Photos and full commentary available here.
Another train trip.
A two-week trip to complete almost all of the Amtrak trains I haven't taken before, plus some other bonus forms of transportation, including a ferry, some light rail, and a commuter train.
It was great fun, and I don't regret the trip in the least. But taking so many trains in a short time made me aware of the many problems Amtrak travelers face.
Amtrak doesn't have the resources it should, compared to most other countries, but I became convinced that it could improve three things that would make train travel much better for its customers: communication; consistency; and attention to the end-to-end experience, from reservations, through station comfort and amenities, to the trains themselves. As I realized on this trip, some aspects of Amtrak travel are wonderful, but others need a lot of improvement.
The itinerary was, in fact, Plan B, since I was originally going to take a private train car trip from Chicago to Quebec. But when that was cancelled due to VIA Rail Canada's unwillingness to carry the "private varnish" that we were to have taken, CD said, "well, you haven't taken the Heartland Flyer, right?" Ah, innocent suggestion...
Amtrak's online presence has recently been updated, and it's generally pretty good. As a professional website developer, there are certainly some things I would change, but making--and changing--reservations is generally pretty painless, both online and by phone.
What to pack?
Packing clothes? Easy. All the gadgets? Hmm...
Experienced train travelers know that Amtrak's antiquated equipment means one needs to carry such oddities as extension cords (to make the inadequate power plugs more appropriate for our plethora of 21st century gadgets) and duct tape (to reduce rattles and allow some semblance of control over the HVAC).
When I know I'll be in a two-level Superliner, I leave my larger bag downstairs in the luggage rack, and only ask the red cap to bring my smaller bag upstairs. One of the red caps didn't bring my bag upstairs, and the sleeping car attendant was rather snippy about doing it ("that's his job") even though navigating the steep, tight steps is difficult for me even without carrying bags.
If I have to start this trip by flying, at least it's in first.
Let's face it, air travel generally stinks. One of the few exceptions is Virgin America. The legroom in first class is astonishing, the amenities are nice, and the food is good, if a bit Nouvelle Cuisine.
In order to maximize the time available for train travel, I flew from Seattle to SFO, then to Dallas Love Field (different flights, same crew, same airplane, same seat!) on Wednesday morning, August 19. If one is going to fly, Virgin America is a pretty nice airline, but its choice of flights and destinations from Seattle is pretty limited.
Late that afternoon, I arrived in DAL, which I can only describe as a shopping mall with occasional flight gates. DAL airport seems more interested in signage for the stores than for the exits, so after a couple of wrong turns, I found the bus stop for the free "Love Link" DART bus https://www.dart.org/schedules/busschedules.asp?quicksched=524 that took me to Inwood/Love Field light rail station. From there, it was a few stations south to Victory station, where I had a half-hour wait and a cross-platform transfer to the TRE commuter train that took me to the Fort Worth Intermodal Center. I had purchased a "regional day pass" using the GoPass app
http://www.gopass.biz/
but I was never asked to show it, either on DART or TRE.
On Thursday morning, August 20, I had a leisurely breakfast and a chance to explore the hotel before checkout (but no, I didn't get a peek at the inside of the JFK Suite), then a short walk back to the FWIC. Despite its boring name, the Fort Worth Intermodal Center is actually a very well-designed and pleasant place. It has desks for Amtrak, Greyhound and TRE, plus a busy Subway sandwich shop and the usual vending machines. Subway is not my favorite fast-food joint, but it does have the advantage of a broad menu and the appearance, at least, of freshly-made food.
North on the Heartland Flyer.
Left FTW on time, headed north on my first new train [not counting the TRE, which was also new to me], the Heartland Flyer. Superliner equipment, and a cafe menu posted in the lower level coach area, but no one offered to get anything for those of us who preferred not to struggle up and down the stairs.
Oklahoma City.
A pleasant revisit to the hotel where we stayed after my first long train trip. My three year old self was impressed with the elevators.
