Peter's LONG trip to be and the joys of bustitution

[Peter KG6LSE]

I am SO glad I am on this forum . I Never knew there was a Issur with the CZ . as on friday

============================================================Ottumwa, IA (OTM) to East Lansing, MI (LNS)

10-JUN-11; 9:09 am - 11-JUN-11; 12:30 am

============================================================

Service: 6 California Zephyr

Duration: 5 hr, 41 min

------------------------------------------------------------

Service: 354 Wolverine

Duration: 3 hr, 2 min

------------------------------------------------------------

Service: 8354 Bus

Duration: 1 hr, 15 min

Amenities: ============================================================

East Lansing, MI (LNS) to Ottumwa, IA (OTM)

12-JUN-11; 8:28 am - 12-JUN-11; 6:53 pm

============================================================

Service: 365 Blue Water

Duration: 4 hr, 31 min

------------------------------------------------------------

Service: 5 California Zephyr

Duration: 4 hr, 53 min

so I have chatted with a Agent and she says Il be bussed to Ocelola Iowa and Meet the train there .

I hope she is right as i can still get a trailways Tix to get to CHI by 4 PM if need be .

Ill admit I lost one of my 9 lives in this panic as I have a $200 THeatre Tix for a show in MI I can not get back.

Peter

 

[hello]

Good luck Peter ... my fingers are crossed!

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

here is the update ., I got a Email that stated I was hosed for the return trip from CHI to OTM .

I am still going on my trip bar none . BUT I may need to do Mr bus for the ride back .

lets hope for no rain for a few days and dry ground .

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

ok she is now late .... 1109 est arrival .. site says 1129 sooo I am grabbing food . and I am chilling ....

some how she is going to make up 1:30 ..! HIGHBALL THAT RIG ..

as long as my connection is ok

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

Well she is now super late . So I decided on the Bus. She slipped 3 times

11 . then 1150 then I heard the Station master Ok its now past 12 .

I was worried about this . so I did my Home work to see what else I could do . and the bus was a option .

so here I am on a trailways Bus to burlington then Chicago .

Trailways--- Kicks the old grey Mutt in the Butt .

Yea not super wide seats like coach amtrak But hey this magic school bus has WIFI

And the drivers are nice and polite . this is all I ask for .

This rig is scheduled to get to CHI by 3:45 PM so I know I can make my 6PM train .

In fact there is a Earlar train at 4 or so that I may be able to catch . If I can work the TIx agent fast enough ..

As I travel the US I have learnd a few things . Just Because I had a Really bad Bus experince with G/H does not mean that all Busses are cruddy .

And that after Railing for 4 years I was bound to get a Super late train . My luck ran out . its is after all a train and not a plane .

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

ok I got on the 2ed bus he says 430 to 5 pm in chicago ..... the tix says 345 sooo I am not pleased . .... I swear at the rate I am burning up $$ to just get to MI ..

a charter cessna to CHI really might have bean a good idea .. no joke !!! .....

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

Ok I got to CHI at 5 PM and had a REAL Chicago Hot dog with NO kastup heheh.and made it on to the Wolverine . can you say Hroizon fleet galore .

I had the pleasure of having a late dinner in the Combo" lounge snack Biz" AmCan car We all love hboy:Now I know why Pax hate them ..

Near Comstock we had some dire news a freight loco DeRailed so after Battle creek or so there was no service to Detroit .

also she was a hour late ..

I How ever had a Tix for Coonnecting bus to East lansing .

Now I Just arived and Iam chilling for the Gig .

the HoJo Iam at is RIGHT accross the tracks from the station at east lansing .

Ill post my return trip here too ..

Peter

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

ok so my gig went well ( more on that later) so I am on the blue water to CHI..... car 54578. with a busted end door that will not stay open . it locks us in!!!

anywhoo. the only way I can get home is via the SWC as a sleeper for 2 hours ..... WTH not cool but I payed 100 to upgrade and I rater have a cheep hotel on gailsburg then in chicago.

I really wanted the Ill zhypher but its full ........ for 2 H ill just sit on a toileit if I needed to ... I just need to get home math class.

so its GBB overnight and a bus ...

GRRRRRRRRRR.

there are so many ways they could handle this better...

peter.

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

ok in the MET lounge in CHI...I feel classy .... I have a 2 hour sleeper trip to galesburg......the seats are all sold out .... buy hey this is posh .

at least I can say I have done1st class from a real station..

 

[Peter KG6LSE]

Right Befor I got on the SWC I checked the website and they had some seat open . . So I "down graded " to coach . . GOOD I got 118 back In voucher .

On the SWC i was seated next to a fellow rail fan and we chatted the entire trip .

A 4:30 A man came on the PA " the Snack car is open " I was like FRANK !!! I KNOW THIS VOICE . so I holla down the stairs to them "Oh Frank is Peter " ...Frank " Hey Get those trash cans out of the way and chat" . . I had him on the SCW a few weeks ago . so its Fun seeing the same staff as long as they are cool .

We had a VERY FUNNY Conductor named Andrea . I mean She was a riot on the PA . gave fun facts on each stop and just ran a Very good train .

I wish I was still on her train .,. so I got to GBB on time and got a cab to the Fairfield Inn . I chilled and relaxed . I need it as I have bean non stop On line 100% GO GO GO from Thursday night...

Today I got the 120 PM bus to Burlington and then to Ottumwa .. I had the same Driver on the Ottumwa bus when I started the whole trip .

Now I am back in my dorm room decompressing and thank god I only missed a short movie in lab class , but I am behind in math ..

Illl have Photos some time this month ......

Peter