AUNTIE C's ADVENTURE JUNE 2015
ORL to WAS = Orlando, Fla., to Washington, D.C., on Silver Meteor 98; sleeper car roomette
WAS to CHI = Washington to Chicago, Ill., on Capitol Limited 29; sleeper car roomette
CHI to PDX = Chicago to Portland, Ore., on Empire Builder 27; sleeper car roomette
PDX to EUG = Portland to Eugene, Ore, on Coast Starlight 11 coach seat
return trip
EUG to SAC = Eugene to Sacramento, Calif., on Coast Starlight 11; sleeper car roomettte
SAC to CHI = Sacramento to Chicago on California Zaphyr 6; sleeper car roomette
CHI to WAS = Chicago to Washington on Capitol Limited 30; sleeper car bedroom
WAS to ORL = Washington to Orlando on Silver Meteor 97; sleeper car roomette
I'll not mention cars or rooms until after I've completed that leg of the trip. Nor do I intend to give the full names of Amtrak crew members -- the nametags state first initial and last name, but they tend to introduce themselves by first name.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
I picked these up from other trip reports, and will post atop each of mine to remind myself what terms I should use, adding as I learn more. (Then I'll forget and fail to use them.)
LSA-D lead service attendant - diner
TA-SC train attendant - sleeper car
TA-C train atendant - coach
waiter - other service attendants in diner car, as I'm not sure what the official name might be (I will probably end up calling most all diner staff something else, as I did not notice nametags on either attendant during the first leg of my trip -- likely under the aprons.) Non-gender specific.
Red Cap staff member at stations who helps travelers get to and from trains, the club lounges and, I assume, the outside world. Non-gender specific.
INTRODUCTION
I am a 45-year-old Floridian visiting relatives in Oregon after about five years with little contact and no other big vacations. I'm introverted, so comments about struggling to chat with other passengers should be viewed as my own hangup, not any character flaws on their parts.
I've taken two-plus weeks off work for this, my first Amtrak rail journey, to attend a life event for my niece -- hence my chosen moniker for this forum.
I trust the more knowledgeable members of Amtrak Unlimited will correct any errors I make in describing particuars of the trains, stations or other aspects of rail travel. Thanks in advance, and while I won't take such corrections personally, I also won't likely thank you individually.
My primary audience for this are my parents. Dad's a steam train enthusiast in theory, but as Mom doesn't travel well, they don't take vacations, either. I hope my descriptions help them travel vicariously with me to visit their only grandchild a continent away.
I do not intend to post photos, mostly as I can't figure out how to downsize the images my iPad takes with its cracked screen.
I'll slug all my posts with "Auntie C" this or that, for ease of finding (or avoiding) them.
FORMAT
I'm compiling these trip reports from emails I send to a handful of kith and kin, taking out the duller bits (I hope). For the first leg, I started typing while on the Silver Meteor, so real-time intrusions into the narrative are separated by ellipses and perhaps time signatures. If I continue to type as I go, this format might persist. It makes sense to me, an you are welcome to stop reading if it does not appeal to you.
My Bluetooth keyboard, as I discovered in my first email, tends to double some characters. I doubt I'll be diligent in proofing, so please forgive typos.
LEG 1: ORL-WAS June 1 to 2, 2015, in Roomette 4 fo sleeper car 9812 on the Silver Meteor No. 98.
As I start typing about 3 p.m. June 1, I have not yet managed to connect Amtrak wifi -- not even sure it's provided on this train. I'll haul out my own myfi gadget if I still have not figured it out by the end of my typing.
Hmm. I notice as I type with the Bluetooth keyboard for my iPad that it doubles some letters. I'll tire of fixing it soon enough, and throw in some typos of my own as I go, no doubt.
I'm traveling from Orlando, Florida, to Eugene, Oregon, via Amtrak, my first U.S rail journey. (When in college, I traveled coach by train from London, Englaand, to Glasgow, Scotland, during an overeseas semester in 1991.) I'll take sleeper cars all the way there and back, save for the short hop from Portland to Eugene, when I've booked a coach seat to see what it's like.
I packed three suitcases: one with clothes; one with toiletries, snacks and water flavorings, pillows, camera and various other detritus of travel; and a large case I've checked through to my destination with gifts for Oregon, plus the shoes I forgot to fit into the other two cases while overpacking. My tech, as ususal, lives in my purse.
The temperatures in Eugene promise to be highs in the mid-80s, lows in the 50s. (As I leave Florida, highs in my area are steamy mid-90s, with lows still edging down to high 60s.) I've rolled up sets of clothes for five days with tank tops and overshirts in the jeans, then added a frillier top and a dress for special events. No jacket, as there was not space and I think I've got one packed in a bin from my last visit to my relatives there in winter 2010. If not, there's always thrift shopping!
I hired a driver to find the Orlando Amtrak station, as I did not want to leave my vehicle in the city for two weeks. One inattentive pickup truck from Texas almost sideswiped us on the turnpike, but the chatty trip was otherwise uneventful. I arrived at the station about 11:10 a.m. for my 1:45 train, hoping there'd be a sleeper-car lounge where I could start blogging. Other, larger stations offer such a thing, but not ORL. So I sat on the surprisingly comfy wooden benches made of molded slats, surreptitiously watching others in the air-condtioned station: commuters usiiing the shorter SunRail local rail line, families, tourists.
I almost missed checking the big case -- I was supposed to do it 45 minutes before departure, a sign at that far end of the outside, covered walkway stated so. The attendant was gracious, and I have high hopes of receiving the case in Eugene.