Friday, August 21, began pretty early, so that I could go downstairs for breakfast. I only had a few minutes to look around the Skirvin hotel before it was time to go back to the station, but I had selected this historic hotel because it's where I stayed with my family on my first long train trip when I was about three years old.
My memories from that trip include the hotel elevators, as well as the slumbercoaches and the curtain-fronted bunks on the trains; I guess I was destined to be a train and travel fan even then.
Oklahoma City Amtrak station, like the one in FTW, is very convenient to the downtown hotels and business district. But OKC's former Santa Fe station, elegant though it is, is run down and bleak. Its main waiting room has no seats, and the ones available in a side passage look like they were salvaged from a state warehouse somewhere. And OKC has no station attendant, just someone who unlocks the building and the locked corridor to the stairs and elevators to track level shortly before train time.
On the southbound train, the conversations veered into both politics and religion, so I pulled out my headphones and listened to music while watching McMansions interspersed with cattle--Amtrak could probably replenish their supplies of Angus burgers if the cafe ran out.
Not surprisingly, the southbound Heartland Flyer was rather like the northbound, except in reverse (The northbound trip had been in reverse, actually, and the southbound had the loco and coaches facing forward.) Back to FTW for another couple of hours, and another Subway sandwich, before catching the Texas Eagle.
Aboard the Texas Eagle.
I was booked in car 2230 of train 422. The TE consist is confusing, to say the least, because of its various hookings and unhookings on its way between Los Angeles and Chicago.
But I was right next to the railfan window, and would be so until the 322 coach was added in St. Louis.
The TE has a reputation (unfortunately deserved) for less than stellar on-board service. My SCA was pretty much MIA, the LSA was surly, and the waiter would bring something if you knew what to ask for, but volunteered nothing. This was true even though the train wasn't very crowded. Compared to most of the crews on the Coast Starlight and Empire Builder, who provide good, efficient service on much more crowded trains, service on the Eagle was a joke.
And sleeping wasn't easy, since we ran over some quite rough track overnight.
But the good news was that we arrived in Chicago almost on time Saturday morning, August 22. I had been a bit worried about making the connection from the TE to the Capitol Limited, the next leg of the journey, since it was a fairly tight connection and the TE has not been doing well in on-time performance this summer.
We were only slightly late arriving in Pittsburgh in the early hours of Sunday, August 23. The red cap kindly took my bags and put them on the Pennsylvanian, which was waiting on the next track, even though we couldn't board yet. Since the temperature was comfortable, I didn't even bother going inside the station, and just parked myself on a trackside bench for the hour of so until train time.
The Pennsylvanian was new train #2 for me, although I've been on much of its route, especially east of Harrisburg, many times. But it's always fun to see the famous Horseshoe Curve at Altoona, and to wave to Railroad Bill at Creston, who was staying at the B&B there.
30th Street Station, Philadelphia, Monday, August 24.
Arrived here yesterday afternoon on the Pennsylvanian, and had a delightful conversation over cheesesteaks and Italian ices with AU friends Acela150 and AmtrakBlue. Then a short night at a hotel, and back to 30th Street.
Frustration in that the ClubAcela is not accessible without help from a redcap, and there are no redcaps to be had at this hour of the morning. What's wrong with this picture? Eventually found a redcap; who took me upstairs to the Club Acela for about two minutes before taking me back down to the track.
North along the Hudson.
Met Anderson on Acela 2150 for the trip to NYP. He had boarded at Washington, and although he was in First Class., the service wasn't. In spite of being on the train for nearly three hours, he was never offered a drink refill/second drink and when he asked for a cup of orange juice after leaving Philadelphia, he was given a distinct impression that this request was granted under sufferance even though this request came alongside my meal. To note, the FC car was almost empty until Wilmington/Philadelphia, so this was NOT a side-effect of the staff being overworked.
The transfer to the Adirondack at NYP was reasonably smooth, although we had to shout for a redcap in the mobbed boarding area since none were available trackside. But once found, he got us aboard the Adirondack reasonably smoothly.
On the Adirondack, we were placed in an Amfleet I rather than an Amfleet II. Now, this was due to some of the "quirks" of crossing the border and the fact that the train was packed, but it was still highly annoying to be stuck in the equivalent of Regional Coach for approximately 11 hours.
