With TID A, New Res Control System
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Volume 1, No. 17 December 15, 1974 Up-to-the-Minute Holiday Equipment Info_--... I With TIDA, New Res Control System Combining holiday reservations with the computer now will be able to available equipment should be easier instantly pinpoint those passengers af this Christmas season thanks to a recent fe cted by the change, reaccommodate advancement in Amtrak's Reservations them, and send a list of adjustments to Control System. TIDA (Train Instance the appropriate CRO. Data Adjustment) will allow controllers Before TIDA, all changes to the ~ \ at Amtrak headquarters Washington, scheduled inventory had to be made D.C . to make immediate adjustments in "off-line" 4-5 weeks in advance. Adjust the "on-line" (operating) computer's ments we re made manually on a daily equipment inventory. basis to reflect consist and schedule For example, if there is a last minute deviations and changes occurring after change in the type of equipment in a the "data base" loading. These intricate train's consist, a headquarters controller manual steps permitted selling of the can immediately make the information true inventory through a series of alter available to the Central Reservations nate me thods and procedures. Offices (CROs). If a scheduled 52-seat coach is replaced with a 44-seat coach, (Continued on page 2) Possible Purchase Beech Grove, Ind. Maintenance Shop Amtrak is negotiating with Penn Cen tral for purchase of their Beech Grove maintenance facility located outside of Indianapolis, Ind. The decision to pur sue its acquisition was made in late November by Amtrak's Board of Direc tors. Purchase of Beech Grove would be in line with Amtrak's long range goal, stated in the 1973 annual report, of assuming full responsibility for general maintenance, servicing, cleaning and testing of its entire fleet of passenger (Continued on page 2) Workers at Beech Grove overhaul truck frames. There are several good buys on the New Florida Menus With ___--, new dinner menu including Pensacola red snapper for $3.50; a Florida fruit I Regional Flavor platter for only $1.30, and an incredibly low-priced filet of beef/lobster tail and herb butter combination for $7.75. New desserts are pecan pie , key lime pie and This win ter, Florida travelers from oranges and grapefruit; chicken gumbo peach ice cream. (Dinner prices include both Chicago and New York City can creole, and double consomme vermi appetizer, salad, beverage and dessert.) enjoy new Amtrak menus fe aturing celli. (Bismark herring in sour cream and According to Fred Hendee in Am regional favorites like Pensacola red a freshly made antipasto also are new to trak's Service Department, Southwest snapper and southern style hominy dinner menus.) Corned beef has been Limited menus will be revised January grits. added to the standard Amtrak club 15 with the Broadway Limited next to Breakfasts range from $1.45 to $3.75 sandwich and luncheon choices now in receive new menus. Breakfast choices on with the top price buying an interesting clude a hero sandwich and a "thin the Southwest Limited will include oat combination of two eggs and a small person's plate" of broiled beef, cottage meal and roast beef hash topped with a filet mignon. Hominy grits and Kadota cheese and chilled fruits, for only $1.75. poached egg and tomato slice. Eggs figs also are available for the first time Veal cutlet is now on the lunch menu Benedict make their Amtrak debut Jan on all Florida-train breakfast menus. plus Brunswick stew, an authentic com uary 15, on the Southwest Limited's New lunch and dinner appetizers bination of lamb, chicken, niblet corn luncheon menu. Baked ham with raisin include a Florida fruit cup of pineapple, and tomatoe s. sauce will be a new dinner entre. UP-TO-THE-MINUTE to determine which passengers were (Continued from page 1) affected. TIDA eliminates this time consuming process. TIDA automatically updates the affected leg of space in the In the past, Reservations Control PNR and a reaccommodation notice is prepared for last minute equipment sent by teletype to the CRO, if there is additions by programming in advance time, or to the passengers' point of extra cars into a train's consist and origin, showing space previously held blocking them from sale until required. and adjusted accommodations. Last minute substitution of non "TIDA can make almost any change standard equipment and deletion of cars imaginable to a given train or multiple presented greater problems. For exam trains," Al Mess, Senior Analyst ple, when a car was deleted, the PNRs Reservation Systems, said. "The system (passenger Name Records) of everyone was partially installed before Thanks Manager of Reservations Control Phil Held (standing) and AI Walls, Senior Reservations holding reservations on that train had to giving and should be in full operation Controls