Amtrak’s NEW Viewliner II Sleeping Car | Amtrak Silver Meteor - New York to Orlando | Roomette
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- Опубліковано 25 бер 2021
- Amtrak Viewliner
History
history.amtrak.com/blogs/blog...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viewliner
Names
on-track-on-line.com/amtkrinf...
Roomettes
www.amtrak.com/roomettes
Amtrak Silver Meteor
History
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_...
Route Info
amtrakguide.com/routes/silver...
www.amtrak.com/silver-service...
#amtrak
The only chance Amtrak has to stay afloat *without* high speed rail is with advanced customer comfort... and this means full service dining cars with a real menu: no microwave, no plastic packets, etc. Also a full bar. The travelers that pay for sleeper comfort are more interested in luxury travel than in speed (air travel). The dining and club cars are the key.
Absolutely yes
Well said.
Amtrak will never be more than what it is. Fact, more people want to fly than go by train. Most people do not want to spend 18 hours on train when they can fly in 3 hours. Even with the hassle of flying, time means a lot to most people. Train travel in the US will never be attractive enough for people to give up flying. I do not care how nice you make the trains or the food service. Hell right now a roomette or family room can cost as much as flying. High speed trains will never happen.
@@ellisjames7192 .. hello.. I respectfully disagree..I do agree to your point of time.. folks really value their time… however, during the height of Covid I was impressed with rider volume in coach and sleepers…when Amtrak dropped social distance rules, rider volume exploded… these trains are absolutely full in sleeper and Coach…for me I love to split my trips.. one way flying.. one way sleeper car….
Yes. I agree. I love train travel. But since it’s more expensive, I want dining car service.
Awesome new sleeping cars. I am one of the 157,000 who have signed the petition demanding Amtrak to bring back it’s iconic dining service.
It is a VERY awesome sleeping car, but they really need to order a replacement fleet of Superliner cars - ones that look exactly like this. CAF did an awesome job, so why don’t we send a petition Amtrak to use the same manufacturing company to build new Superliner III cars
@@coleallen3895 Amtrak is undergoing a project to refresh the tired interiors on the Superliners, because on their long term fleet plan they have stated that that they will not be able to retire the current fleet of Superliners before 2026. They have also said the retire of the Superliners could mean the end of bilevel service. They are considering converting it’s entire long distance network to single level in the next decade, because single level equipment have easier accessibility than double decker.
@@johnsons74thsquadron74I would seriously hope not. I’d be pretty sad if there was no more observation car with a high view
@@coleallen3895 Simple fix Amtrak needs to include 75 Viewliner observation cars with the single car order. I am with you. I also would hate to see long distance service no longer include an observation car. I live in Dallas, Texas. The only train to serve it is the Texas Eagle, which is currently running three days a week and with sit down dining service suspended. Since October, the Eagle has been running with no lounge car. Though that will hopefully change since all long distance service will be back to daily along with the dining service restoration at the end of May.
yes they need to do that.
When I was a very little boy in the 1940s we used to take the train from Washington d.c. to eau claire Wisconsin to visit my grandparents- I still remember sleeping in the upper berth and watching the lightsxat night go by - thanks for a real nostalgia trip!!
I could watch these train videos forever. There's just something so relaxing about it.
Just imagine how relaxing an actual trip would be! It's been years since I've taken Amtrak- this is getting this juices flowing again!
@@drbabydoll755 Planning one from Boston to DC in about 2 weeks, what with the major conventions of the year (Otakon) reopening, so hopefully it will be as memorable as these vids echo.
Hoping it will be a Viewliner II as well…
I’ve traveled north, south, east and west on Amtrak and watching this video gives me the urge to go somewhere soon.
@Patty Kovatovich except for the food aspect!!!
@@andi2234 - 😢 Sad but true ...
Go
E
As, soon as I return from abroad, I'm on the same train nyc to Florida
My 1x trip
Yeah, I could never afford to travel in accommodations this extravagant, so I'm living vicariously through your video. Thanks for an enjoyable time.
It's more affordable than you think
Yes , I like the new room, looks like the top bunk has a window to look out while relaxing . A return to cooking the food ordered would be a nice touch. My first ride in the 70s had cooks in the kitchen, white table cloths, and silverware.. I ordered a steak on grandpa.😊.
The Viewliner I roomettes also have a top bunk window... The main difference other than being nearly 30 years newer are the removal of the toilet and adding a second electrical outlet...
That sounds like it was so much fun. What a special memory!
@@ronclark9724 They removed the toilet , that ,and the real dining,with table cloths and silver was what made sleepers the
best travel experience. A second outlet ,???! that's something I could do without !
?
All of that is gone and never will return. Amtrak has been a money losing proposition from day one.
Taking one of these somewhere is at the top of my bucket list
You'll enjoy the ride and experience, i promise you.