This is the point at which Amtrak's Adirondack begins to show its unpleasantness. Yes; the scenery is wonderful. But this train has no business class seating; no diner; and the long distance travelers are generally shut up in an Amfleet I car with no legroom to speak of for close to 12 hours. And; of course; the border crossing takes an hour or more. This was very much the low point of this train journey.
Bienvenue au Canada!
For all of the Adirondack's weaknesses, we arrived pretty much on time at Montreal's Gare Centrale, and cabbed to a very nice Indian restaurant called Le Taj (how's that for bilingual?) Walked back the few blocks to the hotel. and luxuriated in the idea of being in the same city for two nights in a row!
I spent Tuesday, August 25 with a high school friend, while Anderson bounced around somewhere near Ottawa. Another nice dinner at a restaurant featuring the French version of tapas.
We headed to the Salon Panorama @ Gare Centrale, Montreal, VIA's version of the Metropolitan (first class) Lounge, on Wednesday evening, August 26. It's is nice enough, but small. And the pre-recorded announcements are hilarious, as they change between voices in the middle of sentences, and sometimes the middle of a word.
Aboard the Park Car on The Ocean, VIA Train 14.
I was really looking forward to this leg of the trip, not only because it was new train #3 for me, but also because we had gotten a good deal on Room A (a triple bedroom!) in the famous dome-lounge Park Car. A glimpse of rail elegance not seen on Amtrak any more.
When we arrived at Halifax on Thursday, August 27, we had to go to the airport to get a rental car. Alas, no other way to get to the ferry back to the US.
Good morning, Yarmouth!
Friday, August 28. Our hotel was only a few blocks from the ferry terminal.
The ferry was quite nice, although I didn't take many pictures. The food was good, and we even indulged in very professional massages. The seas were calm enough that it was easy to take a nap in the afternoon. Customs went quickly, then we had a short cab ride to a Portland hotel and a couple of blocks' walk to a pleasant Chinese restaurant.
Portland, ME, Intermodal Station, Saturday, August 29.
Ready to board new train #4 for me: the Downeaster.
For Anderson, the Downeaster represented the best Amtrak experience he had had so far due to the presence of Tim Horton's doughnuts on the train. This stands out for two reasons: One is the inadequacy of Amtrak's performance while the other is the fact that this aspect of the service was the work of a state agency which long ago dismissed Amtrak from providing food service on the train.
Train 449
Train 449, the Boston section of the Lake Shore Limited, doesn't have a sleeper. They can't do the appropriate switching in Albany to add it to the New York section due to construction. But sleeping car passengers are put in what normally would be business class, so it's comfortable enough.
The service on the Boston section was solid, and the presence of food service a pleasant surprise not noted on Amtrak's website.
Uncertainty about food service on 449 caused us some anxiety. I wolfed down a pretty good (artisanal grilled cheese?!) sandwich in South Station, and Anderson hauled around some Chinese leftovers.
Transferring to train 49 in Albany.
The through sleepers are not running from Boston to Albany, so we had to transfer from our coach.
Upon joining the main train in Albany, we boarded through the coach section rather than waiting for the sleeping cars to be re-spotted on the platform. This surprised some of the OBS, but it proved fortuitous since the sleepers were not re-spotted onto the platform for approximately half an hour, leaving less resourceful premium-class passengers stuck waiting in the station in the interim, while we got early seating for dinner.
The rest of our trip on the LSL was, in fact, fine with the exception of the new blanket policy. Being unable to request that one's bed be made up with the blanket on it (and particularly trying to fumble with the blanket for the bed in the top bunk, which is awkward enough to get at as-is due to the larger size of the lower bunk) is obnoxious and we must give this new policy a flat-out failure in terms of customer service. For the record, this was Anderson's first experience with this new "improvement," and he says that if the policy is retained, he will feel compelled to pack my own blanket. I've already bought one, but haven't used it yet.
California Zephyr, train 5.
