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Way OT: Anybody Do Amtrak?

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kruser

Well-known Member
Brother came from St. Louie, Mo. to Lincoln, Il. on Amtrak for Mother's day - just to check it out.
$33 for 2 way pass. Guy at work drives to Bloomington (close) and takes the train to Chicago (there) for a Cub's game.

Told the wife and daughter, we might have to try that for a "quick" vacation, BBBUUUTTT I'm one who likes to have his bags with him AND stop and see something that needs to be seen.

Any opinions?
 
I've made that trip on Amtrak a couple times. And took it from Lincoln to Chicago. I've checked in taking it out VA. to see my son in the navy there. Just make sure and leave plenty of time for travel!!
 
Why not just make the train ride a vacation?

See some new country only accessable by train.

Sounds like fun to me; ride, eat, nap, ride, eat, nap, etc.
 
Hey CIB,
Good to hear from you - Got them Oliver's running strong? Remember Lynn and/or Linn? Kevin?

"JUSTABOUT" to get the S88 ready for the Tremont pull - will see what the others do. Just don't tell them I have a JD in the closet!

Tell toolz Hi if you see him.

Jim
 
Dean,
Since we do pay our "taxes" (Fed, state and local) and don't get any subsidies, can we still ride?

Jim
 
Amtrak starts each year in the red. Track fees & side tracks for all freight trains. It is dificult to be on time when you sideline for 100 cars of coal.
Led
 
Better be careful James:
Brother mentioned below is "dating" a former local girlfriend (30 years ago) in Austin now.

Never might know what show's up on your door step - but will try to keep the glennster on his turf!


Jim
 
(quoted from post at 17:00:54 05/10/10) Why not just make the train ride a vacation?

See some new country only accessable by train.

Sounds like fun to me; ride, eat, nap, ride, eat, nap, etc.
Click to expand...

I Like to be in control also, but there's nothing like a stress free train ride...
You can get a ticket for about 40 dollars (converted) here that will let up to 5 people travel anywhere in Germany between 1800 Friday to midnight Sunday by train and some buses.

Think it'd be neat to take a train through the States and Canada...

Dave
 
My folks took Amtrak from Omaha to Stockton California several summers ago. They really liked the scenery-stuff you would not see from a car. Some negatives-they thought they could sleep in their chairs-BAD idea. They say if they do it again, they will get a sleeper birth. Also, their train had several unplanned stops, and they would not tell them what the situation was (several hours, as I remember it). He would call me, I would type their train number into the Amtrak website, and it would say what the delay was! Seemed abit backwards to me, but then, it is our government at work...!
 

I'm curious about ridin' Amtrak, too.
Like to here more opinions.
May go to KS or CA, to visit kin, thinkin' about train...
 
hey now...i heard that!!!!! never relly cared much for riding the chooch. tried it once when i was in college. road the amtrack floridian from west palm beach to chicago. heat was stuck on in florida, then they got it shut off but got the a/c stuck on in tennesse, ( it was winter time) then we made a stop in kentucky and the engine derailed about 2 block from the station. i wasnt impressed. i coulda screwed up that much on my own!!!!
 
I have many times, always dreaming about doing it again. You see a part of America you never see from a car, both good and bad. The Empire Builder through the mountains is great.
Brian(MN)
 
Rode it to Chicago from Battle Creek, MI a couple of times. Ride was fine except for hitting a semi in Niles, MI. Three hour delay, finished the trip on the rattiest old city bus I ever saw. From here, we take the electric into Chicago from South Bend, IN. Lots better schedule and on time.
 
Took it from Jacksonville, Fl to Washington D.C. one time in 6th grade. Ive never been sea sick in my life, except for this trip: puked on myself in front of a girl I liked, bad experience!
 
Took my family round trip Newton, KS to Flagstaff, AZ four or five times over th years and it is fun, inexpensive, and relaxing as long as you don't get upset if it's late. My kids loved it when they were anywhere from 5 to 15 years old. Infant got motion sick once and teenagers get bored - but we (adults) thought it was fun.
 
I've taken the Empire Builder from St Paul to the west coast twice. Once Coach with my brother to Portland Or for my Uncle's funeral. Second time was First Class to Seattle with a pretty girl.
Don't be in a hurry. Understand that the train ride is most of the vaction in itself.
Expect so so service. Plan on being late - we were late to the funeral on account of snow in the Rockies.
Take a ride on Amtrak if you can. You will remember it as long as you live as one of the funnest things you've ever done.
 
Use to ride the Super Chief, now the Southwest Limited. Enjoyed it, the highlevel Pullman chair cars put your seat about 12 feet above the rails so you could really see the country side.
 
My wife and I priced Amtrak fares a couple of years ago for a trip to New York. It was cheaper to drive or to fly, and the Amtrak trip would have taken the same amount of time as driving, so we flew.
 
What does an Amtrak ride and a colonoscopy have in common?
A - You'll never forget it.

I've ridden from mid-CO to chicago and return - enjoyed it, Beats driving across Kansas. you get to see everybody's back yard - very different than the view from the highway. Schedules - it's not airplane mentality.