My wife and I took a first class 3 week train tripe through Canada. We had amazing adventures in between three different trains across the continent, fabulous hotel rooms, magical historic hotels, scenic lookouts, and a visit to a glacier in the middle of a snowstorm. The train cars for first class had very large private rooms with huge windows and full bathrooms.
You can make stops on a similar train trip around the USA as well. I prefer spending a day or two at different locations on the around the USA train journey. While Amtrak's deluxe sleeper is not as large as other trains, it does have a ensuite bathroom with a shower suitable for a couple...
What did you do with your luggage? Let's say you only wanted to spend 6-8 hours at a stop where there lockers at most train stations for you to keep your stuff? I would do a trip like if every train station had lockers.
@@alexandervalaris72 Fear of bombers led to the shutting down of the lockers.
Sounds like the cars we saw in the movies from the '50s and '40's.
@@galolito wow that sucks. Living in fear is a bad space to be in. At any rate thanks for the reply.
Also, regular Amtrak dining with a cook on board is returning soon to the eastern routes. Western routes just had theirs restored a couple of weeks ago.
Yeah, the tv dinner and microwave gas station hamburgers sucked.
@@lynbodeen Yes, gotta be freshly cook food on board, or the trip is not anywhere as enjoyable!
Took the silver Meteor (Washington DC to Florida on 10/31/21. Unfortunately the still have "Flex Dining" (microwave black plastic plates). Grrrrr.
@@janstickles3035 however, there are new UA-cam bloggers reporting new menu items. It's still progress towards restoration in the eastern trains.
I was fantasizing about a trip; but, I am rethinking after seeing so many awful meals.
Love riding the rails. One of mans greatest ways of traveling ever invented.
A little voice narration would be especially nice to go along with the video.
Agree with first part of comment. No voice narration needed. Let the ride do the talking.
Thank you for sharing what to expect during a train ride. My husband and I recently reserved a train trip for the sleeper car, but was not aware they were serving glorified TV dinners. After this awesome video, we called the Amtrak to confirm our reservations and asked about the meals. The representative said due to COVID, all meals are prepackaged and then microwaved to serve to passengers. I SO SO tired of businesses using COVID as an excuse to not serve quality food. COVID has nothing to do with quality.!!!! Especially when the price does not reflect the downgrade. Once again......thank you for the heads up.
Appreciate ya!!!!
You're absolutely right. Amtrak started serving the TV dinners in 2019, long before COVID. The food was/is a far cry from the meals they used to serve. We pay enough money for the rooms and Amtrak should bring back the real meals!
Amtrak was not "quality" before covid ... especially in the observation car. I like Amtrak but I bring my own food.
sometime in June of 2021 they are going back to more real food, at least on the east/west trains. Covid was not the only excuse. Some fool decided that Millenials do not like eating with strangers and figured that microwave airline 2nd class food was a good idea. Apparently they are rethinking their decision, which was based on Profit making
@@markrobinowitz8473 do you mind sharing what kind of food you bring on, and how you prepare it/heat it up? I'm trying to plan a trip for fall, and I don't wanna eat jimmy dean sandwiches the entire time
@@phils2684 I bring a small cooler that has ice in it. I have no idea what a jimmy dean sandwich it (and probably don't want to know). You can live without reheated food for a day. Sometimes the cafe car allows one to have hot water to make instant soup or coffee, sometimes they get upset I don't want to eat their preservative laden crap food.
I was able to experience Amtrak travel back in the early 1990s. I really miss that dining car experience, where I got to the dining room at a set time and had a really good meal. Very sad. I really hope it gets back to that someday.
Yep, I remember an awesome Cornish game hen
My wife and I LOVE taking the AutoTrain , I find it hard to believe that a similar line from Coast to Coast does not exist especially if the AutoTrain is their most profitable line.
The AutoTrain works on the eastern seaboard due to its overnight daily service. People ride and sleep on the train instead of driving and spending a night in a hotel or motel. This service won't work anywhere near as well for a two or three night journey, fares would triple. At that price most would rather fly and rent a limo. Keep in mind this isn't the past of the 1940s of the railroads heyday, the filthy rich fly in chartered private jets and rent limos today...
@@ronclark9724 There are many over night corridors across the country loaded with traffic. Chicago to Kansas City.....Chicago to Minneapolis ...Chicago to Denver...... A two or three night trip would be even more popular. Auto train was grandfathered in by Atlantic Coast Line RR agreements That CSX must honor. Amtrak now because of awards by the courts in the 1990's is able to run these services anywhere. But instead they were facing defunding and shutdown. Unlike all other forms of transportation that get massive unlimited Federal dollars and bailouts.
@@ronclark9724 This is also why we desperately need to change this. We're so behind on high speed rail transit cross country, compared to the EU, and cheap airfare won't last forever.
