oltmannd I wonder if pay, timed showers might work in coaches. Amtrak should do it if it could break even on the investment. Something along the lines of what's often installed in campgrounds. A couple bucks a minute, navy style.
I wonder if pay, timed showers might work in coaches. Amtrak should do it if it could break even on the investment. Something along the lines of what's often installed in campgrounds. A couple bucks a minute, navy style.
If Amtrak had an entrepreneurial culture, they'd embrace this as an opportunity not just to break even but to make a few extra bucks (either by charging more than the cost, or by attracting additional customers from the population of those who currently opt not to travel by Amtrak because of the discomfort of going unbathed.)
At one time Chicago Union Station had such an amenity. Before my first day at EMD LaGrange, around 15 June 1952, arriving on the Trail Blazer overnigiht PRR coach from New York, I used it and changed clothes before boarding a GP-7 hauled two-car bilevel "Q" to La Grange.
daveklepper At one time Chicago Union Station had such an amenity. Before my first day at EMD LaGrange, around 15 June 1952, arriving on the Trail Blazer overnigiht PRR coach from New York, I used it and changed clothes before boarding a GP-7 hauled two-car bilevel "Q" to La Grange.
Wished you'd taken a picture, never seen a Q scoot with a Geep!
If you consider the possible lost revenue from losing a couple seats, plus the cost of providing towels, soap, etc., plus the need to clean, plus the amount of extra water that would have to be carried, plus the need to heat that water, I have a hard time thinking this could be profitable. YMMV.
Tom
I agree. But it might be profitable in major interchange stations, Pennsylvania Sta. NY, Chicago Union, Washington Union, New Orleans, Los Angeles Union, as part of the 1st-Class- lounge, with coach passengers paying a fee.
Buslist At the time, scoots used Pacifics as well as E-units and GP-7's were often on off-peak trains. Steam-heat was still usual, the single-level green and brown rebuilt air-conditions coaches that formerly were long-distance were sitll in use, and power cars provided head-end power. I do not recall whether the two-car GP-7 hauled scoot I rode also had a power car. It must have had one, but I don't remember it. When I returned to live in the area in 1967, lots had changed. All trains were bilevel, the locomotives provided head-end power, and all trains were push-pull, with an E-unit on Aurora end and a cab-car on the city end. But it was still the Q., one could still ride a Denver Zephyr and a California Zephyr, etc. daveklepper At one time Chicago Union Station had such an amenity. Before my first day at EMD LaGrange, around 15 June 1952, arriving on the Trail Blazer overnigiht PRR coach from New York, I used it and changed clothes before boarding a GP-7 hauled two-car bilevel "Q" to La Grange. Wished you'd taken a picture, never seen a Q scoot with a Geep!
At the time, scoots used Pacifics as well as E-units and GP-7's were often on off-peak trains. Steam-heat was still usual, the single-level green and brown rebuilt air-conditions coaches that formerly were long-distance were sitll in use, and power cars provided head-end power. I do not recall whether the two-car GP-7 hauled scoot I rode also had a power car. It must have had one, but I don't remember it.
When I returned to live in the area in 1967, lots had changed. All trains were bilevel, the locomotives provided head-end power, and all trains were push-pull, with an E-unit on Aurora end and a cab-car on the city end. But it was still the Q., one could still ride a Denver Zephyr and a California Zephyr, etc.
curioustravhi, does everybody traveling overnight have access to the met lounge? thank you.
Johnny
In Chicago they have a deal where you can pay $20 and they will give you access to the Legacy Club which is somewhat similar to the Metropolitian Lounge but not the same.
Additionally there is a Gym at Union Station in Chicago that has showers, lockers and a dressing room. You can call about buying a day pass that would give you access to the Gym and the showers. Here is a link:
http://ffc.com/unionstation/
The new Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago has a shower room. Coach passengers are not admitted to the lounge but maybe if you go to the Legacy Club and pay your $20 they might issue you a pass to use the Metropolitan Lounge shower room. It wouldn't hurt to ask and it is alot better than trying to shower on the train.
I've used the Fort Gary Hotel routine many times in the 1970s to clean up before train showers. Now a day the hotels are so expensive that a couple of hours will cost you over $100 bucks easy. Too much for a shower.
I take it no one has ever heard of the pits and pubes wash? That's really the only two areas you need to worry about and it can easily be done in a coash washroom.
That sounds like a unrealistic dream and a big money($) loser right off the bat. Take a sponge bath,use wipes for the purpose of cleansing the skin.
Lets see...........now I wonder who is married and single in this discussion thread.......lol. Toot-Toot.........all aboard the Southbound Express, off on a tangent we go with too much information being given out.
CMStPnP Lets see...........now I wonder who is married and single in this discussion thread.......lol. Toot-Toot.........all aboard the Southbound Express, off on a tangent we go with too much information being given out.
True. Also some of the complaints we used to hear from sam1 about people on transit might apply to some of this thread's occupants as well.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
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