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I just got off a very early Sunset/Eagle yesterday ending one of the longest trips in my life. Overall it was great but there are certain things that Amtrak certainly needs to improve on.
After 3 full days in Washington, D.C. my family and i headed north on Regional 174 from WAS to NYP on June 18th. We were booked in Business Class which was fairly empty the entire way to New York. The trip was extremely fast, and speeding through the rain was something new to us. We arrived New York on-time and met with relatives over the next day or so then headed north again this time to our main destination of Providence, RI. We were on Acela 2250 in first class, and boy does Amtrak treat this train well. Food was brought to us on actual plates! Not the plastic stuff back west, and we actual glasses with the Acela logo on them. The food was great and scenery along a damp CT coastline was spectacular. The one thing that got us was that the ride was smooth, no sudden jolts or smashes like the LDs we were used to. We arrived Providence on-time and met with more relatives that had been anticipating our arrival for several months. On June 24th we began the long trek home to El Paso. We left Providence on Regional 190 to Boston where we connect with the Lake Shore through section.
Now my family and I are very seasoned rail travelers and we come to adjust to what inconvenience we encounter, but the Lake Shore took the cake. It was awful, our Viewliner was falling apart and my parents Bedroom looked like a scene from a horror movie with paint peeling off the walls and dirty upholstery. We kept telling ourselves that we're simply used to spoiling ourselves with Superliners so we'd have to adjust to this. But this train was just flat out nasty, the cafe car was dirty and small, the coaches were packed to the brim and started to smell, my parents obtained numerous bruises from being thrown around in the middle of the night as we sped over the roughest track we've ever been on. Upon our arrival into Chicago, we were the first ones to jump off. My father has dubbed it as "Riding in a dump" and "The Lake SORE Limited". I personally enjoyed the Viewliners but only to a certain extent. We went up into the streets and had lunch at a good burger place nearby before returning to the Metropolitan Lounge to board the Eagle for home.
Our bad luck seemed to more or less follow us onto the Eagle. First off we did not have a Sightseer but 2 Diner-Lounges. After that horrible trip on the Lake Shore i was really looking forward to a nice comfy seat in the Sightseer. So once that was ruled out I found that our Sleeper was more of an I'll finish rebuilding this later Sleeper. It had wood paneling in the halls but everything else was the same as an old Superliner I Sleeper. We did have closets in the roomettes but they're impossibly small and nothing fits in there except a shirt or 2. I honestly think they're useless. As soon as we left Chicago it became apparent the Lake Shore luck as we were calling it now was following us. Our sleeper's AC became erratic and blew hot air in roomettes 5/6 and upward. On the other half of the car it was nice and cold and the Bedrooms had the best AC. They never did fix the problem as we continued south until we were just east of Dallas when the AC quit all together. It was 102 degrees outside and our Sleeper became an oven and we were taken into the cafe diner-lounge by the conductor to reside there until mechanical in Ft. Worth could take a look. We were on-time the entire way into Ft. Worth and they were able to patch together the AC so everything was working fine as we left Ft. Worth. We made our way south until we came to Round Rock on the approach to Austin. UP reared it ugly dispatching habits again as we sat for an hour waiting for a freight to pass us. Then the dreaded news came the toilet system had failed due to a full tank and it would be emptied in San Antonio, simple we'll just use the other car no problem, we were mistaken. With our Lake Shore luck they FORGOT to empty the tank in San Antonio, and the toilets were dead the rest of the way west. We ended up arriving San Antonio only 15 minutes late though thanks to padding. We explored the Riverwalk once again to find a good Mexican restaurant since we had not had Mexican food since we left El Paso almost 2 weeks ago. We returned back right before we were switched onto a separate track to await the Sunset's arrival.
When we awoke we were never happier to be aboard the Sunset. I knew the crew in the Diner immediately when i heard them call for Breakfast. From volunteering down at the ELP Depot i've come to know all the crew that normally work the Sunset. It was nice to be in an actual Diner for once and have a different menu from the Diner-Lounge cars on the other trains. It was also incredibly nice to have a Sightseer for the first time since the Capitol. Our sleeper's system began to fail one after the other as toilets were dead followed quickly by the AC. The Sunset was on-time at every station from San Antonio west to home in El Paso, where we arrived nearly an hour early at 3:45pm. I sincerely hope that something was done about the Sleeper as the stench from the bathrooms failing began to reach the upper level and quickly make people sick. The lady in the roomette across from us i think was about to jump ship in El Paso since she could not tolerate the heat and the restrooms not working and was demanding to be put up in the dorm car. I never did see the outcome since we left the station to return home a few minutes after claiming our baggage.