We were originally scheduled to take the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle on Sunday, August 30, but the forest fires in Montana made that train uncertain. So we rebooked to take the California Zephyr to the Coast Starlight. That would take an extra day and a half, which generally we wouldn't mind, but service on the Zephyr, which a lot of folks think is one of Amtrak's best trains, was not up to standards. We had a generally negative experience, despite the solid performance of our SCA who worked with us as best he could. His performance in the face of what he knew to be less-than-desirable service deserves nothing but the highest commendations.
Because we had reserved only a couple of weeks in advance, we were stuck in Bedroom A. Unlike room A in the Park Car, Superliner room A is smaller than the other bedrooms, and it's a struggle to squeeze two adults into it. Indeed, it's not really a bedroom. It is a roomette which is a grotesque parody of a bedroom, being horridly inaccessible when the beds are down and which contains a poorly-placed shower/toilet. If Amtrak ever manages to build the next generation of Superiners, the bathroom/shower in room A should go away, and passengers should use the "common" toilet down the hall. We spent a lot of time in the observation car, which luckily wasn't too crowded.
The blanket in a baggie policy strikes again, this time compounded with not being able to have one's bed made up between the two nights of the trip.
The air conditioning was stuck on rather strongly; the vent had been duct-taped to control this, but the duct tape came loose slowly over the course of the trip, rendering the room very cold by the end. More blankets, please?
The diner menu lists the presence of cordials (e.g. Bailey's and cognac). The OBS advised me that the train is not stocked with cordials and has not been so stocked in quite some time. Considering that the menu has been updated recently (e.g. this past May) while this policy seems to have been in effect for quite some time, some action needs to be taken to remedy this obvious disconnect. We would obviously prefer to be able to order a Bailey's and coffee after dinner, but if not, management should have the decency to remove from the menu items which are not going to be stocked.
A long layover in Sacramento, Tuesday, September 1.
Plenty of time to take pictures for the Amtrak Fans group and have some dinner. I just wish they'd make some progress on that station beyond the fancy new parking lot.
Sacramento station is horrible. It is a miserable place to have to make connections. Even when the construction is complete (the sign says 2016 now) it's so far from the tracks that many of us can't handle the walk and the ramps, so we have to wait for the golf cart drivers. They're not redcaps, so their service is abysmal. For some reason, they seem to want to wait until the last minute to pick us up, which is nerve-wracking when one is trying to catch a train.
Amtrak has no business telling us where we can and cannot make a "legal" connection. When the Zephyr is on time, we could easily have a six-hour connection in Emeryville, which, although spartan, is a much nicer place to wait. Or Davis or Martinez. What with Amtrak's Track A Train and other such tools, it's easy to tell how well both the Zephyr and the Starlight are doing. Let us make our own choices.
Of course, what we really need is direct Denver-Portland-Seattle service like the old Pioneer.
The Coast Starlight, Wednesday, September 2.
I've written about this train many times, and really don't have anything to add. It's the Amtrak train with the best service, and amenities like the Pacific Parlour Car make it the most pleasant train trip in the system.
*****
As a Northwest resident, I'm lucky to have three of Amtrak's best services at my disposal: the Cascades, the Empire Builder, and the Coast Starlight. Generally, we have decently-maintained equipment (although the P42s are breaking down more than they should), and staff and crew who are proud of their jobs--and it shows.
This trip caused both Anderson and I, separately, to come to the conclusion that we will no longer be traveling on Amtrak as much as we have in the past. Its shoddy service, dilapidated equipment, and micromanaging budget cuts are, I'm afraid, making American train travel less appealing than ever.
Personally, I'm not looking for luxury, just a modicum of comfort. A few airlines, like Virgin America, recognize that there is a market for the sort of service that was the norm a few years ago. And now, Iowa Pacific seems to be doing the same with Travel Pullman and their new Hoosier State service. We'll be trying these out soon, and we hope they're successful. But meanwhile, we'll be reluctantly returning to the skies.
Amtrak, both of us have now done almost all of your system. But unless things change, you probably won't see much repeat business from us. It was nice while it lasted.
