Montrealer Gets Amfleet Equipment, ____------, I Refurbished Electric Sleepers
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VoI. 5, No. 3 March 1978 Montrealer Gets Amfleet Equipment, ____------, I Refurbished Electric Sleepers Amtrak's Montrealer, which with the inauguration of the new "Soup, etc." This includes a large connects Washington, New York and equipment. bowl of soup, a loaf of hot French Montreal with overnight service via Dinner entrees include breast of bread with butter, a wedge of cheese Vermont, has begun operating with Cornish hen with wild rice and filet and an apple. new Amfleet coach es and refurbished mignon with Parisienne potatoes. Wines, beers and ales and distilled electric sleeping cars. Both include vegetables, salad and spirits are also available. The first newly-equipped train ran desert. The Montrealer traditionally is a northbound on Monday, February Lighter fare is also available, in train with a multi-faceted personality. 27, with the first southbound trip for cluding hot sandwiches and quiche A large number of its passengers the new equipment the next evening. Lorraine. One special light food travel only on the segment between For the train's passen gers the choice on the train is an item called (Continued on page 7) conversion from the older steam heated rail cars to Amtrak's newest Amfleet equipment means obvious improvements in comfort, reliability Sixth San Diegan Begins Service and decor. Coach passengers now travel in A sixth train in each direction has 8:20 a.m. It leaves Los Angeles, new 60-seat, long-distance Am been added to the Los Angeles-San Sunday through Friday, at 4:30 p.m., coaches with wide, reclining seats Diego corridor beginning February with arrival in San Diego at 7:04 p.m. equipped with leg rests, and in 14, affording passengers a wide The San Diegan that had dividual tray tables and reading variety of departure times. previously departed at 4:30 p.m. has lights. The new service is a 403(b) been moved to a 5:30 p.m. departure. Sieeping car passengers now have co operative venture with the County The new train was inaugurated reupholstered and recarpeted roomet of Los Angeles and the State of with a special run on February 14, tes and bedrooms available in the California Department of Tran although the county and Atlantic renovated conventional cars in which sportation. Richfield Corporation, with Am the old steam heated equipment has The new train leaves San Diego, trak's cooperation, operated a VIP been replaced by modern electric Monday through Saturday, at 5:45 pre-inaugural special the day before. heating and air conditioning systems. a.m., with arrival at Los Angeles at On that day the refurbished cars The "new" Montrealer features at least one first. This is the Amlounge, a new configuration for an Amfleet train with one end of the car fur nished with chairs and small tables. The other end features facing groups of conventional seats with a beverage and snack counter in the center of the car. Another innovation for the train is the dining service in the Amdinette. First tested some weeks aga on the the new service Panama Limited, § offers checkered table cloths, ..., "2 napkins, metal flatware, flowers and c3 .2 waiter service. l2 o A new bi-lingual French-English cl; menu has been developed to coincide Governor Jerry Brown /auds Amtrak's San Diegan service after arrival in Los Angeles. operated to San Diego as regular train California Governor Edmund G. 772, with 220 invited business leaders "Jerry" Brown boarded at San Juan Train Politics of Southern California riding to San Capistrano and rode to Los Angeles Amtrak's California train Juan Capistrano. There they where a short program was held. service is attracting a lot of at detrained to enjoy an Arco-sponsored Gianturco christened the train with a tention, including that of the luncheon at The Depot, a rail bottle of California champagne, politicians. oriented restaurant operated in the while Governor Brown lauded When San Diego Mayor Pete former Santa Fe station there. The Amtrak and praised rail service as an Wilson decided to run for guests returned to Los Angeles on effective alternate to the automobile. governor on the Republican regular train 775, affording them a Despite the early departure from ticket, he chartered an Amdinette chance to ride and inspect Amfleet San Diego, 402 riders made the trip, for hirnself, the press and sup equipment. including members of the press. porters and rode train 773 on The new train's cars were on display The new train, informally dubbed February 9 to Los Angeles. in Los Angeles station on February 9- the EI Camino but in reality another When the train arrived and was 10 and in San Diego on February 13 San Diegan, does not feature the parked next to the EI Camino