All in all it was a great trip and going out was one of the best train trips i've had. But returning we really did see the never-again side of Amtrak. This will not stop us though as every trip has up and downs. I just wished i knew the fate of the rest of the passengers aboard our ill-fated Sleeper!
posted
Mr.Schillinger, I commend you for how you have polished your writing style over the time you have participated at this Forum. Even in this world of Tweets and Texts (what you do when using those communication media is of no concern to me), it is pleasing to see a young man step forward and write here with complete sentences.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Unfortunately, the trip you describe is not all that unusual on Amtrak. Amtrak's lack of professionalism and discipline has been a problem since 1971. Those of us who remember trains run by the railroads before Amtrak have never really gotten used to the lax service standards that now prevail.
The one place where Amtrak runs a serious transportation service is in the Northeast Corridor, and I'm glad to see that your experience reflected that. As a resident of Philadelphia, I'm frequently on Amtrak NEC trains, and in general the level of service provided is quite high.
Not so on the LD trains, unfortunately. I fervently hope that the recent infusion of money will enable Amtrak to rebuild and acquire enough cars to provide a level of service that doesn't involve failing A/C and toilets. We can but hope...
Posts: 614 | From: Merchantville, NJ. USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: Mr.Schillinger, I commend you for how you have polished your writing style over the time you have participated at this Forum. Even in this world of Tweets and Texts (what you do when using those communication media is of no concern to me), it is pleasing to see a young man step forward and write here with complete sentences.
Hear Hear.....
Well written. What a pity the trip did not live up to your report of it.
And you have a very nice station in El Paso. I've been fortunate to use it twice in the last 7 years (both terminating and originating trips there.....)
Wellll.....actually the termination there was not my initial plan. The full train was being annulled due to a UP derailment. I opted to go forward with Soutwest Airlines rather than take an overnight bustitution.
-------------------- 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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Thanks everyone! If only my English teachers would have the same comments about my writing! But overall this trip was deemed a success by my family, which was exactly what i was aiming for. (My parents have deemed me the "worthwhile" expensive hobby) This will not be the last travelogue of the summer though, coming soon will be my adventure to San Diego in late July for a tennis camp at the University of California- San Diego. I'm very excited about it since it will be my first solo trip, just myself and a teammate heading to camp via the Sunset.
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I wonder what "Roger Federer's" Mother and Father would have thought of the journey had the choice been made to fly KELP to KMCO, rent an auto, drive such to Sanford, load it (and selves) aboard Auto Train, ditch the auto somewhere in Wash, travel as executed to Boston, then flown home KBOS to KELP.
Here, all would have experienced Amtrak's 'best foot forward" - Corridor and LD.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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I concur, Kevin - very well written and interesting report. I'm sure I couldn't write that well when I was 17. And your traveler's attitude is unimpeachable - may it always be so!
The comments about the Lake Shore Ltd worry me though. I was planning to take that train to Boston this fall. It is one of the few lines that I have not ridden yet. But since the 'lakeshore' part is in the middle of the night and the rest can be done with Empire Service, Kevin's indictment of "It was awful" in an otherwise equanimous report gives me pause. Is this level of unacceptability commonplace on the LSL? The other major line I have not experienced is the Silver Service, recently slammed by Notelvis. Since I was reared in GA and am with pine trees like Eskimos with snow, Mr. Norman's oft-cited remark does not deter, but the thumbsdown of the seasoned rider does. I'd love to go to FL.....I guess I will die of the heat here in Austin before Gulf coast service recommences.
Other than these two, the Michigan trains and the Downeaster, I think, are the only remaining exceptions in my aspiration to tour the country via Amtrak.
I was thinking about trying the excursion to Ashville on 11/1 from the NC Transportation Museum mentioned in a post on this forum that I can no longer find. But it does not appear to be workable for me because of lack of suitable accommodation in Spencer or Salisbury. It would require an overnight before and after and I cannot find anything on the internet that doesn't also require renting a car because of distance involved and lack of public transit.
Posts: 326 | From: San Antonio Texas USA | Registered: Dec 2003
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I would not let my remarks dissuade you from trying the Silver Service trains.
Recall the old saying "Familiarity breeds contempt'? That's kind of what we're dealing with here. I've been on the Silver Service route trains more than any others in the Amtrak system because they, save for the Crescent which passes near me in the wee hours, are the Amtrak system trains nearest to me.
