While you did not specifically state so, possibly you are using #1, Sunset Ltd, from Pensacola to New Orleans for a connection with #58, the "City".

I think you will find the "City" to be a very "personalized" travel experience. The New Orleans based on board crews are top notch. The Sleeper Attendant on my Feb 25 trip was extremely conscientious, and considering New Orleans reputation as a "good eating town", many of the Dining Car "food specialists" deserve the title of "Chef". Even with Amtrak's "by the numbers" approach to things, there is always the means to "slip in" a special sauce for either the Steak or the Veal Chop.

The CN/IC track is in far better shape than much of CSX. On time performance is "pretty good".

So considering you are using Sleeper, you can fo forth with expectations of a trip on which there will likely be "more positives than negatives".

Irish -- I assume you are NOT taking the train from New Orleans to Pensacola? The Sunset Ltd does offer service between those 2 cities, however, the Sunset is most likely going to be very very late into NOL, and if you have time constraints, you may be better off renting a car from NOL to Pensacola.

Train 59 Chicago to New Orleans

Train 58 New Orleans to Chicago

On the railroad, North is East and E=Even=East controls the numbering of Amtrak trains (exception: Starlight, but there is a reason for that anomaly).

My earlier message has been edited to reflect that possibly Mr. Irish is taking Train #1 Sunset Ltd, Pensacola to New Orleans to connect with #58.

I'm surprised you didn't explain the reason for this crazy way of numbering. I'm sure you know and I guess you assume RRRich know's but I'm wondering how many of the other guys know the reason why the SP numbered them this way.

Comments??? (History lesson)

Pick up an Amtrak Public timetable, and you will note that the SB Starlight is #11; the NB #14. Actually, it also has two "silent numbers 12 & 13 as well.

As far as the Southern Pacific was concerned the Starlight was both an Eastbound and Westbound train - nothing has come to my attention suggesting any difference since the sucession to the UP.

Therefore the Starlight, on SP rails from Portland to Oakland was traveling West, hence an odd number #11, But at Oakland changed directions and was traveling East Oakland to LA and took #12 (as noted above: E=Even=East).

The octopus' head was at 65 Market and the tentacles extended Eastward from there to Portland, Ogden, Santa Rosa (LA was just an intermediate stop)and on subsidiary lines to St Louis (SSW) and New Orleans (T&NO).

Oh Santa Rosa? That was end of track for the SP portion of the Golden State route, even though the operational interchange was at Tucumcari, NM some 30 miles Eastward on the Rock Island. And Octopus? Here's more: http://www.penguinputnam.com/Book/BookFrame/0,1007,,00.html?id=0140187707

But Amtrak wisely just used #11 and 14, Amtrak #12 & 13 are NEC Mail Trains.

I'm supposed to be in Cocoa Beach, Florida by March 27th to play Baseball with the team.

Unfortunately I was given the notice that I'd be going(since Im only a sophmore I didnt know I'd be with the Varsity team) a little to late.
Now almost all flights from STL to ORL are sold out or extremely expensive.

What I was thinking is that I'd take the City of New Orleans from Carbondale to New Orleans, then fly from New Orleans to Orlando as the air fare plus train tickets + Bus are about a total of $150 cheaper than a flight from STL to ORL.
BTW we'd rent a car in Orlando.

Also my mom has two seats held leaving STL at 1:00PM(flight), but I'd have to miss a day of school and a game. Then Id return on a Monday afternoon making me miss another day of school and a game. And the plane tickets are way more expensive than my plan.

However my CONOL + Plane plane makes me only miss 4 hours of school.

check www.greyhound.com for all you need to know about it.

Just for info, here is what I found, To make your northbound at New Orleans, you have to leave Pensacola at 4:40am, but there is a long layover in Mobile, so if you can get yourself to Mobile, the bus leaves Mobile at 8:15am, gets to new Oerleans at 11:45am, giving you 2 hours. Or, you can leave at 9:55am, change in Mobile, leaving at 11:35am and get to Jackson at 5:15pm. My Oct 03 schedule has the CNO leaving Jackson at 5:44pm. If the bus sounds slow, it is because it is not the straight up I10, US98, S49 route. It goes through Gulfport, Hattiesburg, and Laurel. In case you do not know, the bus station in Pensacola is just off but in sight of US 29 a short distance south of the I10 interchange. Address is 505 W. Burgess Rd.

Talking of mileposts: For the L&N, Lousiville, Kentucky was the northernmost point in the world and all lines were milposted south from there. Therefore, if you catch the SL in Pensacola, according to the old L&N reckoning you go north to Flomaton AL,about milepost 607 and then are going south to New Orleans.

To Unclebuck44:
If you can sell the idea, and if time is available, you can save some cash by taking the bus from NOUPT to MSY. The greyhounds to Baton Rouge mostly stop at the airport. See the greyhound web site. It only showed 4, with the first that works for you at 7:00pm, but I thouht there were more. Fare is $8.50. There may be city bus service. There probably is a web site you can find for that also.

Another suggestion, see also if you can get a cheap fare out of Memphis. It is a Northwest hub, and I know they have at least 3 non-stops a day to Orlando. Taxi Central Station to airpost will probably be about $20.00. RR station in Memphis (also true for New Orleans) is not an area to wander around in at all, extremely true at night, which it would be for you at Memphis northbound.

Hang it there. In the future you may even come to understand your parent's concerns. There view of you tends to lag behind where you are. Your view of you tends to run ahead of where you are. Being a worrier seems to be part of the mother job description. Unless they are truly abnormal parents, they do have your best interest at heart even though it is very hard for you to see at this time. They are probably more concerned about your do it yourself transfers between transportation modes where the transfers are not normally laid out for you. Try giving them a developed plan of how you plan to get from station to airport and back. Do it calmly, show that you can plan things out and handle yourself. Even if it fails now, it will lay good groundwork for the future. In short, try to act adult, even if it is an act.

thanks for the info. the bus out of mobile sounds like a good idea if i cant get a ride to new orleans. dont want to use jackson and miss some of the train.