Getting off at stations, etc.

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Fishbone

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Hi! I'm in the very initial stages of planning a round-trip from Jacksonville, Florida to New York via Amtrak 98 Silver Meteor - two adults, one 5 year old in coach in May 2015.

The primary purpose of the trip is to take our son on his first train ride and for all of us to experience New York City for the first time.

That said, I have a few questions ... any feedback is greatly appreciated!

1. Is it possible to get out at some of the stations along the way, or does the train not stop anywhere long enough to make this feasible? I'm talking 5 minutes to grab a drink, etc. Do the stations even offer food/beverages?

2. Is it frowned upon to leave one's seat multiple times throughout the journey? I don't mean every five minutes, but maybe once every two/three hours to head to the dining car, lounge car, etc?

3. If we carry on a small backpack with our essentials ... wallets, phones, etc, is it permissible to bring it with us when we go to the dining car, etc versus leaving it at our seat?

4. Is it frowned upon to bring our own food & drinks? If it is ok, can we eat/drink at our seats, or do we need to go to the lounge car?

As you can probably tell, I'm totally new to this Amrak thing so all comments are welcome!

Thanks so very much!
 
Most stations have a vending machine. I'm assuming your using Train 98 from Jacksonville. So your longest station stops will be Savannah, Florence, Richmond, and Washington. I personally wouldn't recommend going in to use the vending machines especially if it's running late.

2. It's ok to get up as often as you want. I'll get up frequently to switch sides for photos and never have been bothered.

3. It's alright to bring a bookbag or two with you. I bring my camera/bookbag with me all the time to the diner on 98/91.

4.its perfectly alright to bring your own food to the train. I do it all the time as well. Heck one time I ordered delivery to the train.

If your kid wants to see something cool in DC take him to see the engine change from diesel to electric. I've never had trouble watching it up close and personal. And some crews are really nice up there.

I hope you have a great trip. Feel free to ask more question. 92 and 98 are my normal trains so I know everything. Including scenery.
 
-It is highly recommended that you stay near the train unless your stop is long (say, thirty minutes or more for refueling, etc). When they call, "All aboard!" they mean it. The train will leave without you if you are not on it when the whistle blows. Even then, I wouldn't go into town or anything. Many times, the crew will state exactly how long the stop is and warn people to stay near the train.

-One of the best things about train travel is the ability to walk around as much as you like. :) Think of the train as a traveling hotel. You can go to the lounge to see the scenery or play card/board games, head down to the cafe to purchase snacks and drinks, go to the dining car for meals, etc. You will not be allowed in the sleeper cars, but you can walk through all of the coaches.

-You can bring a bag to the dining car with you, but try to keep it small. There isn't much room under the tables, and the booths are kind of small. I would stash it near your five-year old's feet since there will be more room

-We always bring our own food and drinks when we ride in coach. They've never hassled us about having grocery bags along with our carry-on bag and laptop bag. Basically, if you can carry it on, they don't care. :) Many people I know bring a soft-sided cooler. You can get ice from the cafe, and when you arrive at your destination, just fold up the cooler and put it in your suitcase.
 
Personal food & beverages brought aboard should be consumed at your seat --- not in the lounge or diner. There will be a small fold-down table at your seat, similar to that found on airplanes. You will find that the coach seats are much more spacious than airplane seats. For coach travel, I recommend bringing a small inflatable pillow for each of you. You can deflate it to about the size of a deck of cards when you're not using it. Don't be paranoid about your belongings. You can leave things at your seat while you're away; just be sensible about leaving things of obviously great value unattended.

If you get off the train at a stop other than your destination (such as Washington), be sure to inform the Coach attendant before you do so. The Coach attendant will stay with the train, so he/she will be aboard before AND after Washington. The Conductors will be relieved by a fresh crew at Washington, so they won't have this continuity. It wouldn't hurt to offer the Coach attendant a tip in return for looking out for you. You don't want to be left behind. Actually, except for Washington most stops are going to be fairly brief and there won't be much do or see.

Have a great time.

Tom
 
While I can fully appreciate watching costs, especially on meals, I would suggest if you can saving for dinner on the train. Yeah, it's probably a bit overpriced for the quality, but there's a certain experience about dining while watching the world go around.

In Washington I would NOT leave the area of the train (other than to perhap see the engine change). I would NOT go into the station. If the train is running late, it WILL leave as soon as possible (i.e. even though there's like a 30 minute window between scheduled arrival and departure, the departure time is much more of a "will not leave before this" If they show up 30 minutes late and finish the engine change in 20 minutes, they'll leave 20 minutes after arrival. And northbound, stations beyond Washington are discharge only so they will often leave before the scheduled arrival/departure time (I've gotten in 1-2 hours EARLY to NYP aboard the Crescent in the past.)
 
