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  1. John Santos

    Texas Eagle discussion

    I rode SAS-CHI on 10 April (the next day), and we did get breakfast and lunch between SAS and FTW. There was coffee in the sleeper, as well. Really bad crew? Or an equipment problem?
  2. John Santos

    California Zephyr discussion 2023 Q4 - 2024

    I'm pretty sure that @niemi24s was not recommending opening the windows yourself. I'm certain they were referring to the fact that the doors open inward, so at any stop longer than a few minutes, the outer side of the window in the open door can be cleaned. There is no need to open the windows...
  3. John Santos

    Traveling in coach

    Amtrak coaches have overhead luggage racks (similar to, but much larger than, airplane overhead racks) and most if not all long distance coaches have a luggage area and/or rack near the doors.
  4. John Santos

    Southwest Chief trip in 2025 questions

    Sounds like a great trip! When I took it in the opposite direction in 2019, it was a large van (3 or 4 rows of passenger seats plus some luggage space behind the last seat, so about 10-12 passengers. It was full. The waiting area was inside one of the terminals. There was a Starbucks where...
  5. John Santos

    Infrastructure and Operations ideas for the New York area

    Are you proposing EVERY Hudson River line train that goes past Albany would change locos there? Or are you excluding Empire Service from Amtrak as it is a state supported service? The New York section of the LSL, the Adirondack, the Ethan Allen and the Maple Leaf also use the Hudson River...
  6. John Santos

    Chicago Union Station discussion

    The Red Cap carried my luggage between the LSL and the Eagle via the lounge and back on the return trip a few weeks ago (and me on the golf cart on two of the four transfers because it was easier than saying I'm fine and can walk it 😊) I did have to roll my big wheelie duffel to the baggage...
  7. John Santos

    Empire Service discussion

    Not to mention that third rail lurking down there, at least for the tracks that connect to the Hudson River lines. I still remember my first experience with high level platforms, at Park Street Under when I was about 5. My dad took us (the three oldest boys) into Boston on a shopping...
  8. John Santos

    VIA Ocean discussion

    Article in today's Boston Globe about a trip on the Ocean. Generally very positive. I think there is a paywall if you are not a Globe subscriber, but there are a limited number of free articles for non-subs. They bemoan the absence of a dome observation car. I didn't comment because I wasn't...
  9. John Santos

    Texas Eagle discussion

    The cafe/diner on the TE is different from the the Superliner diner and from the SSL/cafe as I've seen on the other Superliner trains (I've ridden almost all of them, though I don't really remember the Capitol Limited, and they are subject to change!) I don't know if the TE is the only train...
  10. John Santos

    Texas Eagle discussion

    I don't think they provision in SAS. We were told there were no hamburgers or cheeseburgers available from the diner or cafe car (two halves of the same care, serviced by the same people) because they had run out. This was at lunch out of SAS northbound, so I suspect the last re-supply was two...
  11. John Santos

    Texas Eagle discussion

    They did serve us breakfast on the northbound Eagle shortly after leaving SAS on April 10, which I think is the day after you took it. The coffee machine in the sleeper was also up and running no more than an hour after departure (6:48 AM). I'm pretty sure this was not a day where the Eagle...
  12. John Santos

    The Thailand Burma (Myanmar) Death Railway

    I think it was the doctor (James Donald) who said that, not the colonel (Alec Guinness.)
  13. John Santos

    Texas Eagle discussion

    Well, it was obvious what she planned on doing with my bags. Absolutely nothing. However, since I was the third passenger to board, the downstairs luggage rack was empty so my big bag and one of the other bags fit there. By squishing my smaller duffel bag (mostly clothes), I got it to fit...
  14. John Santos

    Chicago Union Station discussion

    "up to the lounge?" Are you referring to the Chicago Metro Lounge? If so, it is two levels. Normally, one would enter or leave on the lower level, which is where the bathrooms, snacks, luggage storage room and about 2/3 of the seats are located. It is level with the Great Hall, about 3 steps...
  15. John Santos

    Texas Eagle discussion

    [snipped comment] Good luck with that, based on my experience last Wednesday boarding the northbound Eagle. I arrived at the station about 4-5 minutes after baggage check-in officially ended (6:48 departure, I got there about 6:07), after struggling through the doors and the full length of the...
  16. John Santos

    Horn noise and fumes

    I rode 448/449 in a roomette BOS->CHI on April 2 and back to BOS on April 11. I was in roomette 2 both ways, and expected it to be noisy, but it wasn't bad. I was in a VL2 (first time for me) - maybe they have better sound insulation? East-bound, there were THREE engines! I expected from...
  17. John Santos

    Pennsylvanian (the train(s) and route) discussion

    I think the brake cord is there so that anyone can pull it in an emergency. If it is supposed to be pulled only by authorized railroad personnel, there should be a big warning sign on it saying "Don't pull this unless there is a real emergency. Violators subject to prosecution" and I don't...
  18. John Santos

    Preferred connection time between Long Distance (LD) trains

    East-bound CZ arrived in Winnemucca on time, but there was supposed to be a crew change and the replacement crew, who I think arrived on a very delayed west-bound CZ earlier that day hadn't had enough down time (10 hours required?) so there was going to be an extra 2 hour delay wait for them to...
  19. John Santos

    Preferred connection time between Long Distance (LD) trains

    One thing to consider is the length of the originating leg of the trip. It doesn't so much matter where you are boarding. For example, taking the EB from somewhere in Wisconsin and trying to connect in Chicago to another train. It's not delays between Wisconsin and Chicago that might cause...
  20. John Santos

    Lake Shore Limited discussion 2023 Q4 - 2024

    I was on a very late train (can't remember if it was a LSL or an NER) that arrived at South Station at about 12:30, a week after the governor cancelled late night (until about 2AM) MBTA service. I just missed the last Red Line train, so went outside to take a taxi. This Uber driver told me he...
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