Specialist for the South Central be compared against the actual consist for the Christmas holiday." Region. PURCHASE (Continued from page 1) 1972. Between 15 and 20 cars currently and a base for engineering, procurement are overhauled each month. and other administrative aspects of pas cars and locomotives. Also, in the Am The 64-acres of Penn Central proper senger car heavy maintenance. ty include approximately 556 thousand trak Improvement Act of 1974, If an agreement is reached between square feet of building and 53 thousand Congress revised Section 305 of the Rail Amtrak and Penn Central, purchase feet of track and sidings. Because of its Passenger Service Act of 1970 to en would still have to be approved by the size, location and large number of per dorse the Amtrak-announced policy of Federal Court overseeing Penn Central sonnel, Beech Grove would make an seeking direct control "to the maximum bankrupt proceedings. extent practicable." exceptionally suitable Amtrak perma nent overhaul facility. It also has ex Amtrak's continuing requirement for Beech Grove has been performing pansion capability and could serve as a two and four-year overhauls will be a Amtrak heavy overhauls since February central warehouse for heavy materials minimum of 65 per month. 2 Inside Track Downing Succeeds Menk the St. Clair, Chicago-Detroit train checked suitcase or other container. If Robert W. Downing, Vice Chairman and (26%) and the Empire Builder, Chicago shoes are hand-carried, Amtrak recom Chief Operating Officer of the Burling Seattle train (21 %). The second largest mends they be tied securely together. ton Northern, will succeed Louis Menk number of passengers during July and Lost individual ski shoes have been a August (4,569) were making connec as a member of Amtrak's Board of problem on some trains. tions from the eastbound Empire Build Directors. Mr. Menk, Chairman and Amtrak will not accept a greater liabili er, almost half of them to the Broadway Chief Executive Officer of the Burling ty than $25 per passenger for ski equip Limited. A total of 2,156 passengers ton Northern, submitted his resignation ment and recommends that passengers transferred at Chicago from the west to the Amtrak Board at the November include such equipment as part of their meeting. Mr. Menk was elected to the bound Broadway Limited and 2,023 own "floater" insurance on personal Board in May 1971, by the four rail from the eastbound Lone Star, property. roads who hold common stock in the Houston-Chicago train. An of which proves the wisdom of current efforts to LRC Train national rail corporation. Mr. Downing has served with the Bur enlarge Chicago Union Station's lounge November was test month for the Cana lington Northern and, be fore the merger, and baggage facilities. dian-built LRC train at FRA 's Pueblo, the Great Northern since 1938. He has Col. test facility. Amtrak observors were Sales Trainees held various positions including train present for part of the tests which master, assistant to the president and Seven new Amtrak employees have compared ride quality, noise levels and executive vice president. completed formalized study and on component reliability of the LRC Coach the-job training in the company's Mar with a bi-Ievel coach from Amtrak's keting Trainee Program. The following Southwest Limited. (The Southwest Amtrak Appoints Leon F. Jackson as participants, after completing the pro Limited bi-Ievel coach was the standard Manger-Market Research. He is respon gram on Nov. 24, have received their of comparison used in testing the sible for reviewing ridership patterns to initial assignments to field sales loca United Aircraft and French-built turbo determine impact of marketing pro tions: Gregory Conville and Erick trains.) grams. He also evaluates new markets to Nygard, New York; Alan Napleton and The LRC Coach bi-Ievel car and an be served by Amtrak. Jackson came to Dennis Hamiiton, Chicago; Dick Flint, instrument car were run together at Amtrak from Pan American World Air Phoenix; Ted Fitter, Denver; and Ed various speeds for direct comparison. ways where he was Director of Planning Wolfford, Washington, D.C. Under the The LRC train ran approximately 1,000 and Analysis. He has many years of program, extensive training is given in miles each day for 40 days, averaging 95 experience in computer systems analysis all aspects of Amtrak's functional areas. mph on the 9-mile test oval. and design with Veda Inc., Bendix (See Amtrak News, June 1, page 1.) There was particular interest in the Systems and Chance Vought Aircraft. Primary emphasis is in sales and service LRC's new active tilting suspension programs. system. The LRC has a low center of gravity and a suspension system that Chicago Connections Ski Baggage uses electronic sensors and hydraulic Chicago's Union Station is still the Amtrak carries passenger ski equipment cylinders to bank the car on curves.