Vote for Democrats and we will have magnetic super trains going across the country
Yea, sorry not buying that for a penny! There will never be high speed rail in the US! The fact that Amtrak has been in financially hard times for years because of its lack of use is proof of that. Amtrak and high speed rail would still lose out even if "low cost" airlines prices increase because their speed would still be twice, to three times, that of high speed rail and more frequent flights would still make it way more appealing. Then there is the issue that there are considerably more airports getting you closer to your final destination, so even if you took the train, there is a good possibility that car rental is a must just to get to your final destination. Those that would use Amtrak, or other passenger rail services if they exist(ed) would do so because they aren't in that much of a hurry or just enjoy it. We live in a "want it now society" and traveling by (long distance) rail is more of a novelty in the US because of the size of our country. I do really enjoy the AutoTrain because I can take my vehicle with me and I don't have to drive all the way to FL, we use to live in the Tampa Bay area and will likely continue using the AutoTrain when we go to visit, the hard part is just getting to the station in Lorton, VA.
So sad to see what has become of meal "service". The most memorable part of my trip in the 90s was an awesome cornish game hen dinner while going through the Rockies
We booked a roomette in 2019 along the east coast and had full meal service. Dinner was beautifully presented on actual plates, steamed green beans, bread rolls and dessert that wasn’t in plastic wrap. If these plastic TV dinners become permanent I will cry. The meal and panoramic views make the train special.
Forgive me if this seems rude/my ignorance - but let's not forget we're still very much in a middle of a pandemic, and not out of the woods yet. So it's understandable Amtrak isn't offering a proper dining service right now. Train companies here in the UK has taken similar precautions while Corvid is about... I imagine in 1-3 years time when conditions are more favourable Amtrak will probably return to a proper dining service (providing they find it profitable at that point, of course. ^^").
@@CrystallisedEntertainment True. I hope you are right. Fingers crossed🤞
I’ve taken the NY/FL route both before and during COVID precautions. Without a doubt the food prepared in the kitchen and served in the dining car was a lot better, and I hope that returns ASAP. I found the COVID era prepackaged microwave meals to be of OK quality for what they are.
@@CrystallisedEntertainment - NO. YOU are in a pandemic, the rest of us are doing just fine.
I hope you do more, This is my way of getting out. Thanks
I agree with your critique of the service on this trip. I've never ridden Amtrak (though I did travel by rail from Seattle to Colorado when younger), but I have nearly thirty years in experience as a brakeman, conductor and engineer on a short line route in Alaska (W.P&Y.R. -though you've probably never heard of it). I also realize that the pandemic has changed nearly everything about our way of life. Still, Amtrak is probably suffering by employing inexperienced railroad people managing things, much as a lot of railroads in America. They're hiring MBA's instead of employing experienced rail experienced people to run things. More focused on the 'bottom line' than on providing a quality product for their customers. If they want to compete with airlines they're going to have to do better.
If you rode the Pioneer it's been gone for years.
You are right on that account. Upper management is ex--airline executives nowadays. They could care less if this form of transportation goes away. I grew up with Santa Fe and Fred Harvey meals. Nothing beats that. Today there is far too much plastic to look like wood and stainless steel. Were the cars of the '50s that unsafe in decor? They were so much nicer.
Well, the W.P.& Y. is a step up from what Amtrak call 'service' these days. Haven't seen it since '94 - took the ferry over from Haines as a 'shortcut' to Whitehorse. Actually we got to Skagway and found two cruise ships in town and beat feet out of there. We lived in Homer for 15 years and didn't need anymore tourists. Stopped at the cemetery in Dyea and headed up to Whitehorse.
The biggest problem Amtrak is facing is trying to survive with all the cuts that congress has laid on them. I don't want to get political here but for the last decade one party has tried to strangle them and the other just looks the other way.
@@denali9449 Where's another American Hero...like our youngest and most badass of them all who loved train travel...Theodore Roosevelt1858-1919)...I am dreaming of course!
Amtrak doesn't want to compete with airlines, they just want to stay afloat. That's been their business plan from the outset.
Excellent video. Loved the natural sound and concise, informative captions.
Indeed the downgrading of the food is shameful. Took a roomette on the Chief 7 years ago and the dining experience was superb.
What an improvement these Viewliner II roomettes are over the spartan, cramped Superliner roomettes. The overhead storage space was badly needed.
Took the auto train from Sanford to Lorton about 20 years ago. Stayed in a family bedroom. The food and service were outstanding - as a pro chef I was very impressed.
All the employees we encountered were wonderful and very professional.
About 3 years ago I took a trip to MIA from ORL in a roomette. The difference could not be more stark.
TY for this video - I learned a lot. I hope Amtrak can get things together - the experience can be wonderful for travelers.
