Volume 2, Number 4 February 15, 1975 Amtrak Orders Keeping ______-----. I Budd Company Busy

The first of 292 new stainless steel no mistaking the distinctive around the plant. Amtrak posters fill Amtrak coaches are taking shape at Metroliner design which characterizes many ofthe bulletin boards and "Am­ the Budd Company's plant on Red these new coaches being built ex­ trak #1" or "Amtrak #2" is stenciled Lion Road in Philadelphia. For the clusively for Amtrak. or chalked on many of the com­ moment there are few clues that the ponents and sub assemblies waiting to massive under frames, standing amid­ One a Day take their place in the finished st stacks of ribs, panels and strips of By late summer, according to coaches. fluted stainless steel, will soon be Division General Manager Norman At the present time about 400 Budd recognizable as railway cars. Fesmire, the Red Lion plant will be employees are working on Amtrak or­ In these early stages the ' floor turning out the Amtrak cars at the ders. Within a few weeks this number frames are still upside down for easier average rate of one every working day. will grow to about 1,100. installation of equipment which will With orders currently in force this In a faltering economy the sub­ be carried under the cars. But Budd production rate should continue for stantial orders from Amtrak are good Company managers say it will be only almost two years. news for Budd and for its suppliers as a short time before the frames will be Before September, Fesmire added, well. For while some 12,800 parts per flipped over and the side and roof all three assembly lines in the Red Amtrak car will be manufactured by panels will go on cars one, two, three Lion plant will be devoted to Amtrak Budd, 30,683 items per Amtrak car and four. equipment making it an all-Amtrak will be purchased from outside sup­ From then · on, until the fi rst car plant. pliers. rolls out the other end of the Red Lion Already, the identification with plant sometime in April, there will be Budd's newest customer is apparent (continued on p. 2., col. 1)

Jacksonville eRO Passes ______---, I Two Million Call Mark quarters. At the helm of the CRO is Jack Gor­ don. Having " always been the It was a dramatic moment for Am­ and responded well to the public's manager of the Jacksonville office," trak employees when the first demand for train information and Gordon has been instrumental in all telephone call was made to Amtrak's reservations. So well, in fact, that the planning, organization, im­ new Central Reservations Office during 1974 the CRO, equipped with plementation and day-to-day. func­ (CRO) in Jacksonville on November the Automatic Reservations and tioning ofthe facility. 25, 1973, at 6:00 a.m. That call was Ticketing System (ARTS), handled "The exemplary operation of the handled within 10 seconds and, as the over two million calls. facility is a credit to Gordon and the hours rolled by, it was obvious that The new CRO replaced the first fine staff he has assembled," said things were running smoothly in the Amtrak Reservations Office, David L. Struebing, Manager-Reser­ new facility at the Century City office established on Dec. 16, 1972, in the vations in Washington, D.C. complex. Seaboard Coast Line (SCL) building. Employees were rather excited that This first Amtrak CRO, equipped 'Cream of Crop' day and were reminded of the old with the proverbial "drum" that held Steve Allen song, "This Could Be The paper diagrams, was a consolidation "When we hired we looked for the Start Of Something Big." And it was. of Miami and Jacksonville reser­ cream of the crop and we have them. vations functions. Working space was We looked for people who are Continuous Growth limited and the increasing call volume motivated to do a good job," Gordon The Jacksonville CRO has grown dictated the need for more spacious (continued on p. 2, col. 1) (BUDD, continuedfrom p. J) one roof, an area equivalent to six football fields. It stands on a site of The Red Lion plant of the Budd 216 acres of former farmland on the Company is an impressive facility. outskirts of Philadelphia. Built during World War II by the federal government to turn out the The list of railroad equipment built stainless-steel RB-1 "Conestoga" at the plant since its post-war con­ cargo plane, it was converted to a rail version in 1946 is impressive. It in­ passenger car facility soon after the cludes stainless-steel cars for many of final Japanese surrender. the famous "name" trains in the The main assembly area has, under United States-including the Metroliners-as well as self-propelled rail cars, subway cars and mass transit cars for service in many cities in the United States and other countries in the world. It is only fitting that as this country begins the massive job of rebuilding and modernizing its intercity passenger train system to meet the The characteristic Outing and curved roof line changing needs of the 1970's and are evident here as James McMaster of the 1980's, the Budd Company's Red Lion Budd Company checks application of a length plant will play a significant role. of paneling to roof members.

Henry Lowrie picks out a roll of stainless steel Budd Company Marketing Manager Sam Madeira has a visito.r feel the thickness of a collision post; a destined for use in one of Amtrak's new high­ foil two inches to meet new Federal Railroad Administration safety recommendations. The post will performance coaches. be part of Amtrak Car No.4.

