Cars, Bedrooms, Operating Overview

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AMERICA’S TRAINS’ CARS

America’s Trains (“ATs”) cars are retired Amtrak or VIA Rail (Canada) railroad cars acquired directly or from private owners. Cars are improved to enhance their mechanical operating capabilities and to provide optimum passenger confort, amenities and decor. Eventually, economical inclusion of new built cars can occur.
ATs’ primary markets for individual and group Journey by Rail vacation products include ultra-luxury and luxury vacation consumers.
Selected rail cars may require mechanical repairs to exceed Amtrak requirements, along with floorplan redesign and other interior improvements that include exquisite decors, fine furnishings, modern conveniences and desirable amenities to create spacious passenger density and optimum passenger gratification.
Exterior paint livery designs will differ from and be enhanced compared to the examples on cars (below).
Within five years the America’s Trains fleet of cars is expected to grow to include about 29 ‘standard’ passenger cars, with up to 134 bedrooms, that travel alone or as part of different train sets having up to several cars. Additional cars include four or five self sufficient ex ‘business’ cars with 2 or 3 bedrooms that can travel alone or with a train set, and a few activity cars that travel with trains sets to provide special entertainment, event space and in some instances a sound proofed electrical generator that provides electricity for multiple cars when head-end (engine) power is not available or when cars are parked, which is in addition to indepenedent generators on each Car.
Reservations are typically made over 10 months prior to the departure date of a selected Journey. This gives ATs time to get additional cars ready for service after advance sales confirm high occupancy, reducing excess bedroom inventory. Therefore, a Journey buyer may be making a purchase for a Journey on a Car that is not yet in service.

High (two) level cars

Full service high (two) level Cars are self sufficient with bedrooms, full dining and lounges.

The exterior livery in this photographic image is being enhanced

Passenger areas on the lower level include about 2/3rds of the car with a full upper level (the length of the car); there is a total of about 1,200 square feet of passenger space.
A self sufficient high level car may have four bedrooms, a Grande Suite with a very large bed, a Master Suite with a large bed, a Deluxe Double with a bed for two persons, and a Classic Double with a lower full and an upper twin bed, or two Grande and two Master Suites (see Bedroom Categories below). All bedrooms have private bathrooms with a shower. Total capacity is up to eight passengers (double occupancy); very low density.
A high level transition car can be joined to high level cars at one end and single level cars at the other.
Additional high level cars with limited food preparation capabilities, five bedrooms and lounges can travel with a high level car that provides full dining service.

Dome Cars

Dome cars have two Master Suites or three Deluxe Double bedrooms, a full kitchen, a dining area and lounges that include an upper level which is about 25% the length of the car. The first dome car, the Hibiscus, may operate alone until the first sleeping car is ready for service.

Single Level Cars

Single level sleeping cars have up to five bedrooms that can include a mix of Grande Suites, Master Suites,  Deluxe Double and Classic Double bedroom. The first sleeping car will be the Violet.
Single level dining cars may include two Master Suites, full dining and a bar.
Expected types of cars may vary based on consumer interests, unimproved car availability, and Amtrak requirements regarding the number and types of ATs cars that they can pull as part of their trains.
Go to the following types of cars for related information.
High (two) Level Cars
Dome Cars
Dining, Lounge Cars

Sleeping Cars
Activity Cars
Private Cars

BEDROOM CATEGORIES
Bedrooms have full private bathrooms, a safe, minibar, wifi when geographically possible, television and other deluxe amenities. Bed layouts may vary and sizes may be slightly different based on the characteristics of individual rail cars and whether they are one or two level cars. Different bedroom categories include the following:
Master Suite

Bedroom quality exceeds this example

1. Grand Suites, about 120 ft2 (11.15 m2) with a king bed or two twin beds; on single level or the lower level of two level cars.
2. Master Suites, about 96 ft2 (8.92 m2) with queen or king beds or two twin beds.
3. Deluxe Doubles, similar to but smaller than a Master Suite, about 88 ft2 (8.16 m2) with queen beds or two twin beds in some bedrooms.
4. Classic Doubles, about 68 ft2 (6.32 m2) with a lower double and an upper twin bed, for two or single passengers.
5. Duplex Suites on some private ex “business” cars may be retained and enhanced to emphasize the ‘classic’ interior of a Car; duplex suites are two bedrooms each having a large or two lower twin beds, private toilets and sinks, and a shared connecting shower.
6. Optimum Suitesabout 200 ft2 (18.5 m2) may be included in future Cars.
7. Crew cabins that are similar to Classic Double bedrooms may be infrequently used to accommodate single or extra passengers. Extra crew may infrequently sleep in Amtrak car bedrooms.

AMERICA’S TRAINS, OPERATING OVERVIEW

By the 1970s airline service and improved highways had replaced railroads as a primary way to travel in the United States; Amtrak assumed responsibility for passenger train operations. This led to the disappearance of and there has been no ongoing regular, scheduled, luxury vacation train service in the United States.
Amtrak’s normal objective is to move people between stations as quickly as possible, stopping just long enough for light maintenance and to let passengers get on and off the trains. There has been no regular train service designed to provide vacations, no luxury passenger railroads, and none that allow passengers to stay on board during extended stops so that they can enjoy off-car activities while traveling by train.
America’s Trains fills this void with Journeys by Rail on luxurious rebuilt railroad cars that travel as part of Amtrak or other trains, with extended en-route layovers at boarding, disembarking and en-route destinations where cars park and allow passengers to enjoy a wide variety of off car activities while living on board their luxurious resort on tracks. Cars are dropped off by one and picked up by another Amtrak or other train at en-route layover locations.
Older passenger cars are repaired to exceed Amtrak mechanical specifications. Interiors are rebuilt to provide ultimate passenger comfort and service.
Up to five cars traveling together as a train set provide luxurious sleeping, lounge and dining facilities with from 4 to 22 deluxe double occupancy bedrooms. There are some bedrooms available for single passengers.
Self sufficient private cars with two or three bedrooms may travel as part of a Train Set, or can operate alone to provide very exclusive vacations for small groups and families on routes selected by passengers.
A few activity cars with special event capabilities or that are configured for traveling displays, on board presentations or meetings will travel with Train Sets. Some activity Cars may have a sound proffed electrical genertor able to provide power to several Cars when its not available fron an engine or while perked.