Another train trip.
A two-week trip to complete almost all of the Amtrak trains I haven't taken before, plus some other bonus forms of transportation, including a ferry, some light rail, and a commuter train.
It was great fun, and I don't regret the trip in the least. But taking so many trains in a short time made me aware of the many problems Amtrak travelers face.
Amtrak doesn't have the resources it should, compared to most other countries, but I became convinced that it could improve three things that would make train travel much better for its customers: communication; consistency; and attention to the end-to-end experience, from reservations, through station comfort and amenities, to the trains themselves. As I realized on this trip, some aspects of Amtrak travel are wonderful, but others need a lot of improvement.
The itinerary was, in fact, Plan B, since I was originally going to take a private train car trip from Chicago to Quebec. But when that was cancelled due to VIA Rail Canada's unwillingness to carry the "private varnish" that we were to have taken, CD said, "well, you haven't taken the Heartland Flyer, right?" Ah, innocent suggestion...
Amtrak's online presence has recently been updated, and it's generally pretty good. As a professional website developer, there are certainly some things I would change, but making--and changing--reservations is generally pretty painless, both online and by phone.
What to pack?
Packing clothes? Easy. All the gadgets? Hmm...
Experienced train travelers know that Amtrak's antiquated equipment means one needs to carry such oddities as extension cords (to make the inadequate power plugs more appropriate for our plethora of 21st century gadgets) and duct tape (to reduce rattles and allow some semblance of control over the HVAC).
When I know I'll be in a two-level Superliner, I leave my larger bag downstairs in the luggage rack, and only ask the red cap to bring my smaller bag upstairs. One of the red caps didn't bring my bag upstairs, and the sleeping car attendant was rather snippy about doing it ("that's his job") even though navigating the steep, tight steps is difficult for me even without carrying bags.
If I have to start this trip by flying, at least it's in first.
Let's face it, air travel generally stinks. One of the few exceptions is Virgin America. The legroom in first class is astonishing, the amenities are nice, and the food is good, if a bit Nouvelle Cuisine.
In order to maximize the time available for train travel, I flew from Seattle to SFO, then to Dallas Love Field (different flights, same crew, same airplane, same seat!) on Wednesday morning, August 19. If one is going to fly, Virgin America is a pretty nice airline, but its choice of flights and destinations from Seattle is pretty limited.
Late that afternoon, I arrived in DAL, which I can only describe as a shopping mall with occasional flight gates. DAL airport seems more interested in signage for the stores than for the exits, so after a couple of wrong turns, I found the bus stop for the free "Love Link" DART bus https://www.dart.org/schedules/busschedules.asp?quicksched=524 that took me to Inwood/Love Field light rail station. From there, it was a few stations south to Victory station, where I had a half-hour wait and a cross-platform transfer to the TRE commuter train that took me to the Fort Worth Intermodal Center. I had purchased a "regional day pass" using the GoPass app
http://www.gopass.biz/
but I was never asked to show it, either on DART or TRE.
On Thursday morning, August 20, I had a leisurely breakfast and a chance to explore the hotel before checkout (but no, I didn't get a peek at the inside of the JFK Suite), then a short walk back to the FWIC. Despite its boring name, the Fort Worth Intermodal Center is actually a very well-designed and pleasant place. It has desks for Amtrak, Greyhound and TRE, plus a busy Subway sandwich shop and the usual vending machines. Subway is not my favorite fast-food joint, but it does have the advantage of a broad menu and the appearance, at least, of freshly-made food.
North on the Heartland Flyer.
Left FTW on time, headed north on my first new train [not counting the TRE, which was also new to me], the Heartland Flyer. Superliner equipment, and a cafe menu posted in the lower level coach area, but no one offered to get anything for those of us who preferred not to struggle up and down the stairs.
Oklahoma City.
A pleasant revisit to the hotel where we stayed after my first long train trip. My three year old self was impressed with the elevators.
Friday, August 21, began pretty early, so that I could go downstairs for breakfast. I only had a few minutes to look around the Skirvin hotel before it was time to go back to the station, but I had selected this historic hotel because it's where I stayed with my family on my first long train trip when I was about three years old.