... 3:25 p.m., paused for some minutes after leaving the AutoTrain depot in Deland, watching thunderstorm descend from the north with a few spits of rain on the window. ...
Billy Miner the sleeping car attendant (TA-SC) for my room, helped lift my carry-ons up the stairs and told me where Room 4 was. The halls might be wide enough for me to walk normally with my 22-inch width (I was measuring the suitcases, got carried away), but I'm still mincing along a bit sideways until I get more practice.
The sleeper cars seem to be at the front of the train, near the baggage car and engine. They are separated from coach cars by the diner and cafe cars. As we pull into various stations, we thus appear to pass all the people waiting and go a ways north before the slowing train finally stops. I did not count how many cars are on the Silver Meteor, as I rushed back from checking the one suitcase.
You can find images online (and in other parts fo this forum) of the layouts of the sleeper cars, photos of each room type and even virtual walkthrroughs, so I won't be taking photos myself -- for the Silver Meteor line from Orlando to Washington, D.C., my first leg, they are sinngle-level models called Viewliners. The larger bedrooms are at one end, with the hallway turning two sharp corners around them, then returning to a central corridor for the roomettes.
The Viewliner roomette assigned to me seemed tiny when I rolled in my cases, but as I sit here typing, I'm appreciating the efficiency of the space. Two padded chairs (22-inch seat; I brought slong the tape measure) face each other by the window, the padding of the headrests topped by a bank of lights and controls for the room light overhead. The window does not open recreationally, although signs and a safety brochure in the room explain the windows can be used as emergency exits.
... wooo! zipping along tthrough the thunderstorm now at 3:40, no clue how fast we're going, although there an App I could download once I find the wifi. ...
A table folds out of the wall below the window, midway between the seats. It has a chess board pattern, plus leaves that flip out to extend the surface over one's lap. If I sit up straight, I can lift my knee to touch the underside of the table, but I have more leg room than the last time I flew.
For my side of the car -- right side as the train heads north -- the toilet abuts the backward-facing seat. The cover of the toilet and the shelf where the fold-out sink rests are the steps up to the top bunk. That bunk is raised now, providing more headroom while the lower bunk is still just two seats. There are warning signs above the bank of lights reminding one to remove any items before the bunk is lowered -- no doubt to avoid squishing them.
With the step-lid raised, the toilet bowl looks abbout the small size of similar airplane plumbing. A console beside the fold-down sink lets one flush via the push of a button, with a switch for the mirror light and warning lights to advise when the sink is down or the toilet is out of service. The roomette's one outlet is here, two plugs, 120 volts. Having done my research on the AU forum, I knew to bring a power cord, finding one with USB ports in it.
Above the sink, one the shelf created where it folds into the wall, are towels, soap, a dispenser with paper cups and, on the wall, a mirror. Beside the mirrror is a sturdy hand grip, as that first step up onto the toilet lid is a doozy -- 16 inches, with the sink step another 16 above it.
... The conductor -- H-someone -- came by to scan my ticket at 4 p.m. He said if I only had the e-ticket Amtrak provided and could not call it up due to the lack of wifi, he could have checked the name on my photo ID against the computer. I'm glad I got the paper tickets at Orlando station. ...
To my joy, there is a luggage port the length of half the roomette, tucked into the space above the corridor's ceiling. Doubtless, the roomette on the other side of the car takes the other half-length. I shoved my clothes case and pillow up there, trying in vain to cram my toiletries case in the space under the seats. A bit too big, but I'll try to reconfigure it after dinner.
The wall next to the toilet is the corridor wall, with the windowed, sliding door right next to it and a window above the seat-step. Strips of hook-and-loop closures let you secure the curtains for all windows, so you don't put on a show when changing or, um, seated. (Yes, I tried it later in the afternoon. I have to stand partway to wipe, and it's off-putting seeing the shadows of other passengers move past 2 inches away in the corridor.)
The forward-facing seat I'm using is wider, maybe 26 inches (I'm too lazy to stand and measure it properly), with a 10-inch shelf next to it the perfect size for my purse. More A/C vents, the attendant call button and a thermostat line the back side of the room, while the carpeted wall above the shelf ends just below a small rail with two clothes hangars. The top bunk also widens above my head, and there's a pouch on the corridor wall up there, presumably for phone, book or other things needing stowage when that bunk's in use.
Below the shelf by my seat is a covered slot for trash, and a small nook for "Personal Tissue" -- a small roll of toilet paper without the cardboard center encased in a resealable plastic sleeve. I'll probably take the remainder of the roll I'm using with me as a souvenir or convenient source of nose tissue. ( Update:I actually forgot to do this. I assume the TA-SC removed that first bag after each passenger clears the room, so the next person doesn't have to unknowingly share.)
A coouple of fold-out hooks adorn the upper corridor wall, useful if I want to hang clothes later while changing.
So, the train started moving by 1:47 p.m. headed north out of Orlando. Billy the TA-SC stopped in to make sure all was well for me, and tell me I coould go to the dining car for lunch at 2 p.m. I watched the scenery move by slowly and puttered about making notes for this report until 1:54, then sidled my way back through two other sleeper cars (one without A/C) to the dining car.
As I am new to rail travel, walking through the moving cars as the train gained speed seemed most like riding a horse, as it ambles from side to side. As the train gained momentum, the swaying decreased, but I found the footing interesting going through the entry halls between the cars. I'm glad there are well-mmarked ggrab-rails there.
