First Sleeper Trip! SLC- FTW

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

BuffaloBoy

Service Attendant
Joined
Apr 23, 2015
Messages
191
Location
SLC
I thought I would write about this trip as soon as I got back to SLC, but I soon realized that I needed to process what had just happened that made it so different from my many taxing miles in coach. I also have to say how grateful I am to everyone on this forum for either pointing me in the right direction, or posting great tips that I found easy to find through the search. :p

I only had a little over 15000 AGR points, some, hard earned in LD coach seats and some that I bought in one of the miles promotions, but I had a dilemma, the one zone thing. With AU help I figured that out, I had some credit with Amtrak, enough to get a roomette from SLC to DEN and then book my room DEN-FTW for a 1 zone redemption. Problem solved.

What a night it was departing Salt Lake at 3:30 in the morning on 3FEB2016. I arrived at 2:30 because I saw that the #5 was really late and I thought it would be really cool to see both #5 and #6 in SLC at the same time. Didn't happen: I was told that they held the #6 until #5 cleared because they can only use one platform. They had an extra conductor just working the arrivals and departures, something I had never seen in Salt Lake, but he worked it pretty smooth.

I must tell you all that when I booked my trip, I did the AGR DEN-FTW first, 15000 points gone....I was happier than a lottery winner when I got assigned roomette #3. I also got #3 on the Texas Eagle, way cool, right? Room in the middle of the car, smoother ride and all that? It didn't work out that way, and I'm glad. I had room #9 from SLC to DEN and would have had to change my room in DEN. When I boarded, it was recognized immediately that I had a split ticket and was told to talk to Carla, my SCA. She was a treat and said to me "would you like to stay in the same room for this part of your trip?" Of course I said yes and she said well you are in room #9 for the rest of your journey on the CZ. I thought uggh! I'm right above the bogies and it's gonna be a hard ride. Wrong!! I slept like a baby.

We left Salt lake a little bit late and it was smooth going past Provo and then we started to climb up Soldier Summit and then I heard the air blow when we went into emergency. We sat for an hour before anyone let us know what was going on (granted:everyone was asleep but me! My first sleeper!) and we had hit a big ass elk. It was lodged under the head end and the train crew could not deal with it. As we were in a place where there was no road access, we had to wait for a crew with a truck w/crane on roadwheels to get there to deal with it. We finally got to Helper over 2 1/2 hours late and I was liking it. I had joked with another AU'er that I hoped the train was at least 4 hours late so I could spend a night in CHI instead of jumping off in GBB. I got my wish. In Denver I hopped off and had a smoke and talked with Carla who seemed really new, and there was the new Denver to Airport light train waiting for the next days testing on the adjacent track. Good looking stuff they have going on in Denver!

We departed DEN still over 2 1/2 almost 3 hours late and I thought to myself that I was just getting teased about the possibility of spending the night in CHI on Amtraks dime, I thought it was going to be a hurry up rush on the bus from GBB to SPI. Then we got to Iowa and I can't remember which stop it was but the lead P42 died. We started to pull out and wala! dead. You might think I am crazy, but I whooped silently for joy! My night in CHI just might happen! They finally got the unit rebooted and off we went again 4 1/2 hours late. Perfect for a first time sleeper trip! I might even get to visit the famed Metro Lounge! The crew kept telling me that we won't know what will happen until Burlington, Iowa and then the conductor will let everyone know what will happen. It happened this way: conductor reeled off a bunch of different trains and that they had to get off in GBB to be bussed to make their connections, and then he said "passenger so and so, stay on the train until we get to CHI and Amtrak will make arrangements for you ";.I was never so happy to hear my name "passenger **** that wished we were late"! So the SCA advised me to run, not walk to Passenger Services to get the best possible hotel room, I thought, I am 60 years old, I don't run anymore, but every time I have ridden the Zephyr into CHI we have always pulled straight in, head end first and I have had to make the long walk from coach. Carla say's we have to back in tonight and she was disturbed as was the rest of the crew, 4 1/2 hours late, now make us do another 20 minutes to back in. Now the sleepers are on the far side and I am thinking that I finally got my wish but now I am going to pay for it. Not the case! I gladly for the first time ever slipped the redcap at CUS some dough and said I need to get there. It is so much fun riding on a cart with a driver beeping everybody out of the way. I didn't really get to Passenger Services any faster than anyone else, it just felt faster :) . I waited in line, which wasn't really that long considering how many unfortunate passengers they dumped at GBB and found myself in front of the nicest Passenger Service agent I have ever met. Her name is Linda and she is a rock star. This woman dealt with a very difficult passenger right before me (can you say "ahole?") and I expected the worst for myself after him. When she pointed to me and said "next" I thought about turning around and going to get a hot dog and coming back later, and I think she saw my fear and said "come here honey, you are next" how can I help you? I didn't have to explain anything, didn't have to say anything but my name and as you all know I was given the taxi voucher, the meal voucher and a voucher for a hotel (SWISSOTEL) that is way above my pay grade! I expected something like a super 8 or motel 6. So much for expectations. I had a great night in Chicago (my second favorite place on earth) and woke up the next morning with an awful hangover! When I looked out of the window of my 23rd story room I thought to myself "this is the best adventure ever!". It get's even better......