I wouldn't really think about buying food or drinks in a station - you're probably going to pay the same price as the lounge car anyway. I'd just get them from the lounge car and then you don't have to worry about finding the vending machine, coaxing it into taking your money, and then running back to the train. Instead, at the longer stops you can just mill around outside next to the train, which will let you get some fresh air and stretch your legs, but if they call "all aboard", you can just hop on.

Bringing your own food on the train is a time-honored tradition going back literally more than a hundred years, and many people still do it. I personally like the junky food in the lounge car so I bring extra cash instead of extra food, but that's just me :)
 
One more thing: Amtrak forbids coach passengers to bring aboard alcohol. Coach passengers must purchase their alcohol from the lounge car and may bring it back to their seats. Sleeper passengers are allowed to bring aboard their own happy juice but must consume it in their rooms.
 
One other thought, seats all have electric outlets, so if you want to bring a tablet with some kids movies preloaded, books on tape, etc, those can all be entertainment options too. Sometimes when we traveled with our kids long ago, we used to use portable DVD players on long trips, and they could be a real mind-saver if they got bored with other activities, or if we needed an adult intermission. Best of luck with the trip, I think you'll have a wonderful time!
 
Amtrak does not forbid coach pax from bringing private stock alcohol on board.
Amtrak does have a rule against coach pax consuming their private stock alcohol on board.

However by being discrete many coach pax routinely consume private stock alcohol on board, both at their coach seat and in sightseer/lounge cars.
Many of Amtrak's rules are not rigidly enforced.

Many tip their coach car attendant in advance with the hope they will get a good seat and/or a good (or no) seat mate.
Obnoxious, unruly, disruptive, inebriated pax, will draw attention from OBS in such a way OBS may be forced to take some kind of action.
(pax - passenger)
(OBS - On Board Staff)

If you plan to watch a movie, listen to music, books on tape, etc - also plan to use headphones.
Lakeysha Beard kicked off train and arrested.

Different circumstances but - kicked off the train none the less.

Passengers Escorted Off Amtrak Train
 
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I concur with the others except that you will likely have time at the previously mentioned stops to walk up towards the engine or towards the rear. In case you take longer than you were supposed to, you will be withing the sight and voice of the crew and you can get on any coach car that is open and walk on the train back to your seat. In fact, I'd suggest that if coach is behind the sleepers, you walk to the first coach car before the stop and exit there to give a little extra time to see closer to the front. If coach is just behind the baggage car and engine, doing the same will give you plenty of time to see the engine and possibly wave to the engineer.

I'd also agree about having a meal in the diner. I recommend breakfast as no reservations are required, no problems with finding something you like and the crew is less rushed to get you out of there so others can sit.

Being friendly to the crew (like introducing your 5 y/o to them while telling him how important that person's job is) at one of the stops will mean it is less likely they will get upset with you when the 5 y/o needs to let off some steam.

Depending on how much vacation you have, consider ticketing to Alexandria, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia or any place along the route, stay overnight at a nearby hotel and see one or two things. It will not cost you any more if you plan it right, will give you an opportunity to have a break and will let the 5 y/o experience different trains.
 
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At Washington they will change from Diesel to Electric northbound and vice versa southbound; usually you can walk up to the head end and watch so long as you do not get in the way. Sometimes one of the crew members on the change crew will even explain what is going on.
 
Thanks so very much to all of you!

Seaboard92 - Yes, train 98 from Jacksonville. The engine change sounds awesome! That would be fun to see!

SarahZ - The soft-sided cooler is a great idea. Do they charge for cups of ice at the café? When I get nervous, an ice cold Dr Pepper does wonders for me. If I bring 2-3 cans on the train with me & am able to get ice, I'll be all set!

FormerOBS - Can you clarify the role of the coach attendant - do we need to let him know if we are going to the dining car, lounge car, etc?

KmH - I have the children's activity book, playing cards and possibly the souvenir blanket on my "to buy" list!

StriderGDM - We are planning on at least having one breakfast, lunch and dinner on the round-trip to ensure we experience everything! I was slightly surprised by the dinner prices, but like you said, it's more the experience.

spacecadet - The junky food in the lounge car sounds good to me too! But I will definitely bring some snacks for us to enjoy at our seats.

Guest_Henry Kisor_* - No worries, we're not big drinkers - maybe once or twice a year, if that.

MikeM - Yes, we'll definitely bring the phone & tablet preloaded with movies & games!

KmH - No worries on the alcohol - we really don't drink much. But, can you clarify - the coach car attendant tells us where to sit?

me_little_me - We drove to Baltimore and Washington DC last year on a road trip - we spent multiple days there & had a great time. Your idea to experience different trains is very interesting & I will have to go back to see if it's feasible to take the 92 Silver Star north to NY and then the 98 Silver Meteor south to FL.