GREAT NEWS!! I took the Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville 2 weeks ago. The food service has returned to what it once was. Scrambled eggs, French toast, omelet made to order for breakfast. And the lunch and dinner meals were better than I had expected. Steak cooked to order (not easy to get medium rare anywhere but my steak came medium rare as ordered!!).Very good.
As for the views. Incredible. I booked a bedroom (just me so I had lots of space), not the roomette. My only real negative was that the floors in the bedroom, and probably throughout, were not clean. Some small food pieces left by previous riders, and lots of dust. This issue is a staffing problem as well as lack of management/supervisor oversight. The toilet/shower combo was quite clean, however. Mattresses could be better but for only 2 nights.....
Let’s hope as the pandemic recedes, and herd immunity is reached, the intended purposes of all the equipment will return along with the meal service upgrades that were a wonderful feature of train travel. I for one was very disappointed when the coffee station was discontinued from the sleeper car hallway. Imagine the disappointment for passengers who now travel the 2 or 3 day train trips across country and are served glorified TV dinners as their meals. If you’d never traveled by train before, this wouldn’t be such a jarring experience. But for us seasoned train aficionados, it is shocking. Yet still I am convinced the train is the better way to travel even with such downgrades. The element of relaxation and contemplation make it ideal, and far less jarring than air, and bus long distance travel. I also appreciate the courteous attitude of all the personnel particularly the conductors, who used to display a brusque petulance upon greeting and providing information along the way.
remember that weak ass story they put out about people not wanting to eat together in the dining car , anymore just some 🐂💩 storyline some clown in the tRump administration came up with , I hope president biden puts people in place to fix this mess
80 Billion,will hopefully improve things.You are right,the train is a great way to travel.If you get a chance try the Euro Rail.Never buy a. Full pass ,rather get a certain amount of days within a certain time frame.That way it's not wasted while you explore a place for a couple of days.Good luck and Happy Travels.
@@barroningram7286 biden ain't going to do sh!t. Wuflu bug bad for sure whether man made or nature, but basically just like any other flu, the chances of spreading is the same as it has always been. Nothing new here except politicians got involved.
@@ilikesalt7245 Spoken like a true ignoramus.
@@ilikesalt7245 And you are Doctor…Who?
I use to love the dining and looked forward to all the meals served on fine china and silverware! All prepared by excellent cooks to order.
Remember when people used to dress up to travel? Those days along gone just like meals on fine china. Never coming back.
@@ellisjames7192 Why are you so intent on saying it will never return, when IT HAS RETURNED. You just look stupid or ignorant or both!!
I would have the best night sleep on this train. The white noise the rocking a little. Perfect
Thank you, the report is thoroughly enjoyable.
Well done. Many Thanks.
Thanks for watching... for more guidance.. 📈📉
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(27:39) Blame the C.E.O. of Amtrak for the bad meals on train.
This was an awesome POV. Train travel is definitely on my bucket list! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for this video! Really enjoyed the tour around the coaches. Look forward to seeing the other videos in your collection! 👍
The Auto Train changes its crew in Florence, SC. The track is about 1/2 mile from my house. Around 3 in the morning they come creeping through and sounding their horn.
I prefer the Viewliner 1, I'll trade aesthetics for a bathroom ANY DAY.
Right!! So now at 1 am i have to get fully dressed to go to the bathroom. Bad decision.
@@trippplehshoes and possibly wait in line or have to hurry bc someone is knocking. Horrible. I prefer my own germs thank you very much.
@@basia1335 exactly! And these rooms arent cheap!! Between 500.00 to 900.00 just to use a public bathroom.....
@@trippplehshoes do what doctors on call do- sleep in scrubs.
Glad u and the other folks said that...that was my first impression. Though it's wedged pretty close to your seats, I very much prefer an in-room toilet in the roomette. Didn't bother my wife and I!
Thank you mr Fore for a great trip!
Thank you for the very informative and relaxing video! Well done!
Very nice video. Lets hope the dining car makes a full return. I know unlike airplanes, the train dining was a pleasant experience and I used to like the breakfast french toast. Can't blame Amtrak for the virus issues that caused what we have to deal with now. Stay safe.
I miss the Amtrak flat iron steak, but I recall the days of the Burlington T-bone and rainbow trout....
Something everyone has missed is Amtrak started this "contemporary dining service" prior to Covid in the summer of 2018. They pawned it off as "New and Contemporary dining" media.amtrak.com/2018/04/new-contemporary-dining-soon-two-amtrak-routes/
It was done because Republican Congressman of Florida passed a law to kill it. Long before Covid. His name is John Mica...retired but his laws stand.
@@hi55us2 Amtrak used the excuse it was obeying the Republican John Mica's of Florida's law to get rid of the food service. Trump was working to get rid of all of it this fall. If not use food trucks at stations. The problem was the railroads had downgraded the tracks to one or two main tracks in stations. So there was no place to leave a train anymore to eat!!
