Viewliner
Encyclopedia
The Viewliner is a single-level car type used by Amtrak
on eastern routes. With the exception of a prototype dining car named "Indianapolis" , all cars built so far are sleeping car
s and are assigned names that include the word "View."
cars were built starting in 1979, those cars were too tall to run on Amtrak's eastern routes due to clearance issues in and around both New York Pennsylvania Station
and Baltimore Pennsylvania Station
(see loading gauge
and structure gauge
).
Working with the Budd Company
, Amtrak drafted plans for new single-level sleeping and dining car
s that utilized a 'modular' design where the interiors of the cars, especially the sleepers, were built in units separate from the exterior shell. These units contain all fixtures, electrical components, sewage and fresh water handling internally and are then mated with the car exterior shell upon assembly. This approach allows for easier maintenance and reconfiguration through removal and replacement of individual units. Access for this purpose is via a removable hatch on the side of the car, a distinguishing feature of the Viewliner series. Unlike the Superliner
s, occupants of both bunks in the bedrooms have an outside view.
The design of the cars was created by Amtrak's design group, which received input from every department in the company. At the time of their introduction into service, Amtrak planned to assemble a fleet of over a thousand cars during the ten years after their introduction.
The prototype Viewliner cars were assembled at Amtrak's shop in Beech Grove, Indiana
, in 1987-1988 from Budd components. Two sleeping cars (2300 and 2301) were built, as was one dining car (8400). These cars were tested on the Auto Train
beginning in 1988. The prototypes were in regular service until 2002; however, money from the 2009 stimulus package recently funded the restoration of dining car 8400 to service.
)/Morrison-Knudsen. Amtrak's intention was to order 500-600 new cars, of which 100 would be sleepers and the rest coaches, diners and lounges. This would have enabled Amtrak to replace its remaining Heritage Fleet
equipment and run trains with solid Viewliner consist
s. Amtrak's strained finances led to only 50 sleeping cars being ordered; throughout the 1990s and 2000s Viewliner sleepers ran with Amfleet
coaches and Heritage diners.
On July 23, 2010 Amtrak placed an order worth $298.1 million with CAF USA, a fully owned subsidiary of Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles
located in Elmira, New York
, for the full order of 130 new cars. According to Amtrak president Joseph Boardman, CAF's capability to construct the entire car at its factory, rather than relying on subcontractors, as well as submitting a lower bid, were the reasons the company won the contract over Alstom
, the only other bidder.
The order totals are as follows:
and Baltimore Pennsylvania Station
that prevent tall cars from clearing the tunnels (see loading gauge
and structure gauge
). These long-distance routes typically include some segments of track along the North-East Corridor, but extend north, west or south beyond the NE Corridor.
The first car of this new order is scheduled to roll off the assembly line in October 2012.
, Bedroom, and Accessible Bedroom. The two Bedrooms can be combined to form a Bedroom Suite. In addition, each sleeping car includes a smaller room containing a shower and a room for a car attendant.
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
on eastern routes. With the exception of a prototype dining car named "Indianapolis" , all cars built so far are sleeping car
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
s and are assigned names that include the word "View."
Early design
In the 1980s, Amtrak was looking to replace its heritage fleet railcars, which had been in service as far back as the 1940s. While new SuperlinerSuperliner (railcar)
The Superliner is a double decker passenger car used by Amtrak on long haul trains that do not use the Northeast Corridor. The initial cars were built by Pullman-Standard in the late 1970s and a second order was built in the mid 1990s by Bombardier Transportation...
cars were built starting in 1979, those cars were too tall to run on Amtrak's eastern routes due to clearance issues in and around both New York Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
and Baltimore Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station (Baltimore)
Pennsylvania Station is the main train station in Baltimore, Maryland. Designed by New York architect Kenneth MacKenzie Murchison , it was constructed in 1911 in the Beaux-Arts style of architecture for the Pennsylvania Railroad. It is located at 1515 N...
(see loading gauge
Loading gauge
A loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...
and structure gauge
Structure gauge
The structure gauge, also called the minimum clearance outline, is the minimum height and width of tunnels and bridges as well as the minimum height and width of the doors that allow a rail siding access into a warehouse...
).
Working with the Budd Company
Budd Company
The Budd Company is a metal fabricator and major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and was formerly a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars during the 20th century....
, Amtrak drafted plans for new single-level sleeping and dining car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
s that utilized a 'modular' design where the interiors of the cars, especially the sleepers, were built in units separate from the exterior shell. These units contain all fixtures, electrical components, sewage and fresh water handling internally and are then mated with the car exterior shell upon assembly. This approach allows for easier maintenance and reconfiguration through removal and replacement of individual units. Access for this purpose is via a removable hatch on the side of the car, a distinguishing feature of the Viewliner series. Unlike the Superliner
Superliner (railcar)
The Superliner is a double decker passenger car used by Amtrak on long haul trains that do not use the Northeast Corridor. The initial cars were built by Pullman-Standard in the late 1970s and a second order was built in the mid 1990s by Bombardier Transportation...
s, occupants of both bunks in the bedrooms have an outside view.
