Here Are Two Things You Won't Be Able To Do On Amtrak. Private Cars and Real Dinning.

What was the group you’re with? That does look great. I took my wife on a trip with Ed Ellis in his IC big dome. The ride was great, but your scenery looks better.

Utterly Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

Great music to accompany the video

And, beautiful scenery 

Here's what I don't get: why doesn't Amtrak sub-contract out the dining car business on a regional basis?  I could see Ninety Nine dining cars in New England, Cracker Barrel cars in the south, etc...  Amtrak moves the labor and supply cost to the provider, while gaining in the ridership experience department.

Jon

Thanks for the memories! Reminds me of my GCRY trip this past July...

That's ok. I don't do dinning,

Don't forget the VIA Rail Canadian !!    Still has domes and excellent dining, you can even still get a upper or lower berth.  This time of year you can get 1/2 price.

We were planning a trip on VIA's Ocean--Montreal to Halifax overnight this spring. All of the strainless steel cars but the Park class dome/observation have been moved to the Canadian and they're equipped with British cars that were planed for an overnight train through the Chunnel which never happened. While they have a sit down diner the meals are prepared before hand and heated and served on the train sort of like what Amtrak is planning to do.

We also had booked the only "cabin" with two lower berths on the train. All set to take Amtrak to Montreal and my wife broke her foot--there's always next year.

If you're in the East and looking for an overnight trip with great scenery you should take a look.

About the Ocean

Sam, there is a guy that was part of the Golden Gate Railroad Museum that owned three or four Zephyr Cars that he rented to groups. He told me about the cars going from Oakland to Reno on a three day trip. A bus took us to the Western Pacific Museum the day after we got to Reno. Crossing the Sierra Mountains on a dome car was wonderful. The crew did an amazing job with food and wine.

scale rail posted:

Sam, there is a guy that was part of the Golden Gate Railroad Museum that owned three or four Zephyr Cars that he rented to groups. He told me about the cars going from Oakland to Reno on a three day trip. A bus took us to the Western Pacific Museum the day after we got to Reno. Crossing the Sierra Mountains on a dome car was wonderful. The crew did an amazing job with food and wine.

Those 4 cars are now owned by Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and operating in regular service in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Silver Solarium,  Silver Lariat, Silver Rapids, and a baggage car.

Thanks for the info Scott. I the Cuyahoga RR in Ohio? Can you tell me anything about it? Don

scale rail posted:

Thanks for the info Scott. I the Cuyahoga RR in Ohio? Can you tell me anything about it? Don

Yes, Cleveland to Akron.  Google: Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

"It is part of an evolution,” said Peter Wilander, who oversees Amtrak’s customer experience. “The concept is to provide service the way our customers want rather than have everybody conform to one service delivery.

“Some people really like (the dining car) and view it as sort of a nostalgic train experience,” Wilander said. “Some people, especially our new millennial customers, don’t like it so much. They want more privacy, they don’t want to feel uncomfortable sitting next to people” they don’t know.

It’s that demographic, he said, that Amtrak wants to attract with more contemporary car designs and food options."

Money quote from this article.