OlympianHiawatha - will do! Do you think it'll be ok to take pictures?

Thanks again! I was not expecting such informative and kind responses - really appreciate the feedback!
 
You don't have to tell the coach attendant that you're leaving your seat. :) You really are free to move about the train at any time. They'll put a seat check (looks like a bookmark) above your seat to show that it's occupied. As long as that seat check is there, those are your seats until you get off at your stop.

The coach attendants generally assign seats, depending on how busy/full the train is. When you line up to board, just tell them where you're going, and they'll give you a seat assignment. The seat numbers are above the seats, on the bottom of the overhead luggage racks.

I'm not sure if they charge for ice. I can't imagine they do.
 
FormerOBS said:
Don't be paranoid about your belongings.
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On the other hand don't expect Amtrak to assist you with anything that gets stolen. You alone are responsible for protecting your possessions at all times, including while you're sleeping. Amtrak is not a haven for thievery but if anything does go missing you're basically out of luck so keep things concealed and consider leaving expensive items at home.

FormerOBS said:
It wouldn't hurt to offer the Coach attendant a tip in return for looking out for you. You don't want to be left behind.
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Tipping has absolutely nothing to do with being left behind. The coach attendant has no control over when the train leaves and the conductor (who does have control) isn't going to accept tips regardless. All you need to do is carry a watch, set it a couple minutes fast, and manage your own schedule like any other adult. Don't get off at discharge only stops since they are not held to a published schedule.

spacecadet said:
I wouldn't really think about buying food or drinks in a station - you're probably going to pay the same price as the lounge car anyway.
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Vending machines often have Coke products while Amtrak only carries Pepsi and some stations have fresher meals than AmChow in the form of Subway shops and other restaurants. Just be sure to be back at the platform a couple minutes before scheduled departure. If the station is a discharge only stop then I would advise staying on the train since the published schedule is no longer in effect at that point.

Henry Kisor said:
One more thing: Amtrak forbids coach passengers to bring aboard alcohol.
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Source?

MikeM said:
One other thought, seats all have electric outlets, so if you want to bring a tablet with some kids movies preloaded, books on tape, etc, those can all be entertainment options too.
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This is a nice benefit of traveling on Amtrak in that virtually every seat has at least one power outlet. Bring your own content and a pair of headphones and enjoy whatever you're into whenever you get tired of staring out the windows.

Fishbone said:
FormerOBS - Can you clarify the role of the coach attendant - do we need to let him know if we are going to the dining car, lounge car, etc?
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At your departure station the coach attendant will generally assign you a car and possibly a seat. At your destination they (or a conductor) will remind you to disembark. Unless you are disabled or causing a ruckus that is typically the extent of your interaction with the coach attendant.

Fishbone said:
StriderGDM - We are planning on at least having one breakfast, lunch and dinner on the round-trip to ensure we experience everything! I was slightly surprised by the dinner prices, but like you said, it's more the experience.
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Keep in mind that despite the prices the dining car is in no way a fancy or exotic experience and many of the little things that used to make it a little more special have been cut or scaled back over the years. Today the Amtrak dining experience is a lot like McDonalds except with a much smaller menu. What you see is what you get and there is little in the way of fresh ingredients or substitutions.

Fishbone said:
OlympianHiawatha - will do! Do you think it'll be ok to take pictures?
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Technically pictures are perfectly legal and generally allowed at most stations, however some staff will forbid them anyway because they're paranoid or arrogant or bored.
 
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The role of the Coach Attendant and other onboard employees: First of all, the Conductor is in overall charge of the train. He/She is responsible for the safe operation of the train. All other employees on the train, including the Engineer and Assistant Engineer, are accountable to the Conductor. The Conductor will also have an Assistant Conductor to help. Service aboard the train is provided by the OBS (On Board Service)crew. There will be one or two Coach Attendants who patrol the coaches periodically to check for cleanliness in the restrooms, provide help to passengers with disabilities, etc. "Coach Attendant" is not an official Amtrak job title. The official title is TA --- Train Attendant. The Coach Attendants will also man the coach doors at stations to help with boarding and detraining, as directed by the Conductors. They also work with the Conductors to see that people get off at the right station. There will be a little tag called a Seat Check, which will be placed above your seat when the Conductor lifts your ticket after boarding. It indicates that the seat is occupied, and shows what station is the destination for each passenger. You don't need to tell your coach attendant when you move about the train. Just leave your seat check in place above your seat, and they will know. They will also fill out a loading diagram for each coach, showing the destination for each passenger.

Other OBS positions are LSA (Lead Service Attendant --- responsible for management, stock, and revenue for a lounge car) LSA-D (LSA for a Dining car) SA (Service Attendant --- waiter in a dining car)and SCA (Sleeping Car Attendant). As with the Coach Attendant, SCA is not an official Amtrak job title. Sleeping Cat Attendants are officially called TA's, just like their counterparts in the coaches.

