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I'm reluctant to call what follows a trip report as it is hardly full of technical details. rather I offer this as impressions of Auto Train trips, namely my Voyages 16 & 17, that i made last month. The material is adapted from that posted at at another railforum.
The overall itinerary of the journey called for auto from home starting March 14 (overnight Akron OH) to Greenwich, CT, thence to Lorton and onward to Boca Raton from Sanford. Return was reverse route to Lorton, thence home. Some thoughts that follow do not exactly relate to the rail journey.
Folks, if you ever must have a cell phone ‘check out’ on you, best hope it will be at home where you know the “lay of the land’. On Thursday March 15, mine that was acquired during 2003 suddenly decided that it wanted to display half a screen showing the Verizon logo and the other half showing “patchwork quilt’. It would not respond to any controls and the ‘quick fix’ of removing the battery and reinserting it did nothing. Since the only time I really use a cell phone is on my trips, it had to be replaced - and fast. So after a Friday Mar 16 morning business appointment in Greenwich, it was off to Stamford and a downtown shopping center where a Verizon store is located. Entering a cellular store is of course entry into the age 18-26 demographic world. complete with terms being splashed about a 65 year old does not comprehend. I have no idea whether I got value for an LG phone with features I will never use (Bluetooth, what’s that?) but I got a phone that after a few “test calls’ was satisfied worked and was connected to my account (a Member here got one within 15 min after the ordeal’ was over).
Now to material more appropriate to an Amtrak railforum. I cannot emphasize that when driving in the Northeast, there is simply no such a thing as allowing too much time. I generally think I have good ‘sense” in allocating time, and there is not too much for which I am ‘late’ in this life. But guess what; I as good as missed 53(18).
My itinerary was to drive from Greenwich to Lorton along with a brief stop off to visit a Railforum Member at his home in NJ near Phila. I thought a 7AM departure would “do it’ and leaving the Member’s home at 11A would get me there with adequate time to meet the 3PM AT closing. Traffic jams can occur anywhere along I-95 - and for no apparent reason at that. I pulled into the Lorton terminal at 302PM and asked (but neither begged nor demanded) leniency. The Amtrak loading supervisor (they otherwise use an outside contractor for auto handling at Lorton) gave me a smile and a “you look like a nice guy, Mr. Norman”; I gave her a well meant hug.
The thought of 18 wheelers “doin 95 on 95” plus overnighting with Pedro at “South of the Border”. looked all too real; Bedroom E in (line #) 5341 looked mighty the better!!!
I must note that the only time I left the room in Palm Harbor was to go to Dinner. Auto Train still offers cooked on board food (the steak was ‘good enough”) served on ceramic tableware with metal flatware and cloth linen. Complimentary Williamsburg wine is served; “it’s worth what you paid for it”. Otherwise, I returned to my room, enjoyed my private stock - a bottle of Guigal Condrieiu - read the Sunday Times and retired. As I have often noted regarding the en-route scenery “if you’ve seen one Pine Tree, you’ve seen ‘em all’.
AT was on time into Sanford. I could not help but note the newsstand concession there is held by Faber Enterprises. Anyone on the Corridor must know that concern - oh well the AT is often considered an extension of the Corridor.
I had the auto back in plenty of time for some railviewing at Orlando station where both 98(19) and 97(18) were ‘more or less on time” and thence to meet my Sister’s 2PM flight arrival at MCO (she is too Type A to even THINK of a train trip).
For the return, things were less hectic - of sorts. I arrived at 1PM at Sanford Friday March 23, to meet with Railforum Member Ocala Mike for a lunch prior to departing. But 53(22) arrived some 4hrs late (“CSX let us know it’s their railroad” said an Amtrak employee) and with a 229 auto loading for 52(23), things were hectic. Mike and I were happy to get away from the madhouse and to a Pizza Hut for a lunch.
Roomette 13 in 5241 was “where I like ‘em” in the 10BR 4R 1Fam 1Sp configured car, there is all the less demand for the communal potties and shower - just stick your head out the door to see if they are open. (still “batting a thousand’ with regards to Amtrak showers).
