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Anyone else on the rails over the holiday weekend? I'll be on LSL 48(25) Chicago - Rochester, NY and LSL 49(1) Rochester - Chicago (and on to Milwaukee).
I'll be in the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago before & after each trip due to the Hiawatha connection. And I think I'm going to cross my fingers & check a bag so I don't have to do laundry while I'm in NY. I don't think my big suitcase will fit in a roomette & viewliners don't have that common baggage rack by the door.
Hope I labeled those trains right, Mr. Norman.
-------------------- My new "default" station (EKH) has no baggage service or QuikTrak machine, but the parking is free! And the NY Central RR Museum is just across the tracks (but not open at Amtrak train times. . ..) Posts: 337 | From: Goshen, IN | Registered: Jun 2006
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Ms. McFarland, if you are traveling Eastward on the Lake Shore Limited originating Chicago on Tuesday November 25, and returning also on the Lake Shore leaving Rochester Monday Dec 1, you are using correct Amtrak protocol.
I would however, like to point out that the "alphabet soup" identiication of the various trains, such as LSL, CONO, SWC, etc. is not official Amtrak protocol, but rather is merely railfanese.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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I'll be traveling over the turkey day holiday, but not on Amtrak. I'm taking the existing line that runs between Northern California and Southern California---Interstate 5. In order for me to take Amtrak to San Juan Capistrano, it would be a mish-mash of Thruway buses and rail connections. My 6.5 hour drive would take about 14 hours by rail/bus. No thank you!
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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I'll be taking the California Zephyr from Reno Thanksgiving afternoon to Denver. I learned that my arrival into Denver Union Station on the 28th will be around the time of the annual Train Station Holiday lighting ceremony. I haven't been in Denver at this time of year and look forward to the holiday lights.
Posts: 120 | From: Arizona | Registered: Mar 2007
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I'll be visiting the relatives in Wisconsin. I hope the roads are not too bad, or that they have been cleared off. The empire Builder of the past few years has been one of Amtrak's better trains, so I think I'll be okay.
-------------------- "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one corner of the Earth all one's life." Posts: 506 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Mar 2002
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If anyone is taking a LD train on Thanksgiving Day, the likelihood (at least it was in the past) is that the dining car will be serving turkey and all the trimmings. Anyone who partakes in this, would you please report to us?
I believe GBN is correct about official Amtrak train nomenclature. When I was riding Nos. 5/6 in the early 1990s, I asked my human hearing-ear dogs to listen to how the crews referred to Amtrak trains. It was always "Five" or "Six" or "Forty-eight" or "Forty-nine," never the train names.
But I was never tempted to title the book "Five" instead of "Zephyr."
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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The Red Caps here in DC referred to the trains by number. We always get the same one and his greeting is "29?".
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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quote:Originally posted by amtraxmaniac: I'll be taking an absolutely breath-taking journey on turkey day from Bakersfield to Fresno. Woo-hooo!!!!!!!!!!
Oh PLEASE don't do a trip report and take pictures. LOL! Just kidding.....
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Pics of what? Cotton, tumbleweeds, and cows? Hey, look!!! Corcoran Prison!! Didn't Charles Manson used to be there?? Oooooooohhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its no matter why some squawk when they have to detour the CS...oops...I mean the 11 or 14.
-------------------- Patrick Posts: 387 | From: Bakersfield, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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If #6 isn't too late into Reno I should get dinner. I'll report back on the offerings. Pics should be posted on my website by Sat. morning if all goes as planned.
Andy
Posts: 120 | From: Arizona | Registered: Mar 2007
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So what's wrong with cotton, tumbleweeds, and cows? We don't get that type of scenery down here in Florida! (well, maybe a few cows, but certainly no cotton or tumbleweeds......)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!!!!!!!!
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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On my first journey to Florida during 1956, I distinctly recall beef cattle grazing where likely today there are condos.
I guess somewhere there still is a beef cattle industry in Florida, but darned if I know where - and I don't think there is a county in the State I've not set foot in at one time or the other.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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GBN -- cattle is actually a rather large and significant industry in some parts of Florida -- especially in the southern part of the state around the edges of the Everglades, where there isn't a significant sugar or tourist industry. In some areas between the Orlando area and the south Florida coastal megalopolises, there are still a few very large cattle operations.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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We left Reno a few minutes late on Thanksgiving, but with plenty of time for dinner on the train. The special was Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetable and pumpkin pie. All was good except the potatoes were a little thin.
The entire crew was upbeat and very helpful for the entire trip. We arrived 1/2 hour early in to Denver and greeted with a snow shower.
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I enjoyed the pictures. For whatever reason the slideshow didn't run, but all the thumbnails were there. We stayed at the Brown Palace for a family reunion in July. Love those grand old hotels.
Posts: 406 | From: La Grange, CA | Registered: Sep 2007
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RR4me, The slideshow feature has been acting strange lately. It seems to work best if you click the first thumbnail and then use the "right arrow key" on the keyboard or click on the Next button under the picture. Glad you enjoyed! Andy
Posts: 120 | From: Arizona | Registered: Mar 2007
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I'm back in Wisconsin, the trip wasn't a "turkey", and for the first time in my experience, the LakeShore Limited wasn't hours late! In fact, we arrived 48(25) in Buffalo early, only to be delayed by the TSA and their sniffing dogs Thus the Rochester arrival was about 20 minutes late, unlike my previous record of 7 hours late.
The cheese, wine & crackers prior to departure from Chicago was very nice. We had such a good time socializing in the diner that we all hated to go back to our rooms. Departure was right on time.
The return trip 49(1) was an hour late leaving Rochester, partly because of a wheelchair bound passenger needed to be loaded in coach. In South Bend the next morning it looked like we would make the desired Hiawatha connection in Chicago, but we were then held more than 30 minutes for freight traffic.
Due to my itinerary, breakfast was the only meal. Eastbound the scrambled eggs were terrible, so I was afraid to try them westbound & opted for cold cereal. The lady across the table had the eggs & they looked MUCH better.
Our Hiawatha train was delayed 30 minutes in Sturtevant (WI) when a passenger fell (in the aisle of our car) & paramedics were called. I didn't see the fall happen, but I heard the conductor tell someone in Milwaukee that a passenger had broken her hip in a fall. It was not a good day for the Hiawatha because an earlier train had a "bustitution" due to an accident with a pedestrian. I don't know any of the details about that incident.
So now I am starting to put together the details for a trip to the West Coast next summer. It's a comforting to think of mountain wildflowers as I look outside to a snow storm.
-------------------- My new "default" station (EKH) has no baggage service or QuikTrak machine, but the parking is free! And the NY Central RR Museum is just across the tracks (but not open at Amtrak train times. . ..) Posts: 337 | From: Goshen, IN | Registered: Jun 2006
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