(JACKSONVILLE, continuedfrom p. J) said. agents do for us. I've been with the "Incidentally, some of these calls Gordon has excellent qualifications railroads for many years and I've are new to Amtrak because reser­ for his job. In Amtrak's formative never seen anything this good." vations for Southern Railway trains days, he was on loan to the company have been integrated into the ARTS from the Seaboard Coast Line network. Therefore our agents have Call Count Railroad and was assigned to the become quite familiar with the "reservations task force." He has had The office is presently staffed to operation of the Southern Crescent," extensive experience in passenger handle 6,000 calls per day, or 42,000 a Gordon said. sales and service with the SCL. week. Actual daily counts vary bet­ Gordon's conclusion in a recent in­ ween five and seven thousand. Like terview fits the congenial atmosphere Jacksonville Sales Manager other reservations offices, J acksonviIIe of the reservations office. He said: Michael B. McElveen said, "We're experiences its peaks and valleys. "We are very proud of our installation real proud of the reservations bureau. Before Christmas it handled up to and extend a true Southern invitation It's amazing the good job that the 10,000 calls per day. to any of you to come and visit us."

2 Changes In Railroad Retirement Law

Congress has enacted legislation to provisions of the previous law for before the changeover date of Jan. 1, restructure the railroad retirement several months after the changeover 1975 will still continue to receive at system beginning Jan. 1, 1975. The date and arrange for payment of the least the same amounts of railroad legislation was based on recom­ increases due some survivors at a later retirement and social security benefits mendations negotiated by a joint com­ date. they were receiving before the change­ mittee of railroad management and New formulas are provided which over. Also, employees retiring after labor representatives. That committee over the long term are expected to ef­ changeover who were fully vested for was formed at the direction of fect substantial cost savings. The new both railroad retirement and social Congress to propose a plan that would benefit structure will be in the form of security benefits before the change­ put the railroad retirement system on a two-tier type system; the first tier is over will receive an additional amount a sound financial basis. The new law is essentially a social security benefit in the tier II portion of their annuity, intended to remove a number of in­ based on an employee's combined generally referred to as a "windfall" consistencies from the previous law social security and railroad retirement amount. and to preserve the existing equities of credits. There is the possibility of a tax career railroad employees. This benefit will increase .refund for some employees for 1974. To this end, the Railroad automatically at the same time and in Employees who worked for both a Retirement Act of 1974 represents a the same way as regular social security railroad and non-railroad employer in completely restructured system and benefits are increased. The second tier the same year may, under certain cir­ introduces a two-tier type benefit is a staff type annuity based on cumstances, receive refunds of excess along the lines recommended by a railroad service only; it also includes a social security taxes. Automatic re­ Presidential Commission on Railroad schedule of future cost-of-living in­ fu nds at retirement, or death, may be Retirement. creases. made if an employee's earnings, One of the most important changes taxable under both railroad The U.S. Railroad Retirement made in the railroad retirement retirement and social security law, in Board emphasizes that the provisions system effects a gradual phase-out of any year after 1950 and before 1975, of the new law are extremely com­ dual benefits. Under the previous law exceeded the railroad retirement plicated and that it will take some an annuitant could receive separate taxable maximum for that year. For time before the Board is able to im­ railroad and social security benefits on years after 1974, an employee paying plement all of the provisions of the the basis of his respective earnings un­ excess retirement taxes will have to new law. It may be necessary to award der the two systems. apply for a refund on his income tax new retirement annuities under the However, employees who retired return.

California an intermediate Anaheim stop for then the San Diegan. This is a ten­ visits to Disneyland and Knott's Berry day, nine-night tour priced at $249.00 Whistle Stop Farm. High spots are the 595-mile each, double-occupancy. There are Tours scenic coastal rides on Amtrak's Coast two full days and nights at Yosemite Starlight and San Diegan. Cost is National Park, with the stay at Tour specialists think Amtrak's $189.90 each, double-occupancy, for Yosemite Lodge. Like the Silver newest California package vacations the eight-day, seven-night tour in­ Whistle Stop, this tour includes Gray are real bell-ringers, as well as, cluding rail fare, hotels (Sheraton Line's Deluxe Tour No.1 of San Fran­ literally, Whistle Stops. Palace in San Francisco, Sheraton cisco, Disneyland and other Anaheim California Whistle Stops is the Anaheim and Sheraton Half Moon in area attractions and the San Diego name of a new combination of tours San Diego), sightseeing and admission Zoo. San Diego hotel for this tour is created and packaged by Pan Univer­ to attractions. the Sheraton Harbor Island. sal Tours of Anaheim, using three of The California Whistle Stops also Amtrak's scenic California routings. Via Yosemite include three-day, two-night packages The Silver Whistle Stop itinerary The Golden Whistle Stop takes the of San Francisco ($43.90 each, can be used between San Francisco inland California route via Yosemite, double), San Diego ($40.90) and and San Diego in either direction with using Amtrak's San Joaquin train, Anaheim -Disneyland ($36.90).

