Pages:[ 1 ][ 2 ][ Next ]
Current Page:1 of 2
Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: RRmemories
Is there any entetainment like movies such as airplanes have or any other activities in your seat. Are there any piano cars still around or live music on Amtrak (or anywhere?) What do people do besides look at the scenery on a cross country run? Aaron 20
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: jkchubbes
Drink, Drink and more Drinking, lol. There are TVs in the lounge car that the attendant used to put a DVD in for everyone to watch but I haven't seen the TVs working in awhile. On the Coast Starlight the Pacific Parlour (First Class Only) has a theater below and usually they have classical music playing throughout the upper level.
-Jacob Klatt
www.jkchubbes.com
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: hesdjjim
They used to show movies in the Superliner lounge cars, however, a lot of people felt it was more of a distraction from the railroad experience than an enhancement. A lot of us on this board were saying, "Good riddance," when Amtrak did away with them.
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: tinytrains
An Altamont timetable, a scanner, an earphone, and a window.
What more do you need?
Scott
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: zephyr18
hesdjjim Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They used to show movies in the Superliner lounge
> cars, however, a lot of people felt it was more of
> a distraction from the railroad experience than an
> enhancement. A lot of us on this board were
> saying, "Good riddance," when Amtrak did away with
> them.
And Thank God for that. It wasn't just that it was a distraction -- they usually had the sound turned up to the point it distorted, so it wasn't just a matter of ignoring the monitors in the ends of the car. It made the whole car unpleasant to be in.
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: MysticHowler
Gee, I don't know what you guys are talking about...I rode the CZ in 2004 and the Lounge Attendant put movies on for us as long as people were watching. Once it started getting dark he would pick a movie and put it on. Typically he would only have the TVs on one side of the car on upstairs so those who didn't want to watch didn't have to listen to it. Volume was kept low, but well enough that we could here it okay. The TVs down stairs where he was were off or at a lower volume, and the on the side farthest away from him they were on with a normal volume. I rode with the same crew there (Colfax for two weeks) and back (Omaha) on chance, and he even put in Silver Streak (my tape) for me. He had never seen it and liked it so much he was sitting downstairs with me talking about life with Amtrak and watching the movie.
If they don't play movies anymore, thats okay, I have a laptop that plays movies, and Train-Sim, so as my train winds it's way out of Denver, I can be doing the same in the game.
Sean T.
Papillion, NE
There were a lot of groans and "Oh no, you again?" when I got back on the train...all in good humor though.
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: krapplem
For about a year or so up to last fall, selected Amtrak stations (Chicago, Washington, LA, etc) had a movie player available for rental during your trip. I believe it was called Railway Media. It came preloaded with a variety of reasonably current movies. I think it was fairly popular however the company went bust and that was the end of it.
I think laptops and portable DVD players have pretty much supplanted the need for "in-flight" movies.
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: jdb
No movies on the Empire Builder, Starlight, Zephyr, or Chief when I rode them last month. Plenty of entertainment though. People saying that they wanted to see the country and then sleeping all the way. Arguments about somebody hogging the outlets in the lounge car. Complaints about loss of cell phone when going through tunnels. Watching people do nothing but watch their GPS. One lower level coach on the Starlight was empty (no seats) and kids spent time there. Another lower lever had arcade games. Listen to people talk on their cell phone about "that lake." (Missouri River)
jb
EDIT: Movies are shown on the Cascades Talgos. Few people watch, they are all working on their lap tops.
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: smitty195
The movies in the Sightseer Lounge were discontinued about a year ago. This was when more budget cuts were being made, and the name "First Class" was dropped from sleeping cars. Now it's just an "accommodation" charge and First Class is a term no longer used (except for Acela).
Railway Media was the company that rented the DigEPlayers, and they have gone bankrupt. Too bad---I liked those units. But now I have my new toy, a MacBook Pro, so I guess that'll work. :)
Edit: The reason the movies were cancelled is because of the enormous licensing fees that Amtrak had to pay to the movie studios. Personally, I'm glad they got rid of them. As others have noted, the majority of the time the audio was so screwed up (too loud, too soft, or muffled) that it was a huge distraction in the Sightseer Lounge car. It was difficult to hold a conversation with anyone due to the blaring noise coming from the ceiling.
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: dzeph
Getting rid of the movies in the sightseer lounges was a great improvement. The sound was always very lound and distorted and the movies typical junk. It was a great minus for enjoying the ride and scenery. Anyone can bring along their own entertainment.
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: stone23
Actually, Amtrak intended to have dancing girls on all long distance trains but their pom-poms got in the passenger's way.
Just look out of the window for entertainment!
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: AlwaysLate
The downstairs piano in the 80's was great, especially when one could play:) I was able to hook many a female passengers in those days. Once in awhile however, if playing a slow rock ballad, the train would hit a switch or crossing hard and I would flub a key. O well.
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: Amtrak288
Simply put: Onboard Entertainment = Bring your own laptop computer and some DVD's!
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: Pioneer2526
I remember when the Superliners first came out, they had a electric Piano in the lower lever of the sightseer lounges, It was annoying with little ones banging on it......
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: sfericsf
RRmemories Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Are there any piano cars still around
Hahahahahahahaha! LOL! Are you for real? Buddy, you're lucky if you get toilets that work...
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: sfericsf
jdb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No movies on the Empire Builder, Starlight,
> Zephyr, or Chief when I rode them last month.
> Plenty of entertainment though. People saying
> that they wanted to see the country and then
> sleeping all the way. Arguments about somebody
> hogging the outlets in the lounge car. Complaints
> about loss of cell phone when going through
> tunnels. Watching people do nothing but watch
> their GPS. One lower level coach on the Starlight
> was empty (no seats) and kids spent time there.
> Another lower lever had arcade games. Listen to
> people talk on their cell phone about "that lake."
> (Missouri River)
>
> jb
Unfortunately this isn't the kind a entertainment most folks want to see. Sometimes coach class can look like the Jerry Springer Show Live!
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: Railrev
Entertainment? As our good friend Chris (and others) say: "Every train ride is an advnture." Personally, the train is a place where I can teach my grandchildren that they don't need to be "connected" to be entertained.
Last summer, once they (ages 8 and 11) discovered the sightseer lounge and all there was to see, they forgot their electronic stuff.
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: jp1822
I did enjoy the commentary that was often given in the Sightseer Lounge by Park Rangers through the "Trails and Rails" Program. But I think this has slimmed down as of late. Also, I believe BNSF used to sponsor/subsidize part of the commentary along the route - east of Albuquerque.
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: set41249
The trip itself is the entertainment. Why do people constantly need to 'entertained' anyway.
Like an earlier post read: Timetable (employees preferred) scanner (with proper programming)
and last, but definitely not least WINDOW!
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Re: Amtrak entertainment on long distance trains?
Author: jdb
jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I did enjoy the commentary that was often given in
> the Sightseer Lounge by Park Rangers through the
> "Trails and Rails" Program.
Last month on the Starlight (the one that was supposed to go over Tehachapi) there were rangers giving their talk. They were doing a familiarization run and there were a half dozen taking turns.
The next day on the Zephyr there was one docent from the California State Railroad Museum between Sacramento and Reno.
One conductor took it upon himself to describe the canyons of the Colorado River. I liked it the best because he wasn't reading from a script.
Unfortunately, it seemed that the people around me had something more important to say and tried to talk louder.
jb
[ Reply To This Message ] [ Quote ]
Pages:[ 1 ][ 2 ][ Next ]
Current Page:1 of 2