We travelled from Chicago all down east coast to Tampa in 2018 they LIED about dining car, instead we got a SOY BURGER,little bag chips&coke,price?
ELEVEN DOLLARS&.25 CENTS,!!,11.25! LIARS awaken@3:00 AM! Train going OVER 100 MPH!.😡
the wife and i took the Coast Star light awhile back. we stayed in the first class roomettes. i remember the food was great. i wouldn't take the train again until they go back to first class service.
I agree Polycarp.
Well you will not be getting on a train any time soon. First class service is never coming back to Amtrak, never.
I watched so many videos of amtrak train travels, and yours is the best hands down so far. Respectful, knowledgeable, aware of the systems limitations, realistic. I really enjoyed every minute of it!
Love to ride the train! From 1960 to 1970, I rode The Hummingbird from Louisville, KY to Mobile, AL and back twice a year. I always wanted a sleeper but couldn't afford it. The best part of the trips for me were dinner and breakfast. The dining car was so elegant, with white tablespoons and real restaurant china and tablewear. The food was freshly cooked and delicious! Quite a treat! I really mourn the passing of those "good old days" riding the L&N Railroad. But I still long to jump on every train when I hear that whistle blow!
My sentiments exactly!!!!!
I took my second round trip by train from NYC to Lakeland Florida in 4 months. First trip, roomette down, coach back. Second trip roomette both ways ( viewliner I down, was given viewliner II back, you don’t get to pick which one, it just happens when booking ticket). Both trips, different experience. Food is eatable, just ok. With the room, you get soda, water, coffee, juice, ice tea all you want. One alcohol beverage is included with room. You are allowed to bring your own and consume in your room. The new rooms are nice. I did miss the personal toilet in the new room. It has its pluses. The bathroom wasn’t bad in the new car. I liked the extra outlets in the new car. I did bring an extension cord with extra plugs in it. It comes in handy with the “older” rooms. You do need it, there is only one outlet. It was nice to sleep on a new mattress in the new car. The mattress in the older car was stained. You don’t see that with the sheets on, but when I took the mattress off, sadly I saw it and was grossed out. Having a room is nice, but I really don’t think it is worth the price of $500 each way. Coach is $150 each way, but if you don’t like all the people noise than a room is the way to go. The room attendants are nice. But, on the way down on second trip, he had everyone getting their own breakfast. He is supposed to take your order and bring it to you, that is part of the service you pay $500 for. I really have enjoyed the train these two trips. Very relaxing. I would recommend the train to anyone.
For me personally I don't like the Toilet in the Room. I Think it is UNSANITARY. Why?, you don't know if that ROOMETTE was Throughly cleaned and sanitized after Each passengers Trip Ended. I Think that the Toilets should be right next to the room in it's own little compartment.
@@gingerspice3329 During a pandemic, using tight common toilets are risky for contracting viruses. Also, when you see wet spots on the floor or on the sink counter, you don't know if it came from people or from the splatter of the sink faucet so you could be stepping on urine or touching droplets from a flush or viruses.
Watching pre-COVID videos of AMTRAK food service and then watching the newer videos is a travesty. I don't expect things to go back to the way they were.
Without food service there would be no point for me to go on the train unless they want me to break out some cooking utensils in my room and start a fire.
Unfortunately it went the same way in airplanes. While the food there was not to the standard of trains, it too has diminished tremendously. It's not even enjoyable to fly either.
Thank you for your wonderful videos!
Doing this for my 2023 cruise. So excited
Thank you for the tour, I've never traveled by train before so I found this extremely interesting. I must say that I was feeling a bit claustrophobic as you were walking through the train... Lol!
the gov't treats Amtrak like a step-child; but I enjoyed the Tour, Thanks!
I’m hoping that Biden’s new infrastructure plans include revamping the trains in this country! The town I live in used to have passenger trains back in the 50s. The station is less than a 1/2 mile from my front door! I would absolutely love that. I could take the train and spend the day in NYC, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Toronto, etc. No driving, parking, hassle. It would be great!
Train travel in the USA is so bad compared to European train lines in Europe they have good meals beautiful rooms and such
@@lisaspikes4291 Xo Bei Den. Beijing Biden. The potato.
Actually, AMTRAK is part of the Federal Govt. Too complicated to explain here...but it is
@@dedebones1967 If you are judging Amtrak during this period...its definitely the wrong time.
Just discovered your channel. It was very nostalgic for me , as a child, riding on the Silver Meteor and Silver Star along the eastern seaboard. Thank you, great job!
Thank you for making the video. I have always wanted to make the trip, after seeing your video I am glad I never have! Awesome video, thank you!
Great video!!! I hope to ride on these new cars someday!