A couple sat with another passenger at one table, seated together in the mostly empty car because they arrived at the same time. They were finishing salads, chatting and awaiting their entrees as I was seated, alone, at the table across the aisle. i did not introduce myself, because I'm a hermit. The booth was snug for my bulk, but I still tucked the cloth napkin in between my waist and the table, secured there by my tummy, and used the protruding corner of it to wipe my fingers as I ate.
My TA-SC, the conductor and the dining car staff came and went from the tables closest to the kitchen, chatting during downtime. I overheard the trio next to me talking with one waiter about the pending changes to the meal plans for Amtrak. I'd read about that on the forums, so it was nice to know what they were talking about when one said she couldn't do a whole trip on sandwiches. I did not join in, though they smiled affably when our glances crossed, because i'm still a hermit.
I suppose I could have ordered the side salad, included with the meals as part of a sleeper-car ticket, but I stuck with the black bean and corn veggie burger with cheddar cheese. It came with potato chips and a side of red onions, a thick slice of tomato and a lettuce leaf large enough to tear up and layer on the bun. A large basket of condiments (and a small one of coffee creamer) seems to live on each table, holding catsup, mustard, mayonnaise and packets of Newman's Own dressing -- I spotted ranch, light Italian and balsamic vinaigrette.
Staring out the windows much of the time, I saw the back sides of parking garages and buildings, backyards, streets with the railroad barricades down and vehicles and a few pedestrians waiting for us to pass by. this might be old hat to seasoned travelers, but it's nifty to me. The height of the train lets me peek over the fences of homes into well-manicured pool gardens and scragggly junkyards alike.
... One of the dining car attendants (the LSA-D? ever got a name) stopped by my open door at 4:37 p.m. to take dinner reservations. I chose 7:45 rather than 5 or 6:30, due to the late lunch and my typing. ...
Among the weeds on the verge of the tracks, I would occasionally see spots where homeless people stay. I can't call them dens or encampments, as the trampled ground with a few manmade items scattered about are too ephemeral for the permamence those words imply. One had a damp towel spread over a car tire, perhaps to dry after yesterday's rains. I did not see people at these spots, and i've been too busy typing to gaze out the windows as we move north through Florida.
For dessert as we passed the Altamonte Springs station, I chose the cheesecake -- listed as strawberry on the menu, but I ttook a chance when the attendant called it cherry. Like the small tub of Hagen Daas vanilla ice cream I saw at the other table, the dessert is efficiently packaged for travel, a cup of cheesecake with a thick graham-cracker crust at the bottom, and red bits in it to signify the fruit. It was strawberry, but I did not notice the flavor much past the first bite, and I ate it all. Should've gone for the side salad.
The plastic plates with the Amtrak logo remind me of an early plane trip with Dad, where the flight attendant let me take home some of the plastic Delta plates and cups. I did not ask the dining car attendants to do the same, as I'm already overpacked.
I left a tip after enjoying the last of my Mountain Dew with more window-gazing -- it seems the oldest and most wrecked vehicles get parked closest to the tracks in most yards -- then minced back toward my designated space, apologizing to the woman behind me about my slowness, even though she didn't mind. I walked a few normal steps after watching some of the people who passed through the dining car with backpacks on their shoulders. If I hold my purse in front of me, I'm less wide and better able to ambluate. Physics -- who knew science could be practical?!?
We gained speed passing Longwood station as I settled in to start this report, then stopped for a time at Deland. I almost got wifi there -- I wonder if it was at the station? It seems this car does not have wifi (I can't remember if this train offers it or not, and I won't bother to check), but at least we have A/C. I hope the other sleeper car's A/C gets fixed.
It is now 5 p.m., and we're moving at a good clip again past pastures and woodland, over a couple of rivers.
I'll fire up my myfi and email this, so you have a sample of the long-windedness of my writing. As my intention here is to
... hmm, just passed a hunting stand in a tree on the verge of the tracks. I guess deer like to graze when trains are scarce ...
write a picture of what it's like to travel by rail for my loved ones, I'm going to write as much as I want! I don't really expect anyone other than my parents to read it, anyway.
DINNER AND A SHOW(er)
10:20 p.m. Monday
We ran 45 miutes late leaving one station, the dining car attendant said, so that set back all the dinner times. I re-arrived at 8 p.m. by request, then stood for 15 minutes with another woman content to talk on her cellphone, waiting to be seated while the harried attendants cleared tables. We sat with a young couple from Boston, returning home after helping a relative move to Fort Lauderdale -- they were in the sleeper car that lost A/C in Orlando. It was fixed by 7:45 when I first reported for dinner.
A LSA-D has each party fill out a slip with car number, room number and signature below checkboxes for each potential entree. The server fills that part in after we've ordered, but that takes care of accounting for everything except alcoholic beverages and tips. (Someone at a table beside mine at dinner told the server he did not carry cash, so would order a glass of wine with his meal to include the tip on the credit card. Smart.)
Small talk was not too horrid for me -- even hermits can chit-chat. Cellphone woman chimed in occasionally, while I listened to the girl, who sometimes spoke Portugese (I think) to her beau. It was 9:15 when I realized I was late for the 9 p.m. bed conversion time I'd set with my TA-SC, so I hurried back. No Billy, so I busied myself pulling out pajamas and outfit for the morning and shuffling bits from one case to the other as I decided what I really didn't need to carry in my purse tomorrow. (Update: after re-reading posts here on AU, I noow realize I could have pressed the attendant call button, but I was not in a rrush to bed down.)
Still no Billy after 15 minutes, so I gathered my PJs and toiletries and investiated the shower room at the front end of the car. I am, by the way, in the first of three sleeper cars. I watched crew load bags into the car ahead of us while in Jacksonville.
