Anyone ever ride in their own car on Amtrak?

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Striker

Train Attendant
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May 9, 2008
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I was curious if anyone here has their own private car or has leased/rented a private car to be connected to an Amtrak route? I know this is essentially what Grand Luxe was doing when they were still in business, but it was interesting to read what services were available at the different stations on Amtrak's website here:

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServe...79&ssid=582
 
Striker said:
I was curious if anyone here has their own private car or has leased/rented a private car to be connected to an Amtrak route? I know this is essentially what Grand Luxe was doing when they were still in business, but it was interesting to read what services were available at the different stations on Amtrak's website here:http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServe...79&ssid=582
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Not MY own private car, but in an Amtrak car by myself.

I rode The Cardinal from NYP to IND back in 2005. I boarded in New York and was the ONLY person in the sleeper car from NYP to WAS. I was the ONLY person to eat in the sleeper side of the café car (or what ever they called it then) and I felt like I had my own private car for a while. Only down side was the car attendant got me settled in my roomette and I never saw him again until we were in WAS. I don't know where he went, and he wasn't in his room in the car, either.
 
MrFSS said:
Not MY own private car, but in an Amtrak car by myself.
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I had this experience once too, in a coach from New Haven to Springfield, Mass. The train just totally emptied out as everyone else but me obviously knew in advance how horrible the track was on that stretch! It was really strange. I would've enjoyed my private car more if I'd had an observation platform and some comfy sofas and a private bar and valet and a friend or two, but I didn't have time to plan all that out :)

I had the Sightseer Lounge to myself on the westbound EB the morning of the Columbia River Gorge for about an hour (from maybe 6AM to 7AM). That struck me as odd, but I guess most folks aren't early risers and didn't know what they were missing, scenery-wise. Again, more eerie than luxurious, but that time I did have a car with fantastic vistas and more "private-car-like" seating.
 
It as back in the early 1990s when I rented (on behalf of a client who wanted to conduct an executive retreat) a private car from one of the many sources of such things, and paid a complicated fee for Amtrak to drag it along behind the Coast Starlight for a few days. There was, if I recall, a per-mile charge plus a fee for each manipulation (uncoupling, coupling, pushing the car around in some yard here and there) plus a fee for electrical power. Given the alternatives, it was not all that expensive, and my client loved the unique experience. Lots of the credit goes to the people I rented the car from: it was an old but perfectly rebuilt sleeper contraption with a small but beautiful dinning room, a kitchen, a bar, and wonderful bedrooms complete with exquisite toilets and showers. The kitchen staff and all the top-notch food was part of the deal.
 
Not a rail car story, but similar that I just thought of.

Had a friend who was on a red-eye flight from IND to ORD back in the 70's. They had to have the plane back in Chicago for a flight the next day or he was sure they would have canceled the flight. He was the only person, other than crew, on the plane.

And, guess what - even though he had a coach ticket and was the only passenger, they wouldn't let him sit in First Class! Said he never would fly that airline company again!
 
Striker said:
I was curious if anyone here has their own private car or has leased/rented a private car to be connected to an Amtrak route? I know this is essentially what Grand Luxe was doing when they were still in business, but it was interesting to read what services were available at the different stations on Amtrak's website here:http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServe...79&ssid=582
Click to expand...
probably not what you mean but I was with a group of people in wheelchairs (about 25 or so maybe more) total about 50 people and we all wanted to travel together on Amtrak........Amtrak gave us a baggage car to ourselves, we rode in "style" for about 100 miles to DC from Phila. (this was way before ADA in fact it was going to and from a demonstration in DC supporting the ADA bill before congress!!) we had a trainman, fortunately it was spring time and the weather was not overly hot or cold, charged us full fare too, can't remember the last time I had that much fun on a train.

Bob
 
Also not a train story, but my Dad had a flight all to himself once, can't remember where from or to, but there were three flight attendants and one passenger, so they flight attendants drew straws to see who would have to bring food and drinks.
 
