Amtrak Photo Archives
an unofficial Amtrak site

the Viewliners




According to Wikipedia

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 Superliner cars were built starting in 1979, those cars were too tall to run on Amtrak's eastern routes because of clearance issues in and around both New York Pennsylvania Station and Baltimore Pennsylvania Station.

Working with the Budd Company, Amtrak drafted plans for new single-level sleeping and dining cars 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 Superliners, 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 Beech Grove Shops 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 Capitol Limited 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.

In 2014, prototype sleeper 2301 was converted into an inspection car named "American View". The car has rear-facing seats and a large glass window at the end that allows passengers to observe the tracks.[5] The car can also be used by maintenance crews to visually inspect the tracks for defects and by the Amtrak president and other executives for official purposes.

Location & information
Date
Photo Credit
 Houston TX
the first prototype Viewliner
on the head end of the departing
Sunset Limited
 October 1987
 Gary Morris
Houston TX 
A height comparison to a Superliner
click here for an interior view
 October 1987
Gary Morris 
Houston TX
vestibule end 
 October 1987
Gary Morris 
 Houston TX 
A height comparison to a
Heritage coach
click here for another interior view
 October 1987
Gary Morris 

2300

 October 1987

 MC Wikman

 October 1987
 MC Wikman
 Framingham MA
the second prototype Viewliner -
note the Twilight Shoreliner window
screens but the car is in use on #449
The Lakeshore Limited
 September 3, 1998
 Jeff Finch
 Natick MA
 August 28, 1999
 Dick Leonhardt
 
10004
     
 
10004
     

According to Wikipedia
Viewliner I
The first production Viewliners were built in 1995-1996 by Amerail (now Alstom)/Morrison-Knudsen. Amtrak's original intention in the 1980s 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 consists. However Amtrak's strained finances led to only 50 sleeping cars being ordered, which contributed to the Budd Company's decision to completely exit the railcar market. The design was transferred to the Amerail/Morrison-Knudsen consortium with delivery finally being completed in 1996 alongside the Bombardier-supplied Superliner II fleet. The Viewliners arrived just in time to retire most of Amtrak's Heritage sleeping cars which were coming under increasing environmental pressure due to their use of non-retention toilets. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s Viewliner sleepers ran on East Coast single-level trains in concert with Amfleet coaches and Heritage diners.

Location & information
Date
Photo Credit
 Cleveland OH
Oct 9, 2000
 Dick Leonhardt
62000
American
View
Delray Beach Fl May 2, 2006 Jeff Lubchansky
 Framingham MA
 April 16, 2000
 Dick Leonhardt
 Cleveland OH
 Oct 9, 2000
 Dick Leonhardt
  Birmingham AL
on the Northbound Crescent
 April 7, 2001
 Matt Nelson
62003 Washington DC Nov 2, 2014 Dick Leonhardt
 Toldeo OH
in the Lakeshore Limited
 June 24, 2000
 Jim Hebner
Tampa FL
 Dec 1, 2006
Amin Ricker
Tampa FL 
Apr 7, 2006
 Amin Ricker
Albany NY
on the Lakeshore Limited
Train 49
April 8, 2008
Steve Kessler
  Birmingham AL
on the Northbound Crescent
 April 7, 2001
 Matt Nelson
 Framingham MA
 Feb 13, 1999
 Dick Leonhardt
 Framingham MA
 Feb 13, 1999
 Dick Leonhardt
 Framingham MA
on the Lakeshore Limited
 Feb 29, 2000
 Dick Leonhardt

 62008
Eagle
View

 Framingham MA
on the Lakeshore Limited
 Feb 29, 2000  Dick Leonhardt
 62008

Chicago IL
On a VERY late
Lakeshore Limited

Sept 28, 2014 Jim Hebner
Tampa FL  Apr 7, 2006  Amin Ricker
62010
Forest
View
Tampa FL  Apr 7, 2006 Amin Ricker
 Natick MA  Aug 27, 2000  Dick Leonhardt
 South Bend IN Oct 6, 2000  Dick Leonhardt
   Springfield MA Sept 20, 2001  Dick Leonhardt
Tampa FL  Apr 7, 2006  Amin Ricker
62013
Harvest
View
Framingham MA 26 May 2010 Dick Leonhardt
Elkhart IN  Sept 22, 2001  Dick Leonhardt
 Framingham MA
on the Lakeshore Limited
 Feb 22, 2000  Dick Leonhardt
Framingham MA  Feb 22, 2000  Dick Leonhardt
 Wellesley Farms MA  Feb 2000  Dick Leonhardt
62017
Majestic
View'
Wellesley MA
had name
May 16, 2009 Dick Leonhardt
        Dick Leonhardt
62018

Chicago IL
On a VERY late
Lakeshore Limited

Sept 28, 2014 Jim Hebner
 Framingham MA  March 26, 1999
 Dick Leonhardt
Tampa FL
Amin Ricker
62021
 Albany NY  Oct 31, 1999  Dick Leonhardt
 South Bend IN  Oct 30, 1999  Dick Leonhardt
 Springfield MA  Oct 29, 1999  Dick Leonhardt
 Rochester NY  Sept 24, 2001  Dick Leonhardt 
Tampa FL  Dec 1, 2006 Amin Ricker
  Wellesley MA  June, 2001  Dick Leonhardt 

