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Well this is interesting. It's 2 AM, it's all of 12 degrees outside, I'm listening to a song entitled "Trains and Winter Rains," while trying to decide if it's worth $700 to see a big portion of this country I've never seen before. Without going into too much detail, one portion of the trip involves Regional train 66, the southbound equivalent of which I took back in 2006 between New Haven and Washington, D. C. At the time, I booked a business class seat because I figured it would help me sleep or at least offer an advantage over the Amfleet I accommodations on the rest of the train. (Big disclaimer: I have no problems with the Am Is.) What I got was 21955, a 60-seat Amfleet I car full of Cellphone Class riders and devoid of leg rests or seats that recline further. I got 35 minutes of sleep the entire night in the worst possible place, while the train crossed the Hell Gate bridge. As a civil engineer, I have trouble forgiving myself for that. I remember the guy in the seat behind me wouldn't shut T. H. up and get off the phone at 1:30 in the morning. (End Rant.)
Where was this going? Be nice, it's 2 AM.
Basically, the extra I'd paid for Biz seemed to be a waste on this train. Without leg rests, I can't steal a pair of seats and lay on my side and get some sleep. No sleepers, don't need those I guess, so does anyone know if any more desirable equipment is now used for the biz on this train here in 2009? At least the coach pax get their choice of seven coaches, one of which might be a quiet car. If Biz is still $30something to be confined to a car full of people who lack common courtesy, I'll save my money on my upcoming trip.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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The Colonial was never an overnight train, Mr. Amtrak 207. During "railroad days' the Colonial was a Boston-Wash train that left Boston about 8AM and Wash 10AM. The New Haven provided the equipment for these trains which, take it from one who's "been there done that', was a mite bit more comfortable to ride than PRR's P-70 Coaches and heavyweight Parlor Cars.
Can't recall when an Amtrak Colonial operated, but I know it was not the overnight schedule.
palmland Member # 4344
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In PRR days, the Federal was the night train from Washington to Boston with no less than 12 sleepers. The Edison was the night train to New York with sleepers from Washington and Baltimore (talk about a hotel on wheels).
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Federal was indeed a jinxed train, having had major derailment incidents with fatalities during January 1953 at Wash Union Station and during 1955 at Jenkins Curve in Bridgeport.
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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Wasn't the Federal the train that crashed through the gates at Washington Union Station with the GG-1 locomotive coming to rest in the basement of the concourse just before Ike's inauguration? I remember the pictures of that from when I was a youngster.
www.nhrhta.org has much information regarding the Jenkins Curve incident, but they carefully control the free distribution of their material.
Amtrak207 Member # 1307
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I hate to be a pain here, but I need to know what the consist of the present train is. The rest of the information is irrelevant. I need to make a decision about my reservations soon or risk having other trains on my itinerary risk selling out or seeing their rail and sleeper fares get so expensive I won't take the trip. The only historic timetable I could find on the internets gave me a few of the names.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Mr. 207, there have been reports that AmClubs with 2-1 seating get into consists of Regional 66-67. That, for your '06 journey, a 60 seat leg rest A-I was assigned means that Amtrak recognized they need to "do something" for those paying a premium to ride.
But you do raise an interesting point that I hope Amtrak could address - and that is the Business Class car on 66-67 should be a "Business Quiet Class".
From one whose most recent Verizon Wireless bill shows one minute of airtime (a quick call made hands free to tell a friend I would be about five minutes late owing to unexpected traffic), I am astounded that when riding into town on METRA, someone sitting behind me was on her phone for the entire forty minute journey. As near as I could tell it was one call and the subject appeared to be a whole lot of nothing.
notelvis Member # 3071
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Mr. 207 -
If you can confirm the presence of a 2-1 seating business class section in half the Amcafe on #66, I'd save the money and take your chances in coach....perhaps with earplugs. The 2-1 cafe cars have only a half-dozen two-seaters and a factory installed armrest between the two. NO chance, nada, of stretching across two seats for a nap.
Mr. GBN -
Interesting note about cellphone etiquette (or lack thereof). Recently I had a student come to my office to talk about an issue she was having with another student. She laid her stuff out and I had just barely started to respond wen she pulls out a cellphone and begins typing a text message.
Unreal. Absolutely unreal.
But I'm an even keel, don't lose my temper, don't panic kind of guy. (My wife tells me that in 15 years together the only time she has ever seen me visably ANGRY was when the Grand Canyon Railroad messed up my reservation and they could only provide one of the two seats in the dome car which they had already billed my credit card for......but I digress.....)
At any rate - to the texting student I simply said "Let me know when you're ready to listen, I have some email to deal with." I rotated back to the computer and checked email for a few minutes.
Student did not get the hint. Next time the cellphone comes out I asked her "Are you sure you want to do that? I still have some email and you have a class to get to."
Unreal.
dns8560 Member # 15184
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I have ridden 66/67 many, many times. Be forewarned. It gets very crowded with college students. Often at least some are nearly unruly drunks.
Amtrak207 Member # 1307
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I was using earplugs.
I would aim for a single seat in biz or find something more desirable in coach and grab my seat check and off I go. I've ridden the 15- and 18-seat combi-cafe cars a few times in the past couple of years. The biggest issue with the ones assigned to the "bottom of the equipment pool" Empire Corridor is the seatback and legrest latches not working. Seat 2 in 48140 has neither, lean back too much and the seatback flies out from under you. The leg rest can be cured by putting your luggage underneath it to prop it up. Plus that way you have a spot to store your luggage that is close at hand. Minus you don't want to do that with anything fragile or crush-sensitive in the bag.
With luck, 48140 will go through the shop soon; I think the window glazing dated to 2005 or 2006 so it should be due for overhaul.
Eighteen-seat cars actually have less leg room in biz class than in coach, at least in the case of the Maple Leaf which uses mostly Amfleet II coaches.
If someone rides a train I'm on drunk or under the influence and bothers me or any of the other passengers, I'm going straight to the conductor. If they continue to behave that way and they don't get the boot, I'm writing the district superintendant. This is after having to deal with three men riding 49 from Buffalo to Toledo on the Lakeshore, downing a six pack of beer each during the trip and detraining at every station to smoke pot. The Amfleet II bathrooms never smelled so good next to those guys.
20th Century Member # 2196
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Amtrak 207: Those beer drinking passengers would have never been allowed to board a commercial airliner. Unfortunately Amtrak is more forgiving or rather less concerned about the other passengers. Good luck with your travels. I hope it will be a pleasant journey.
notelvis: You were very patient with that self absorbed student. That would drive me "up the wall" if one of my students did that. Ah!,the "ME" generation.
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