Recent content by John Santos

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...

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...

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...

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

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...

"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...

[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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

I commiserate; I've had double vision twice. Fortunately it wasn't due to a serious underlying cause. The first time, I just woke up one morning with double vision. My ophthalmologist said it was 99% something that would clear up on its own, but just in case, he booked me for an MRI. They...

Oops! Yes, I somehow got Canal Street and Clinton Street swapped in my head after reading the Amtrak notice about 3 times to see if it said anything about CUS itself being closed, and after looking closely at the map. Good catch! The Great Hall, the Metropolitan Lounge, and some of the side...

I would guess initially it would be whatever they can pull together, coaches and a cafe most likely. The EB takes 8:26 (according to the schedule) to get to MSP, leaving at 3:05 PM, so it is really too short a route for an overnight sleeper. Most likely, west bound, it would leave CUS 8 or 9...