Cancelled Cardinal Dome Trip

[rtabern]

I flew in last night (Thursday 11/4) from Milwaukee to BWI Airport and stayed at the 4 Points Sheraton. The sleet storm we had in Milwaukee as I was getting on the plane should have been a sign of things to come... and should have been my sign to stay home and save the $600 that I totally wasted on this trip.

The Sheraton was nice -- free shuttle from airport -- and to the Amtrak station in the morning.

Anyway, I got up early this morning (Friday 11/5) and took Northeast Regional #111 from BWI Airport to WAS. I know I could have taken a commuter MARC train, but wanted to get the double AGR points for the trip. There was plenty of space on #111 and it was a nice ride. I purposely took the earlier train from BWI Airport to WAS so that I could walk over to the White House Visitor Center and buy the 2010 Christmas Ornament. My stepmom and stepsister are into music -- and the theme of this year's Christmas ornament was music -- so I thought I'd snag their gift there. Getting the White House Christmas ornament was something I started doing in 2003 when I used to have to travel to Washington a lot on business when I was in television news.

ANYWAY --- > That was about all that went right and was fun.

When I was walking back to the WAS station, I got a call from a friend who works for Amtrak out here on the east coast and who knew of my plans to head out from WAS-CHI on #51 today. He asked me, "Did you hear about the Dome?" I'm like... NO!!!! But I didnt think it would be good news with him calling me like that. He proceeded to tell me about the accident in the yards that literally happened 20 minutes before his time of call. He didnt have a lot of details but advised that I should head back to the station ASAP to see what was going on. I took the METRO from Union Station to Metro Center to get to the WH Visitor Center -- but was planning to walk back since I had time and it was a nice day. However, after that phone call I darter back to Metro Center to again take the METRO back.

At first all of the employees (ticket agents, folks at the "Information Desk" and even the 2 working in the Club Acela) were actually lying (or maybe just mis-informing people???) saying they were "working on the tracks" and that's why the trains were late. It wasnt until I finally went to the information counter and told them to be honest with me and that I knew about the derailment did they finally come clean. As more and more Amtrak, Aclea, MARC, and VRE trains began to stack up -- the begain calling it "a track obstruction"... but wouldn't use the "D" word (Derailmenet).

Around 10:30AM, I checked it and found out the Capitol Limited (#29) only had 1 roomette left -- so I snagged it and had them hold it for me.

Anyway, they showed #51 coming in only 30 minutes late at first -- so I stuck around the station for 3 hours -- but every 15 minutes they finally kept bumping up the boarding time. This kept happening all the way until 12:45PM or 1:00PM. Finally, at 1PM... I got a call from another friend who works for Amtrak in Chicago who advised the Dome was officially pulled from the consist.

So, I turned in my ticket and went with #29.

I had about an hour to kill and walked over to the Capitol and got some nice pictures... and also got some lunch.

So I arrived back in Club Acela at 3:30PM... and now #29 is "seriously delayed". I guess one of the sleeping cars on the consist crapped out and so they are having to pull a sleeping car off #30 to put it in its place... So I write this from the Club Acela... instead of departing on #29 now. They dont know how long its going to be.

This has been a day from hell -- just because of the mis-information, paying $600 on this trip and not getting the dome, and the behavior of other passengers has been outrageous... people have been yelling at employees -- and they the Am-cops just carted someone away out of the Met Lounge who threated to "go 100 meters to the right, drag Boardman out of his office, and beat his senseless".

Nice, huh???

Well, at this point, I just want to get into my room on #29 and get back to Chicago.

For better or worse - I am flying back to WAS on Thursday to try and ride the dome again on #51(12)... a little Am-Birdie told me the dome was NOT damaged... however they need to run some tests on it... so it should go from WAS-CHI on #51(12) next Friday night.

I got pictures of the dome and the MARC train that hit it -- the best you can get from the station. The Dome and the PV that were involved in the accident are parked about 1000 feet north of WAS.

RT

 

[MrEd]

Very sorry about your trip, hope the remainder runs smooth. What a shame dome in accident, what are the odds of that happening.

 

[Shanghai]

Sorry you had the misfortunate. I hope the dome ride works for you next weekend. When did you get back to CHI?

 

[amtrakwolverine]

Did you ever get on the capital limited? I wonder if people would still be threatening employees and the amtrak president if the so-called employees actually told the truth.