The shower was compact and efficient. Towels hung on rings, with more clean ones stacked in a bag on a small countertop. Two cabinets above it proved the place I could stash purse, toiletry bag, PJs and clothes before carrying my bar of soap and washcloth from the roomette into the clear-doored pod, having figured out how to wedge my full-size bottles of shampoo and conditioner in behind the safety bar.
I woould not normally wash my long hair at night (wet pillow), but I read on the AU forums that it's much less crowded at night than morning. I trusted that the windows were permanently obscured, though I thought I could glimpse passing lights, dimly.
Instructions on the wall showed how to position the showerhead -- detachable so one may reach nether regions without smushing one's upper parts into the nearby walls to make room for the spray. A drain lines both the floor of the shower and the small changing area -- useful, as the door in my car did not fully seal. After drying my skin, I used that towel to mop up the floors before placing it and the washcloth into a red bag on the counter. Another towel I wrapped around my hair, taking that back to the room so I would not drip my way down the carpeted corridor.
Billy finished up preparing a nearby room and took 30 seconds to recline both seats, pull down the upper bunk to get the thin, pre-sheeted mattress and set the pillows for me. I was brushing my teeth as the train stopped at a station in Georgia, and I decided I should maybe close the drapes.
The A/C was cold enough during the day that I adjusted the thermostat, slid shut on of thee window vents and turned off the upper set of wall vents. Now, as I prepare for bed, it's not cold at all. I worry about the A/C for this car now, but time will tell. (Update: It seemed to kick in by 3 a.m.)
There is no easy way to sit and type with the bed down. I could probably still pull out the table, but I'm balancing the keyboard on my knee with my foot resting on the toilet-lid-step until I finish typing.
Billy said breakfast is first-come, first-served starting at 6:30. As the train is due to arrive in Washington, D.C., just after 7, I hope I'll wake in time to put myself together and get food.
UP AND OUT
7:50 a.m. Tuesday, in Club Acela at Washtinton station
No problem waking up. I was deciding whether to roll over again when the train stopped about 5:15 a.m.
The night was not great, but better than if I'd toughed it out in a reclined coach seat, i'm sure. With the car close to the engine, I heard the train whistle even through my earplugs. The clothespins came in handy to close a gap in the curtains, and I had to sleep on my side most of the trip -- something I do anyway, as I snore more when flat on my back. I'm glad I brought the extra travel pillow. I woke often -- something I do at home, too -- and slid off the bed and onto the toilet once or twice, awkwardly turrning around in the slight foot space by the door to flush and wash my hands, then roll back to sleep. By about 3 a.m., I decided I would experiennce the movement of the train over bumps and curves as a giant massage chair. This philosophy did not help me rest, but I'm not disgruntled about it now.
I changed into my clothes for the day, then figured out how to reset the seats so I could access the suitcase I'd stashed under one side. I got everything packed up again, then arrived in the dining car about 10 minutes before service started at 6:30 -- the first one there. By the way the attendand talked the nigt before, I'd expected a line. They let me sit and watch scenery, and another lady from my car sat beside me. An interestingly tattooed man came up from the coach section, expressing surprise he'd discoverd the dining car past the cafe car more used by coach passengers. The diner is open to all, but coach must pay for meals.
After we'd ordered and chatted -- she's visiting relatives in New Jersey from her home in Deerfield Beach -- another couple joined us,, on their first train trip and going to see the Grand Canyon.
We'd made up time overnight, so I'm glad I ate early. As I got back to my roomette, Billy had removed the sheeted mattress and told me Washington, D.C., was coming up. I tipped him and gave out my first train pin -- I picked up some from an artist's website, to give to crew members (but I forgot to offeer them to the two dining car waiters and the cook). Billy helped me get my suitcases out to the exit landing, and I stood out of the way of the attendants until the train emerged from a tunnel, moving past multistory buildings (highrises to my rural eyes, but not skyscrapers) to settle in the station. There were doubtless many trains, but in the patched asphalt aisles between my train and the one across, I could not see anything else.
I stopped next to the South Carolina couple I'd with whom broken fast, as we learned we'll share the Capitol Limited train this afternoon out to Chicago. They were talking about seeings the sights in D.C. and finding the place to pay to check stach their bags. I mentioned the sleeper/upper class lounge -- here in D.C., it is Club Acela for the Acela Express commuter trains to other metro areas -- and how they could use that space for free.
We all then rolled our way there, threading past people waiting to board coach cars, up an escalator wide enough to allow my bags, and around a few corners to the club. The gentlemen at the front desk there checked our tickets and showed where we can set the suitcases, then I think we all hit the (not narrow!) restrooms. There's complimentary coffee and, I assume, other refreshments, but I'm full from breakfast.
The couple are waiting until closer to 9 a.m. to set out, as the museums don't open until then. I plan to camp out on this loveseat, using the club's wifi to send this, poke at my online games, and watch some of the TV shows I downloaded for the trip -- I've got the entire second season of "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." plus some other things to tide me over.
The train, set to leave at 4:05 p.m., will begin boarding sleeper passengers at 3:20 through a special exit in the club -- we don't have to schlep through the corridors with the regular passengers. I feel special. Hope I stay awake, and I wwish I'd not packed away my toothbrush so deep in a suitcase.
12:37 p.m. Tuesday
I shifted to a table near an outlet, as typing with the keyboard balanced on my lap is awkward. I've compiled and edited this first trip report, and will post it shortly.
The minor landsickness is fading, although I still sway a bit when I get up to walk. I suspect the adjustment will take more time after my nearly two days aboard the Empire Builder from Chicago to Portland.
