Recent content by Steve's Wanderlust

Hats off to Leo, my SCA, on 97(21) of this month. We had booked the 9711 car to have the VL1 roomette experience. We were supposed to be in our room PHL-SAV with an AGR points redemption leg in coach SAV-JAX for the purposes of being cheap. After an excellent flex salmon (see my post in the...

I have the pleasure of reporting that one crew on the Silver Meteor pulled it out last week on 97(21) and cooked me a flex salmon dinner that was actually good. The dining car attendant was a fellow who told everyone he had come from Germany and felt a dedication to carefully heating the meals...

30(15) is a three car plus baggage consist; no SSL. Oh well, my daughter and I will have an easygoing grand time. Just glad to be on the rails, as always!

I'm presently in the lounge at CHI awaiting 30. I'll report back about the consist after dinner.

Agreed. I've recently been taken to utilizing Sun Country's daily evening flight to ORD to ensure predictable departures on my trips. I'd rather burn my first vacation day on the Milwaukee Road with dinner and evening strolls on the north side after.

Given the likelihood of train 8 being late eastbound I hope the states & CP have a realistic view about the need for sidings being available. For the mornings that 8 runs two-plus hours late an 11 o'clock hour eastbound departure for the new train out of STP would put two passenger trains...

I'm using the same technique to extend my trip in a couple months. I was initially booked in the southbound Meteor sleeper PHL-SAV and had plans to fly home from Savannah. When the flight got pricey I found a suitable combo of flights home via Jacksonville I booked coach seats with AGR points...

I'm accustomed to working in considerably understaffed service industry applications but one server and one cook sounds too stressful for me to professionally endure. Given the expanse of pax attitudes onboard, that type of job is likely going to be challenging to mitigate crew turnover if...

I booked the southbound Meteor one month later, PHL-JAX. The bucket was higher two months ago and remains so today. I'm also sticking with flex for this trip, mostly on account of my flight connections in JAX but also to cross the Meteor off my list. Traveling with my daughter she would prefer...

My experience with Amtrak restrooms in both classes (somewhat moreso with coach) is as random as any public restroom. Whether you get enough ignorant/uncaring pax consuming/passing an objectionable amount of waste before/during the trip matters. Whether the staff has the alloted amount of time...

Agree with point 6. Being based east of St. Paul I'd rather have the second train to Chicago be a late afternoon departure. An additional late morning train would mitigate eastbound EB delays (though without connections via Chicago on present schedules), but a late afternoon eastbound would...

The dining options back in '09 & '10 on the CONO included shrimp etoufee & the well travelled crab cakes in the dining car. One of our trips northbound in the latter year had a CCC that offered much better quality meals than flex dining is capable of. As a service industry employee I empathize...

The crew was very mindful of the experience. The meals were cooked to the best of the capabilities of flex offerings, and the OBS were welcoming of sleeper car passengers into the CCC throughout hours one would expect it to be open. Restrooms were especially well maintained. They tried hard and...

Just boarded 22(2/08). We have the sleeper, CCC and two coaches. Loco 63 is leading.

My wife and I are booked on Wednesday's 22 out of Dallas. I'll be able to confirm conditions and am prepared for a unique Amtrak experience, to say the least.