Have you ever met anyone famous on an Amtrak Train?
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I met WhoozOn1st, a member of this forum, when we rode in California in February. He's a famous rock star!
I've met him for a few days and I didn't knew that he's a rock star. Which band group was in? I'm always the last person to know.
I'll let him answer that. He's sort of retired, now.
dspacekd
Train Attendant
Was just on the Southwest Chief from FLG-CHI. We left FLG on May 11th and while in the sightseer lounge there was an older group singing. I heard one of the guys say he had 5 number 1 hits and that they toured the world (Europe, Africa, Japan) and they still sometimes travel. I know they were on their way to Detroit (or at least some of them were). They mentioned they knew all these famous singers (mostly soul and r&b). I wish I could talk to them but they were always busy breaking out in song and chatting and sleeping!
I got some videos of them singing in Colorado and NM! What a trip it was! BTW That SWC sure is bumpy at night through Kansas!
I got some videos of them singing in Colorado and NM! What a trip it was! BTW That SWC sure is bumpy at night through Kansas!
Amtrak OBS Gone Freight
OBS Chief
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A few of celebrity sightings I remember while working at Amtrak...
1) John Travolta and a handful of his folks got on the "Palmetto" at OCA one night for a short "just for the heck of it" ride to JAX. I remember diagraming the seat chart up in the business class car, and welcoming them aboard. I treated him as I would any other passenger, and I think he really liked that. I was very surprised that they were riding the train as opposed to flying one his jets. One member of his entourage told me they were riding "just to ride a train!" And being the time of night, they were able to do so on at OCA and off at JAX with very little fanfare. This occured around 2003 IIRC.
2) Famous psychotherapist Dr. Linnda Durré, Ph.D, was a passenger in my sleeper car (where I was the sleeper attendant) on a trip from NYP to WPK around the beginning of 2004 IIRC on the "Meteor." I remember, however, that she was a very interesting individual, and I was happy to have been assistance to her. That trip was kinda slow at the beginning, so I was afforded several opportunities to speak with her before we got down into the Carolinas where I started getting busy. She kept commenting me on my good service, and awarded me well with the appropriate tip at the end of the trip in WPK. I believe she has been an author of several books, has hosted a couple of TV shows, and well known in the medical community. In fact I remember hearing her on WDBO talk radio in ORL sometime ago.
3) Michael Jackson was in a private car on the back of the "Meteor" on one trip. I was starting my tour of duty out of JAX on the first leg of my trip where my job went to KIS and swung back to the NB "Star" for my trip to NYP and back. I was in the dining car as a waiter so I didn't see him, but he was disembarking at WPK. He is a very inconsiderate person (or he at least appeared to be this day) due to he should have been ready to disembark at WPK before we got there, and he held that train for almost twenty minutes at WPK station.
4) Well this is not exactly related to the train, but I had just started my layover in NYC which I believe was on St Patricks Day 2005 as there was lots of stuff going on that day in NYC (when is there NOT lots of stuff going on in NYC...LOL). Several of us OBS folks had went to "ESPN Zone" in NYC after we had checked into crew hotel. We had our meal there, and some of them left with the rest of us staying to play the games, etc. A little while later they were in the process of closing down the place for a private party for some celebrities who would be arriving. Of course as usual, I am always the last one out being I went to the bathroom. I was kinda rushing out to catch up with the rest of my folks who had already got out, and were waiting on me. I almost bumped right smack into this kid who was kinda small and about 13 years or age. I realized it was Cole Sprouse, along with his twin brother Dylan and their entourage as they were entering. There were others not far behind, but there was also a crowd out there, so I was "getting up out of there" as I can't stand huge crowds. The Sprouse twins are actors for a show on Disney Channel, and I knew of them before, but now after two nieces and a nephew I know all about them!
Now I doubt I'll ever encounter celebrities while switching boxcars....
OBS gone freight...
1) John Travolta and a handful of his folks got on the "Palmetto" at OCA one night for a short "just for the heck of it" ride to JAX. I remember diagraming the seat chart up in the business class car, and welcoming them aboard. I treated him as I would any other passenger, and I think he really liked that. I was very surprised that they were riding the train as opposed to flying one his jets. One member of his entourage told me they were riding "just to ride a train!" And being the time of night, they were able to do so on at OCA and off at JAX with very little fanfare. This occured around 2003 IIRC.
2) Famous psychotherapist Dr. Linnda Durré, Ph.D, was a passenger in my sleeper car (where I was the sleeper attendant) on a trip from NYP to WPK around the beginning of 2004 IIRC on the "Meteor." I remember, however, that she was a very interesting individual, and I was happy to have been assistance to her. That trip was kinda slow at the beginning, so I was afforded several opportunities to speak with her before we got down into the Carolinas where I started getting busy. She kept commenting me on my good service, and awarded me well with the appropriate tip at the end of the trip in WPK. I believe she has been an author of several books, has hosted a couple of TV shows, and well known in the medical community. In fact I remember hearing her on WDBO talk radio in ORL sometime ago.
