posted
I always take ear plugs--don't use them, but I take them--and an eye mask--which I do use--when I sleep in coach (or you can just put a shirt or jacket over your eyes). There are safety lights in the coach cars, so it's good to be able to black them out when you want to sleep.
Don't know about the dig-E-player but it seems a little pricey for me--depends on your tastes, though. This time of year, when it's light so late, I'd rather sit in the observation car (except during dinner) and look out at the scenery. That's why I liked to bring music and listen as I look. One could also bring a CD player and audio book on CDs, if you like audio books (I have trouble concentrating on those and would rather read from a real book when I read; I do that after it gets dark). I like bringing CDs with music about what I'm going through, e.g., cowboy songs for eastern Montana, Mississippi River songs for when I'm crossing that, train songs at any time. I also like reading books about the places I'm going to or trough, if I can. For instance, I read Campbell's Kingdom by Hammond Innis this time while in the Canadian Rockies. Then, when I read about a rock slide in those mountains a day after seeing a really big one live and in person, I knew what Innis meant!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Not sure about that Roomette #17? I believe 1-10 are upstairs and 11-14 downstairs.
For Car numbers, the first digit is the number of the train (7 >west, 8>east). After the locomotives comes the baggage car and crew dorm, then your 2 Seattle sleepers with the lowest number next to the diner. 732 is 2nd car forward from the diner, 831 would be next to the diner behind 832. Behind the diner are the Seattle coaches, the sightseer lounge, the Portland coaches, and finally the Portland sleeper(s).
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
17 sounds like a transition sleeper. 9 and 10 are the last rooms on the upper level. On the lower are rooms 11-14, the family room and the accessable one.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
Interesting, I didn't even know about transition sleepers.......It would make sense because the day after I booked that route was sold out. So maybe they did throw us in the transition car.
I read that showers and toilets are available on both levels....so that wouldn't be so bad.
Posts: 28 | From: Western Maryland | Registered: Jun 2007
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no showers on the upper level unless you have a bedroom. There is a shower room on the lower level and I think 3 toiilet rooms. But they are very small so I suggest using the one on the upper level. It has far more room.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
A possible convergence of forum contributors on the Empire Builder?....
If Laura (proloz) and Mark leave on the 26th, they will probably roll through Essex the night of the 28th. Vicki (HopefulRailUser) and Art should arrive on Essex on the 25th, and later hop back on the Builder bound for Portland. Depending on how long Vicki stays in Essex, you fine folks could all be on the same train Essex-Spokane.
If so, I might suggest the lounge or the long stop in Whitefish as a place to meet up. I may meet Vicki and Art when they board #27 in St. Paul on the 24th.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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quote:Originally posted by proloz: FIVE more days!!!!
Oh the excitement!!!
Of course I'm thrilled that I am now on summer vacation until August 2. I've got this workshop next week and a trip to the Colorado narrow guages in July.....otherwise I am free!!!!!!!
Yes.....I'll do something with Amtrak. Anyone have any experience leaving a vehicle for a few days at the Carbondale, IL station?
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
There has to be a "perk" or two left for educators in this life, Ms. Laura.
Posts: 9979 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Have a great trip.....thanks to wireless internet and the fact that I'm on a college campus each night this week (just different colleges each night), I may be able to keep up with news of your trip.
Keep an eye out for the ponies!
Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Oh I agree, educators deserve much more than they get!!!
If I can I'll be on to update...I'm not taking my laptop afterall, but I will have many computers to access when I get to WA state.
We return on the 9th of July so if all else fails I'll be back with updates then! Posts: 28 | From: Western Maryland | Registered: Jun 2007
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quote:Originally posted by train lady: yes and the nice thing about Amtrak is you won't get bumped like with the airlines. They don't overbook
Ms Train Lady, Amtrak DOES overbook in the Corridor. Not the case with Sleepers and I doubt even with LD Coach.
Secondly Ms. Laura, as of a few moments ago, the website shows Roomettes on both 29(26) and 30(08JUL)are available. You know my advice; GRAB 'EM.