Thanks for watching... for more guidance.. 📈📉
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I absolutely love the train and this is a great video. The only correction that I would offer here is that in your video, at 16:35 you indicate the view of the art museum with I-95 in the foreground. That is actually the Schuylkill Expressway that runs from Center City through South Philly. I-95 is across town near the Delaware River.
Also, the station in Philadelphia near where the train wreck occurred is called Frankford Junction. The Schuylkill Expressway is also part of I-76.
I decided to consult a map, and I think the Schuylkill Expressway goes beyond I-476 all the way to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, but then I-76 continues to become part of the Turnpike going west. Eastward of that junction the turnpike becomes I-276 towards NJ. I-476 crosses the Schuylkill Expy. and meets I-276 (turnpike) and becomes the Northeast Extension if the PA Turnpike. I think even natives (like myself) have trouble keeping this straight! The reason the road is called what it is, is because it parallels the Schuylkill River.
@@myst0dreamer During the 1950s where the Expressway was being built I used to climb aboard the earth moving equipment and play with my pals from The Strawberry Mansion Bridge to City Line Ave. We even hopped aboard freight trains and jumped off a short time thereafter. Man, those days being a curious, adventurous dare devil made for having a wonderful childhood. Compared to the electronically tuned in video gamers, I'd feel sorry for these "new era" youngsters!
THank you for the ride
Thanks for the great experience
Back in my day all we had was a wooden bench and a curtain, AND WE LIKED IT!
I'm really enjoying your video's. I have also come to a few conclusions, first I will travel by train in the future, Next, I will not do it until the food service is restored, and lastly I will absolutely get a sleeping car, hopefully a viewliner 2 roomette. Thanks for all the great content.
Love this video bloody great ! On my bucket list. Love from 🇬🇧
I’ve never had the Amtrak experience. I thoroughly enjoy your written commentary and loved the video. Thank you.
With the passage of the new relief bill Amtrak will resume full service by the end of May, including the old dining car service. BTW, well done on your video.
Love that new NYC Train Hall. Sure beats the dingy toilet that is Penn Station.
My grandmother had pictures of the original Penn Station before it’s demolition in the 60s to build MSG. It’s design out Grand Central to shame.
@@gregoryfelten9635 Hard to believe they destroyed that building. What were they thinking?
@@thecw301 it was falling into disrepair. The city wanted a new arena. So they tore it down and built MSG on top of the underground portion of the original station. Look into the history of it. It’s a good read
@@gregoryfelten9635 I've seen pictures.
Washington DC Station is a 100 times better!
Wow I! I’ll say you put a lot of work into this video. I thank you!
Very detailed video. Thanks!
As someone else said, in the foreground of the art museum is I-76. Also, Frankfurt Jct. is actually Frankford Jct.
Retired conductor here after 41 years hiring with Penn Central in 1973.
Our railroads and cross country transportation were destroyed years ago by the politicians and many other interests that were lobbying them. If not, we might have had some decent and affordable public transportation to go from point A to point B.
Also, a more affordable and efficient way to ship goods.
All gone now, thanks to our leaders who had no visions of the future.
Wish we had the kind of rail routes that are available in The UK and Europe.
@@janicesullivan8942 so right.We deserve it.
@@user-bx9dd7bd2t
Not so much as we deserve it, but that we allowed it.
@@janicesullivan8942 Your right.
@@janicesullivan8942 We did no have our infrastructure destroyed by two world wars. So we did not have the ability to rebuild in more effective rights of way allowing for faster trains.
I like how you share the wealth of knowledge about trains as others share about airplanes. Thank you for the education! I hope Amtrak will do what it can to survive. Not everyone enjoys flying, and depending on origin and destination, a train may be better vs flying or driving. Safe travels
If I could sign the petition for bringing back the diner cars I would, the “lakeshore limited” sure could use it!
Great video...very informative...took the Northboud train a couple years ago in a sleeper....loved it and everything was free.
I took the trip from NYC to West Palm Beach recently in the old style roomette. I was given the choice of the new ones shown here, but chose the roomette in the older cars. If I'm spending that much time on a train, I prefer to have my own "facilities" rather than share them with possibly 10-20 other people. Especially in this day and age of Covid. When the cover is closed, the toilets are pretty well sealed, so I was not concerned about contamination. I hope they re-think that decision. I enjoyed the ride - and the privacy!
No,no, no. I do not want a toilet where I have to lay my head down to sleep.
@@ellisjames7192 Well, others prefer to not have to walk down the hall while the train is moving.
The cool thing about Amtrak is if you have a sleeper car, you don't have to wear a mask during the entire trip. It's becoming more desirable than flying. You only have to wear the mask when walking around on Amtrak.
Nobody has to, if it impacts your health. Ie u need oxygen to breathe.
The coolest thing about Oklahoma is no one wears a mask anywhere.
