Silver Star and the Silver Meteor

[Big Iron]

If you're into that sort of thing, there's a large area of beaver dams and lodges along the tracks north of FBG. You'll only see it from the Star - the Meteor goes through there at night.

The scenery between WAS and FBG is interesting. The best viewing would be on the left side southbound, right side northbound. The monuments in WAS, Pentagon are on the right southbound. The Quantico Marine base and Potomac views are nice. Also on the left, just south of Quantico, is the Possum Point power plant. There is an old Washington Terminal RS-1 that is rusting in place there.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

I have traveled by the Star now several times between Kissimmee and Washington DC and vice versa. In general I have not found the absence of the Diner to be a major issue at least for me. I have found adequate stuff to have for breakfast and lunch, which really is the only major meal I have needed to take on board where it was impractical to bring along food before boarding the train. I would still prefer it if Amtrak would enhance the menu in the Lounge Car with some further additional healthier items. but even absent that I am OK with the service for the amount saved in Sleeper fare. As it is I tend to eat less than what the full three course food in the Diner provides, so all in all sort of OK. I have yet to see the Sleepers in the Star run empty, so I guess there are many others that agree with me. But then again the Star also has a hgher complaint rate about on board service than the Meteor, so there are more dissatisfied passengers too, but not enough to cause a severe drop off in ridership.

I wonder if the complaint rate was because of the lack of knowledge about the lack of diner. If passengers know ahead of time when booking the trip there won't be a diner they should know what they're getting in to. I'd imagine there will be complaints for the LSL now because customers aren't getting what they signed up for but I would think if you know what you're getting yourself into you aren't as likely to complain (especially since 80% of Star passengers can just take the Meteor).

I'm glad some AU members don't act like the lack of a diner is the worst thing in the world.

 

[pennyk]

Another sight (for the Meteor) may be a middle-aged woman standing near the tracks between Winter Park and Orlando waving to the train. LOL

 

[jis]

You mean a retiree?

 

[pennyk]

You mean a retiree?

Retiree may be more accurate than MIDDLE-aged.

 

[the_traveler]

I thought she was in the park at WPK doing yoga? :huh:

 

[TylerP42]

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for the suggestions and such.

It is great to be able to come here and get awesome suggestions and words of advice!

 

[jis]

If you are into railroad facilities, some interesting ones that you will pass going N to S after Washington DC are:

Auto Train Lorton .on your right near the VRE Lorton station

VRE facility on the left a little past Fredericksburg

The infamous Acca Yard soon after you leave Richmond Staples Mill station, mostly on your left, unless you get routed weirdly.

On the Star - Hamlet Yard on your left.

Jacksonville CSX/FEC interchange Yard on your left after you leave Jacksonville Station. This is also where the train takes a sharp right turn to get on the route to Orlando.

Debary maintenance facility of SunRail on your right soon after passing Debary SunRail station a bit after departing Winter Park.

Auto Train Sanford on your left, soon after passing the SunRail Sanford station.

Auburndale triangle where the Star goes straight to Tampa while the Meteor turns left towards Miami. On its way to Miami from Tampa the Star takes the third leg of the triangle to turn right. It is a bit after you leave Kissimmee going south.

This is not an exclusive list. There are other interesting spots, but these are the ones that come to the top of my mind. Others can fill in if they can think of some other spots.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Debary maintenance facility of SunRail on your right soon after passing Debary VRE station a bit after departing Winter Park.

The SunRail maintenance facility is on the right after DeBary Sunrail Station, but before Winter Park (assuming southbound travel). There is also a small freight yard there.

To add to the list:

Raleigh Union Station construction to the right directly next to the current Amtrak station.

Savannah CSX yards south of the Amtrak station.

Folkston, GA between Savannah/Jesup and Jacksonville.

Plant City, FL between Lakeland and Tampa.

Tampa CSX yards a few miles east of Union Station.

 

[MARC Rider]

I liked watching the vegetation change south of Jacksonville, By the time you get to Orlando, you see more palm trees and palmettos, and you know you're in the subtropical zone. You should start seeing the Spanish moss when you wake up in Savannah. The time I went in February, the orange groves between Palatka and Tampa were loaded with ripe oranges. I don't know what they will be like this time of year.