In the early '70's we were on a parlor lounge-baggage combine on the hind end of a NYP-Washington Amtrak train connecting to the then "Southern" Crescent. The A/C went out and everyone but my wife and son and the bar tender abandoned the car. We were doing 100 plus with no A/C and the front door wide open. Skooter, our son, had a ball swirling around in the parlor seats and we were treated to free drinks (and yes they were alcoholic in nature.) When we got to Washington the baggageman opened the door behind our room only to show me a pine box with someone in it. I'm glad my wife didn't know she was sitting next to a stiff all that time. :eek: :eek:
 
Not my story (or a train story)...

I had a friend who was flying from Tokyo back to the U.S. on a 747 in the '70s. There were six passengers and 13 crew. All six passgengers were put upstairs in first class and the crew rotated who would check up on them. Most crew slept or read books and were very grateful for the rest.

She said she went downstairs just to walk around. It was completely empty as everyone including crew were upstairs. She said it was very eerie, but she got in lots of power walking doing laps of the lower deck cabin.

That would have been fun.
 
Interesting that Philly isn't listed.

I guess if you go from NYP to WAS, your car isn't allowed to stop at the 30th Street Station. :D
 
Caritas, a locally based private car, occasionally offers $250 trips between St. Paul and Chicago on #7/8 for $249 when they are dead-heading the car, complete with meals. It seems like an excellent way to travel, but the movements are always midweek, and never convenient to me. A man can dream, though. Their web site is here.
 
Guest said:
Interesting that Philly isn't listed.
I guess if you go from NYP to WAS, your car isn't allowed to stop at the 30th Street Station. :D
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I'm sure they're somewhat flexible about that, since Bennett Levin's cars live in Philadelphia and I'm sure they get tacked onto trains at 30th St.
 
Not PV, but like others, I got BC to myself between Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA. Being dark outside, I picked up a lot of the trashed out newspapers in the car and tidied up a bit (while at least three or four crewmembers were sitting in the lounge part of the car). All while the vestibule door kept opening and closing . . . and the baggage compartment door was open . . . watching suitcases sliding to and fro . . .
 
Want to ride in your own car on Amtrak? Try this.

Have someone book the Auto Train. Then go to the train with the person booked driving your car. Just before getting to the station, stop, climb into the trunk, and then stay there while the actual passenger gets out and your car is loaded. Then, when the train leaves, pop the trunk (all cars have a inside release for the trunk), and climb into the car, turn on the radio or CD player, and enjoy your ride on Amtrak in your own car! Then just before coming to the end, climb back into the trunk and stay there until your partner claims the car and you clear the station.

I'm still working on how to handle the essential bodily functions en route. That could be a problem. Until that is worked out, maybe this is not a great idea.

You know, in the entire history of the Auto Train and the two million or so cars carried in that time, I would not be surprised if someone, sometime actually pulled this stunt just to save a passenger fares. Wouldn't that be interesting.
 
PRR 60 said:
Want to ride in your own car on Amtrak? Try this.
Have someone book the Auto Train. Then go to the train with the person booked driving your car. Just before getting to the station, stop, climb into the trunk, and then stay there while the actual passenger gets out and your car is loaded. Then, when the train leaves, pop the trunk (all cars have a inside release for the trunk), and climb into the car, turn on the radio or CD player, and enjoy your ride on Amtrak in your own car! Then just before coming to the end, climb back into the trunk and stay there until your partner claims the car and you clear the station.

I'm still working on how to handle the essential bodily functions en route. That could be a problem. Until that is worked out, maybe this is not a great idea.

You know, in the entire history of the Auto Train and the two million or so cars carried in that time, I would not be surprised if someone, sometime actually pulled this stunt just to save a passenger fares. Wouldn't that be interesting.
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PRR60,

While I won't argue the merits of your idea, it did give me the best guffaw of the morning...especially the part about bodily functions...my imagination went into overtime...but I'm not going to say anything else. Thanks for the laugh, and I too would be curious to hear if anyone has ever tried this. :blink:
 
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