ORL to WAS = Orlando, Fla., to Washington, D.C., on Silver Meteor 98; sleeper car roomette
WAS to CHI = Washington to Chicago, Ill., on Capitol Limited 29; sleeper car roomette
CHI to PDX = Chicago to Portland, Ore., on Empire Builder 27; sleeper car roomette
PDX to EUG = Portland to Eugene, Ore, on Coast Starlight 11 coach seat
return trip
EUG to SAC = Eugene to Sacramento, Calif., on Coast Starlight 11; sleeper car roomettte
SAC to CHI = Sacramento to Chicago on California Zaphyr 6; sleeper car roomette
CHI to WAS = Chicago to Washington on Capitol Limited 30; sleeper car bedroom
WAS to ORL = Washington to Orlando on Silver Meteor 97; sleeper car roomette
I'll not mention cars or rooms until after I've completed that leg of the trip. Nor do I intend to give the full names of Amtrak crew members -- the nametags state first initial and last name, but they tend to introduce themselves by first name.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
I picked these up from other trip reports, and will post atop each of mine to remind myself what terms I should use, adding as I learn more. (Then I'll forget and fail to use them.)
LSA-D lead service attendant - diner
TA-SC train attendant - sleeper car
TA-C train atendant - coach
waiter - other service attendants in diner car, as I'm not sure what the official name might be (I will probably end up calling most all diner staff something else, as I did not notice nametags on either attendant during the first leg of my trip -- likely under the aprons.) Non-gender specific.
Red Cap staff member at stations who helps travelers get to and from trains, the club lounges and, I assume, the outside world. Non-gender specific.
INTRODUCTION
I am a 45-year-old Floridian visiting relatives in Oregon after about five years with little contact and no other big vacations. I'm introverted, so comments about struggling to chat with other passengers should be viewed as my own hangup, not any character flaws on their parts.
I've taken two-plus weeks off work for this, my first Amtrak rail journey, to attend a life event for my niece -- hence my chosen moniker for this forum.
I trust the more knowledgeable members of Amtrak Unlimited will correct any errors I make in describing particuars of the trains, stations or other aspects of rail travel. Thanks in advance, and while I won't take such corrections personally, I also won't likely thank you individually.
My primary audience for this are my parents. Dad's a steam train enthusiast in theory, but as Mom doesn't travel well, they don't take vacations, either. I hope my descriptions help them travel vicariously with me to visit their only grandchild a continent away.
I do not intend to post photos, mostly as I can't figure out how to downsize the images my iPad takes with its cracked screen.
I'll slug all my posts with "Auntie C" this or that, for ease of finding (or avoiding) them.
FORMAT
I'm compiling these trip reports from emails I send to a handful of kith and kin, taking out the duller bits (I hope). For the first leg, I started typing while on the Silver Meteor, so real-time intrusions into the narrative are separated by ellipses and perhaps time signatures. If I continue to type as I go, this format might persist. It makes sense to me, an you are welcome to stop reading if it does not appeal to you.
My Bluetooth keyboard, as I discovered in my first email, tends to double some characters. I doubt I'll be diligent in proofing, so please forgive typos.
LEG 1: ORL-WAS June 1 to 2, 2015, in Roomette 4 fo sleeper car 9812 on the Silver Meteor No. 98.
As I start typing about 3 p.m. June 1, I have not yet managed to connect Amtrak wifi -- not even sure it's provided on this train. I'll haul out my own myfi gadget if I still have not figured it out by the end of my typing.
Hmm. I notice as I type with the Bluetooth keyboard for my iPad that it doubles some letters. I'll tire of fixing it soon enough, and throw in some typos of my own as I go, no doubt.
I'm traveling from Orlando, Florida, to Eugene, Oregon, via Amtrak, my first U.S rail journey. (When in college, I traveled coach by train from London, Englaand, to Glasgow, Scotland, during an overeseas semester in 1991.) I'll take sleeper cars all the way there and back, save for the short hop from Portland to Eugene, when I've booked a coach seat to see what it's like.
I packed three suitcases: one with clothes; one with toiletries, snacks and water flavorings, pillows, camera and various other detritus of travel; and a large case I've checked through to my destination with gifts for Oregon, plus the shoes I forgot to fit into the other two cases while overpacking. My tech, as ususal, lives in my purse.
The temperatures in Eugene promise to be highs in the mid-80s, lows in the 50s. (As I leave Florida, highs in my area are steamy mid-90s, with lows still edging down to high 60s.) I've rolled up sets of clothes for five days with tank tops and overshirts in the jeans, then added a frillier top and a dress for special events. No jacket, as there was not space and I think I've got one packed in a bin from my last visit to my relatives there in winter 2010. If not, there's always thrift shopping!
I hired a driver to find the Orlando Amtrak station, as I did not want to leave my vehicle in the city for two weeks. One inattentive pickup truck from Texas almost sideswiped us on the turnpike, but the chatty trip was otherwise uneventful. I arrived at the station about 11:10 a.m. for my 1:45 train, hoping there'd be a sleeper-car lounge where I could start blogging. Other, larger stations offer such a thing, but not ORL. So I sat on the surprisingly comfy wooden benches made of molded slats, surreptitiously watching others in the air-condtioned station: commuters usiiing the shorter SunRail local rail line, families, tourists.
I almost missed checking the big case -- I was supposed to do it 45 minutes before departure, a sign at that far end of the outside, covered walkway stated so. The attendant was gracious, and I have high hopes of receiving the case in Eugene.