My memories from that trip include the hotel elevators, as well as the slumbercoaches and the curtain-fronted bunks on the trains; I guess I was destined to be a train and travel fan even then.
Oklahoma City Amtrak station, like the one in FTW, is very convenient to the downtown hotels and business district. But OKC's former Santa Fe station, elegant though it is, is run down and bleak. Its main waiting room has no seats, and the ones available in a side passage look like they were salvaged from a state warehouse somewhere. And OKC has no station attendant, just someone who unlocks the building and the locked corridor to the stairs and elevators to track level shortly before train time.
On the southbound train, the conversations veered into both politics and religion, so I pulled out my headphones and listened to music while watching McMansions interspersed with cattle--Amtrak could probably replenish their supplies of Angus burgers if the cafe ran out.
Not surprisingly, the southbound Heartland Flyer was rather like the northbound, except in reverse (The northbound trip had been in reverse, actually, and the southbound had the loco and coaches facing forward.) Back to FTW for another couple of hours, and another Subway sandwich, before catching the Texas Eagle.
Aboard the Texas Eagle.
I was booked in car 2230 of train 422. The TE consist is confusing, to say the least, because of its various hookings and unhookings on its way between Los Angeles and Chicago.
But I was right next to the railfan window, and would be so until the 322 coach was added in St. Louis.
The TE has a reputation (unfortunately deserved) for less than stellar on-board service. My SCA was pretty much MIA, the LSA was surly, and the waiter would bring something if you knew what to ask for, but volunteered nothing. This was true even though the train wasn't very crowded. Compared to most of the crews on the Coast Starlight and Empire Builder, who provide good, efficient service on much more crowded trains, service on the Eagle was a joke.
And sleeping wasn't easy, since we ran over some quite rough track overnight.
But the good news was that we arrived in Chicago almost on time Saturday morning, August 22. I had been a bit worried about making the connection from the TE to the Capitol Limited, the next leg of the journey, since it was a fairly tight connection and the TE has not been doing well in on-time performance this summer.
We were only slightly late arriving in Pittsburgh in the early hours of Sunday, August 23. The red cap kindly took my bags and put them on the Pennsylvanian, which was waiting on the next track, even though we couldn't board yet. Since the temperature was comfortable, I didn't even bother going inside the station, and just parked myself on a trackside bench for the hour of so until train time.
The Pennsylvanian was new train #2 for me, although I've been on much of its route, especially east of Harrisburg, many times. But it's always fun to see the famous Horseshoe Curve at Altoona, and to wave to Railroad Bill at Creston, who was staying at the B&B there.
30th Street Station, Philadelphia, Monday, August 24.
Arrived here yesterday afternoon on the Pennsylvanian, and had a delightful conversation over cheesesteaks and Italian ices with AU friends Acela150 and AmtrakBlue. Then a short night at a hotel, and back to 30th Street.
Frustration in that the ClubAcela is not accessible without help from a redcap, and there are no redcaps to be had at this hour of the morning. What's wrong with this picture? Eventually found a redcap; who took me upstairs to the Club Acela for about two minutes before taking me back down to the track.
North along the Hudson.
Met Anderson on Acela 2150 for the trip to NYP. He had boarded at Washington, and although he was in First Class., the service wasn't. In spite of being on the train for nearly three hours, he was never offered a drink refill/second drink and when he asked for a cup of orange juice after leaving Philadelphia, he was given a distinct impression that this request was granted under sufferance even though this request came alongside my meal. To note, the FC car was almost empty until Wilmington/Philadelphia, so this was NOT a side-effect of the staff being overworked.
The transfer to the Adirondack at NYP was reasonably smooth, although we had to shout for a redcap in the mobbed boarding area since none were available trackside. But once found, he got us aboard the Adirondack reasonably smoothly.
On the Adirondack, we were placed in an Amfleet I rather than an Amfleet II. Now, this was due to some of the "quirks" of crossing the border and the fact that the train was packed, but it was still highly annoying to be stuck in the equivalent of Regional Coach for approximately 11 hours.