 

[pennyk]

I liked watching the vegetation change south of Jacksonville, By the time you get to Orlando, you see more palm trees and palmettos, and you know you're in the subtropical zone. You should start seeing the Spanish moss when you wake up in Savannah. The time I went in February, the orange groves between Palatka and Tampa were loaded with ripe oranges. I don't know what they will be like this time of year.

There are orange groves visible from the train between Kissimmee and Tampa. Freezes pretty much did away with any orange groves north of Orlando. Between DeLand and Palatka there are fern farms along the tracks, which I always find interesting.

Even though I routinely travel the Silver routes, I always find something new and interesting to see out the window.

 

[LookingGlassTie]

The absence of a diner on the Star doesn't really bother me either.

I'll be taking a trip to Orlando in a couple of weeks; riding the Meteor down and the Star back up. So I'll be able to get at least one dining car experience in during the trip (breakfast on the Meteor). Lunch will probably be served during the time that the SM stops in Orlando, so I'll be kinda SOL there.

 

[pennyk]

The absence of a diner on the Star doesn't really bother me either.

I'll be taking a trip to Orlando in a couple of weeks; riding the Meteor down and the Star back up. So I'll be able to get at least one dining car experience in during the trip (breakfast on the Meteor). Lunch will probably be served during the time that the SM stops in Orlando, so I'll be kinda SOL there.

They serve lunch on the southbound Meteor early enough that Orlando passengers are able to eat. Many times I have detrained in Winter Park and have had lunch. Lunch generally starts at 11:45 or noon, depending on whether the train is on time or late. Most of the time, reservations are taken for lunch and those de-training in Central Florida will get the early reservation.

 

[LookingGlassTie]

Thanks Penny, for the clarification!

 

[dogbert617]

I really wish there was a connection between Chicago and the Florida stations, on Amtrak that didn't require going east to DC. It'd be nice, if the talk about extending the CONO south and east of New Orleans into Florida became a reality, to make up for the elimination of the Sunset Limited east of New Orleans. Never mind that I recall even years ago, that I think the Sunset was never more than a 3 days a week train. Correct me if I'm wrong, during anytime from the start of the Amtrak era in 1971 to present.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

I really wish there was a connection between Chicago and the Florida stations, on Amtrak that didn't require going east to DC. It'd be nice, if the talk about extending the CONO south and east of New Orleans into Florida became a reality, to make up for the elimination of the Sunset Limited east of New Orleans. Never mind that I recall even years ago, that I think the Sunset was never more than a 3 days a week train. Correct me if I'm wrong, during anytime from the start of the Amtrak era in 1971 to present.

I fully support the Gulf Coast train, but doubt it will do much for the Chicago to Florida market as the travel time is almost identical minus the connection time. I really wish Amtrak would just establish a same-day connection between 92 and 29; it would save me about 7 hours and allow me to avoid busses entirely. I also travel to Raleigh sometimes, which is very challenging without this connection. In addition, I believe the DC route is more scenic, especially north/west of DC. Also, I believe you are correct that the SL has always been a tri-weekly train since Amtrak was formed.

 

[dogbert617]

I really wish there was a connection between Chicago and the Florida stations, on Amtrak that didn't require going east to DC. It'd be nice, if the talk about extending the CONO south and east of New Orleans into Florida became a reality, to make up for the elimination of the Sunset Limited east of New Orleans. Never mind that I recall even years ago, that I think the Sunset was never more than a 3 days a week train. Correct me if I'm wrong, during anytime from the start of the Amtrak era in 1971 to present.

I fully support the Gulf Coast train, but doubt it will do much for the Chicago to Florida market as the travel time is almost identical minus the connection time. I really wish Amtrak would just establish a same-day connection between 92 and 29; it would save me about 7 hours and allow me to avoid busses entirely. I also travel to Raleigh sometimes, which is very challenging without this connection. In addition, I believe the DC route is more scenic, especially north/west of DC. Also, I believe you are correct that the SL has always been a tri-weekly train since Amtrak was formed.