... 3:25 p.m., paused for some minutes after leaving the AutoTrain depot in Deland, watching thunderstorm descend from the north with a few spits of rain on the window. ...
Billy Miner the sleeping car attendant (TA-SC) for my room, helped lift my carry-ons up the stairs and told me where Room 4 was. The halls might be wide enough for me to walk normally with my 22-inch width (I was measuring the suitcases, got carried away), but I'm still mincing along a bit sideways until I get more practice.
The sleeper cars seem to be at the front of the train, near the baggage car and engine. They are separated from coach cars by the diner and cafe cars. As we pull into various stations, we thus appear to pass all the people waiting and go a ways north before the slowing train finally stops. I did not count how many cars are on the Silver Meteor, as I rushed back from checking the one suitcase.
You can find images online (and in other parts fo this forum) of the layouts of the sleeper cars, photos of each room type and even virtual walkthrroughs, so I won't be taking photos myself -- for the Silver Meteor line from Orlando to Washington, D.C., my first leg, they are sinngle-level models called Viewliners. The larger bedrooms are at one end, with the hallway turning two sharp corners around them, then returning to a central corridor for the roomettes.
The Viewliner roomette assigned to me seemed tiny when I rolled in my cases, but as I sit here typing, I'm appreciating the efficiency of the space. Two padded chairs (22-inch seat; I brought slong the tape measure) face each other by the window, the padding of the headrests topped by a bank of lights and controls for the room light overhead. The window does not open recreationally, although signs and a safety brochure in the room explain the windows can be used as emergency exits.
... wooo! zipping along tthrough the thunderstorm now at 3:40, no clue how fast we're going, although there an App I could download once I find the wifi. ...
A table folds out of the wall below the window, midway between the seats. It has a chess board pattern, plus leaves that flip out to extend the surface over one's lap. If I sit up straight, I can lift my knee to touch the underside of the table, but I have more leg room than the last time I flew.
For my side of the car -- right side as the train heads north -- the toilet abuts the backward-facing seat. The cover of the toilet and the shelf where the fold-out sink rests are the steps up to the top bunk. That bunk is raised now, providing more headroom while the lower bunk is still just two seats. There are warning signs above the bank of lights reminding one to remove any items before the bunk is lowered -- no doubt to avoid squishing them.
With the step-lid raised, the toilet bowl looks abbout the small size of similar airplane plumbing. A console beside the fold-down sink lets one flush via the push of a button, with a switch for the mirror light and warning lights to advise when the sink is down or the toilet is out of service. The roomette's one outlet is here, two plugs, 120 volts. Having done my research on the AU forum, I knew to bring a power cord, finding one with USB ports in it.
Above the sink, one the shelf created where it folds into the wall, are towels, soap, a dispenser with paper cups and, on the wall, a mirror. Beside the mirrror is a sturdy hand grip, as that first step up onto the toilet lid is a doozy -- 16 inches, with the sink step another 16 above it.
... The conductor -- H-someone -- came by to scan my ticket at 4 p.m. He said if I only had the e-ticket Amtrak provided and could not call it up due to the lack of wifi, he could have checked the name on my photo ID against the computer. I'm glad I got the paper tickets at Orlando station. ...
To my joy, there is a luggage port the length of half the roomette, tucked into the space above the corridor's ceiling. Doubtless, the roomette on the other side of the car takes the other half-length. I shoved my clothes case and pillow up there, trying in vain to cram my toiletries case in the space under the seats. A bit too big, but I'll try to reconfigure it after dinner.
The wall next to the toilet is the corridor wall, with the windowed, sliding door right next to it and a window above the seat-step. Strips of hook-and-loop closures let you secure the curtains for all windows, so you don't put on a show when changing or, um, seated. (Yes, I tried it later in the afternoon. I have to stand partway to wipe, and it's off-putting seeing the shadows of other passengers move past 2 inches away in the corridor.)
The forward-facing seat I'm using is wider, maybe 26 inches (I'm too lazy to stand and measure it properly), with a 10-inch shelf next to it the perfect size for my purse. More A/C vents, the attendant call button and a thermostat line the back side of the room, while the carpeted wall above the shelf ends just below a small rail with two clothes hangars. The top bunk also widens above my head, and there's a pouch on the corridor wall up there, presumably for phone, book or other things needing stowage when that bunk's in use.
Below the shelf by my seat is a covered slot for trash, and a small nook for "Personal Tissue" -- a small roll of toilet paper without the cardboard center encased in a resealable plastic sleeve. I'll probably take the remainder of the roll I'm using with me as a souvenir or convenient source of nose tissue. ( Update:I actually forgot to do this. I assume the TA-SC removed that first bag after each passenger clears the room, so the next person doesn't have to unknowingly share.)
A coouple of fold-out hooks adorn the upper corridor wall, useful if I want to hang clothes later while changing.
So, the train started moving by 1:47 p.m. headed north out of Orlando. Billy the TA-SC stopped in to make sure all was well for me, and tell me I coould go to the dining car for lunch at 2 p.m. I watched the scenery move by slowly and puttered about making notes for this report until 1:54, then sidled my way back through two other sleeper cars (one without A/C) to the dining car.
As I am new to rail travel, walking through the moving cars as the train gained speed seemed most like riding a horse, as it ambles from side to side. As the train gained momentum, the swaying decreased, but I found the footing interesting going through the entry halls between the cars. I'm glad there are well-mmarked ggrab-rails there.
