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We have an Amtrak Vacation package planned. We will taking the City of New Orleans and now that the funding accord has been reached we are looking forward to the trip in late July. Anyone have any suggestions about the train trip from Chicago - New Orleans? Stops, sights, suggestions? Thanks!
Eric Member # 674
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I've never been on that train (although I have to go someday), but here is a site I found that has some info that might be worth reading... http://patsweb.com/trainframe.htm
Have a great trip!
reggierail Member # 26
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I just rode the City of New Orleans this past May. Not a wholw lot of sights along the way. I do however enjoy the sight of the small towns the train stops at or passes through. The final approach into New Orleans goes through some Bayou country, keep your eyes peeled, you just mught see a gator or two. The food & service on the train was excellent, probably the best of my trip. Enjoy, Reggie
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mrhall53 Member # 1580
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We take the City of New Orleans to Chicago from Carbondale, IL, and then take western trains. On our last trip, we went first class on the City of New Orleans and found, to our dismay, that dinner was served just after the train left Chicago at 8:30. I say dismay because we'd loaded up on pizza earlier in the day. Still, we managed dinner, and when I complimented the waiter on the seasoning of one of the vegetables, he drew himself up and announced proudly, "This is the City of New Orleans. We season everything!" So if you're leaving from Chicago, check and make sure dinner is being served aboard the train. And one would hope that even with the funny business with Amtrak menus, the City of New Orleans still seasons everything.
reggierail Member # 26
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The onboard service crews on the City of New Orleans are based in New Orleans. This might be one of the reasons that the food service is a notch above the standard fare on most other Amtrak trains. As I stated in an earlier post, the food & service throughout the train was the best I recieved on any of the trains I rode during my 10,000 mile trip this past May. It's nice to see employees take pride in their work.
Reggie
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RICK777200 Member # 1525
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When are you traveling because i will be on the train from new orleans to chicago on the 15th.
Dean Member # 1730
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We will be traveling south on the 21st/22nd of July. -Dean
RRRICH Member # 1418
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I rode the City of New Orleans on my trip. The only unusual thing about it was that the City of New Orleans leaving Chicago is the same train as the incoming Empire Builder -- same cars, same consist. So, depending on how late the Empire Builder is, that may dictate the level of preparation for the City. When I rode the Empire Builder, we were a couple hours late into Chicago, and the servicing crew did NOTHING to the train consist -- remember that the Builder is combined in Spokane from the Seattle and Portland sections, and the resulting consist is very strange: locos-mail/baggage-1 or 2 Seattle sleepers-diner-2 Seattle coaches-Sightseer Lounge-2 Portland coaches-1 Portland sleeper. When I rode the City of New Orleans from Chicago, the cars were in the exact same order (except for the last sleeper from the Builder, which was removed) -- diner and lounge were still separated by coaches. On the pleasant side, though, the day I rode the City, it was NOT carrying any express cars, so I could stand at the end of the train and take some good clear uninterrupted video out the back end of the train.
The crew was "okay" (not bad, but not bending-over-backwards for you either), the scenery is ho-hum, except for the bayou country right outside of New Orleans (the train skirts the shore of Lake Ponchartrain for a few miles), most of what you see are trees. if you are up early in the AM heading south, you can get some good views of the Mississippi River just before the Memphis station however.
Kairho Member # 1567
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RRRich, did you check the car numbers? I was told that Amtrak stopped doing that about a year ago. When I arrived Chicago on 9 May on the Empire Builder, the consist was:
City of New Orleans Train#59 Service Crew # Engines 126 & 180 Sleeper 32009, George M. Pullman Dining 38008 Lounge 33032 Coaches 3 Boxcars 1
*Only 1 sleeper as the one from Portland was inop and pulled in Spokane. Those pax shared the transition sleeper.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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On my February trip, I believe I learned that #58 makes a same day turn for #21, 22 for 59. Equipment from 8 is used only in the case of an all too often late 22.
#4 still makes a same day "continuation" to #30, as does 29 for 3. For a while some 10 years ago, Amtrak actually marketed the Chief-Capitol as a "coast to coast" train.
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
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Back in November the Builder and City of NO were still the same train. An announcement was made while I was in the Metropolitan Lounge to that effect (yes, the EB was late).
Apparently, the curve around Lake Ponchartrain is the longest continuous railway curve in the world (all curving the same direction, no S-bends).
Geoff M.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Kairho -- I didn't check car numbers, but I know for an absolute fact that the equipment on Monday evening's City of New Orleans was the same as the consist from Monday's arriving Empire Builder (I was in the same sleeper! Oklahoma -- 1 room back from my room on the Builder) -- the consist and arrangement of cars was IDENTICAL, plus the sleeping car attendant told me they hadn't made any changes to the consist of the Builder -- the train pulled in to the S side of CUS on track 28 (?), and when we boarded, it was on the same track, only had been moved to the N side of the station (? - should have been the opposite, eh?)
RICK777200 Member # 1525
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I just got of the city of new orleans today. great service, good food, and on time. the consist was: 2 genesis locomotives dining car (being transported) mhc baggage car transition sleeper 2 sleepers dining car coach coach smoking sightseer lounge coach baggage
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