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Rail Freak

Rail Freak

Engineer
Joined
Apr 5, 2008
Messages
4,968
Location
Tampa Bay, Florida
The time has finally arrived. The 5th try for an Amtrak Trip to Glacier park! (the other tries were canceled for various reasons)

The super shuttle is picking me up at 5am for a flight from Tampa to Abuquerque where I'll pick up the SWC to LAX, then the CS to PDX and the EB to WGL.

I'll be staying at the Village Inn at Apgar. I am so much looking forward to this! ( the weather forecast is perfect for the 4 days I'll be there.)

Then I'll be taking the EB to PDX, CS to MTZ, CZ to CHI & the CONO to MEM, where I'll fly back to Tampa.

All that's left to do is make sure the cat didnt stow away in my luggage, & it's FUN TIME! Cant wait to hear that train horn again! Gonna sleep like a baby!!! Hoping to sneak a peak at the Met Longe in LAX, even though I'll be a couple days early!!!
 
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Have a great time. We want to hear all about the trip.
 
Thanks all for the cheers!

Something must be up, everything is going smoothly! :giggle:

The Airport shuttle arrived on time. The curbside checkin attendant came to the shuttle van & carried my bags to his counter & checked my bags, gave me my tickets & sent me on my way. I flew South West Tampa - Dallas switched planes & flew to Albuquerque. Got front row seats on both flights, plenty of leg room! Got to ABQ Station and found out the #3 is on time &, to my surprise, they have WIFI (or Greyhound does)! So, here I sit in ABQ waitin on a train. It just dont get no better than this!!!! :hi:
 
Left ABQ on time. Mike was my SCA, 40 years experience & it showed! Man how nice to be on the rails again! For dinner the first nite I had the light entre (Eye Round), tough as shoe leather! The red wine sauce was good but.....! :(

Slept soundly that night, although was wakened by a thunderstorm around 3am. We arrived an hour early & decided to investigate the Met Lounge issue. The Red Cap said it would be a couple of months and the ticket agent said around Sept 1st???? Took the Red Cap Cart to the train, car #1430 Rm #3. Was 1st into the Parlar Car. Didnt stay long & would not use the Parlor car this trip due to all the kids & non caring parents!!! Terrible! For lunch, I tried the Smoked Salmon on a Multi Grain Bagel with Horseraddish Cream Cheese (KILLER)!!! Cheese Cake with Rasberry topping to top it off!!!

A Customer Service Supervisor came by my room to introduce himself ( Winston MacIntosh). A pleasant fellow! You could tell the employees knew he was on board, :giggle: !!!

I was so tired that evening I skipped dinner & was sleeping by 7pm!!!

The next mornig I had French Toast for breakfast and while finishing we pulled into Klamouth Falls at 7:20 ( an hour early)!!! Then we were 30 minutes early into PDX! (This trip is breaking records for performance!!!

PDX-WGL I was in Rm #10. My SCA was a fellow by the name of O.C. Smith, one of the best I've ever had!!! For the catered dinner I chose the Shrimp & Pasta, very tasty!!! :) That evening O.C. left a Chocolat Mint on the pillow when he turned down the bed ( a 1st for me)!

AND Finally, I'm actually sitting in the office of the Village Inn at Apgar typing this report! This place is AWESOME!!!! :)
 
nice :) also quick question how were you able to fly from tampa to dallas on WN(southwest)? :huh: the wright amendment is still in effect for another year for destinations outside the zone

EDIT never mind i see its a stop over in new orleans then on through to dallas love field and change to abq
 
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You're right about the smoked salmon and cream cheese on the bagel as well as the cheesecake and raspberry topping. I had both on my CS trip two weeks ago and both were excellent! And my uncle and I met Winston three years ago on the TE. Very nice man to talk to.
 
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BrianPR3 said:
nice :) also quick question how were you able to fly from tampa to dallas on WN(southwest)? :huh: the wright amendment is still in effect for another year for destinations outside the zone
EDIT never mind i see its a stop over in new orleans then on through to dallas love field and change to abq
Click to expand...
The Wright Amendment has been effectively obsolete for the last 7 years. Remember, under the Wright Amendment, you couldn't have ANY ITINERARY with an end destination outside of the 5 neighboring states. Today you can book a flight from DAL to MCO on one aircraft with a stop in San Antonio without getting off the plane. You can even fly from KC, MO to DAL non stop.
 
