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Why does all the bad mouthing I hear about AMTRAK come from you easterners? In 1999 I rode from El Paso Texas to L.A. to Oakland to Reno. Rented a car drove to San Bernadino, trained again to Albq. N.M. The train was always late, maybe Musselini could make em run on time, that's not the point. NEVER try to keep a scheduale, it's your vacation cruise. Enjoy the scenery. The food was excellant. The accomidation deluxe first class. My own private room with shower. I paid just over $1,000 for ten days inluding meals lodging transportation. Try that with Avis and Motel Six. Met lots of great people. No road rage, no air rage. Amtrak is subject to the whims of the freight operators, and yet still managed to keep us ontime (within half an hour).
Posts: 6 | From: ALAMOGORDO, NEW MEXICO | Registered: Jul 2000
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I'm with You Richard. When I get on the train I'm on a vacation & often don't care if the train ever gets where I'm going. The trip is always the best part of it anyway. Yours Reggie
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I also agree with you. I rode almost the entire route of the Sunset Limited both directions, the entire route of the Coast Starlight both directions, and a lot of the Southwest Chief both directions. Most of the trains were late, but I planned on them being late so it did not matter. I think it is very enjoyable.
When you take a plane, you see only your destination. When you take the train, you see everything in between.
Dean
------------------ Elias Valley Railroad (N-scale) www.geocities.com/evrr
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I have traveled on Eastern trains for several years, and I don't have any problems with them. However, as of late, the on-time performance has been horrible due to snafus related to the Conrail takeover. The scenery out west is better, as is equipment, and this impacts people's moods. Also, single-level long distance trains don't have lounge cars, they only have a car that's called a "lounge" but is actually half cafe car and half smoking area. So most people stay at their seats or in their rooms and don't socialize and enjoy the trip as much. Some good things about Eastern trains - I have met the finest dining car waiter, the finest sleeping car attendant, the finest lounge car attendant and the finest coach car attendant all aboard the Lake Shore Limited (not all on the same trip.) So they have some excellent crews. Also, Viewliner sleepers have Superliner sleepers beat by a mile - in my mind, it's no contest.
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As an old expression goes..there are train people and there are not train people. I take the train for the sake of traveling on the train. I have a wonderful adventure planned for September...twelve days across the country and back and ten of those days riding Amtrak.
The train is the vacation. I do it every year and its the highlight of my year. By the way I m from Pennsylvania(back East) and I ve encountered all kinds of late trains. Only time I mind a late train is when I have to be bussed for a portion of the journey. Other than that, I figure..hey..more for the money!
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I certainly agree with Graynt and others about there being train people and there are not being train people. I have always loved traveling by train. I have not traveled extensively but a few years back took a long trip around the country: Virginia to Chicago, to Portland, to San Luis Obispo, to LA, to Flagstaff, Chicago again, and back to Virginia. It was a wonderful experience, even with a delay on the Empire Builder due to a freight derailment and a few other problems, and I would be happy to do it again.
Posts: 18 | From: North Carolina | Registered: Jul 2000
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quote:Originally posted by graynt: By the way I m from Pennsylvania(back East) and I ve encountered all kinds of late trains. Only time I mind a late train is when I have to be bussed for a portion of the journey. Other than that, I figure..hey..more for the money!
Yeah, that's kind of how I'd think... except if I was really trying to get somewhere on time; then I'd be mad if it was very late. When I took the Capitol Limited from Chicago to DC, it was 3 hours late due to freight congestion, but I didn't really mind. However, though it was an "Eastern" train, it was very enjoyable and I don't see why trains in the West would somehow be better. Some of the scenery was the most magnificent I'd ever seen.
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