Got to CUS 3 hours early because as many times as I have passed through CHI I was always a lowly coach passenger and had never been able to experience the Metro Lounge. I was amazed that I could check my bag and just leave and walk around unencumbered for awhile. I finally experienced Giordanos ,I would like to move in next to the place and eat myself to death, I was able to walk to the local drugstore and get a little booze for the trip to Texas and bought a little 2 quart Coleman cooler ($6.97)and a bag of ice (I learned real fast not to request ice on the train!). It's not that I was denied ice, it's just that a cup or 2 didn't quite get it for me! The ice lasted me until Dallas where I threw away the cooler, a good investment to have your own private bar in a sleeper!

The Texas Eagle was by far my favorite part of the trip. I avoid the diner when I ride coach and usually bring food with me. (That's how you do it when your retired w/low income). I swore that I was going to eat in my room the entire trip because I could. To me, this trip was a dream come real and the coach mentality was very prevalent in my thoughts. I wanted privacy, I didn't want to smell other peoples feet, I didn't want to hear baby's screams, I did not want the passenger next to me to fall asleep on my shoulder, I wanted to be left alone to enjoy my dream trip. And THEN! I went to breakfast in the diner. It was a conspiracy, I swear! I was sat with what I thought were an Amish couple who were chaperoning 7 or 8 girls who were heading to south Texas to help out someone who had a disaster happen or something. I really liked this couple and dined with them again at lunch when they pointed at me when I showed up for lunch and said come here and eat with us again. Server smiled and seated me there. To make a long story short, they were not Amish, they were Mennonite and very interesting. I smoke cigarettes and I took every opportunity to get off and burn one and this man came out and hung with me every time and we talked about his life and mine and I realized that he was just as curious about my life as I was about his. So I asked him at the end of my trip: whats the difference between you and the Amish and he started laughing and said "no beards"! I busted up laughing and he and his wife hugged me and wished me well. Eat in the dining car my friends. End of trip!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Awesome report! You have the perfect attitude for train travel. Make lemonade from the lemons, and enjoy learning about where your traveling, and the folks around you. I too have had a few conversations with Mennonite, and Amish folks, and almost always find them adept at the art of conversation. Probably, in part, because they aren't used to staring at their cell phones and tv's. I have great respect for the effort they put into living their faith, yet the conversations seem to revolve around what we have in common. Thanks for the report, makes me anxious for my next opportunity to travel by train.
 
You sure know how to have fun! The most important thing, on a train trip or in life, is to be able to recognize when you are having a wonderful experience, and to appreciate it.

Sounds like you got your points the hard way. We are also in our 60s, retired and low-income, but we like our Guest Rewards credit cards because it helps rack up the points. We don't spend money we would not otherwise spend, and we like cash when we feel it will be to the benefit of our local business person (in a small town, it's likely that's a friend). But we use them for whatever we can within those parameters. Of course, if you have one of those cash-back credit cards, you may feel that's more important for you personally.
 
I absolutely loved this report and your great attitude!

Sometimes I have hoped my train would arrive later (for example, might get lunch in the dining car with my sleeper ticket if we get there an hour or so late), but never had a chance to wish for a really long delay for a free hotel night in a great city!

Glad you got to enjoy some time in Chicago and also that the rest of your trip was so enjoyable!
 
You sure know how to have fun! The most important thing, on a train trip or in life, is to be able to recognize when you are having a wonderful experience, and to appreciate it.

Sounds like you got your points the hard way. We are also in our 60s, retired and low-income, but we like our Guest Rewards credit cards because it helps rack up the points. We don't spend money we would not otherwise spend, and we like cash when we feel it will be to the benefit of our local business person (in a small town, it's likely that's a friend). But we use them for whatever we can within those parameters. Of course, if you have one of those cash-back credit cards, you may feel that's more important for you personally.
Thank you for your kind reply. Have enjoyed your posts as well. Actually, you are responsible for me packing a 6 foot extension cord! It saved my butt when it came time to plug in my CPAP. When I laid down the outlet was at my feet!
 
Great trip report, thanks for sharing!

Bet you're already planning your next one which is half the fun!
Thank you! Yes, I am already plotting another adventure! It is unlikely that I will ever accumulate enough points with AGR 2.0 to do a rewards trip like I just did unless I buy a bunch, I will surely take advantage of the next points bonus sale that comes along. Back to coach for me for awhile!
 
Great trip report. I enjoyed it immensely and was just as excited for you as you were.

I travelled in a roomette while 12 of my cousins etc. were in coach. We were delayed 6+ hours, I was soooo happy! I got to see the area's that we always go through in the dark. I had to stay in my roomette to enjoy the scenery because they were all in coach grumbling about how we were so late.
 
Back
Top