This is the point at which Amtrak's Adirondack begins to show its unpleasantness. Yes; the scenery is wonderful. But this train has no business class seating; no diner; and the long distance travelers are generally shut up in an Amfleet I car with no legroom to speak of for close to 12 hours. And; of course; the border crossing takes an hour or more. This was very much the low point of this train journey.
Bienvenue au Canada!
For all of the Adirondack's weaknesses, we arrived pretty much on time at Montreal's Gare Centrale, and cabbed to a very nice Indian restaurant called Le Taj (how's that for bilingual?) Walked back the few blocks to the hotel. and luxuriated in the idea of being in the same city for two nights in a row!
I spent Tuesday, August 25 with a high school friend, while Anderson bounced around somewhere near Ottawa. Another nice dinner at a restaurant featuring the French version of tapas.
We headed to the Salon Panorama @ Gare Centrale, Montreal, VIA's version of the Metropolitan (first class) Lounge, on Wednesday evening, August 26. It's is nice enough, but small. And the pre-recorded announcements are hilarious, as they change between voices in the middle of sentences, and sometimes the middle of a word.
Aboard the Park Car on The Ocean, VIA Train 14.
I was really looking forward to this leg of the trip, not only because it was new train #3 for me, but also because we had gotten a good deal on Room A (a triple bedroom!) in the famous dome-lounge Park Car. A glimpse of rail elegance not seen on Amtrak any more.
When we arrived at Halifax on Thursday, August 27, we had to go to the airport to get a rental car. Alas, no other way to get to the ferry back to the US.
Good morning, Yarmouth!
Friday, August 28. Our hotel was only a few blocks from the ferry terminal.
The ferry was quite nice, although I didn't take many pictures. The food was good, and we even indulged in very professional massages. The seas were calm enough that it was easy to take a nap in the afternoon. Customs went quickly, then we had a short cab ride to a Portland hotel and a couple of blocks' walk to a pleasant Chinese restaurant.
Portland, ME, Intermodal Station, Saturday, August 29.
Ready to board new train #4 for me: the Downeaster.
For Anderson, the Downeaster represented the best Amtrak experience he had had so far due to the presence of Tim Horton's doughnuts on the train. This stands out for two reasons: One is the inadequacy of Amtrak's performance while the other is the fact that this aspect of the service was the work of a state agency which long ago dismissed Amtrak from providing food service on the train.
Train 449
Train 449, the Boston section of the Lake Shore Limited, doesn't have a sleeper. They can't do the appropriate switching in Albany to add it to the New York section due to construction. But sleeping car passengers are put in what normally would be business class, so it's comfortable enough.
The service on the Boston section was solid, and the presence of food service a pleasant surprise not noted on Amtrak's website.
Uncertainty about food service on 449 caused us some anxiety. I wolfed down a pretty good (artisanal grilled cheese?!) sandwich in South Station, and Anderson hauled around some Chinese leftovers.
Transferring to train 49 in Albany.
The through sleepers are not running from Boston to Albany, so we had to transfer from our coach.
Upon joining the main train in Albany, we boarded through the coach section rather than waiting for the sleeping cars to be re-spotted on the platform. This surprised some of the OBS, but it proved fortuitous since the sleepers were not re-spotted onto the platform for approximately half an hour, leaving less resourceful premium-class passengers stuck waiting in the station in the interim, while we got early seating for dinner.
The rest of our trip on the LSL was, in fact, fine with the exception of the new blanket policy. Being unable to request that one's bed be made up with the blanket on it (and particularly trying to fumble with the blanket for the bed in the top bunk, which is awkward enough to get at as-is due to the larger size of the lower bunk) is obnoxious and we must give this new policy a flat-out failure in terms of customer service. For the record, this was Anderson's first experience with this new "improvement," and he says that if the policy is retained, he will feel compelled to pack my own blanket. I've already bought one, but haven't used it yet.
California Zephyr, train 5.