@@cjones3710 The wearing of a mask does not cause impedance to breathing. I have Asthma / COPD... I can breath fine wearing double-masks (6 to 8 ply). Anyone who says they can’t breathe wearing masks needs mental health intervention. They don’t have a breathing problem. They have a psychological problem, where they don’t care about their own health and don’t care about the health of family, friends or community. I care about all of those things, I wear double-masks.
@@barb_ec4436 gtd?
@@marcmarc1967 . No Masks, Nothing to brag about. As of 3-April-2021 State Website; Oklahoma has an average of 69 new cases EVERY WEEK. Oklahoma has had to date 439,000 people sick with COVID. And, 4,953 DEATHS to date. Ya, keep on with No Masks... how is that working for the State... Apparently not so well !
Well, this was just fascinating; I learned a lot about trains. Thank you! Can’t wait to take a long train trip.
I appreciate the honesty
Great video 💖 Why would anyone give it a 👎's down? 🐱
because of all his whining about the food when he could have stocked up on food in New York and DC. Duh.
16:36 Great footage. Just an FYI, this view of the Art Museum is across I 76 aka the Schuylkill Expressway. I 95 is on the other side (east ) of Philly. The Art Museum isn't visible from I95.
This looks like a great trip. Thanks for sharing.
I was just going to comment on that about it not being 95. I live out by KOP mall.
We love Amtrak, thanks for sharing! Last time on the Silver Meteor, I had a single Slumbercoach room!
Great video -- your explanations were really interesting and informative. I learned a lot. I also totally agree about Amtrak giving their awesome employees better tools, the folks I met on my trips were great and really helped make the trips special. Now I'm excited to try the Viewliner II cars.
Would have loved to see the actual sleepin arrangements (bed).
Having had dining service before, I am appalled at what they are offering now. I really hope it comes back. I would pay a bit more for better food
Thanks for the tour!
1!enjoyed the comprehensive video.Thank you!
FYI...when coming into Philadelphia, passing the art museum, that’s the Schuylkill Expressway, not I-95.
$ 1000. That is outrageous.
Planning a trip this fall from Florida to Philadelphia in a bedroom car and hoping the food service situation turns around. Our last trip in Feb 2019 (VL Bedroom) the dining car and food service was a highlight.
You did great job on this video, very clear understanding. I'm impressed your work in video clear and prefect functional.
They need to bring back the original food
You're a wealth of Amtrak knowledge. Very interesting- just miss a voice over.
Yes, interesting and well done video but it is 2021. Where's the audio? Talkies came out in 1927, almost one hundred years ago. No voice over diminishes the overall quality.
More fun and intereresting than I thought it would be
Excellent ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A quibble: The Fayetteville in question is in North Carolina. A lot of other states have Fayettevilles as well, but not SC.
Sadly, the head of Amtrak is currently an Airline Man, and it shows in things like the food. He needs to remember the sleeping cars are First Class, not coach, and also let coach buy into the dining car again. Hopefully after people start travelling again, things will get better.
Biden did include Amtrak money in the Covid-19 bill. And they will also get money from the transportation bills.
But getting rid of the airline guy will help too.
They need to get in someone who understands the role rail plays. High speed rail definitely works a bit like a puddle-jumper airline or a commuter airline. Some services are multi-hop stops over medium-short distances, and express high speed rail is serving only a few stops over medium-long distances.
Conventional-speed regional rail works more like a regional ferry. Most trips are over medium-short distances but take longer, so there is usually a snack bar and the seats are comfortable. We have services like this in the Seattle area and the San Francisco bay area. There are some international ferries that also serve as connections between Seattle and Vancouver/Victoria, and between Florida and the Bahamas.
The long distance routes are somewhere between long distance ferries and ocean liners. They are used for both transportation and as a cruise, sometimes as a mixture of both, serving multiple rural stops in between. There are private cabins as well as coach seating. We have almost none of those in North America. The only services we have like this are the ferries between Washington and Alaska.
At the extreme end is Cunard Lines, going between New York and England. It's more of a cruise, but also serves as transportation. The closest Amtrak service to that is the Autotrain, though there are definitely opportunities to open more routes like that with higher quality luxury cabins.
Trains that are strictly cruises (stop long times at ports of call, go in a circular route and everyone comes back to where they started) aren't in Amtrak's purview probably and should be left to private companies. Still, they could try to make it work since no private company in the US runs a long-distance luxury train due to the freight railroads not allowing it (they don't even want to let Amtrak use their rails but they have to by law).
*NO* rail service works like a long-haul airline. That's why having a guy from a major airline run Amtrak doesn't make much sense. Acela is the only route that's even remotely comparable to an airline. Maybe if they got someone from Skywest/Horizon/Mesa.