A couple sat with another passenger at one table, seated together in the mostly empty car because they arrived at the same time. They were finishing salads, chatting and awaiting their entrees as I was seated, alone, at the table across the aisle. i did not introduce myself, because I'm a hermit. The booth was snug for my bulk, but I still tucked the cloth napkin in between my waist and the table, secured there by my tummy, and used the protruding corner of it to wipe my fingers as I ate.
My TA-SC, the conductor and the dining car staff came and went from the tables closest to the kitchen, chatting during downtime. I overheard the trio next to me talking with one waiter about the pending changes to the meal plans for Amtrak. I'd read about that on the forums, so it was nice to know what they were talking about when one said she couldn't do a whole trip on sandwiches. I did not join in, though they smiled affably when our glances crossed, because i'm still a hermit.
I suppose I could have ordered the side salad, included with the meals as part of a sleeper-car ticket, but I stuck with the black bean and corn veggie burger with cheddar cheese. It came with potato chips and a side of red onions, a thick slice of tomato and a lettuce leaf large enough to tear up and layer on the bun. A large basket of condiments (and a small one of coffee creamer) seems to live on each table, holding catsup, mustard, mayonnaise and packets of Newman's Own dressing -- I spotted ranch, light Italian and balsamic vinaigrette.
Staring out the windows much of the time, I saw the back sides of parking garages and buildings, backyards, streets with the railroad barricades down and vehicles and a few pedestrians waiting for us to pass by. this might be old hat to seasoned travelers, but it's nifty to me. The height of the train lets me peek over the fences of homes into well-manicured pool gardens and scragggly junkyards alike.
... One of the dining car attendants (the LSA-D? ever got a name) stopped by my open door at 4:37 p.m. to take dinner reservations. I chose 7:45 rather than 5 or 6:30, due to the late lunch and my typing. ...
Among the weeds on the verge of the tracks, I would occasionally see spots where homeless people stay. I can't call them dens or encampments, as the trampled ground with a few manmade items scattered about are too ephemeral for the permamence those words imply. One had a damp towel spread over a car tire, perhaps to dry after yesterday's rains. I did not see people at these spots, and i've been too busy typing to gaze out the windows as we move north through Florida.
For dessert as we passed the Altamonte Springs station, I chose the cheesecake -- listed as strawberry on the menu, but I ttook a chance when the attendant called it cherry. Like the small tub of Hagen Daas vanilla ice cream I saw at the other table, the dessert is efficiently packaged for travel, a cup of cheesecake with a thick graham-cracker crust at the bottom, and red bits in it to signify the fruit. It was strawberry, but I did not notice the flavor much past the first bite, and I ate it all. Should've gone for the side salad.
The plastic plates with the Amtrak logo remind me of an early plane trip with Dad, where the flight attendant let me take home some of the plastic Delta plates and cups. I did not ask the dining car attendants to do the same, as I'm already overpacked.
I left a tip after enjoying the last of my Mountain Dew with more window-gazing -- it seems the oldest and most wrecked vehicles get parked closest to the tracks in most yards -- then minced back toward my designated space, apologizing to the woman behind me about my slowness, even though she didn't mind. I walked a few normal steps after watching some of the people who passed through the dining car with backpacks on their shoulders. If I hold my purse in front of me, I'm less wide and better able to ambluate. Physics -- who knew science could be practical?!?
We gained speed passing Longwood station as I settled in to start this report, then stopped for a time at Deland. I almost got wifi there -- I wonder if it was at the station? It seems this car does not have wifi (I can't remember if this train offers it or not, and I won't bother to check), but at least we have A/C. I hope the other sleeper car's A/C gets fixed.
It is now 5 p.m., and we're moving at a good clip again past pastures and woodland, over a couple of rivers.
I'll fire up my myfi and email this, so you have a sample of the long-windedness of my writing. As my intention here is to
... hmm, just passed a hunting stand in a tree on the verge of the tracks. I guess deer like to graze when trains are scarce ...
write a picture of what it's like to travel by rail for my loved ones, I'm going to write as much as I want! I don't really expect anyone other than my parents to read it, anyway.
DINNER AND A SHOW(er)
10:20 p.m. Monday
We ran 45 miutes late leaving one station, the dining car attendant said, so that set back all the dinner times. I re-arrived at 8 p.m. by request, then stood for 15 minutes with another woman content to talk on her cellphone, waiting to be seated while the harried attendants cleared tables. We sat with a young couple from Boston, returning home after helping a relative move to Fort Lauderdale -- they were in the sleeper car that lost A/C in Orlando. It was fixed by 7:45 when I first reported for dinner.
A LSA-D has each party fill out a slip with car number, room number and signature below checkboxes for each potential entree. The server fills that part in after we've ordered, but that takes care of accounting for everything except alcoholic beverages and tips. (Someone at a table beside mine at dinner told the server he did not carry cash, so would order a glass of wine with his meal to include the tip on the credit card. Smart.)
Small talk was not too horrid for me -- even hermits can chit-chat. Cellphone woman chimed in occasionally, while I listened to the girl, who sometimes spoke Portugese (I think) to her beau. It was 9:15 when I realized I was late for the 9 p.m. bed conversion time I'd set with my TA-SC, so I hurried back. No Billy, so I busied myself pulling out pajamas and outfit for the morning and shuffling bits from one case to the other as I decided what I really didn't need to carry in my purse tomorrow. (Update: after re-reading posts here on AU, I noow realize I could have pressed the attendant call button, but I was not in a rrush to bed down.)
Still no Billy after 15 minutes, so I gathered my PJs and toiletries and investiated the shower room at the front end of the car. I am, by the way, in the first of three sleeper cars. I watched crew load bags into the car ahead of us while in Jacksonville.