About 2005 we traveled from Ohio to Chicago on a fare program Amtrak called "Rail Sale" We went each for $8 round trip the week between christmas and New years.

I'm a fan - but not a frequent traveler.
 
Took a trip to chicago and back. The food was good. The seats have these nice fold out calf rests for your calfs to lay on. The seats lay back a little further than airline seats but I generally have to lay flat and stretch out to sleep. I couldn't sleep well. Finally found a bench in the snack bar where I could almost stretch out on.

Took a train from DC to New York city for a day trip one time. Took the subway to the boat for the statue of liberty. Subway to the Italian district for eating in the afternoon. Things were pretty empty around downtown on a Saturday and one particularly empty walkway/tunnel from the subway made me nervous in the middle of the afternoon going to the italian part of town.

Definitely worth it. I'd do it again but around here the train comes through going east around 2:30 am and arrives back around 5 am. Too much hassle with the sleep schedule to do very often. If you have a daylight train, go for it.
 
Took their Auto train from Va. to Fla. a couple years ago, took my F-250 on the train down and drove home to NE PA, train was a couple hours late,but they fed us additional meals. Train ride was enjoyable, will do it again.
 
Same thing I found out thought it would be neat to visit the kids by train but was $900 and there wasn't a direct route, probably the cost, and exorbitant amount of time.
They should charge like the airline, not charge more for taking you 600 miles out of your way.
 
Just a word about the cost - If you go first class then you get free meals and free lodging. For example, the trip from St Paul MN to Portland or Seattle takes about 36 hrs each way. So on a round trip that's 3 nights lodging and 9 or 10 meals per person that are included in the fare. Makes the cost of the ride itself more reasonable. By the way, there are two different classes of First Class. Has to do with the size of your room. The larger room would sleep Mom, Dad and a couple of kids on 2 fold down beds. The smaller room is just for two and the beds are upper/lower bunk bed style. The small room would be a bit cramped if either of you are really big. Next time I go I will get the bigger room just so you can sprawl out a little more.
A couple of other reasons to go First Class is you get to eat first. Only after First class is seated do they open the car to general dining.
And it's real nice to be able to get away from the crowd in your own room. You still get the run of the whole train but you can get away from everyone as Coach passengers aren't allowed in the 1st class car.
As I said in my other post Amtrak isn't for people who are in a hurry. But if you want a fun, relaxing trip then give it a try.
 
I've not ridden on Amtrak since 2000, Flagstaff to Hutchinson, KS. The trip was fine for the first half of it. The second half was horrible. The railbed was in poor condition and the cars continually swayed and jumped around.

Just a half hour after we had gone over one portion a freight train derailed. I knew the exact spot as I thought our car was going to come off of the track as it had jerked violently to one side.

Over the decades I've ridden the rails quite a bit. That was by far my worst experience and the only bad one I've ever had.
 
My zip is 61704. Used to be an Indiana zipcode. We must be fairly close.

My wife and I have talked about taking the amtrak to St. Louis one weekend, with the kids. She thinks we would be lacking for a car when we get there though.

Steve in IL
 
The last time I rode was in 1987 from Denver to Oakland. That was a very enjoyable trip. I saw things along the tracks I wouldn't see from a hiway and IF I lived anywhere close to a station I'd probably try Amtrak again for short direct trips. I do like to ride trains. However IF there is a deadline, budget or long trip involved I choose another mode of travel.
They have a website where you can check routes and schedules.
 
Took it from St. Louis, Mo to Richmond, Va. Would definitely go with the sleeper. Sleeping in the chair is good once you can fall asleep. The trouble is waking up. The motion of the car just makes you fall asleep over and over again. The nice thing about Amtrak is you can take your own food and drinks. We packed some deer sausage, chips, cold cuts, bread, water, sodie, and beer. The observation car is extremely nice to be in.
 
Took the Amtrak from Jackson, Mi to Sacramento, Ca and back last October...just to see what it was like. My last train trip had been from Buffalo, NY to Amarillo, Tx in 1954, courtesy of the USAF. Mostly enjoyed it except it is evident the track is in bad shape in some places and like satin in others. BNSF and UP own most of the track of way of the California Zephyr, Amtrak just "bums it's way on it" I was told. I don't believe I'd do it again...but a lot of the scenery is awesome and nice to see from the observation car. Food a little expensive but pretty good considering....
 
Last mail route car I bought was in Chicago maybe 3 years ago. Bought a "round trip" ticket on Amtrak's own site for about $25.00 from Macomb Il in case the car was junk.

I was in Chicago a lot faster than I could have drove, and a lot cheaper. Once I got to Chicago I took their rail system to near where the car was.

I would use Amtrak a lot if it went where I needed to go. "Home" is back in south central Nebraska, the closest Amtrak to there is 200 miles and would take 2 days to get there.

But, to make a fair comparison, the closest major airport is also 200 miles from "home" in Nebraska.

I would really like to use more "public" transportation, but it just doesn't exist in the midwest. DOUG
 
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