I've gotten to the point that when I'm ready for a train ride and often have only a limited number of days available to travel, I'd rather fly somewhere.....Baltimore, Chicago....points further west...... and ride a less familiar route than just trundle up the CSX 'A' line again! In just under three weeks I'm doing just that and flying to Minneapolis!
In fairness, I'd say that decent....or at least uneventful.....Silver Service trips outnumber the unacceptable ones nearly (but not quite) 2 to 1.
I would add that the Silver Meteor and Silver Star are nicer trains than the Carolinian and Palmetto. The Star does offer reasonable arrival/departure times in the Raleigh area. If you are coming later this year to pursue an Asheville excursion (and Old Fort Mountain in Western North Carolina is an outstanding ride!), you may want to consider doing the rental car thing simply to do a driving tour of some of the outstanding refurbished train stations in Central North Carolina. DO NOT MISS Hamlet, Greensboro, or High Point if you do.
Salisbury and Spencer are both right off I-85 and surely the Choice Hotel folks (Comfort Inn, et al) could find something acceptable for lodging.....assuming of course that you're willing to do the rental car thing.
Here is a link to the NC Transportation Museum for info on their excursions......
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
I have to concur with Sunset Limited's report about the Lake Shore and its Viewliner equipment. When I last rode it (Dec/08) in a bedroom from Chicago to Buffalo, it was quite obvious that the equipment is falling apart. Such things as the curtains not closing properly, door handles falling off, light switches not operating properly etc, show that Amtrak's newest sleeping cars appear to be the worst maintained. As for that awful so-called dining car, it must be the worst in the Amtrak system as I don't think anything is freshly prepared in these cars. As for the riding quality of this train, it must be the roughest riding of almost any train I have been on. I don't know if it is the poorly maintained tracks, the railway equipment or a combination of both.
When I was last on the Texas Eagle, it had a proper dining and lounge car, so it is sad to hear that it is becoming more like the Lake Shore.
Posts: 524 | From: Toronto Ont. Canada | Registered: Mar 2001
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I just received more information from my agent friend down at the station who I'd asked to do some digging into our ride on the Lake Shore. Our sleeper Scenic View has had numerous mechanical problems that had not been addressed for at least 2 weeks. Also our rough ride was contributed to truck issues, something about the stabilizers were not right so nothing was cushioning the switches we went over. Also the roughest track on the route is the CSX segment. From Cleveland east to Rochester the line badly needs improvement.
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Cleveland to some point just beyond Rochester has to be the roughest mileage on the Entire Amtrak system. I can fall asleep anywhere at anytime and sleep soundly. (It is a family joke that you could run a freight train by the foot of my bed and I would not wake up.) Last trip on the Lakeshore I woke more than once. A seatbelt to "tie" one in would have been "a good thing". Do not know what railroad is the culprit -- but it has gotten steadily worse over the last fifteen years that I have ridden this line twice a year. Be prepared - perhaps a sleep aid would help. Know that whatever train you are connecting with will afford you the opportunity to catch up on your sleep.
Can not tell you what to expect for food -- it seems like it changes every trip I have taken.
It is however quicker and less expensive than doing the round about route through Washington,DC to get to Chicago.
Dee
Posts: 460 | From: North Central CT | Registered: May 2004
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I have taken the Lakeshore Ltd westbound to Chicago two or three times and eastbound from Chicago many times (though not to Boston); also, westbound from Boston to Albany three times. Obviously, between Boston and Albany I go coach——once, with my husband, we went business class, which they offered when there were no Boston sleepers. Going or coming from Chicago I usually have a roomette, though for one round trip with my husband and once eastbound with a friend I had the larger sleeper, and once I came home from Chicago in coach (after having a sleeper on the train west of Chicago). I also took the Lakeshore Ltd round trip in coach on one of my very first overnight Amtrak trips, when I went to Cleveland.
That Cleveland trip was the worst time I ever had on the LSL, because (a) I was in coach; (b) the train arrived and left in the middle of the night; and (c) the coach attendant westbound was pretty irritating. I don't remember what year this was, maybe the late 1990s? I have found the service on the train much improved since then, though the food has deteriorated somewhat since 2006 (as it has on all the Amtrak trains). Also, when they moved the Chicago departure to 10PM (now 9) they stopped serving dinner, but I actually prefer eating a nicer meal in Chicago and going to the wine and cheese (and grapes) for sleeper passengers only on the train, meeting the other passengers. Some of the passengers have been very interesting people indeed.
