The Amtrak Employees of Bear, Del. welcomed the public to their shop on Saturday June 7, 1997. Most areas of the facility were open to the public, and a few cars were set up inside the shop for the public to tour. The facility is mainly involved in servicing Amfleet coaches, but a few Heritage cars, an AEM-7, Turbos, and other assorted items could be found.
Viewliner 2301 (one of the two prototype sleepers built in the late 1980's) was on display and open to the public after receiving mechanical and cosmetic upgrades It's sister car 2300 was outside in the yard awaiting window replacement. These two sleepers and the viewliner diner 8400 have unique fabricated trucks that differentiate them from the rest of the Viewliner series.
Also open to the public was a recently-remodeled Cafe Car. The attractive new interior has a color scheme reminiscent of the X-2000. Computer-printed side views of amfleet cars decorate the panels above the windows. A few newly-remodeled coaches were open too. It appears that ADA toilet improvements and FRA glazing upgrades are being frequently performed.
On hand was Dome Lounge 9301 also known as the Mountain View. Seems like Amtrak sometimes hauls a PV of the same name, based in NJ (the Former PRR Master Bedroom Observation Car.)
Upon request, an Amtrak employee volunteered to walk me into the yard so I could get some pictures of the cars in storage. It appears that every piece of Turboliner equipment, with the exception of the one set that the New York DOT paid to have rebuilt, is now in dead storage at Bear. There were also a few amfleet cars awaiting repairs. The snow removal equipment was in view too--a pair of Army surplus vehicles.
Inside there was a barbecue complete with hot dogs, salads, and charbroiled amburgers. (Ken Lin, president of the New York City NRHS chapter, had already consumed this one before I could get a picture.) A Bobcat served as an icebucket, and for the children (of which there were many) there were model layouts and a train ride through the yard in an amfleet I car pulled by the shop mule.