3) Michael Jackson was in a private car on the back of the "Meteor" on one trip. I was starting my tour of duty out of JAX on the first leg of my trip where my job went to KIS and swung back to the NB "Star" for my trip to NYP and back. I was in the dining car as a waiter so I didn't see him, but he was disembarking at WPK. He is a very inconsiderate person (or he at least appeared to be this day) due to he should have been ready to disembark at WPK before we got there, and he held that train for almost twenty minutes at WPK station.
4) Well this is not exactly related to the train, but I had just started my layover in NYC which I believe was on St Patricks Day 2005 as there was lots of stuff going on that day in NYC (when is there NOT lots of stuff going on in NYC...LOL). Several of us OBS folks had went to "ESPN Zone" in NYC after we had checked into crew hotel. We had our meal there, and some of them left with the rest of us staying to play the games, etc. A little while later they were in the process of closing down the place for a private party for some celebrities who would be arriving. Of course as usual, I am always the last one out being I went to the bathroom. I was kinda rushing out to catch up with the rest of my folks who had already got out, and were waiting on me. I almost bumped right smack into this kid who was kinda small and about 13 years or age. I realized it was Cole Sprouse, along with his twin brother Dylan and their entourage as they were entering. There were others not far behind, but there was also a crowd out there, so I was "getting up out of there" as I can't stand huge crowds. The Sprouse twins are actors for a show on Disney Channel, and I knew of them before, but now after two nieces and a nephew I know all about them!
Now I doubt I'll ever encounter celebrities while switching boxcars....
OBS gone freight...
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TransAtlantic
Service Attendant
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- May 7, 2006
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- 200
Met Karen Black - yes, the Airport/Trilogy of Terror/Come Back to the 5 and Dime Jimmy Dean Jimmy Dean Karen Black - on the Pacific Surfliner from Oceanside a few weeks ago...
rtabern
Conductor
Last year I was on the Surfliner between Solana Beach and Los Angeles and met the guy who played Dauber on "Coach"... I guess he's also the voice of Patrick on "Spongebob Squarepants".
He was riding with his sister.
(wow, I can't even remember his name now, but the show was popular in the 1990's)
He was riding with his sister.
(wow, I can't even remember his name now, but the show was popular in the 1990's)
rtabern
Conductor
Oh, and was on the Builder last year doing Trails & Rails and got to meet Amtrak's President... Alexander Kummant. He was going up to Minneapolis. CHI-MKE he was in the first room in the crew sleeper and MKE-MSP he was riding in a private car on the back of the train. I introduced myself and we talked briefly -- he seemed nice.
I don't qualify.
Only famous in the small - and at that time largely reviled - world of punk rock in the late 70s/mid-80s.
The band was The Angry Samoans, gswager, before I left and they went limp.
And BTW, in punkdom, to call somebody a "rock star" was a massive insult.
As for meeting famous folks on trains, I never have. However, I recall a post awhile back by a guy who met baseball great Cal Ripken, Jr. aboard an Acela. From what the guy said, Cal sounded cool and gracious.
P.S. You can see Angry Samoans CDs and paraphernalia at Amazon.
P.J. Samoan, 1st Guitar
RailFanLNK
Conductor
Ok...now that WhoozOnFirst has let the cat out of the bag, it was to my wonderful amusement when he saw a post of a "punk rock country band" (Jason and The Scorchers) that I was talking about here at AU. Not only had I heard of the Angry Samoans, but had two of their albums back in the '80's when we all owned vinyl. Being the ying-yang that I was in the early '90's .... I sold them all! :angry: It was to my great pleasure that he informed me that he was in the Angry Samoans and we had been e-mailing back and forth about trains! 
Even better at AU I last year and we got to meet face to face and trade music, punk, defying death and train stories! Lookin' forward to AU II in PJ's backyard!
Even better at AU I last year and we got to meet face to face and trade music, punk, defying death and train stories! Lookin' forward to AU II in PJ's backyard!
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Bill Phaggerbakke. Actually spelled with an F, not ph, but the filter wouldn't allow it, for a fairly obvious reason. I hate that kinda shirt!
I loved that show.
There's an episode in which Luther - assistant coach (Jerry Van Dyke, Dick's brother) - tries to save the school some money by booking a train for the team, instead of a flight. Naturally total chaos ensues, the train becomes stuck in a blizzard, and the team has to airlifted out. Hilarious!
I was fortunate to not work his concert here as the others talked about how bad he and his staff were. Most Celebrities I have met in my work prefer to tbe treated as refular folk.
I would not take that bet as Gary Coleman of ?Happy Days? fame owns a box car with his train Layout in it.