  62028
Palisades
View
 Worcester MA  Feb 3, 2001 Dick Leonhardt 
 62030
Patriot
View
 Albany NY  Oct 31, 1999  Dick Leonhardt 
 62030
Patriot
View
 South Bend IN  October 30, 1999  Dick Leonhardt 
62032
River
View
 Rochester NY  Sept 22, 2001  Dick Leonhardt 
 62032 Tampa FL  Apr 7, 2006  Amin Ricker
62032 Tampa FL  Dec 2, 2006  Amin Ricker
62034
Scenic
View
Tampa FL     Amin Ricker
62034
Sea
View
 South Bend IN
was this named for Admiral
Nelson's sub?
ok ...ok ...bad joke
 Oct 31, 1999  Dick Leonhardt 
62035
Skyline
View
 Toledo OH
part of the
Lakeshore Limited
 June 24, 2000  Jim Hebner
62035
Skyline
View
Framingham MA July 30, 2010 Dick Leonhardt
62035
South Bend IN
name gone
Oct 7, 2011 Dick Leonhardt
 62037
Southern
View
 Framingham MA  April 3, 1999  Dick Leonhardt 

 62037
Southern
View
 Framingham MA  April 3, 1999 Dick Leonhardt 

 62037
Southern
View
 Framingham MA  April 3, 1999 Dick Leonhardt 

 62037
Southern
View

 Chicago IL

 May 1999

 Jim Hebner

 62039
Stream
View

 Framingham MA

 April 25, 1999

Dick Leonhardt 
 62039
Stream
View
 Chicago IL  May 21999  Jim Hebner

62039
Summer
Vie
w

 Tampa FL 
Southbound Silver Star
Amtrak P091-27

 Nov 28, 2006
 Amin Ricker
Tampa FL 
Apr 7, 2006
 Amin Ricker
 no
photo
yet
 62042
 

62043
Sunset
View

 Tampa FL 
Southbound Silver Star
Amtrak P091-27

 Nov 28, 2006
 Amin Ricker
 62044
Sylvan
View
Framingham MA Nov 21, 1998   Dick Leonhardt 
62045
Tower
View
 Framingham MA  April 22, 1997  Dick Leonhardt 
 62045
Tower
View
 Chicago IL  April 1997  Bill Hakkarinen
62045
Tower
View
Framingham MA  March 29, 1999  Dick Leonhardt 
 62045
Tower
View
 Framingham MA  March 1, 2000  Dick Leonhardt 
 62045
Tower
View
  Wellesley Farms MA  Feb 21, 2000  Dick Leonhardt 
 62045
Tower
View
Rochester NY   July 8, 2001 Jim Hebner 
 62045 Tampa FL  Apr 7, 2006  Amin Ricker
 no
photo
yet
 62046      
62047
Village
View
 Tampa FL 
Southbound Silver Star
Amtrak P091-27
 Nov 28, 2006  Amin Ricker
 62048
Wayside
View
 Rt 128 MA  Sept 20, 1999  Dick Leonhardt 
 62048
Wayside
View
Springfield MA  Oct 5, 2000  Dick Leonhardt 
 62048
Wayside
View
 Worecster MA  Oct 5, 2000  Dick Leonhardt 
62049
Winter
View

 Ashland VA
northbound from Newport News VA
to Boston about 6pm - just before
the Auto Train

 July 26, 1997  Phil Miller
 62049
Winter
View
 Boston's Back Bay Station
has the unique window treatment
for the TWILIGHT SHORELINER,
moon, planets, starts, etc.
 June 24, 1998 Bill Hakkarinen
 Toledo OH
in the Lakeshore Limited
June 24, 2000
Jim Hebner
 

Viewliner Sleeper names and numbers

 

In 2006, exterior names were being removed from sleepers cars as they came out of Beech Grove overhauls, however,
a few did their name replaced. By the end of 2008, the viewliners were reported as having no exterior name.

Car Number Car Name Car Number Car Name
 62000  American View  62025  Northern View
 62001  Atlantic View  62026  Ocean View
 62002  Autumn View  62027  Orchard View
 62003  Bay View  62028  Palisades View
 62004  Beach View  62029  Palm View
 62005  Cape View  62030  Patriot View
 62006  College View  62031  Prairie View
 62007  Colonial View  62032  River View
 62008  Eagle View  62033  Scenic View
 62009  Evening View  62034  Sea View
 62010  Forest View  62035  Shore View
 62011  Gulf View  62036  Skyline View
 62012  Harbor View  62037  Southern View
 62013  Harvest View  62038  Spring View
 62014  Imperial View  62039  Stream View
 62015  Island View  62040  Summer View
 62016  Lake View  62041  Summit View
 62017  Majestic View  62042  Sunrise View
 62018  Meadow View  62043  Sunset View
 62019  Metropolitan View  62044  Sylvan View
 62020  Moonlight View  62045  Tower View
 62021  Morning View  62046  Tranquil View
 62022  Mountain View  62047  Village View
 62023  Mystic View  62048  Wayside View
 62024  National View  62049  Winter View
This information about the Viewliner Sleeper was provided by the
Amtrak Historical Society and provided to the Society by Richard Ashley.

 

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Most of the photos on this site are from original photos/slides or submissions. Some photos are from the web - I have tried to get permission to use on all of them, but a few may have slipped through. Please, let me know if that has happened.

 

 

This archive was first accessed August 1996