EB MSP-SEA - good trip by long-time EB rider - good service, minimal

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NW cannonball

Conductor
Joined
Jun 28, 2012
Messages
1,595
Location
Minnesota
Not an adventure (done this a dozen times) just a normal, good OBS service, on-time, normal ride on the EB from MSP to SEA.

Took the Green Line to the station, getting hungry (after planning and packing late), got to SPUD at least 15 minutes before scheduled departure.

Spent 3 minutes in the "Sleeper Passenger" lounge (at SPUD, that's a 15x40 ft enclosed space with comfy chairs) when the "gate dragon" called us all to walk the 80 yards to the head of the boarding escalator - let us through the locked gate, there we stood, ahead of the coach pax line for about 10 minutes, until the arriving deboarding passengers cleared the escalators.

The escalators seemed worrisome to me, so me with my game leg and another sleeper pax with wheelchair took the elevator down to trackside. The others took the stairs.

Zero problem trackside, I knew my "room 10, 30 car" was near the head-end of the train, boarded, found my roomette, nodded to the SCA.

Nobody asked me for ID, or even for to see my ticket. -- This is NOT a security problem. I knew and occupied my roomette. The manifest and the SCA knew my name and destination before I boarded. They not so stupid, really. (grump grump - stupid phony pretend security airline nuisance idiocy - nevermind -- hey once I board my roomette I'm locked in a steel box - right -sheesh)

Anyhow - hungry - nodded to SCA and walked back to SSL and got a cheeseburger and a beer...

Seems that the schedule padding is at SCD crew-change point, not MSP. We departed MSP about 10 minutes late and arrived outside SCD about 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Waited 12-14 minutes, pulled in to SCD 15 minutes early, did 3 stops on the short platfrom there, waited a bit more, pulled out on time.

Slept.

Woke about Devil's Lake almost an hour behind schedule and an hour behind until Spokane -

Fellow passengers, meals, scenery -- on the long day from Devils Lake to Whitefish.

Breakfast - two silent types, one single Brit female somewhat worried about tippping, "the vastness" etc. Did my best to support and explain.

I love the "vastness", but that's difficult to explain to foreigners.

Amazing variety of waterfowl the whole way from Minot to Havre. All those prairie potholes near the tracks -- Canada Geese and mallards, but many many others -- don't know the names of most, various ducks, geese, herons, OMG.

What are those little ducks - white with black heads and tails? Dunno.

Park Service volunteers near Marias Pass -- didn't spot any moose or elk -- did see one of those classic moountain goats "rocky - of GN logo fame" on the downhill (west) side of the pass near the salt lick. And an eagle.

Woke again near Wenatchee, as usual.

The scenery Wenatchee to Everett is -- is -- amazingly incomparable.

Breakfast with an old-timer retired GN worker on the route going Wenatchee - Seattle and him onwards to go fishing. We sat and jawed in the diner all the way to Everett.

Everett to Seattle King Street -- beautiful, and familiar.

Summary - typical ride MSP-SEA. Done better, done worse.

OBS crew -- really really good this trip. SCA -- hey -- didn't have to find her - see her once in the passageway and say "Want roomette bed down all the way, wake me when --" she real good unobtrusive helpful. Diner crew also good. Me tip better than usual. And I'm a skinflint.

Totally recommmend (but other reports warn of delays etc).

Totally recommend.

PS - Sleepers full this trip, coaches about half full. Very few feisty oilfield drunks.

Oh, and the other thing, on the EB, you often get to meet, not only oilfield drunks, but Native Americans, Amish, retired railroaders, Australians, Europeans, and Japanese. Maybe a few Chinese (HK) -- Probably the most intercultural train I've ever been on. In the USA anyhow.

PPS - Roomette 10 in a Superliner I - jumps and sways and yaws -- don't bother me much, but could bother people with motion-swaying worries.
 
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