 

[rtabern]

Yes! I did make it home... but the trip from hell continued on the Capitol somewhat.

We were supposed to leave on #29 at 4:05PM, but actually didn't leave until after 7:15PM last night (11/5/2010). I wouldn't have minded the delay if I knew just how long it was going to be and could have gone out and done some more sightseeing -- but while one of my friends who worked for Amtrak told me the delay was going to "atleast 2 hours", the 2 ladies working the Club Acela told me the train would be "ready any minute"... so I stuck around Club Acela for the 3 hours just burning time.

I guess my sleeper (#2901) had problems and had to be cut out of the consist and replaced with one of the sleepers on the inbound #30. It took 3 hours to get that done because of all the problems with the derailment.

Anyway, totally missed all the scenery as it was dark out of the gate at WAS.

We pulled out around 7:15PM and I did the 8PM dinner... I wasn't too hungry and just went with vegetables, baked potato, and children's hot dog. I returned to the room around 9:15PM (service was somewhat slow with them trying to get everyone in the CCC with the late start) and almost went to bed right away. I fell asleep knowing we were going along the twists and turns of the Potamac River... VERY RELAXING AND PEACEFUL. I slept good through the night -- waking up a couple of times I noticed (using GPS) that we weren't really making up any time. I think I woke up south of Pittsburg and then a few miles south of Cleveland.

I woke up for good around 7:15AM and noted we were near Sandusky, OH. I never have been in this area in daylight and wanted to see the 3-mile long bridge crossing over Sandusky Bay... it was actually quite beautiful.

We kept going at speed most of the way into NW Indiana and even across the IN-IL border. When we were within 7 miles of Union Station at 12:10PM I was getting hopeful I'd make my 1:05PM Hiawatha. HOWEVER, NO LUCK. We creeped all the way into Chicago and then had to do the painful back-up meanuver into Chicago Union Station -- not arriving until 1:03PM. We just creeped for an hour -- probably averaging 10MPH the last hour.

I ran to the gate and missed the 1:05PM Hiawatha by about 1 minute. Not good since the next one didnt leave CHI until 3:15PM and I had to be at work in MKE at 4PM.

Again, TRIP FOR HELL.

My "Plan B" was to take the 1:45PM Metra to Glenview, IL and then had my mom pick me up and we sped up I-94 to Milwaukee Airport where I got my car -- and yes -- made it to work with about 20 minutes to spare.

I am going to make ANOTHER attempt at the Dome next week -- and hope it goes a lot better than this. I fly out of Milwaukee on 11/11 and am hoping to ride #51(12) WAS-CHI.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Wow! Sorry to hear things went so far south this weekend. Hopefully next weekend everything will go smoothly and you can enjoy the dome again.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

Hopefully you contact amtrak and see if you can get some compensation for this mess.

 

[jim hudson]

:help: Sorry the trip was a mess Rob, as wolverine posted, and as you know, you should get a nice voucher for this, hope the next trip goes like a dream, that Dome on the Cardinal is a pretty sweet ride! :wub: Jim

 

[AlanB]

Amtrak doesn't guarantee that a dome will be there, so there will be no compensation unfortunately. Add to that the fact that Robert changed his reservations to the Capitol on his own.

It's very unfortunate that things went so wrong for Robert, but I don't see Amtrak compensating him.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Amtrak doesn't guarantee much of anything, if you really think about it. Nevertheless, If you made a big enough stink they might decide to compensate you anyway. When airlines substitute less desirable aircraft they will sometimes compensate those who actually complain about it so long as there is an obvious change in amenities, even though no specific aircraft is guaranteed to operate on a given route at a given time. The worst that can happen is that they decline to compensate you.

 

[rtabern]

Alan is correct... I tried to see if I could get a voucher or something... and Amtrak pretty much told me the Great Dome was NOT guaranteed on the Cardinal so they would not be doing anything for me. I decided not to persue it because they are correct (as much as it stinks!!) I mean if you get a Cross Country Cafe instead of a Parlour Car on the Coast Starlight they aren't going to start handing our vouchers for that -- the same as the Cardinal with the Dome. It will just be $600 I will have to eat. I am planning to ride the Dome on #51(12) -- just hope that works out and I'll be pretty happy.