I'm surprised the eastbound Capitol Limited to the southbound Silver Star, doesn't have a guaranteed connection. And I hadn't checked the historic Amtrak timetables to see what the Sunset schedule used to be like east of New Orleans, but for the most part I recall years ago(and still today) that you have to overnight in New Orleans, to do any train connections. You're right that it probably be much of a net positive to travel 59 to 1 eastbound(you know, east of New Orleans) theoretically, unless you had to go to Mobile or western Florida on the panhandle.

Sigh, I was under that mistaken impression for all this time that there was a guaranteed connection between the Cap Limited and at least whatever Silver train leaves DC later, to head to FL. Guess not.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

I really wish there was a connection between Chicago and the Florida stations, on Amtrak that didn't require going east to DC. It'd be nice, if the talk about extending the CONO south and east of New Orleans into Florida became a reality, to make up for the elimination of the Sunset Limited east of New Orleans. Never mind that I recall even years ago, that I think the Sunset was never more than a 3 days a week train. Correct me if I'm wrong, during anytime from the start of the Amtrak era in 1971 to present.

I fully support the Gulf Coast train, but doubt it will do much for the Chicago to Florida market as the travel time is almost identical minus the connection time. I really wish Amtrak would just establish a same-day connection between 92 and 29; it would save me about 7 hours and allow me to avoid busses entirely. I also travel to Raleigh sometimes, which is very challenging without this connection. In addition, I believe the DC route is more scenic, especially north/west of DC. Also, I believe you are correct that the SL has always been a tri-weekly train since Amtrak was formed.

I'm surprised the eastbound Capitol Limited to the southbound Silver Star, doesn't have a guaranteed connection. And I hadn't checked the historic Amtrak timetables to see what the Sunset schedule used to be like east of New Orleans, but for the most part I recall years ago(and still today) that you have to overnight in New Orleans, to do any train connections. You're right that it probably be much of a net positive to travel 59 to 1 eastbound(you know, east of New Orleans) theoretically, unless you had to go to Mobile or western Florida on the panhandle.
Sigh, I was under that mistaken impression for all this time that there was a guaranteed connection between the Cap Limited and at least whatever Silver train leaves DC later, to head to FL. Guess not.

There is a guaranteed connection to the SS southbound, but not northbound. The SM does actually connect both ways, but that is far from ideal for many passengers. A connecting bus is required for passengers from Tampa and Lakeland, and passengers in cities such as Columbia and Raleigh have no access to the SM whatsoever. Even for the passengers who are on the SM route, there is a nine hour connection in DC which wastes a lot of time for people on a tight schedule. The main benefit of the Gulf Coast train for Chicago to Florida passengers is that it will likely be a one-seat ride if restored.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

I'm surprised the eastbound Capitol Limited to the southbound Silver Star, doesn't have a guaranteed connection. And I hadn't checked the historic Amtrak timetables to see what the Sunset schedule used to be like east of New Orleans, but for the most part I recall years ago(and still today) that you have to overnight in New Orleans, to do any train connections. You're right that it probably be much of a net positive to travel 59 to 1 eastbound(you know, east of New Orleans) theoretically, unless you had to go to Mobile or western Florida on the panhandle.

Sigh, I was under that mistaken impression for all this time that there was a guaranteed connection between the Cap Limited and at least whatever Silver train leaves DC later, to head to FL. Guess not.

Actually the CONO and SL East did allow same day connections (in 2004 at least):

http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=20041101&item=0088

http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=20041101&item=0097

59: 3:32pm to 2: 10:30pm

1: 9:20am to 58: 1:45pm

Way back in the 90's, Amtrak ran through cars between the CL and the SS (at that time, 81/82).

http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19920405n&item=0019

http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19920405n&item=0012

The 29 left CHI earlier (4:45pm?) to get to WAS in time. If you think the eastbound CL arrival in PGH is bad now, back then it was 3:15-3:30am!!! (then again, the BL was still running). But back then, the 30 got to CLE at just about midnight.

In terms of potential one seat traffic, this made more sense because you had passengers from Ohio-Pittsburgh to Florida and CHI-Raleigh as potential options (although PGH to Florida required a 3:30am departure). In the 2011 PRIIA, Amtrak suggested re-hooking the CL-SS up as through cars and extending the Palmetto down to Florida (https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/570/756/2011%20PRIIA%20210%20Report%2009-26-11_final.pdf) but passed.