VentureForth said:
BrianPR3 said:
nice :) also quick question how were you able to fly from tampa to dallas on WN(southwest)? :huh: the wright amendment is still in effect for another year for destinations outside the zone
EDIT never mind i see its a stop over in new orleans then on through to dallas love field and change to abq
Click to expand...
The Wright Amendment has been effectively obsolete for the last 7 years. Remember, under the Wright Amendment, you couldn't have ANY ITINERARY with an end destination outside of the 5 neighboring states. Today you can book a flight from DAL to MCO on one aircraft with a stop in San Antonio without getting off the plane. You can even fly from KC, MO to DAL non stop.
Click to expand...
i see also the full repeal isn't till next year which allows nonstop flights outside of the zone
 
Well, what can I say, Glacier is an awesome experience!

Last night I decided to take the free shuttle to Lake Macdonald Lodge to wait for the three hour late #7. I met up with a couple who had come from Portland & was taking the same train back home. The bellman took us to Belton station around 10pm, so we only had to wait outside the station about 30 minutes before it came rolling up! I had a roomette (#6) in the 731 car & switched to the 2730 (#8) around 3am! Showered around 6am & went to the Lounge cafe to pick up breakfast. We arrived in PDX 1 & 1/2 hours down. I just had lunch at Wilf's Restaurant, in the station, & am scheduled to hop on the #11 CS at 2:25. Will update in the morning from MTZ!
 
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My trip from PDX - MTZ was a FIASCO! AC in my car #1130 (rm #8) was broken & all passengers changed cars except me, as by the time they changed everyone, it was past dinner time & the AC was then working. My SCA, Roger was really wierd) the Parlor Car Attendant was terrible! The only good things about this trip was that everything was on time!!! When everyone was complaining about the broken AC, the conductor told us we had to call 800-USA-RAIL, I knew that wouldnt help but one guy did it & the Supervisor said that it was the Conductors responsibility!(DAAAH!) When the conductor was asked to talk to the Supervisor on the phone, he refused & finally started putting everyone in a different car!!!

Waiting on the CZ hoping it will be a much smoother trip!

Talk to ya in CHI

:hi:
 
The CZ #6 was on time & I boarded #631 rm #8. My SCA was a fellow by the nick name "D", who turned out to be quite good! My meals were the usual scrambled eggs, burgers etc. but did get the short ribs one night( a little salty but good). We got held up after we hit a deer the first night but made up the time very quickly. Allthough the train was packed full the entire way, it was smooth & uneventful.

I just walked up to the Met Lounge agents, Red Caps & baggage room attendants & asked them about the new Met Lounge. Their reponse was a huge round of laughter!!!! They were clearly amused at the question!!!

Well, my 2013 train vacation is coming to an end I must say that it has once again been beautiful, & Glacier Park was AWESOME!!!!

HAD FUN!!!!!
 
OBS said:
Thanks for sharing your trip with us!
Click to expand...
You're very welcome!

Only a few things to add.

While standing outside CUS along the river, I couldnt help but notice all these people , on foot, literaly running across the bridges toward me. DUUHHH, then it dawned on this red neck they were hurrying to the trains to get home! :giggle: :hi:

On the CONO, there were sleepers & coaches in front & behind the Dinner & Sightseer Lounge cars. I was on car #5900 Rm # 6, in the very rear. Kevin was my SCA & very good! The CONO was held last night for only a few minutes for the #8 EB!!!!

Well, I'm home now but wishing I was still on the Rails!!!! :p
 
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Rail Freak said:
OBS said:
Thanks for sharing your trip with us!
Click to expand...
You're very welcome!

Only a few things to add.

While standing outside CUS along the river, I couldnt help but notice all these people , on foot, literaly running across the bridges toward me. DUUHHH, then it dawned on this red neck they were hurrying to the trains to get home! :giggle: :hi:

On the CONO, there were sleepers & coaches in front & behind the Dinner & Sightseer Lounge cars. I was on car #5900 Rm # 6, in the very rear. Kevin was my SCA & very good! The CONO was held last night for only a few minutes for the #8 EB!!!!

Well, I'm home now but wishing I was still on the Rails!!!! :p
Click to expand...
^_^ The reason the CONO Consist was like it was is: its the Run through Texas Eagle Consist out of CHI! The Thundering Heard of Commuters @ Union Station is almost as bad as the NYP Mobs with the LAX Throng coming on strong down the Stretch!!! ;)
 
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