NAVYBLUE
Lead Service Attendant
Taking the CZ out of RNO Monday 10/10 @4;06 PM (PCT). Interested in positive and/or negative SCAs you may have had and any scenic/historic sites to look out for.
Thanks
NAVYBLUE
Thanks
NAVYBLUE
I agree. The desert is amazing during dawn.People tend to talk about the scenery across Colorado, some of which I find disappointing. Keep your eyes open across Utah after it becomes light. That should keep your attention. Last year going west on 5 there were two ladies named Mildred in the diner. They were dolls.
That must have made the smokers happy :unsure:We were also early into Chicago by over and hour! A personal record for that OBS crew, as all were astonished. We were early into every single stop on the route, no joke!
Talk about too much padding!Just stepped off the Zephyr yesterday in Chicago after running the entire route; our SCA was Dave. An older member of Amtrak who's done nearly 30 years, and is both very good at what he does while also being a little entertaining. We'll remember the little tune he sang out with "The Joe's Gonna Go!" over the car PA as he was making last call on the sleeper coffee before arriving into CHI. He also made sure that every single person in the car was well aware of the Metropolitan Lounge and how to get there!
We were also early into Chicago by over and hour! A personal record for that OBS crew, as all were astonished. We were early into every single stop on the route, no joke!
Except for the fact that often the Zephyr runs late. I don't remember ever departing or arriving in Omaha exactly on-time, always a few minutes late. And there are times when the Zephyr is over an hour late into SLC, missing the Thruway connection to Boise.Talk about too much padding!Just stepped off the Zephyr yesterday in Chicago after running the entire route; our SCA was Dave. An older member of Amtrak who's done nearly 30 years, and is both very good at what he does while also being a little entertaining. We'll remember the little tune he sang out with "The Joe's Gonna Go!" over the car PA as he was making last call on the sleeper coffee before arriving into CHI. He also made sure that every single person in the car was well aware of the Metropolitan Lounge and how to get there!
We were also early into Chicago by over and hour! A personal record for that OBS crew, as all were astonished. We were early into every single stop on the route, no joke!
Quite true! This was one very rare exception, and most on the train knew it. I've been on a 9-hour late CZ before; luckily I was staying in Chicago and did not have to que up at Customer Services like the 200 or so other passengers who missed their connections.Except for the fact that often the Zephyr runs late. I don't remember ever departing or arriving in Omaha exactly on-time, always a few minutes late. And there are times when the Zephyr is over an hour late into SLC, missing the Thruway connection to Boise.Talk about too much padding!Just stepped off the Zephyr yesterday in Chicago after running the entire route; our SCA was Dave. An older member of Amtrak who's done nearly 30 years, and is both very good at what he does while also being a little entertaining. We'll remember the little tune he sang out with "The Joe's Gonna Go!" over the car PA as he was making last call on the sleeper coffee before arriving into CHI. He also made sure that every single person in the car was well aware of the Metropolitan Lounge and how to get there!
We were also early into Chicago by over and hour! A personal record for that OBS crew, as all were astonished. We were early into every single stop on the route, no joke!
So, nine hours late or ten hours late. Not much difference.Quite true! This was one very rare exception, and most on the train knew it. I've been on a 9-hour late CZ before; luckily I was staying in Chicago and did not have to que up at Customer Services like the 200 or so other passengers who missed their connections.Except for the fact that often the Zephyr runs late. I don't remember ever departing or arriving in Omaha exactly on-time, always a few minutes late. And there are times when the Zephyr is over an hour late into SLC, missing the Thruway connection to Boise.Talk about too much padding!Just stepped off the Zephyr yesterday in Chicago after running the entire route; our SCA was Dave. An older member of Amtrak who's done nearly 30 years, and is both very good at what he does while also being a little entertaining. We'll remember the little tune he sang out with "The Joe's Gonna Go!" over the car PA as he was making last call on the sleeper coffee before arriving into CHI. He also made sure that every single person in the car was well aware of the Metropolitan Lounge and how to get there!
We were also early into Chicago by over and hour! A personal record for that OBS crew, as all were astonished. We were early into every single stop on the route, no joke!
May I inquire as to what reasons she gave?I met the conductor in the dining car after meals and she explained what she thought may have caused both my sleeping rooms (CZ & CL) to be changed to different cars. I questioned her about "E" tickets. She seemed realtively happy with it but I got the impression that she couldn't do onboard upgrades onboard as she didn't have rates but if one was to to call reservations and get an upgrade that after the call was completed all she had to do was reinput your reservation number, the room upgrade would show and then she could move you from coach to sleeper or to your sleeper upgrade. Very nice lady and we spoke for about 15 minutes.
Except that it's almost never early. If it was consistently early, then yes, there's too much padding. But the schedule should be a close approximation to what time the train gets to each stop, not an "ideal" time if everything runs perfectly.So, nine hours late or ten hours late. Not much difference.Quite true! This was one very rare exception, and most on the train knew it. I've been on a 9-hour late CZ before; luckily I was staying in Chicago and did not have to que up at Customer Services like the 200 or so other passengers who missed their connections.Except for the fact that often the Zephyr runs late. I don't remember ever departing or arriving in Omaha exactly on-time, always a few minutes late. And there are times when the Zephyr is over an hour late into SLC, missing the Thruway connection to Boise.Talk about too much padding!Just stepped off the Zephyr yesterday in Chicago after running the entire route; our SCA was Dave. An older member of Amtrak who's done nearly 30 years, and is both very good at what he does while also being a little entertaining. We'll remember the little tune he sang out with "The Joe's Gonna Go!" over the car PA as he was making last call on the sleeper coffee before arriving into CHI. He also made sure that every single person in the car was well aware of the Metropolitan Lounge and how to get there!