We were originally scheduled to take the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle on Sunday, August 30, but the forest fires in Montana made that train uncertain. So we rebooked to take the California Zephyr to the Coast Starlight. That would take an extra day and a half, which generally we wouldn't mind, but service on the Zephyr, which a lot of folks think is one of Amtrak's best trains, was not up to standards. We had a generally negative experience, despite the solid performance of our SCA who worked with us as best he could. His performance in the face of what he knew to be less-than-desirable service deserves nothing but the highest commendations.
Because we had reserved only a couple of weeks in advance, we were stuck in Bedroom A. Unlike room A in the Park Car, Superliner room A is smaller than the other bedrooms, and it's a struggle to squeeze two adults into it. Indeed, it's not really a bedroom. It is a roomette which is a grotesque parody of a bedroom, being horridly inaccessible when the beds are down and which contains a poorly-placed shower/toilet. If Amtrak ever manages to build the next generation of Superiners, the bathroom/shower in room A should go away, and passengers should use the "common" toilet down the hall. We spent a lot of time in the observation car, which luckily wasn't too crowded.
The blanket in a baggie policy strikes again, this time compounded with not being able to have one's bed made up between the two nights of the trip.
The air conditioning was stuck on rather strongly; the vent had been duct-taped to control this, but the duct tape came loose slowly over the course of the trip, rendering the room very cold by the end. More blankets, please?
The diner menu lists the presence of cordials (e.g. Bailey's and cognac). The OBS advised me that the train is not stocked with cordials and has not been so stocked in quite some time. Considering that the menu has been updated recently (e.g. this past May) while this policy seems to have been in effect for quite some time, some action needs to be taken to remedy this obvious disconnect. We would obviously prefer to be able to order a Bailey's and coffee after dinner, but if not, management should have the decency to remove from the menu items which are not going to be stocked.
A long layover in Sacramento, Tuesday, September 1.
Plenty of time to take pictures for the Amtrak Fans group and have some dinner. I just wish they'd make some progress on that station beyond the fancy new parking lot.
Sacramento station is horrible. It is a miserable place to have to make connections. Even when the construction is complete (the sign says 2016 now) it's so far from the tracks that many of us can't handle the walk and the ramps, so we have to wait for the golf cart drivers. They're not redcaps, so their service is abysmal. For some reason, they seem to want to wait until the last minute to pick us up, which is nerve-wracking when one is trying to catch a train.
Amtrak has no business telling us where we can and cannot make a "legal" connection. When the Zephyr is on time, we could easily have a six-hour connection in Emeryville, which, although spartan, is a much nicer place to wait. Or Davis or Martinez. What with Amtrak's Track A Train and other such tools, it's easy to tell how well both the Zephyr and the Starlight are doing. Let us make our own choices.
Of course, what we really need is direct Denver-Portland-Seattle service like the old Pioneer.
The Coast Starlight, Wednesday, September 2.
I've written about this train many times, and really don't have anything to add. It's the Amtrak train with the best service, and amenities like the Pacific Parlour Car make it the most pleasant train trip in the system.
*****
As a Northwest resident, I'm lucky to have three of Amtrak's best services at my disposal: the Cascades, the Empire Builder, and the Coast Starlight. Generally, we have decently-maintained equipment (although the P42s are breaking down more than they should), and staff and crew who are proud of their jobs--and it shows.
This trip caused both Anderson and I, separately, to come to the conclusion that we will no longer be traveling on Amtrak as much as we have in the past. Its shoddy service, dilapidated equipment, and micromanaging budget cuts are, I'm afraid, making American train travel less appealing than ever.
Personally, I'm not looking for luxury, just a modicum of comfort. A few airlines, like Virgin America, recognize that there is a market for the sort of service that was the norm a few years ago. And now, Iowa Pacific seems to be doing the same with Travel Pullman and their new Hoosier State service. We'll be trying these out soon, and we hope they're successful. But meanwhile, we'll be reluctantly returning to the skies.
Amtrak, both of us have now done almost all of your system. But unless things change, you probably won't see much repeat business from us. It was nice while it lasted.
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