after arrival there. Amfleet equipment normally used on equipment on display, he held a On February 14, at 5:15 a.m., the route. The cars are owned by Los press conference where he an ceremonies were held in San Diego Angeles County and consist of five nounced his candidacy. station. Presiding was James H. ex-Illinois Central coaches from the Mills, California state senator and former City oj New Orleans, two ex Florida. Former Amtrak employee Amtrak board of directors nominee. Milwaukee Road buffet-coaches Mike Weinman was in charge of the Speakers included Baxter Ward, from the Twin Cities Hiawatha and refurbishing. supervisor of Los Angeles county an ex-Western Pacific Calijornia The San Diego-Los Angeles service who is conceded to be the father of Zephyr vistadome observation car. has been a spectacular success with the idea to establish the new train. He The car's sleeping compartments dramatic ridership increases as service was presented a Gold Spike ~ward have been removed and lounge seats was expanded and new equipment by Key magazine for his dedication to installed. made available. rail passenger service. Total seating capacity on the new Trains now leave Los Angeles for Other speakers included Adriana train is 473. San Diego at 7:30 and 10:30 a.m., Gianturco, director of California's After purchase by the county, from and 1 :30,4:30 (except Saturday), 5:30 Department of Transportation; the Oregon, Pacific and Eastern and 8:30 p.m. Departures from San Ralph Clark, Orange County railroad at Cottage Grove, Oregon, Diego are at 5:45 (except Sunday), 7 supervisor; and Neal Owen, Amtrak's the cars were completely refurbished and 9:30 a.m. and 1, 4:30 and 7:30 Western :egion vice president. by Hoover Industries, at Miami, p.m. (Far Left) Calijornia State Senator farnes Mills talks to passenger riders as train leaves San Diego. (Lef!) Pluto greets visitors boarding at Santa Ana. (Below) New train consists of refurbished cars owned by the County of Los ••• Angeles. Crowds carne out to see the new train despite its early running time. Over 400 riders detrained in Los Angeles. New Locomotive Servicing, Fueling Facility__ --, I Goes Into Service In Chicago A new, heated building for fueling and servicing Amtrak locomotives was dedicated on Thursday, February 9, at Chicago's 16th Street yard. The much-needed facility, which went into service immediately, is part of the first phase of the $38 million program to completely modernize Chicago's maintenance yards by 1981. When Phase One is completed in May, there will also be five new car servicing tracks, each capable of holding 19 cars, with platforms adjacent to the tracks for servicing ~nd supplies. The new building is of concrete block and corrugated metal con First locomotive awaits servicing in new Chicago jacility. struction. Rectangular in shape, and some 70 feet wide, 180 feet long and that separates the oil and then directs provements. They've helped make 50 feet high, it contains three tracks it to a recovery tank. this winter's weather a littIe easier to capable of handling nine F40PH The new building is strictIy for take. " locomotives at one time. The building fueling and watering. With the Ted Jordan, Amtrak's resident has six fuel and four watering operation encIosed and under roof, engineer on the yard improvement cabinets, with tracks set into a the building is one of the very few project, predicts, "When this is all concrete floor. such facilities in the country. Loco done in 1981, Amtrak will have the Two heating units and a heat motives will also be sanded inside the most modern rail passenger yard in exchanger that recovers 65 per cent of structure although machinery for that the world. " the heat from the locomotives' operation is yet to be installed. Phase Two, a $15 million exhausts are mounted on the roof, Amtrak acquired the Penn Cen modernization plan, incIudes con Lighting consists of high intensity tral 's badly-deteriorated passenger struction of a car repair building and sodium units. yard in January 1976. This first phase the locomotive shop, as weil as addi Three air curtains on the south end of Chicago's yard improvement tional track construction, platforms, of the new building keep out the cold project was approved by Amtrak's inspection pits and an electrical air when the doors are open. board of directors last February. system for the Armfleet and On the north end, the new structure The indoor locomotive servicing Superliner cars. is attached to the present engine will save immeasurable man-hours Chicago is one of Amtrak's busiest house. The doors of the old building and improve morale of the people points with 605 cars and 122 were left intact and will be used as fire who previously had to work on locomotives assigned for main doors between the two.