GETTING INTO TRAINING. Amtrak has placed orders for new single-level baggage (55), baggage-dormitory (25), dining (25), and sleeping cars (25) on the Viewliner pattern for use on southern and eastern trains. With the Lake Shore Limited doing the Penn Central Chicagoan only a little better in the area of food service, the southern trains using Shotwelded dining cars off the mid-century reequipping of Hill Lines trains as long as the wizards of Beech Grove can keep them rolling, and contemporary single-level baggage cars rebuilt from Shotwelded coaches of the same vintage, these purchases are overdue. The Viewliner sleeping cars have more generous in-room storage space than the Superliner cars on western lines (in part because there is otherwise idle space at the top of the rooms that the Superliner profile precludes) as well as windows for the passenger in the upper. The carrier explains the purchase of baggage-dormitory cars as freeing up revenue space currently set aside for crew use in the sleeping cars. That Amtrak is recognizing the potential for offering a high-end service (even with prices for room and meals somewhat greater than airfare plus space in a mid-grade hotel) is encouraging.

It's also encouraging to see construction commence on the extension of Downeaster service to Brunswick, Maine. A day trip from Boston to Old Orchard Beach or Portland is currently possible, will the new service allow Boston preppies to make a day trip to Freeport for their L. L. Bean fix?

The extension restores a service severed around 1960, when Maine Central's preference to run locomotive-hauled trains capable of moving passengers, mail and express conflicted with Boston and Maine's preference to run rail diesel cars moving passengers only.