Recent content by Michael061282

Status maps shows it left SFA at 3:52am. 11:52 late. That's going to throw that particuar consist out of whack for almost a week at least

It's 99 steps up from Clinton to street level... don't ask me how I know that. Try doing that lugging an 8 year old.. and luggage. Next time I'm waiting for Metra, if I can find the ORD Metra station

What in the world happened to #21 yesterday? It lost over 11 hours between Chicago & Joliet!

First off, don't over plan, I used to do that and I found that I really enjoyed the rides much better when I stopped. Just relax and let them do the "work". That said, I always bring a power strip so I can charge my phone/ipod/laptop to use at night. I think the diaper clips are a good idea...

I would LOVE to ride one of these, but I'm cool like that.

Nope you're not!

A friend of mine took the last CONO with a full diner on June 30, he's even got a menu autographed by the chef. The Capitol Limited seems to have closed their downstairs cafe in the lounge car , though it still has a sightseer lounge, when i rode it last week they were using something that...

Sitting in Chicago's Met Lounge waiting to board #30. The arrivals screens all say #8 is due in at 6:10... #28 at 6:25. Kudo's Amtrak!

You don't have to look very far to see why Amtrak is losing oodles of money on long distance food service. $7 for a hot dog & chips (on the childs menu), $12.50 for a cheeseburger. 3 strips of bacon or 2 pork sausage patties $3.75. Calling ahead and ordering a pizza at the next service stop...

I was on the Pioneer out of Seattle once. There was a passenger who started having chest pains before we got to Denver. Amtrak called the paramedics but the guy refused to get off the train. After we hooked up to (a very late) #6 and were about half way to Fort Morgan we slowed to a stop at a...

a friend of mine lost a neighbor in that. Even though I was a kid, that wreck has always fascinated me for some reason

Harry Shearer had room in the same sleeper as I did on the Coast Starlight once. He was a couple of rooms down, I thought it was really cool that nobody really bothered him. H e wen to the PPC car a couple of times and nobody said anything more than normal "train conversation" with him.

thanks for the summary.. i tried to read back a ways but after 20 some pages the eyes glossing over, or that could have just been my contacts.

So what changed, both to cause the meltdown and to apparently fix it?

Way back in the early days of Amtrak, the Starlight ran through to San Diego... I think that only lasted about 6 months though, if that.