The Coach attendant may tell you where to sit for a number of reasons. First of all, the Conductor will try to keep all the "shorts" in the same car. These are the folks who are not going the full distance. This avoids commotion that might awaken those who are going the full distance. You probably won't have to sit in a coach with all the "shorts". The crew should get a manifest in advance that tells who is boarding at any one location and how many are in each party. If the train is extremely full, the crew can set aside appropriate numbers of seats to accommodate those boarding. In your case, they will know that the "Fishbone" family will need three seats together. Sometimes it's difficult to manage this on a very full train, but the crew can try to hold those seats for you.
 
There are a small number of specific stops where the train stops for a long time, where you can get off and get back on with time to spare. These will be announced, as "smoke stops" or "fresh air stops" depending on the crew.
 
Thanks to KmH for the correction about bringing aboard private stock vs. consuming it in coach!
 
I'm usually not the negative person on this forum, but I have a couple of things that I want to point out.

First of all, I hope that you are going to really like this ride. Be prepared for the worst (ie: Service by employees, on time performance, etc), hope for the best, and accept just about anything in between.

Second, I can certainly appreciate your desire to have your 5 year old son enjoy his first train trip. But JAX to NYP is a LONG ride in coach! I took my almost-5 year old on a Shinkansen trip in Japan (for MY enjoyment) and my boy (now 14) doesn't remember squat. But, I have pictures. :) Make this trip for your enjoyment and help him to stay comfortable.

Next, just don't leave the train. Not worth getting left behind.

If you want to experience the diner, I would go at lunch time. The prices are only a couple of dollars more than the microwave fare from the cafe car.

Finally, to just clarify a point - and I don't want this to hijack the point of the thread as the OP obviously isn't concerned about this, nor is it relevant to his journey - but, anyone can bring alcohol on board. You can only consume your own private stock in the privacy of your own sleeper room.
 
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neroden said:
There are a small number of specific stops where the train stops for a long time, where you can get off and get back on with time to spare. These will be announced, as "smoke stops" or "fresh air stops" depending on the crew.
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All smoke stops are not created equally, at least on the silvers. Sometimes an announced smoke stop will allow only for a few "puffs". I usually get off to walk and will be warned by the SCA not to go more than a car length, cause it will be brief.

to OP, I do recommend the star at least one way,imo, the schedule allows for seeing the most scenic areas on the route between Jax and Was in daylight.
 
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FormerOBS said:
Personal food & beverages brought aboard should be consumed at your seat --- not in the lounge or diner. There will be a small fold-down table at your seat, similar to that found on airplanes. You will find that the coach seats are much more spacious than airplane seats. For coach travel, I recommend bringing a small inflatable pillow for each of you. You can deflate it to about the size of a deck of cards when you're not using it. Don't be paranoid about your belongings. You can leave things at your seat while you're away; just be sensible about leaving things of obviously great value unattended.

If you get off the train at a stop other than your destination (such as Washington), be sure to inform the Coach attendant before you do so. The Coach attendant will stay with the train, so he/she will be aboard before AND after Washington. The Conductors will be relieved by a fresh crew at Washington, so they won't have this continuity. It wouldn't hurt to offer the Coach attendant a tip in return for looking out for you. You don't want to be left behind. Actually, except for Washington most stops are going to be fairly brief and there won't be much do or see.

Have a great time.

Tom
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I agree don't be paronoid about belongings.

As far as Washington since it is a discharge stop none should go upstairs in the station. It is fine to step off on the platform for a breath of air or watch the engine change. There is no scheduled time for the stop, as soon as engines are changed and baggage unloaded the new crew will depart. It could be a brief stop. Certainly if an attendent told the conductor someone went upstairs and had not returned they would try to wait but Contol Center wants the train to depart and K Tower needs the track. So they would have to leave.
 
Some stops aren't even in the timetable for smoke stops. Columbia on 91/92 is just a normal stop no dwell in the table. In reality it's a 15 minute smoke stop normally. It's been 7 minutes when late.
 
As my sig indicates, I've traveled five different LD routes (all in sleepers/roommettes). I get off at any stop I want; I just stay right next to my sleeping car, and there's no danger of being left behind. I like to get some fresh air and stretch my legs (even though you can walk all you want on the train).
 
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Note also that the northbound trains from Florida do not pick up passengers from D.C. And points north. They leave all of those stations as soon as all detraining psgrs are off the train -- they need not wait until any departure times printed in timetables.
 
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chakk said:
Note also that the northbound trains from Florida do not pick up passengers from D.C. And points north. They leave the station as soon as all detraining psgrs are off the train -- they need not wait until any departure time printed in timetables.
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They leave the station once they've switched the engines, which is probably well after all detraining psgrs are off the train.
 
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