Erik_MagHigh speed internet connection would be tricky as a good portion of the LD route does not have access to truly high speed wireless internet. Add Quote to your Post
I should clarify that what I meant by high speed internet that multiple folks could use it at once without a noticeable slowdown vs having like a 1 terrabyte per second transfer rate or whatever. I think VIA Canada does a fairly good job with Wi-Fi on their LD trains. Though based on the domes on top of the cars I would guess it is sattelite based.
DeggestyAs to timetables, I have not been able to find them on Amtrak's website--I tried "Schedules" (which used to have all the schedules) and got something similar to "Train Status." Sometimes it seems that if Amtrak is trying make its site easier to use it makes it more difficult to use.
Amtrak announced publicly it removed the schedules from the website temporairly. I suspect they did so to reduce confusion during this time of uncertainty.
MarkSTM Lower prices would sell more space; prices are kept artificially high as it is due to insufficient capacity.
JPS1: Great, factual post. I wish Amtrak would charge a price covering the full costs for equipment, operation, labor, maintenance, and meals, especially for the sleepers. Watch that demand vanish. Politics and old thinking are what keeps this anachronism going. And if someone brings up Europe, keep in mind those ONE overnight trains are a tiny fraction of all the intercity and international trains there. And it's an experiment that must cover its costs or it will be dropped.
what a wish list, I don't expect it will ever happen, There have been small closets on Superliners I have been on, even in the Roomette, I never hang anything but a raincoat anyway, keep everything else in suitcase and pull out what I need. When I rode Builder for 2 nights, I had the deluxe bedroom and it was larger with its' own toilet, but don't need that for 1 night trip. A shut off or temp guage for a/c would be nice, the last time I did have one, but my sleeper guy still pushed washrags in the vent, as I cannot stand cold air blowing on me. They shut off PA at 10 pm anyway, even for coaches. I know I will take ear plugs on next trip with the sleeper right behind engine, horns blowing all the time are too noisy. When sleeper was on rear, no problem. I grew up riding in coaches with parents and they were always noisy, a steady parade of smokers going to lounge, conductors waking people up for their stops. Not sure how they do it now, have only been on CZ coach last year and never heard or saw anybody woke up and getting off. You do get a free cocktail now with the new meals, had hoped to take CONO in August, but not sure if I will be able to or not with the way this virus is going. Never have problems with the curtains just use the velcro patches or carry a couple of safety pins for the windows. I have rode enough trains that I am always prepared for anything. One thing I did notice on my recent trips is you do not get free juice and a newspaper any longer. And I think they had free coffee in sleepers too, I don't drink it, but remember seeing it.
When I took a trip last fall, there was coffee in the sleepers. I do not miss what they provided for orange juice, for it seemed to me to not be real orange juice--Gahh!
Newspapers are long gone. I really appreciated getting a local newspaper in the morning and not the national six-days-a-week paper; a local paper could tell you something about the area you passed through. I wonder--does VIA still provide the seven-days-a-week national newspaper?
Johnny
Something that occurred to me reading Sunnyland's post: it might be trivial to provide an app or function inside the 'entertainment' connection to the room PA that would allow selection of the usual range of 'ambient background sounds' such as various balances of white and pink noise, rain or brooks, even a constant clickety-clack track (I actually owned such a thing on a children's-record CD) that could be used to blank the horn sounding in lieu of earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones for those who don't like them when trying to sleep.
When I was doing the 'replicating' treadmill project ... I did think that some of the techniques used in making video camera 'steady-shot' lens compensation could be adapted to move a multiaxis 'berth' on viscoelastic mounts to compensate for much of the low-excursion shaking in both vertical and lateral planes, and damping larger motion over time to make the bed more 'soothing'. Might be overkill for a 'commodity' sleeper service ... but for dollars-don't-count luxury it would be hard to beat.
Now, it might take Vince/Mike to find it ... but who had the old idea for 'turtleback' pendulum cars that were artificially pushed in curves to give the 'right' throw to get the seats/beds to zero cant deficiency, modeled as I recall after a ship that did roll compensation that way? You could easily adapt modern non-pendulum tilt to reasonable sleep-enhancing response especially if the trains use the California Zephyr expedient of running more slowly during peak sleep-time hours...
About cell service empty spots. On several trips in the past did find many dead spots. However upon suggestions from friend took my old analog phone along and it worked in those areas. A call to ATT enabled it to work. However have no idea if that is still true ?
blue streak 1However upon suggestions from friend took my old analog phone along and it worked in those areas. A call to ATT enabled it to work. However have no idea if that is still true ?
Most analog cell phone service was shut down by mid-February 2008, with the last vestiges in the USA nominally terminated by the end of the year. As I recall there were some Canadian holdouts into 2010. Most everyone went to digital with a wild will.
It would be interesting to find whether the 'old' AMPS network was actually shut down in full, though, or allowed to run in some areas until the bandwidth was formally reallocated to digital channels. The laws restricting some devices from tuning to AMPS regulated bands are, to my knowledge, still in force.
BRADNEY THOMASAll good except MY PILLOW . I have seen many reviews and their stuff is universally panned as overpriced, uncomfortable, terrible quality and generally a rip off.