The steak served at Dinner was perfectly cooked, and I think maybe the purveyor got Amtrak’s order and that of Hyde Park Grill (an excellent Cleveland steakhouse with a branch in Daytona Beach) confused.
After the four hour late arrival of 53(22), 52(23) departed Sanford 55 min late. It arrived Lorton 65 min late, and instead of my almost ‘booby prize’ (last auto off - have collected two such over the years), my auto was practically first off. In fact I was in the middle of a provocative Times Op-Ed piece and missed the first call.
All told, my comparatively uneventful drive home (overnight at Pittsburgh near the Airport) had me arriving 355PM Sunday March 25, or five minutes ahead of schedule (yes, I do have timetables for my auto trips).
Some thoughts after completing Voyages 16 and 17. Auto Train obviously remains Amtrak’s ‘best LD foot forward’. Anyone aboard not following Amtrak’s Daily ”Perils of Pauline’ as we do here, would have no knowledge of cutbacks, SDS, and whatever else. You never hear ‘fantalk’ aboard, nor do you hear of non-fan but other LD rides. It is simply a universe of passengers who desires to move their auto painlessly between the Northeast and Florida. Even though this year’s journey was much later in the season than I customarily go, AT is still populated by the Bennie-Caddy-Lex crowd.
Auto Train personnel always tell passengers that they have no idea when their auto will be returned. This has got to be ‘bunk”. They obviously know which autos are in which carrier and where such is in the consist. But I think they are wise in keeping that information “under the vest’. There are simply too many too demanding people in the Northeast that migrate ‘down below’ in season. I cringed at a restaurant in Boca when my Sister and I observed some demanding people demanding to be seated RIGHT NOW; from what I could surmise, they were only ten minutes past their table time. I thought such was bad attitude growing up in the NE; the attitude appears only worse today.
Loadings on 53(18) was very light with 92 autos reported; for 52(23) as previously noted, there were 226. I don’t think there were any open rooms on 52. AT is certainly unique amongst LD’s. First, passengers need not worry about connections, or the paucity of rental autos readily available at Amtrak stations. Both those problems are “conveniently’ solved.
I have noted comments at other forums regarding why can’t Amtrak offer satellite entertainment. Well like it or not, Sleeper Palm Harbor is so equipped. I could do nicely without it, but their XM “music of your life’ channel was tolerable - there was actually a song or two I had heard ‘along the way’.
All told, for my $993 round trip (BR one way, RM the other), I think I got value.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Gil, I met Mr. Fred Nardelli, Amtrak's Autotrain Manager out of Sanford, at the Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers' meeting and lucheon last Saturday in Winter Park. He was certainly proud of his operation and quick to point out that Autotrain T&E and OBS personnel were practically a hand-picked cadre of the best Amtrak employees.
Incidentally, in line with what you and I were talking about over that pizza, a brand new Sanford AT terminal is coming on line, scheduled for next April. Maybe there would actually be a way to keep all those cars from lining up on that "teeming" (not) side street in Sanford!
-------------------- Ocala Mike Posts: 1530 | From: Ocala, FL | Registered: Dec 2006
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Mr. Norman, thank you for the report. I always enjoy your writing style. The description of your experience in the Verizon store is a familiar one to me. I laughed...pardon. I hope to travel via auto train next winter on the return from Florida because I would like to visit Charleston/Savannah on the way down. We plan to visit friends in San Sebastien Springs, Spring Hill, Naples, and Ft.Lauderdale so I think having my car would be best. And thanks to you I'll remember to allow much travel time to the train. Also from what I remember on my train journey to Florida over 30 years were those pine trees......and sometimes a bumpy/rocky ride somewhere between the Carolinas and Savannah. I guess my '07 Camry will be mixing with the Bennie-Caddy-Lex crowd. Also it doesn't have Bluetooth Technology. When the sales person mentioned that feature my reaction was also "What's that?".
Posts: 498 | From: New Hope, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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interesting, Mr. Norman. I, too, enjoy your writing style. You say so much with out saying it (if that makes any kind of sense!!)
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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Yes Train Lady that is exactly what I meant about Mr. Norman. And guess what? My cell is not working, so I have to go to the Verizon store today. And hopefully Auto Train will be on my travel agenda for next year.
Posts: 498 | From: New Hope, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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