Aloha
Eric
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2002
- Messages
- 743
Gary Coleman was on Diff'rent Strokes, rather than Happy Days.
OOP'S
You are right, when in Show Business, our minds drift, or age makes it fuzzy.
Mahalo
Eric
You are right, when in Show Business, our minds drift, or age makes it fuzzy.
Mahalo
Eric
Again I don't know his name, but the white haired older man that played on "Soap" and some other TV shows was in the sleeper with us one trip from LA years ago. He was quite friendly to the passengers and didn't mind posing with people for photos standing in the door of the car at stops. He ate with everyone in the diner and also played cards with passengers in the lounge till they went to bed.. He was traveling with a lady and they detrained in Arizona the next day. Was kind of neat to see someone you recognized onboard.
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- 8,508
I was on a Metroliner about 15 years ago and heard an unmistakable voice coming from the seat behind me. It was Jim McKay, legendary ABC Sports announcer known for his hosting of the Olympics (before the Olympics were bought by NBC)and Wide World of Sports ("... and the agony of defeat."). He was traveling back from New York ABC HQ to his home near Baltimore. I did not even have to sneak a peak to know it was him (even though I did anyway).
The other "celebrities" I have seen on Amtrak are political types: Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson (later the DA on TV's "Law & Order" and still later a failed Presidential candidate), Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Spector (sorry Patriot's fans), CNN Washington reporter Andrea Mitchell (now with MSNBC), and MSNBC host Chris Matthews.
The other "celebrities" I have seen on Amtrak are political types: Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson (later the DA on TV's "Law & Order" and still later a failed Presidential candidate), Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Spector (sorry Patriot's fans), CNN Washington reporter Andrea Mitchell (now with MSNBC), and MSNBC host Chris Matthews.
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jefffromark
Train Attendant
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- Apr 9, 2004
- Messages
- 37
I met Neil Young on the Lakeshore about 15 years ago, he and wife got on in Cleveland traveling in bedroom suite - I was in a roomette in the same heritage sleeper. So there I was standing in the vestibule having a cigarette when he walked by and the way he was dressed I thought he was in the wrong car..."ummm coach is the other way" I said...he turned and looked at me and said he had a bedroom...I just about hit the floor - DAM this guy is my idol and there he was right in front of me. Well anyway later on while I was having lunch he and wife walked in and were seated 2 tables away and he waved at me. So I got up and asked for an autograph, he was so nice and I asked him why he was taking the train, he replied that he loves the train and takes it as much as possible and doesn't like flying at all. Before I knew it there was a line behind me for their chance to meet Neil.
Hamhock
Train Attendant
oldtimer
OBS Chief
I actually rode 354 to Detroit in the late 70's in First Class on a turboliner with Gladys Knight and we arrived at midnight. By the way she was Pipless.
amtrak_russ
Service Attendant
I've have ridden amtrak a couple of times and railfanned with the world famous Kevin Chevala. He was little jamie seaver in Homeward Bound 1 and 2. If you still dont remember... his dog was chance who was played by Michael J Fox. A AU member, Glenn (Amtrak 1007) is his roomate.
Yipe! Remembered while reading this topic that I once rode Amtrak from Oxnard to L.A. with Brandon Cruz - Eddie on "Courtship of Eddie's Father." He had a local band - don't recall the name - and we were headed to see a gig at Madam Wong's, a punk dive in L.A.'s Chinatown.
The TV series was long over, and although everybody knew Brandon's sitcom history it was never discussed, at least among friends. Considered rude. Knew the guy pretty well, and we were music buddies for several years.
Didn't think of it earlier cuz I never thought of him as a "famous" dude. Just a punk rock pal and a cool kid. Once said to me, "P.J., I think you're the only person whooz never asked about the show." "That's cuz it sucked, and I didn't wanna embarrass you." And we both cracked up.
Only details of the train ride I recall are that it ran late, and me and Brandon drank beer all the way, then had to trudge from Union Station to Madam Wong's.
The TV series was long over, and although everybody knew Brandon's sitcom history it was never discussed, at least among friends. Considered rude. Knew the guy pretty well, and we were music buddies for several years.
Didn't think of it earlier cuz I never thought of him as a "famous" dude. Just a punk rock pal and a cool kid. Once said to me, "P.J., I think you're the only person whooz never asked about the show." "That's cuz it sucked, and I didn't wanna embarrass you." And we both cracked up.
Only details of the train ride I recall are that it ran late, and me and Brandon drank beer all the way, then had to trudge from Union Station to Madam Wong's.
The Metropolitan
OBS Chief
And here all this time I thought it was the midnight train to Georgia!!!
Never met anyone famous myself, at least to my knowlege.
My sister said she's seen William F. Buckley aboard the NEC (not sure if Regional or Acela).
On a Capitol Limited trip a couple years ago, the Service Attendant was telling me that rapper Jaheim shocked her when he showed up in her Diner, riding in coach!
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