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The Times Travel Section today, such as it is now, was devoted to rail travel. The main article was about a trip on Amtrak on the LSL, EB and CS. It was pretty superficial but also quite positive.
The only mistake I noticed was his reference to the bedroom on the EB being offically called a Roomette. There are probably other anomalies you sharp eyed folks will see. But it was nice to see a positive report.
Of course an article about the LA-Vegas plots had to be included too.
Miss Vickie, Karl Zimmerman, the author of the article you note and who I have met "along the way", is an accomplished writer and author of many railroad related books. His credentials are impecable and his writing style speaks for itself.
But he is a freelancer, and not about to be a TRIBCO Staff Reporter; who knows where the Trustees came up with a Farthing or two to pay him for the article.
I'm not exactly a TRIBCO fan in this life and have never watched WGN-TV, could care less how often the Cubs loose, and empathize with my friends here who are "natives" and grew up with The Trib to the extent I grew up with The New York Times to see their paper, once reknowned for its level of journalism, morph into a "tab" - if not yet there, that will be on tap for your LATimes. Maybe the Chandler family will step forward and buy it back from that bankrupt "excuse" for a media company.
Finally, allow me to note that a one-time TRIBCO paper, the Greenwich Time, did a "botch job" on my Father's obit back during 2001. They did do a reprint (someone else's CV got mixed up).
MetSox Member # 6035
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I found another mistake. He said that the "Hi-Level" lounges had run on the San Francisco Chief as well as the El Capitan. I'm positive they never ran on any train but the El Cap before Amtrak. They also continued on the same train well after it had been renamed the Southwest Ltd. I'm shocked that such a noteworthy rail author as Karl Zimmerman could make a mistake like that, considering I have his book, "Santa Fe Streamliners".
Yes, the Hi-Level coaches ran on the SF Chief but there were only enough lounges built for one train (five or six at the most). The SF Chief did have a "Big Dome" lounge for its entire existance. Maybe he was confused because it was positioned directly behind the Hi-Levels, eliminating the forward view.
It is ironic that these cars are now for the use of sleeping car passengers only when they were originally built for an all coach train.
notelvis Member # 3071
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Thinking back to my first apartment out of college.....before ESPN blew up television coverage of sports, I had a BASIC cable TV package which carried about a dozen stations. Beyond the locals I could get TBS, WGN, and Showtime.....nothing else.
So...... on warm spring days if I wanted to watch a baseball game on TV I could chose between the Cubs or the Atlanta Braves who were also pretty awful in those days.
Worst of all were those stretches when the Braves and Cubs were playing each other.... then I had the same bad game on two of my channels.
So......how to make this relevant? Oh yes..... once during grad school I took the MARC train from College Park up to Camden Yards to watch the Orioles play baseball. Wasn't much different that watching the Cubs or the Braves.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Possibly Mr. Zimmernan's material will appear in other TRIBCO papers such as the Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel, and Ft Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. The latter two certainly represent a strong leisure travel market.
However, allow me to note that the Sun-Sentinel has had a long standing program in place that allows the homeless and other indigents to earn an "honest buck'. If a person has the means to get to a designated distribution center (I think charities in the area will offer a ride), they can have a bale of papers without charge and that they are free to re-sell (I guess those can be counted as "paid circulation")and keep all the proceeds.
smitty195 Member # 5102
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Thanks for the link to the article, Vicki. I knew that I recognized the author's name but I couldn't place him. Gil's link to his web page made the light bulb go off---I have two of his books in my living room!
His article was pretty good---and honest! I just have to laugh about the toilets failing in the Superliner II sleeper he was in on the EB. I don't understand why they fail so often in the II's, but rarely in the I's. Weird. And he picked up on one of my peeves about the dining car closing HOURS before the end of the trip. There's no excuse for this, other than the employees wanting to bail and get outta dodge as soon as they pull into the station at the end of the trip. Although now, for trains ending in LA, the dining car crew CAN'T leave. They have to stay put until the commissary comes out to meet them, and they inventory everything right there on the spot. They had to do this due to employee theft issues. But anyway, the diner (and lounge/cafe car) closing so early has always been a stupid practice, in my opinion.
And wow, it sounds like he had some great attendants along the way....especially the new gal on the CS. I'd like to ride that train again because the scenery is so gorgeous, however.....ugh.....I'm just afraid of blowing my money and getting "the usual" stuff that I "like" to gripe about. Maybe one of these days I'll try it again...MAYBE!
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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quote:Originally posted by smitty195: And he picked up on one of my peeves about the dining car closing HOURS before the end of the trip. There's no excuse for this, other than the employees wanting to bail and get outta dodge as soon as they pull into the station at the end of the trip. Although now, for trains ending in LA, the dining car crew CAN'T leave. They have to stay put until the commissary comes out to meet them, and they inventory everything right there on the spot. They had to do this due to employee theft issues. ng the way....especially the new gal on the CS.
Mr. Smith, please accept that to have the Diner "open and ready to serve you" upon departure simply costs Amtrak $$$$, which I think we both know Amtrak hasn't got. If the crew was assigned to report sufficiently before train time to set the tables and store the commissary supplies, that would be done under pay. Likewise, if passengers wanted to "linger' (as many seem to do) and the train was sitting at its final destination, that too would be under pay.
Regarding the local Loss Prevention issue at LA, find the "bad apples", call them to the "fair and impartial hearing", and assess discipline of Dismissal.
Translated: "fire 'em'.
HopefulRailUser Member # 4513
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Smitty, I will board the CS on Saturday. Watch for my report. Maybe it will make you eager enough to give it another try. We have to find you a positive experience somehow.
posted ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Maybe one of these days I'll try it again...MAYBE!