We were also early into Chicago by over and hour! A personal record for that OBS crew, as all were astonished. We were early into every single stop on the route, no joke!
At least it might give the freight companies more reason to yield.Except that it's almost never early. If it was consistently early, then yes, there's too much padding. But the schedule should be a close approximation to what time the train gets to each stop, not an "ideal" time if everything runs perfectly.So, nine hours late or ten hours late. Not much difference.Quite true! This was one very rare exception, and most on the train knew it. I've been on a 9-hour late CZ before; luckily I was staying in Chicago and did not have to que up at Customer Services like the 200 or so other passengers who missed their connections.Except for the fact that often the Zephyr runs late. I don't remember ever departing or arriving in Omaha exactly on-time, always a few minutes late. And there are times when the Zephyr is over an hour late into SLC, missing the Thruway connection to Boise.Talk about too much padding!Just stepped off the Zephyr yesterday in Chicago after running the entire route; our SCA was Dave. An older member of Amtrak who's done nearly 30 years, and is both very good at what he does while also being a little entertaining. We'll remember the little tune he sang out with "The Joe's Gonna Go!" over the car PA as he was making last call on the sleeper coffee before arriving into CHI. He also made sure that every single person in the car was well aware of the Metropolitan Lounge and how to get there!
We were also early into Chicago by over and hour! A personal record for that OBS crew, as all were astonished. We were early into every single stop on the route, no joke!
aren't they already supposed to yield? it was my understanding, from a friend who works in freight, that they are obligated to yield to amtrak because amtrak is on a timetable and freight is not.At least it might give the freight companies more reason to yield.
Wow, that sounds just like my SCA last August on the CZ. Surely he's not still working there. My SCA on the Zephyr was the one who started me calling them "Houdinis" because they'd simply disappear. It was interesting because while I was out hunting him down I ran into two other sleeper pax who were doing the same. Several of us in the bedrooms and roomettes organized a hunting party and spread out in our car, the dining car, and the other sleeper but never did find him. He finally showed up a little after 10 AM to make up our room, and after that the only time we saw him was when we were coming into CHI 8 hours late (track work, flooding, heat, etc.) and he and the conductor were going through the cars telling us what some of our options would be. We missed our connecting train (the Cardinal 3x a week train), and stood in line waiting -- when we got up to customer service we asked for two nights in Chicago and be sent home via the next Cardinal -- the immediately agreed and gave us a voucher for the first night, and told us we'd need to come back the next day for the following night's voucher. For the most part, that took care of all the negatives of Mr. Houdini. BTW, that trip was just after the IND bridge was wiped out by CSX, and a lot of people didn't realize the Card was running again, so we got to get a roomette back to CIN (that's what we missed when we missed our connection). Amtrak gave that to us as part of our deal! Not bad, though our hotel was so far out in the boonedocks that we didn't get to see the city. Could've been a lot worse!The SCA, Donald was not up to my standards. Conductor at Reno said E ticket scanner says 6001 car, room 15 but ticket said 6000 car, room 15. Said to tell SCA to check manifest. Donald was on the platform. When I told him what conductor said he said wait here (platform) while he went to get the manifest. Shouldn't he have had it in his hand while passengers boarded ? So he returns and says "Yes, your in car 6001 room 15". End of conversation. No, please board and your room is on the lower level, make a right after you enter car. Luckily I knew where the room was. I played dumb the rest of the trip to see what his performace would be. Never saw him the rest of the trip. Had to go find him when I needed the berths made up for the nights as he couldn't hear the attendant call as he was in BEDROOM "C" vice his roomette or smoozing with his co-workers in the diniung car. Mailed my complaint letter to AMTRAK customer service center and COO.
Alan,May I inquire as to what reasons she gave?I met the conductor in the dining car after meals and she explained what she thought may have caused both my sleeping rooms (CZ & CL) to be changed to different cars. I questioned her about "E" tickets. She seemed realtively happy with it but I got the impression that she couldn't do onboard upgrades onboard as she didn't have rates but if one was to to call reservations and get an upgrade that after the call was completed all she had to do was reinput your reservation number, the room upgrade would show and then she could move you from coach to sleeper or to your sleeper upgrade. Very nice lady and we spoke for about 15 minutes.
And conductors haven't been able to price upgrades for a number of years, they've always had to call that in to get the price. Amtrak recently however did away with the incentive to wait to do an onboard upgrade, namely the cheaper bucket price. Waiting now to do it while onboard means paying current bucket price, so you might as well do it at the station prior to boarding. Failing that, just call Amtrak yourself, there is no advantage to having the conductor do it for you.
That second one: I have never ridden the CL, but EB-CS-CZ sounds like an excellent trip!( maybe CL-EB-CS-CZ) back to Reno in January
NAVYBLUE
I know what you mean. Rght now it is $700 more than CL-CZ (WAS-RNO) but I am watching the fares daily. I have done the CHI-SEA-LAX in a motorcoach/truck but it would be a hoot to see it by train and see it from a different perspective. And I have never seen it in winter. I imagine it to be spectacular.That second one: I have never ridden the CL, but EB-CS-CZ sounds like an excellent trip!( maybe CL-EB-CS-CZ) back to Reno in January
NAVYBLUE
Enjoy
Actually, you and I mean the same thing, because if your timetable has too much padding, then the freights could just disregard it and let their own train go first.aren't they already supposed to yield? it was my understanding, from a friend who works in freight, that they are obligated to yield to amtrak because amtrak is on a timetable and freight is not.At least it might give the freight companies more reason to yield.
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