The design of the cars was created by Amtrak's design group, which received input from every department in the company. At the time of their introduction into service, Amtrak planned to assemble a fleet of over a thousand cars during the ten years after their introduction.
The prototype Viewliner cars were assembled at Amtrak's shop in Beech Grove, Indiana
Beech Grove, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,880 people, 6,085 households, and 3,839 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,462.5 people per square mile . There were 6,506 housing units at an average density of 1,513.9 per square mile...
, in 1987-1988 from Budd components. Two sleeping cars (2300 and 2301) were built, as was one dining car (8400). These cars were tested on the Auto Train
Auto Train
Auto Train is an scheduled train service for passengers and their automobiles operated by Amtrak between Lorton, Virginia , and Sanford, Florida . Although there are similar services around the world, the Auto Train is the only one of its kind in the United States...
beginning in 1988. The prototypes were in regular service until 2002; however, money from the 2009 stimulus package recently funded the restoration of dining car 8400 to service.
Viewliner I
The first production Viewliners were built in 1995-1996 by Amerail (now AlstomAlstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
)/Morrison-Knudsen. Amtrak's intention was to order 500-600 new cars, of which 100 would be sleepers and the rest coaches, diners and lounges. This would have enabled Amtrak to replace its remaining Heritage Fleet
Heritage Fleet
Heritage Fleet was a program started by Amtrak in 1977 to convert its older, mainly streamlined, cars from steam heating to head end power. Head end power conversions were performed at Amtrak's heavy repair center in Beech Grove, Indiana, outside of Indianapolis...
equipment and run trains with solid Viewliner consist
Consist
A consist , in North American railway terminology, is used as a noun to describe the group of rail vehicles that make up a train. A near-equivalent UK term is rake but this excludes the locomotive....
s. Amtrak's strained finances led to only 50 sleeping cars being ordered; throughout the 1990s and 2000s Viewliner sleepers ran with Amfleet
Amfleet
Amfleet is a series of intercity railroad passenger cars built for the operator Amtrak by the manufacturer Budd Company in two series during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Today, Amfleet cars are used extensively throughout the Amtrak system outside the western United States...
coaches and Heritage diners.
Viewliner II
In the 2009 budget, increased funding was provided to allow Amtrak to initially order 130 Viewliner II cars in the form of diners, sleepers, baggage-dorms and baggage cars with an option to purchase 70 additional cars.On July 23, 2010 Amtrak placed an order worth $298.1 million with CAF USA, a fully owned subsidiary of Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles is a rail equipment manufacturer based in Beasain in the Basque Country, Spain. Equipment manufactured by CAF includes light rail vehicles, rapid transit trains, railroad cars and locomotives, as well as variable gauge axles that can be fitted on any...
located in Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
, for the full order of 130 new cars. According to Amtrak president Joseph Boardman, CAF's capability to construct the entire car at its factory, rather than relying on subcontractors, as well as submitting a lower bid, were the reasons the company won the contract over Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
, the only other bidder.
The order totals are as follows:
| Initial 130 new cars |
|---|
| 25 sleepers |
| 25 diners |
| 25 baggage/dorms |
| 55 baggage cars |
Usage
Amtrak's Viewliner cars are primarily used on Amtrak's long-distance routes in the Eastern US, due to clearance issues in and around both New York Pennsylvania StationPennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
and Baltimore Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station (Baltimore)
Pennsylvania Station is the main train station in Baltimore, Maryland. Designed by New York architect Kenneth MacKenzie Murchison , it was constructed in 1911 in the Beaux-Arts style of architecture for the Pennsylvania Railroad. It is located at 1515 N...
that prevent tall cars from clearing the tunnels (see loading gauge
Loading gauge
A loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...
and structure gauge
Structure gauge
The structure gauge, also called the minimum clearance outline, is the minimum height and width of tunnels and bridges as well as the minimum height and width of the doors that allow a rail siding access into a warehouse...
). These long-distance routes typically include some segments of track along the North-East Corridor, but extend north, west or south beyond the NE Corridor.
Future plans
Per the Amtrak Fleet Strategy Plan, released on February 1, 2010, the high number of baggage and baggage/dorm cars are to replace all Heritage Fleet baggage cars in service system-wide. The additional Viewliner II diners will also replace the Heritage Fleet diners currently in use on single-level service. Lastly, the additional sleepers will provide Amtrak with a much-needed larger inventory of single-level sleeping cars to allow for a reserve fleet as well as the rolling stock required for expanded long-distance overnight service in the future.The first car of this new order is scheduled to roll off the assembly line in October 2012.
Accommodation
Each Viewliner sleeping car offers three types of rooms: RoometteRoomette
A roomette is a type of sleeping car compartment in a railroad passenger train. The term was first used in North America, and was carried over into Australia and New Zealand...
, Bedroom, and Accessible Bedroom. The two Bedrooms can be combined to form a Bedroom Suite. In addition, each sleeping car includes a smaller room containing a shower and a room for a car attendant.