At far less cost than many proposals in this thread, Amtrak could actually keep a variety of 'premium' bedding types in commissary inventory, and for a fee bring them out and provide them in particular rooms on particular dates. Easily expanded into lease/purchase if the passengers 'try them and like them' -- or into coupons to buy their own at 'special discount' price..
MidlandMikeI suppose you will also want an elevator so he can get the cart down to the lower level.
The thing I proposed was the sort of track 'elevator' sold to people who can't climb stairs in their homes. This is an enclosed chain or belt or screw in an enclosed channel at the base of the wall next to the steps, with an arm that can take the weight of 'whatever is going up or down'. Note that this provides ADA-compliant accessibility to the upstairs rooms for many passengers, too.
A portable 'bar' with requested cocktail bottles or fixin's might be made up that would weigh less than a full-on serving cart with everything stored on it. Might even be the analogue to a pizza delivery case.
JPS1 ~snip~ The issue is not sleeper capacity most of the time; most people don’t want to ride a train overnight or for long distances. If Amtrak’s management were free of the politics, it probably would have dropped the long-distance trains decades ago. Fare comparisons are difficult because of different features, e.g. inclusion of meals in Amtrak’s sleeper fare and market demand pricing. Amtrak cannot get in constant dollars what many of its predecessors were able to command because of the low demand for its services, especially for over-night long-distance travel.
~snip~
Then would you care to explain how it is you can't get a roomette or bedroom during peak travel times without booking at a minimum 6 months to a year in advance, and sometimes not even in offpeak travel times?
If, as you say, Amtrak's unable to fill sleeper space for overnite travel it would be easy to book these rooms on shorter notice.
GERALD L MCFARLANE JR Then would you care to explain how it is you can't get a roomette or bedroom during peak travel times without booking at a minimum 6 months to a year in advance, and sometimes not even in offpeak travel times? If, as you say, Amtrak's unable to fill sleeper space for overnite travel it would be easy to book these rooms on shorter notice.
I said most of the time. There are relatively short periods during the year, e.g. holidays, peak summer and winter travel periods, when the sleepers probably are sold out.
Several years a go I did an in-depth analysis of the sleeper occupancy rates on the Texas Eagle and Sunset Limited. It takes a bit of number crunching and assumptions. In both cases the year round occupancy rate was below 50 percent.
If there were sufficient demand to warrant increasing sleeping car capacity that would at least cover the costs, Amtrak's management probably would jump on it.
Contrary to what some folks here seem to think, the company's executives are not stupid. And they have a small army of finance people to work out the cost and return numbers.
I ride the Eagle from San Antonio to Dallas and back four to six times a year. I book an economy room. I have never had an issue getting space. I usually book a week or so in advance. But my experience, like that of most of the people here, may be an exception.
JPS1I ride the Eagle from San Antonio to Dallas and back four to six times a year. I book an economy room. I have never had an issue getting space. I usually book a week or so in advance. But my experience, like that of most of the people here, may be an exception.
My recollection when I rode the Eagle 30 years ago was that San Antonio to Dallas was during daylight. Daylight hours has less demand in sleepers. I have talked to people who would book a sleeper only during the night portion of the trip. Not sure if that is still allowed. I tried to get a sleeper between SA and CHI but they were sold out. I asked the conductor to find me if space opened up. I finally got a room when some one got off in Arkadelphia.
OvermodBut brand-name recognition may be high among the cohorts that use sleepers ... or could be enticed to try them. And Amtrak would certainly not be paying 'list price' (and perhaps not even cost-price net of co-marketing and other tax incentives ...) At far less cost than many proposals in this thread, Amtrak could actually keep a variety of 'premium' bedding types in commissary inventory, and for a fee bring them out and provide them in particular rooms on particular dates. Easily expanded into lease/purchase if the passengers 'try them and like them' -- or into coupons to buy their own at 'special discount' price..
Yes and honestly hotels are doing the same these days which I am surprised Amtrak has not followed the example. I know both the Westin and Marriott now include catalogs where you can buy their bedding, hotel lamps, etc. Now you may ask why anyone would do that? Folks that travel alot would love to get their at home beds to approx closely what their favorite hotel chain offers as it would eliminate the transition that sometimes happens between home bed and hotel bed.........resulting in the first night sleep in a hotel being a little crappy.
Amtrak could do the same with blankets, pillows, mattress pads, bed sheets and probably finance upgrades to all three in the Sleeping Cars, IMO. I think as well they could go to prepackaged continental breakfest trays for those that depart before the dining car opens, they still get a starter meal and if they did not want to eat it they can take it with them. They could sell them to coach passengers and even sell to bus passengers in intermodal stations in which Amtrak operates.
Really, have to wonder with the Amtrak commissaries being so underutilized and such a high fixed cost why Amtrak has not found a packaged meal product they can offer on the train, sell to bus passengers at a intermodal station, sell to hikers in a national park, etc. Plenty of room in those baggage cars to haul stock with the train to restock stations in strategic locations with Amtrak marketable items.
