AAARGH!
Conductor
On Saturday I took the Wolverine from end to end (Pontiac to Chicago) and returned on Sunday.
Random Thoughts:
-Cabbage
-Amfleet Club-Dinette (Cafe & Business Class with 2 & 1 seating)
-Horizon Coach
-Horizon Coach
-Horizon Coach
-Horizon Coach
-Horizon Coach
-P42
Consist for 350:
-P42
-Amfleet Club-Dinette (Cafe & Business Class with 2 & 1 seating)
-Horizon Coach
-Horizon Coach
-Horizon Coach
-P42
Chicago:
I had little time there, so I walked to Millennium Park from my hotel (The Palmer House Hilton) and walked around there a while.
Being it was such a clear and beautiful day, I walked back to Union Station to grab a bite to eat (yes I know, I could have gone to Giordonos, but I wasn't that hungry) and then went up the Sears (Willis) tower at dusk. WHAT a sight! Chicago at night is simply amazing! I have been up the tower before, but not when it was this crystal clear. I could easily see the Michigan shoreline across the lake. Of course I ventured out over the edge onto the glass overhangs they installed. Fun, but didn't faze me one bit. I am used to flying in hot air balloons, so this was pretty similar, just a much more impressive view!
Question: What electrified commuter line runs all the way to South Bend?
Random Thoughts:
- On time for both trains the whole way.
- The windows on the first train were reasonably clean, while the second train were very dirty. They had not been washed in quite some time.
- Both cafe attendants were very efficient and friendly.
- All the conductors and ACs were efficient, but not overly friendly except for one who had a family's young child punch their own tickets. The stack was so thick, the little guy could barely squeeze hard enough to punch all of them. Very cute and a nice thing to let him do.
- I loved the running at 95MPH between Kalamazoo and just after the Indiana line.
- I had the "Amburger" from the cafe. It was surprisingly good (and filling) for a microwaved burger.
- On the way back, I had the cheese pizza. It is a Digiorno pizza, so again, not bad at all.
- I was in Business Class on the way back. They only offered us one free drink and had us put our names on a list when we took it. They offered full sized cans of soda or full sized bottles of Tropicana juices plus or other normal beverages.
- The air was VERY clear on both days. No haze at all. From just the southeast edge of Lake Michigan, we could see the Chicago skyline clearly across the lake.
- The gate agents in Chicago were efficient but cold. I tried to 'make nice' (small talk) with one and was given a cold glare. She then yelled at (more like scolded) a poor twenty-something who just missed her Lincoln Service train and had the gall to ask if they could open the door (it was 3 minutes before departure). They need to learn some customer service techniques or at least how to be civil.
- The first train was mostly empty. The second was mostly full - BC was full.
- The industrial wasteland around Detroit is sad.
- The big steel mills in Indiana are both impressive and disturbing at the same time (pollution, loss of great lakefront habitat, etc...)
-Cabbage
-Amfleet Club-Dinette (Cafe & Business Class with 2 & 1 seating)
-Horizon Coach
-Horizon Coach
-Horizon Coach
-Horizon Coach
-Horizon Coach
-P42
Consist for 350:
-P42
-Amfleet Club-Dinette (Cafe & Business Class with 2 & 1 seating)
-Horizon Coach
-Horizon Coach
-Horizon Coach
-P42
Chicago:
I had little time there, so I walked to Millennium Park from my hotel (The Palmer House Hilton) and walked around there a while.
Being it was such a clear and beautiful day, I walked back to Union Station to grab a bite to eat (yes I know, I could have gone to Giordonos, but I wasn't that hungry) and then went up the Sears (Willis) tower at dusk. WHAT a sight! Chicago at night is simply amazing! I have been up the tower before, but not when it was this crystal clear. I could easily see the Michigan shoreline across the lake. Of course I ventured out over the edge onto the glass overhangs they installed. Fun, but didn't faze me one bit. I am used to flying in hot air balloons, so this was pretty similar, just a much more impressive view!
Question: What electrified commuter line runs all the way to South Bend?
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