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Rheavon

Train Attendant
Joined
Dec 25, 2017
Messages
29
Location
AUS
After a few years of checking in here and there and lurking about, I've finally jumped on board with y'all.

I've been riding the Texas Eagle from AUS-STL and back once a year for the past three years. Next year, I have a longer trip from ORL-WAS-CHI-STL-AUS on the books. It'll be my first Amtrak ride outside of the comfort of my Texas Eagle, so I'm pretty excited about it. I'll also be experiencing multiple accommodation types along the way, which makes me feel a little adventurous.

On the Silver Meteor and Capitol Limited trains, I'll be riding in a roomette. On the Texas Eagle from Chicago to St. Louis, I've booked a Coach leg. On the Texas Eagle from St. Louis back home to Austin, I'm in a bedroom with a travel companion.

I'm always looking for excuses to ride the rails, even though I don't go as often as I'd like. I'm looking forward to living vicariously and learning more about y'all's rail experiences!

Thanks for having me here.
 
Welcome aboard!
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Welcome!
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I think you will like your train choices--I've taken the Silver Meteor several times, and it has always been nice. Also, make sure you go to the dining car for lunch when you leave Orlando--that will be the last meal served going south.
 
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Welcome aboard!
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Thank you!

Welcome!
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I think you will like your train choices--I've taken the Silver Meteor several times, and it has always been nice. Also, make sure you go to the dining car for lunch when you leave Orlando--that will be the last meal served going south.
Good to know. I'll be checking out of my convention hotel and heading straight over to the station after and was wondering about lunch. I'll probably have leftover snacks, but lunch in the dining car is much better!
 
Is there a reason you booked coach from CHI-STL on the TE and then a room from STL-AUS on the TE?
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I assume they are both the same day. (Or are you stopping in STL for a day or 2?) If it is the same day and you book the room right from CHI, you will get an included dinner!
 
Is there a reason you booked coach from CHI-STL on the TE and then a room from STL-AUS on the TE?
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I assume they are both the same day. (Or are you stopping in STL for a day or 2?) If it is the same day and you book the room right from CHI, you will get an included dinner!
There's a few nights' worth of a stop in STL for the annual Where's George currency trackers' gathering we have there. I figured I could suffer 5.5+ hours in the 321 Coach and grab a late dinner at the hotel.
 
Since you're used to the Rooms in the Superliner Sleepers, you'll find the Roomettes on the Viewliner Sleepers to be a real treat!

And I'm curious if you considered riding a Lincoln Service Train between Chicago and St. Louis instead of the Eagle, which is usually more expensive and frequently arrives late into to St. Louis.
 
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Since you're used to the Rooms in the Superliner Sleepers, you'll find the Roomettes on the Viewliner Sleepers to be a real treat!

And I'm curious if you considered riding a Lincoln Service Train between Chicago and St. Louis instead of the Eagle, which is usually more expensive and frequently arrives late into to St. Louis.
I plan to have checked luggage in addition to my carry-ons, otherwise I'd consider it. I understand there's no checked luggage on any of the Lincoln Service trains. My TE Coach fare is less than $25, so I wouldn't think that's be too bad.
 
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Also, unlike planes, your checked baggage does not have to be on the same train as you are on. If (say) you got an earlier Lincoln Service Train CHI-STL, your checked bags would arrive in STL later, and you would just need to return to the station to claim them. If you got a later train than the TE, your bags would get to STL before you do, and would be held until you can claim them.
 
Also, unlike planes, your checked baggage does not have to be on the same train as you are on. If (say) you got an earlier Lincoln Service Train CHI-STL, your checked bags would arrive in STL later, and you would just need to return to the station to claim them. If you got a later train than the TE, your bags would get to STL before you do, and would be held until you can claim them.
That's good to know. I'll be riding the Capitol Limited in at 8:45a and want to spend a little time at Union Station as I've never been- so 1:45p is perfect for the TE departure. But it is also good to know that if the CL is absurdly late that day that I could probably take a later Lincoln if I needed to and not get too worried about my bags.
 
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