Most recently, I was on the Lakeshore Ltd eastbound from Chicago in March in the bigger sleeper (this was the time I shared with a friend) and the Lakeshore Ltd westbound from Boston to Albany in coach just the other day (probably missed Sunset Ltd's trip by a day or two).
I do find the train ride from Chicago a little boring. Of course, the part between NYC and Albany on the Hudson River is quite nice for those going all the way to NYC--although, depending on time of year, it may be too dark along the Hudson for the east/southbound trip; other times, the sun can be in your eyes, so bring a hat with a brim--I always carry one of those fishing caps you can fold up in your overnight bag.
But anyway, for me, not going all the way from or to NYC, the LSL trip to and from Chicago is a little boring, as I said. That is why, at the suggestion of someone here (Dee I think?) I began going westbound to Chicago via NYC (where I generally overnight with a friend or even spend a few days with family), then catch an early Regional to DC, with several hours to see museums etc there before taking Capital Ltd westbound to Chicago. The first day on the Cap Ltd westbound is quite pretty, although in winter it can get too dark to enjoy as much of it as I'd like.
Getting back to the LSL, I agree with Dee about some rough track, though I thought it was west of Cleveland, but my memory is not 100 percent about these things. I have heard other people complain about it, but I invariably wake up not from rough track but from the long stop in Cleveland. In our March trip, I don't recall my friend (who is no train traveler) complaining about the rough track, though we both found that the communicating door in the larger sleepers rattled a lot--but that was from the time we left Chicago, not just on any rought track--we had to lodge towels and things in it to get it to stop. And I bring earplugs too, though I rarely use them--I do use my Walkman, but not at night.
The westbound LSL out of Boston the other day was full in its two coaches, but had those comfortable larger seats--fine for a trip from Boston to Albany. When I boarded in Boston, the train was pleasantly clean, including the toilets, although I'll not vouch for that continuing in coach all the way to Chicago. I gather it was a full train, coaches seemed pretty full after Worcestor, and all sleepers were said to be sold. Still, the lounge was not busy, and I spent much of the time west of Springfield (the prettiest part of the ride) in there, sitting on the left (better river views, though nicer before the trees have leafed in) but looking out both windows. Sure, it's no sightseer lounge, but it was still pleasant, with a nice friendly attendant the day I took it, and it was quite clean (unlike, for instance, the Cross-Country Diner on with the spilled seafood gumbo I also took on the City of New Orleans in March, hahaha).
The train arrived on time into Albany. It was on time both times I took it in the past; in fact, the time with my husband, I think it was a little early. This time, however, though it was on time into Albany, which was all that concerned ME, I gathered the NYC train that it was meeting had had some delay in departure and in fact was about an hour and a half late getting to Albany. This is most unusual (delays are usually in the other direction) . . . but, well . . . you never know. . . .
As for the part of the ride I made, Boston to Albany, it's a slow but pleasant trip IMO, crossing Massachusetts to the Berkshires and making a long lazy loop into New York's Hudson Valley but never quite reaching the river the way the train from NYC does. The first time I took it, people here gave me all kinds of interesting info about the route--it's an old one, partly designed by Whistler's father (who designed the Trans-Siberian RR as well), and goes through some really tiny middle-of-nowhere towns in the Berkshires--think Ethan Frome. Well, maybe only if you do it in winter (I'm not sure I would).
If you are wondering why I've never taken the LSL eastbound from Albany to Boston, it's because its arrival time in Albany is unreliable (though better in this recession than it was a few years ago) and because even if it's on time, it gets into Boston late in the day and thus kills the whole day but I'd still have to pay for a hotel room--much better to go via NYC to Boston, with an early morning ride down the Hudson in (which if not foggy or very rainy is quite splendid) before transferring to the Boston train or, better yet, staying with my friend in Manhattan or others I know in the NY area and going from there to Boston even earlier.
Like all trains that has (part) in NYC, the LSL is a Viewliner train, not a Superliner. So it does not have a sightseer lounge, and it does not have the shelf downstairs for luggage. So if you are in a roomette with 2 people, you need to check the luggage. (If you are in a full room you can take it in, though some people prefer not too). One nice thing about the roomettes on the Viewliners is that you do get your own bathroom. That is very nice indeed. I have never had a problem with my commode toilet on a Viewliner, though I have been on many a Superliner where the upstairs toilet was getting pretty smelly and not working 100 percent.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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