By the way -- here are pictures from the trip including some of the derailment:

http://rtabern.shutterfly.com/14214

 

[jimhudson]

<_< Too bad Rob, I still believe that Good Customer Relations require those taking hard earned money from customers should require them to provide the services as Advertised or else refund part if not all of the money if the services arent to the customers satisfaction or arent delivered at all! Otherwise what's the point of trumpeting the Dome is on the Cardinal causing people to pay high prices to ride in it if it's not going to be there! The lies or misleading crap put out by the Amtrak staff in WAS isnt satisfactory either, even though you cancelled and booked the Cap Ltd. I still feel Amtrak should give you something for their F**up! Hope the next trip goes as planned, as Ive said, and as those of us luxky enough to have ridden on the Dome know,it's a suit e ride! :wub:

 

[Pastor Dave]

Amtrak doesn't guarantee that a dome will be there, so there will be no compensation unfortunately. Add to that the fact that Robert changed his reservations to the Capitol on his own.

It's very unfortunate that things went so wrong for Robert, but I don't see Amtrak compensating him.

Things do go wrong at times. Last February both our southbound and northbound AutoTrains were significantly delayed to to weather. We ended up driving PA to FL both legs. But it is what it is.

Still, I feel bad for Robert, who dropped a significant amount of $$ to ride the dome and came away empty. I think that one of the down sides to this is that I could not live vicariously through his great reports that he posts on his journeys.

 

[rtabern]

Amtrak doesn't guarantee that a dome will be there, so there will be no compensation unfortunately. Add to that the fact that Robert changed his reservations to the Capitol on his own.

It's very unfortunate that things went so wrong for Robert, but I don't see Amtrak compensating him.

Still, I feel bad for Robert, who dropped a significant amount of $$ to ride the dome and came away empty. I think that one of the down sides to this is that I could not live vicariously through his great reports that he posts on his journeys.

Well, PD - hopefully the Dome goes out on Friday and I can give you a nice report again!

 

[had8ley]

Sorry you dropped so much $$$ but hopefully you picked up a few AGR points. One point I'd like to make in defense of the Club Acela employees. It has always been a habit of Road Masters and section foremen to state that they are working on track after a de-railment. They are required to gauge the track and make any necessary re-alignments sooo...the ladies might have conveyed exactly what they were being fed from the field.

 

[rtabern]

Sorry you dropped so much $$$ but hopefully you picked up a few AGR points. One point I'd like to make in defense of the Club Acela employees. It has always been a habit of Road Masters and section foremen to state that they are working on track after a de-railment. They are required to gauge the track and make any necessary re-alignments sooo...the ladies might have conveyed exactly what they were being fed from the field.

I can see your point -- however -- as I was walking in Club Acela just after learning from a friend who works for Amtrak about the derailment -- the two female lounge attendants were making an announcement about about "track work" causing delays -- and then after using the bathroom I came out to the front again -- and they were blaming a "track obstruction" on the delays.

It wasn't until after I asked them specifically about the derailment -- and told them I knew what happened from a friend who works for Amtrak -- and asked them if they knew if the Great Dome #10031 would still be on #51 -- did they acknowledge the derailment (what really happened).

Now, if the lounge attendants were told by a supervisor not to mention the "D"-word (derailment) then I have no problem with them because they were just following marching orders.

And, I can understand the philosophy that you dont want tell most passengers about the derailment so you dont scare them or scare them off -- I am of the mind-set that I paid big bucks to ride on the train -- and I feel like I have the right to know what is actually going on... as much as they actually know.

A friend of mine was on a recent trip on the Empire Builder and the train stuck a vehicle. Instead of telling people what actually happened, the conductors made an announcement about "debris on the tracks" as being the reason the train had to stop for 3 hours.

I say, just be truthful with people... that's all.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Sorry you dropped so much $$$ but hopefully you picked up a few AGR points. One point I'd like to make in defense of the Club Acela employees. It has always been a habit of Road Masters and section foremen to state that they are working on track after a de-railment. They are required to gauge the track and make any necessary re-alignments sooo...the ladies might have conveyed exactly what they were being fed from the field.

A little off topic I know but I'd be curious if you could shed some light on how a class I checks the gauge? I've seen it done at "my" railroad, and it was not much more then a metal bar with tolerances painted on it. Do class Is have a more sophisticated way of doing things?