Only 2 weeks to go till I catch the Lakeshore Ltd. out of Albany and then catch the CA Zephyr out of Chicago to Burlington, IA. (and then back about 2 weeks later).
The last time I took this trip (except I got off at Ottumwa, IA) about 2 years ago, I had a great time going out!! The sleeping car guy was really great (and I heard him collecting some really big tips at the end too) and everything was pretty much on time. However, the trip back was really, really awful! The Zephyr was late (like, 8 or 9 hours), and we missed the connection in Chicago, so they put us all up in a hotel (it took us 1 hour just to check in because there were 5 busloads of amtrak people waiting in line) and then the hotel room was bad (not amtrak's fault, I know) and the AC fell out of the wall and rain leaked in (sheesh). And then we spent the ENTIRE next day in the Metro Lounge trying to find out if we could get our sleepers on the Lakeshore Ltd. (no). I guess they were all full (and so was the Metro Lounge, with the busloads of people from the hotel) So, they got us all crammed in coach on the Lakeshore Ltd. (which left late, because they held it for people making connections). I'm telling you, people were MAD!! It's the only time I've seen 3 different people actually ejected from the train by amtrak people because they were so angry I thought they were going to start punching people. But we finally got out, and the next day we were still running late, but I was almost back to Albany, and I couldn't wait to get home and get some SLEEP......but then.....about 3 miles outside the station the crew hit their work limit, and we had to stop.....and we sat there.......on the tracks.......3 miles outside my station.......for 2.5 hours!!! I mean, people were FUMING!!
Needless to say, I am a bit concerned about this happening again....I really hope that the Zephyr gets back in time to make the connection!!! PLEASE!!
Wish me luck!
Tif =
The last time I took this trip (except I got off at Ottumwa, IA) about 2 years ago, I had a great time going out!! The sleeping car guy was really great (and I heard him collecting some really big tips at the end too) and everything was pretty much on time. However, the trip back was really, really awful! The Zephyr was late (like, 8 or 9 hours), and we missed the connection in Chicago, so they put us all up in a hotel (it took us 1 hour just to check in because there were 5 busloads of amtrak people waiting in line) and then the hotel room was bad (not amtrak's fault, I know) and the AC fell out of the wall and rain leaked in (sheesh). And then we spent the ENTIRE next day in the Metro Lounge trying to find out if we could get our sleepers on the Lakeshore Ltd. (no). I guess they were all full (and so was the Metro Lounge, with the busloads of people from the hotel) So, they got us all crammed in coach on the Lakeshore Ltd. (which left late, because they held it for people making connections). I'm telling you, people were MAD!! It's the only time I've seen 3 different people actually ejected from the train by amtrak people because they were so angry I thought they were going to start punching people. But we finally got out, and the next day we were still running late, but I was almost back to Albany, and I couldn't wait to get home and get some SLEEP......but then.....about 3 miles outside the station the crew hit their work limit, and we had to stop.....and we sat there.......on the tracks.......3 miles outside my station.......for 2.5 hours!!! I mean, people were FUMING!!
Needless to say, I am a bit concerned about this happening again....I really hope that the Zephyr gets back in time to make the connection!!! PLEASE!!
Wish me luck!
Tif =