The one benefit of having someone from the airline industry would be if they could get congress to force codeshare. i.e. fly into an airport that has an Amtrak connection (Newark, Burbank, and potentially Miami if Amtrak finally moves into the already-built station) and have a through ticket that books you to your final destination, all presented as a coherent trip on the booking website. Currently only one airline does codeshare with Amtrak (United, and only at Newark).
He was just doing what the Trump government wanted. It's just a job. Now that is reversed. Complete shut down in the fall of 2021 was coming. Trains that held the ridership best for personal travel were CUT. Nov 4 th changed that
Airline guy is history -- gone!! Thanks, President "Amtrak Joe" Biden!!
@@paulsomers6048 Of course there are others still in there. Which will have to be hunted out and fired.
Thank you for this wonderful tour! I traveled with my parents from Chicago to Los Angeles on the Super Chief via the newly government subsidized Amtrak in 1973. One of the best parts of the trip was the porters. Many of them were approaching retirement and had great knowledge of the history of the routes. They patiently answered our questions about the trains and generously told stories of their lives on the rails. At that time the train cars were being distributed so some of the older east coast sleeping cars with poorer suspension were moved to the newer rails out west. More than once we were jarred awake at night by the pitching motion when they sped up to keep the timetable. The porters explained that the cars with newer suspension had been shifted to the east coast where rails were older and more bumpy. Needless to say we did some “nightseeing ” in the wee hours. We watched distant fireworks over Needles on the 4th of July. After visiting in L.A. we took another train up the coast to San Francisco/Oakland and returned to Chicago on the northern route. I think the name of that train was the Zephyr.
Yes, the route that runs from Oakland CA to Chicago is the California Zephyr. I’ve taken it a few times now. I sure miss going somewhere on the train! As the pandemic subsides, my husband and I plan to do that again. 👍 ETA: I live in Omaha, NE, and I hear the Zephyr sometimes at night when it comes into Omaha from Chicago. I recognize its horn now...
Enjoyed the video update very much. Take care.
I rode in handicap room on viewliner I. Bathroom was separated by a door. I like the newer look on viewliner II
What does the handicap room cost per night?
I believe I paid $400 from NC to west palm beach Florida. 1 night. That was 2016
Roundtrip
@@robin-chat2812 Thank you so much😊🐝❤
I agree that Traditional Dining needs to come back (at least the Western LD's are getting their's back). The Flex Dining, while better than anything the airlines offer, just doesn't feel like rail travel.
I used to take the Southwest Chief between LA and Chicago and the food wasn't bad. Hopefully it will come back. However, I always want to dine in my room.
@@brendapayne6603 Get the Republican Congressman from Florida John Mica law changed. It Which required it
I couldn’t help lamenting the loss of the original Penn Station while watching this. I really hope that they put it back...as there is an effort to do so. What a devastating loss!
Great Video !! Thanks !!
That last CEO, Anderson, did a number bringing his airline food to Amtrak.
He was following the law passed by REPUBLICAN FLORIDA CONGRESSMAN JOHN MICA. He of course broke others.
As much money as Amtrak loses, I am surprised they have food at all.
@@ellisjames7192 Over a nationwide system the losses are nothing. There are losses because of lack of volume. From the first day Amtrak NEVER Had the trains and services to sell to break even. Losses? Do you have any idea of the amount of bailouts the air lines have gotten since Amtrak started? And they have the nerve to still charge fares to taxpayers!! They never pay them back either. That is just the airlines. Waterways, roads they all get government investment. Part of Amtrak fares pay the TAXES ON TRACKS. Which are owned by private companies.
Road in foreground in picture of the Philadelphia Museum of Art is not I-95. Its the Schuylkill Expressway, I-76.
Thank you for sharing this video
Great video !!
Hey buddy. You are getting your highways confused. By the Philly Art Museum thats interstate 76. 95 is on the other side of the city.
Covid has Screwed up the meal service on AmTrack. Hopefully they can get back to their normal service soon.
Not covid, the politicians did by not properly funding Amtrak, causing them to cut services like cooked meals
Does not look like we will be out of the Covid thing any time in the near future. Some changes may be forever.
@@mmanisr22 Until Amtrak starts turning a profit the politicians are never going to properly fund Amtrak.
Thank you!
👌Very well done video 🎥
I could rant ad infinitum but I’ll keep it to this: So long as the overnight trains are left to the purview of a corridor service provider they shall always be substandard.
That will never change. Freighters control the tracks and their business comes first to them. Amtrak is just a bother. Freighter make more money than Amtrak could ever dream of.
@@ellisjames7192 The freight railroads have no say on the level of service, amenities offered or level of maintenance on the passenger trains that run on their rails. That is up to the operator of the passenger train and whatever their priorities are.
A track needs to do just a video on all different sleeper and prices and on what trains
I appreciate your honesty regarding meals and the need for improvement.
Very well done. I took the Auto Train once and enjoyed the experience.