Many times you can get a sleeper on relatively short notice...and pay for it. Don't know about today, but just a few years ago I made sure to book a room several months ahead to save a couple hundred dollars.
Enzoamps Many times you can get a sleeper on relatively short notice...and pay for it. Don't know about today, but just a few years ago I made sure to book a room several months ahead to save a couple hundred dollars.
Eventually travel will resume. Until the nation gets and distributes a workable vaccine for Covid-19, social distancing or just distancing from others probably will remain in place.
I can see how Amtrak could spread people out in a coach, lounge, or dining car. But given the narrow corridors of the sleepers, as well as the closeness of the rooms, I don't see a practical way of enforcing safe distance in the sleeping cars.
JPS1 Eventually travel will resume. Until the nation gets and distributes a workable vaccine for Covid-19, social distancing or just distancing from others probably will remain in place. I can see how Amtrak could spread people out in a coach, lounge, or dining car. But given the narrow corridors of the sleepers, as well as the closeness of the rooms, I don't see a practical way of enforcing safe distance in the sleeping cars.
JPS1But given the narrow corridors of the sleepers, as well as the closeness of the rooms, I don't see a practical way of enforcing safe distance in the sleeping cars.
First, if tens upon tens of millions of people had the virus I might agree. But we are talking statistically less than 1% of the population still. Given what percentage rides Amtrak. I am guessing you would be lucky to find one or two infected on a train and then the chances they would be in a Sleeping car and happen to pass by you at the rare instances your traversing the Aisle. Lots of IF's there and planets that need to align.
So I would disagree, chances are far high in coach where it is an open environment and turnover of travelers is much higher than the sleeping cars. In fact if I had to take a stab in the dark I would bet my money on the Amtrak sleeping car being the safest mode of transportation now apart from the personal automobile for NOT contracting the virus.
My Pillow? The overpriced thing they hawk on late night TV infomercials day after day? Hardly a draw. Perhaps the diner could install George Foreman Grilles to cook the meals. Those are well know as a brand too.
Enzoamps My Pillow? The overpriced thing they hawk on late night TV infomercials day after day? Hardly a draw. Perhaps the diner could install George Foreman Grilles to cook the meals. Those are well know as a brand too.
I do not recall what I paid for the last set I bought for my bed--but it was much, much less than $55.00. He says they are breathable; I prefer breathing air.
EnzoampsMy Pillow? The overpriced thing they hawk on late night TV infomercials day after day? Hardly a draw.
But you could make the same argument, in fact a much better common-sense one, about overpriced Acela service for marginally better amenities and a piddling time saving.
To the extent My Pillow is recognized as a famous thing, like that incompetent pretend-chronometer manufacturer Rolex with watches or crApple with functional technology, there would be benefit in co-branding. Remember that the price Amtrak actually pays for the pillows or bedding would bear no necessary resemblance to the price the marks pay. And that would be true of any "Amtrak-branded" versions available for passenger purchase, too.
A common consideration in what used to be called 'direct marketing' was that the initial payment made for anything bought on 'easy payments' should at least cover the entire production, logistics, and delivery cost of the merchandise. All the remaining payments are pure gravy -- and if even large numbers of customers attempt to welsh successfully on paying on time, you still make enough money to stay in business.
I have to confess that I rather enjoy George Foreman grills for making single-portion steaks for keto diet. I should also confess however that I'd never buy one of the things 'new', and I think the largest one I ever got was something like $9.94 at my neighborhood Amvets thrift store... the point, though, is that George Foreman is a known and promoted brand, as opposed to the cheap done-to-a-price commodity crap Amtrak now generates in their commissaries and peddles for an attempted premium price. There are reasons that 'going national' in branding used to be such a big step up showing that a company had Arrived in big business; national brand recognition probably continues to be at least enough of a draw to make its use in Amtrak amenity service worthwhile.
If the price can be negotiated behind the scenes to be right, of course. And I'll bet a quasi-government entity has many of the carrots and sticks needed to accomplish that, provided it's run by people who know the equivalent of ciazarn.
I have 4 My Pillows and they are quite good, especially for the neck. They do give very good support and adjust comfortably as you move.
I've paid a heck of a lot more for feather pillows that are crap.
Deggesty Enzoamps My Pillow? The overpriced thing they hawk on late night TV infomercials day after day? Hardly a draw. Perhaps the diner could install George Foreman Grilles to cook the meals. Those are well know as a brand too. I have seen the advertisement on afternoon news broadcasts. As you say, they are overpriced-- Twin $109.98 Buy One Get One Free I do not recall what I paid for the last set I bought for my bed--but it was much, much less than $55.00. He says they are breathable; I prefer breathing air.
I have seen the advertisement on afternoon news broadcasts. As you say, they are overpriced--
I fell for their ad once and ordered one. Total crap by another Trump carnival barker.
Someone will like anything. If you like a product, then it is good for you. Some folks like Velveeta, personally I don't underestand it. But just seemed to me that to the sort of people investing in sleeper accomodations, a couple of "as seen on TV" products won't be much of a draw. Might as well market "Now lounge car burgers have VELVEETA!!!"
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