The shower was compact and efficient. Towels hung on rings, with more clean ones stacked in a bag on a small countertop. Two cabinets above it proved the place I could stash purse, toiletry bag, PJs and clothes before carrying my bar of soap and washcloth from the roomette into the clear-doored pod, having figured out how to wedge my full-size bottles of shampoo and conditioner in behind the safety bar.
I woould not normally wash my long hair at night (wet pillow), but I read on the AU forums that it's much less crowded at night than morning. I trusted that the windows were permanently obscured, though I thought I could glimpse passing lights, dimly.
Instructions on the wall showed how to position the showerhead -- detachable so one may reach nether regions without smushing one's upper parts into the nearby walls to make room for the spray. A drain lines both the floor of the shower and the small changing area -- useful, as the door in my car did not fully seal. After drying my skin, I used that towel to mop up the floors before placing it and the washcloth into a red bag on the counter. Another towel I wrapped around my hair, taking that back to the room so I would not drip my way down the carpeted corridor.
Billy finished up preparing a nearby room and took 30 seconds to recline both seats, pull down the upper bunk to get the thin, pre-sheeted mattress and set the pillows for me. I was brushing my teeth as the train stopped at a station in Georgia, and I decided I should maybe close the drapes.
The A/C was cold enough during the day that I adjusted the thermostat, slid shut on of thee window vents and turned off the upper set of wall vents. Now, as I prepare for bed, it's not cold at all. I worry about the A/C for this car now, but time will tell. (Update: It seemed to kick in by 3 a.m.)
There is no easy way to sit and type with the bed down. I could probably still pull out the table, but I'm balancing the keyboard on my knee with my foot resting on the toilet-lid-step until I finish typing.
Billy said breakfast is first-come, first-served starting at 6:30. As the train is due to arrive in Washington, D.C., just after 7, I hope I'll wake in time to put myself together and get food.
UP AND OUT
7:50 a.m. Tuesday, in Club Acela at Washtinton station
No problem waking up. I was deciding whether to roll over again when the train stopped about 5:15 a.m.
The night was not great, but better than if I'd toughed it out in a reclined coach seat, i'm sure. With the car close to the engine, I heard the train whistle even through my earplugs. The clothespins came in handy to close a gap in the curtains, and I had to sleep on my side most of the trip -- something I do anyway, as I snore more when flat on my back. I'm glad I brought the extra travel pillow. I woke often -- something I do at home, too -- and slid off the bed and onto the toilet once or twice, awkwardly turrning around in the slight foot space by the door to flush and wash my hands, then roll back to sleep. By about 3 a.m., I decided I would experiennce the movement of the train over bumps and curves as a giant massage chair. This philosophy did not help me rest, but I'm not disgruntled about it now.
I changed into my clothes for the day, then figured out how to reset the seats so I could access the suitcase I'd stashed under one side. I got everything packed up again, then arrived in the dining car about 10 minutes before service started at 6:30 -- the first one there. By the way the attendand talked the nigt before, I'd expected a line. They let me sit and watch scenery, and another lady from my car sat beside me. An interestingly tattooed man came up from the coach section, expressing surprise he'd discoverd the dining car past the cafe car more used by coach passengers. The diner is open to all, but coach must pay for meals.
After we'd ordered and chatted -- she's visiting relatives in New Jersey from her home in Deerfield Beach -- another couple joined us,, on their first train trip and going to see the Grand Canyon.
We'd made up time overnight, so I'm glad I ate early. As I got back to my roomette, Billy had removed the sheeted mattress and told me Washington, D.C., was coming up. I tipped him and gave out my first train pin -- I picked up some from an artist's website, to give to crew members (but I forgot to offeer them to the two dining car waiters and the cook). Billy helped me get my suitcases out to the exit landing, and I stood out of the way of the attendants until the train emerged from a tunnel, moving past multistory buildings (highrises to my rural eyes, but not skyscrapers) to settle in the station. There were doubtless many trains, but in the patched asphalt aisles between my train and the one across, I could not see anything else.
I stopped next to the South Carolina couple I'd with whom broken fast, as we learned we'll share the Capitol Limited train this afternoon out to Chicago. They were talking about seeings the sights in D.C. and finding the place to pay to check stach their bags. I mentioned the sleeper/upper class lounge -- here in D.C., it is Club Acela for the Acela Express commuter trains to other metro areas -- and how they could use that space for free.
We all then rolled our way there, threading past people waiting to board coach cars, up an escalator wide enough to allow my bags, and around a few corners to the club. The gentlemen at the front desk there checked our tickets and showed where we can set the suitcases, then I think we all hit the (not narrow!) restrooms. There's complimentary coffee and, I assume, other refreshments, but I'm full from breakfast.
The couple are waiting until closer to 9 a.m. to set out, as the museums don't open until then. I plan to camp out on this loveseat, using the club's wifi to send this, poke at my online games, and watch some of the TV shows I downloaded for the trip -- I've got the entire second season of "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." plus some other things to tide me over.
The train, set to leave at 4:05 p.m., will begin boarding sleeper passengers at 3:20 through a special exit in the club -- we don't have to schlep through the corridors with the regular passengers. I feel special. Hope I stay awake, and I wwish I'd not packed away my toothbrush so deep in a suitcase.
12:37 p.m. Tuesday
I shifted to a table near an outlet, as typing with the keyboard balanced on my lap is awkward. I've compiled and edited this first trip report, and will post it shortly.
The minor landsickness is fading, although I still sway a bit when I get up to walk. I suspect the adjustment will take more time after my nearly two days aboard the Empire Builder from Chicago to Portland.
