding name for them?)
Yes, Mr. Norman-- they like to be called baristas. Remember, Starbucks likes Italianate types of things, such as calling their extra large drinks venti instead of extra large.
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