3

Airline Executives Take to Amtrak

A delegation of airline executives trip," Miller said. ferent for them." recently journeyed to a meeting in According to the Ft. Worth Star­ John P. Anderson, Amtrak District Laredo without once having to "fasten Telegram, Ford said Laredo does not Sales Manager in Houston, said, "The seat belts" or "observe the no smoking receive regular airline !iervice and group generated about $1,300 in sign during takeoff and landing." " many of our members haven't been revenue and it certainly indicates the That's because Fred Ford, Manager on a train for years, so we thought this sales force is out beating all the of the Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport, would be something a little bit dif- bushes." working with John Miller, Amtrak Sales Manager in Ft. Worth, reserved 50 seats on the Inter-American to Laredo for use by members of the South Central Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives. "I went out and bought lap boards for them to play cards on and they had a ball on their way to Laredo. They were excited and they had a good

Keeping Track of Amtrak rw"'WYW-'W-."

Safety in Services National and Canadian Pacific Amtrak and the Department of A "Safety Rules" booklet has been stations. Additional copies will be Defense in the latter part of 1973. Am­ issued to Amtrak on-board and stocked in Penn Station, New York, trak's Design Department worked out station services personnel which where requests are frequently received specifications and the Dept. of Defen­ outlines proper working practices that for Amtrak information printed in se arranged for space near the airline are to be followed by each services em­ foreign languages. Louise Lassen, and bus ticket offices. The Amtrak of­ ployee. The 30-page booklet covers Sales Promotion Assistant in Am ­ fice officially opened for business on procedures regarding injuries, con­ trak's Washington headquarters, Feb. 4,1974. duct on-the-job, type of clothing to be collaborated on the project with Mrs. Mae Masters, a veteran of worn, methods of lifting and stacking Laberge. more than 30 years at the Washington material, food handling, operating Union Terminal Co. and superin­ self-propelled equipment and moving tendent of reservations there, has been baggage carts. The pamphlet is Pentagon Office Milestone at Amtrak's new Pentagon office from the beginning. Besides official travel, available from Service Supervisors. February marks the first an­ she said a great deal of her ticketing is Each service department employee is niversary of Amtrak's Rail Travel for leave and other pleasure required to certify with his signature Center in the Pentagon. In its first 12 travel-"a lot of it to Florida right that he has received a copy of the months of operation, it has ticketed now." booklet. more than 10,000 travelers and han­ dled several times that number of International Sales inquiries both at the counter and by Amtrak's "Week of Wheels" telephone. Joe O. Bellino, Amtrak's Passriders on Meteor brochure has been printed in French Manager of Government and Military Restrictions against free and and will soon be available to French­ Marketing, predicts a substantial in­ reduced rate travel on the Silver Canadians who are prospective Am­ crease in 1975. Meteor have been lifted. Business and trak passengers. The brochures will be A rail ticket office had been personal travel documents will be distributed to French-Canadian travel operated in the Pentagon for more honored for ticketing on the Meteor agents by Jim Laberge, Montreal than 20 years by the Pennsylvania through April 30, 1975. The 24-hour Manager of Sales, and will also be Railroad until it was discontinued in advance reservations limitation available in that city's Canadian 1967. Its reopening was planned by remains in effect for personal travel.