Posts: 9979 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Just curious how Laura and Mark's trip went. I noted that their Capitol was just under an hour late into Chicago which meant they had about five hours to explore and still make their connection.
Hopefully we'll get a trip report when they return.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Guess what? I'm back! I have 985 pictures! Not all ones you'd want to see of course, but quite a few you might.
On the way home the Empire Builder ran 5 1/2 hours late due to mechanical issues and we had to stop forever and wait because the sister Empire Builder running west had switch issues and they had to get out and have someone inspect them or something like that. LOL
So we missed our connection on the Capitol Limited and ended up staying at the Hilton with $40 given to us by Amtrak. It was a great suite and actually it was nice to have a night in Chicago.
It's great to be home though.....that's a LONG journey......I still feel like I'm on a train to be honest. lol
Met lots of nice people too, oh and also on the way home the AC broke in the dining car and we had to stop and get subway subs for lunch---Amtrak got them and passed them out to our rooms, and they brought us dinner to our rooms too......eating in the dining car was awful, it was literally in the 90's in there.
We never did upgrade the CL to a sleeper, we just roughed it---BUT make no mistake, if we go next year we WILL have a sleeper for both parts.
Smoking breaks were fun in a way and actually made you bond with your fellow smokers.....lol Not as bad as I thought.
When I upload my pics I'll post a link to my albums for you all.
Posts: 28 | From: Western Maryland | Registered: Jun 2007
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posted
Thanks for the update. Glad you made it back OK.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
First of all, I know I know...no pics of horses in fields or something. My husband stole my camera though and he was bored and took a lot of boring pics....lol It wasn't me. But there are others in there that you all might like to see so I thought I'd share the albums from the trip there, and the trip back. It was amazing.
posted
Great pictures. You came through on the westbound EB a few days after us. We were late and missed the Rockies in the daylight so I enjoyed those pictures. Loved the few ponies too, they are an essential component of any train trip. You also did some nice shots of the great hall at CUS, I should have done those stairs. Thanks for sharing it all.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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How cool that you were on there around the time I was. Some of the pics are blurry of course, hard to get great pics when going so fast on a train. A man that smoked outside with us had a GPS something or other that was tracking the trains speed and he said we topped out around 83mph on the empire builder!
Some parts of Montana and North Dakota were extremely boring though......we had a digEplayer on the way so that helped out some. Mark saw a few coyotes, antelope, and even a black bear(although he missed the pic of that and it killed him).
My room attendent on the way was Cheryl and on the way back it was Cynthia. Both were really nice.
What amazed us was seeing all the snow capped mountains in July. Pretty wild!!!!! Especially when we were in WA state and saw Mt Baker, and Mt Rainier. They were so cool.
At first we were REALLY mad our train on the return was so late and we missed our connection, but in a way it turned out good....we had a free night at a super nice Hilton Suites....so it was like a free vacation night, and luckily Mark had enouogh vacation hours left to cover it.
Posts: 28 | From: Western Maryland | Registered: Jun 2007
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posted
The photos were great.......and yes, there sure is alot of Montana and North Dakota.
I'm glad that you guys were able to make the best of your unexpected extra night in Chicago and I'm glad that Amtrak made suitable arrangements to look out for you.
Alot of folks when traveling west to east automatically build a night in Chicago into their plans now......so that they don't have to worry about making the connection. Of course if any of us were betting on making a connection off one of the western trains, we would have our money on the Empire Builder, Oh well.
Thanks for sharing your pictures. Let us know how your next trip goes.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Nice pictures. There are some beautiful mountain shots. One can never get the same feel of our beautiful country from a plane. Well, that's from a train lover's point of view.
Posts: 498 | From: New Hope, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
Glad to share them, and that you all enjoyed them. I'll never forget it. From the trip there, being there, and back---I have 985 pictures to get developed then I'll be making a series of scrapboks so I can keep all of the memories.
Plus, it's nice to see me huh? And put a face to a name!!!! At least it is for me on forums.
Posts: 28 | From: Western Maryland | Registered: Jun 2007
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Not all ones you'd want to see of course, but quite a few you might.