6 Background: Correct The 'No-show' Problem Address, Please?

In a recent study by Amtrak's are ticketed they are subject to the Employees are writing to Amtrak Reservations Department, it was lear­ refund penalty if they do not cancel News when they do not receive their ned that lOA percent of reserved reservations in advance. "The refund twice-a-month copies of the newslet­ coach passengers and 11.7 percent of penalty will motivate some passengers ter. For some employees, the Postal first-class passengers do not board the to remember to cancel if they are not Service is forwarding the News from train after they have made reser­ going on their trip," said Struebing. an old address. The newsletter is ad­ vations; nor do they call and cancel dressed to you by utilizing a duplicate their reservations. Secondly, discourage passengers copy of the master roster on file in the from making double bookings. "If a Personnel and Payroll departments. The no-show problem is critical, passenger calls and makes reser­ Therefore, if your News is addressed especially on trains with a heavy load vations for the same train on two dif­ improperly, or if you know someone factor. The uncancelled space goes ferent days, or two different trains on who is not receiving the News, it is empty, while other prospective the same day, because he can't decide because the Personnel Dept. does not passengers are turned away because which day he wants to travel, tell him have the correct address. To be sure the train is reported full. you are sorry but double bookings are that you are listed properly, notify the not allowed since it would deprive Personnel Dept. of your current ad­ Surprisingly, the report also showed another passenger of a seat," dress. Note: this is also necessary to that between three and five percent of Struebing said. ensure that your state and local in­ the no-shows had already purchased come taxes are credited to the proper jurisdiction. An improper address on their tickets. The new ticket envelope "Last, when a passenger picks up file in Personnel may cause com­ clearly states the following: his ticket remind him: 'If you change plications for you at income tax time. your plans-to ride another train "If reservation is cancelled less than another day or not ride at all-please one-half hour before scheduled depar­ call us as soon as possible so that we ture or is not cancelled, the following may accommodate another person.' " service charge is not refunded: 5% of concluded Struebing. the total ticket price (including ac­ AMTRAK NEWS commodations charges), with a The penalty for no-shows is nothing minimum of $5.00 ($2.50 if the total new. The railroads had penalties Published twice-a-month for employees ticket price is $10.00 or less). ranging from 25 percent, if cancelled of the National Railroad Passenger within the 24-hour period before train Corporation and those of participating "If a person goes to the trouble to time, to 50 percent if cancelled after railroads who are engaged in rail make a reservation and pick up his train time. The Interstate Commerce passenger service. ticket, we feel it's common sense that Commission's ex parte 277 dated he should call and cancel if his plans April 11, 1974 standardized the change. The passenger has an penalty at five percent of the ticket. .. NEWS STAFF obligation to cancel his space," said price or $5.00, whichever is greater. 'f'f Phil Held, Manager-Central Reser­ the ticket price is under $10.00, the Joseph Vranich, Editor vations Control. penalty is $2.50. The penalty applies Gayle Fedrowitz only to those persons who actually Dave Struebing, Manager of Reser­ hold tickets. vations, says there are three ways that Ticket and Reservations Clerks can Signs announcing the penalty were REGIONAL CORRESPONDENTS help reduce the number of no-shows. posted in stations last April when it Ron Rhodes, Southeastern went into effect. After the new ticket Alice Kal, Central First, encourage customers making envelopes were printed with the Marge Sweeney, Western phone reservations to pick up their refund policy, the signs were taken tickets as soon as possible. Once they down.

7 regional editions of Time and Sports Floridian Takes Winners Illustrated. A similar campaign is now un­ To Disney World derway with WFMS Radio in In­ dianapolis.

Amtrak personnel who are Amtrak and Walt Disney World vertising Dept. "Through January 28, coo.perating in the venture include Jim have teamed up to produce the biggest over 100,000 nt~st coupons had Mariner, Manager-Advertising and single radio promotion ever of Florida been received by WLS. The promotion Sales . Promotion; Frank E. Rizzuto, travel in the Chicago area. The will run to February 23." Central Regional Sales Manager and " Musicradio Game" over WLS Radio The campaign, entitled "Track on his Special Assistant Jack P. encourages listeners to register in a Down to Disney World," is being Naugnton; Robert F. Ringnald, Cen­ drawing which offers 120 winners an plugged in 4,1 ";) commercials on WLS tral Regional Manager Station Ser­ all-expense-paid first-class trip via Radio and in ads in Chicago's vices, and Guy Thompson, Manager Amtrak to Orlando and Walt Disney newspapers, billboards, television and Stations-Chicago.-Alice Kat World. Winners may leave Chicago on April 8, 9, or 10 aboard Amtrak's Floridian. Upon their arrival in Orlan­ do, the winners will receive free hotel accommodations at the Dutch Inn, meals and admission to Walt Disney World. The return trips on the Floridian may be made on April 13, 14 or 15 to Chicago. "This promotion is the largest that WLS has ever held and from the results of the first month it is an out­ standing success," said King Pedlar, "Tracking on Down" to JJiSiiey Worid on Amtrak are Susls O'Hara, "ofti cial ambassador of Wait Media Specialist in Amtrak's Ad- Disney World" (left), Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse and John Landecker, WLS disc jockey.

First Class Mail U.S. POSTAGE PAID 1 oz. Permit 1911 Merrifield, V A

National Railroad Passenger Corporation 955 L'Enfant Plaza North, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20024

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED