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Joined
Nov 13, 2022
Messages
2
Location
Boston, MA
Hi all!

I'm a student with a newfound interest in trains. Currently residing in Boston. I've taken the Northeast Regional between BOS and NYC, as well as NYC and DC a few times. Love it! It's so nice to travel next to cities and terrain, rather than looking down on it. Something feels icky about that to me. Really hoping to go on a route with an observation car at some point, though. Planning to maybe try the California Zephyr over my winter break...

Looking forward to talking with everyone :D

Cheers,
lhustick
 
Hello and welcome! I go from eastern Oregon to BOS on my trips to see family. Several of my siblings and niblings have gone to college in Boston.

I always travel in winter, because that's when I have free time. I usually take the Empire Builder, but last winter I ended up on the California Zephyr because of all the snow slides in Montana and the Cascades. Here are a few photos to jump-start your enthusiasm for the trip:

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Hello and welcome! I go from eastern Oregon to BOS on my trips to see family. Several of my siblings and niblings have gone to college in Boston.

I always travel in winter, because that's when I have free time. I usually take the Empire Builder, but last winter I ended up on the California Zephyr because of all the snow slides in Montana and the Cascades. Here are a few photos to jump-start your enthusiasm for the trip:

View attachment 30426 View attachment 30420 View attachment 30421 View attachment 30422 View attachment 30423 View attachment 30424 View attachment 30425
My gosh. What a stunning landscape! There's something about photos taken as the train comes round a bend overlooking a dale that is just infinitely captivating. Saving this post so I can reply with some of my own later! Thanks so much for sharing :D

Welcome to AU.
What school do you attend? I live over in Cambridge.
I renewed my love and interest in rail travel during grad school and also took the Zephyr shortly after. I can’t recommend that trip enough. Definitely one of my favorite train trips around the world.
I'm actually in Cambridge too! Figured people might recognize Boston more (plus, all the train stations are there so I try to take the Red Line when I can...). I'm at Harvard, currently studying philosophy.

Glad to hear you liked the Zephyr! Your post and the previous one with photos are making me want to get my tickets ASAP!

Sidenote: have you noticed anything odd going on with the red line? I feel like it has been running slow for the past couple of months and is now back to normalish service--but I can't find anything on it.
 
My gosh. What a stunning landscape! There's something about photos taken as the train comes round a bend overlooking a dale that is just infinitely captivating. Saving this post so I can reply with some of my own later! Thanks so much for sharing :D


I'm actually in Cambridge too! Figured people might recognize Boston more (plus, all the train stations are there so I try to take the Red Line when I can...). I'm at Harvard, currently studying philosophy.

Glad to hear you liked the Zephyr! Your post and the previous one with photos are making me want to get my tickets ASAP!

Sidenote: have you noticed anything odd going on with the red line? I feel like it has been running slow for the past couple of months and is now back to normalish service--but I can't find anything on it.

Thats awesome. I'm in Harvard Sq nearly every week for work. To your side note, I haven't taken the red line in a little bit, but I guess I've tuned out all subway related noises in Boston. As long as the trains aren't on fire, it seems ok to me...😄

Sounds like you don't need it, but in case you need any extra convincing:
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I snapped these during November 2020. A late fall Zepyr trip is definitely the way to go.

There's enough of us in Boston that I wanted to organize a little Boston AU get-together. Maybe a quick lunch or something. We could invite some people from the surrounding area as well, perhaps timing it with Downeasters/NE Regionals.
 
Welcome! I'm out in Arlington, and very familiar with the Red line. The line itself is (by MBTA's standards) okay, but they've had a shortage of dispatchers that monitor train movements. That's the short version, google MBTA or Red Line for way too much history.

Boston area AU gathering sounds great! We could do it at any local restaurant, but wonder if we could talk our way into the Metro Lounge conference rooms at South Station. We could bring food from any of the downstairs takeaway places...

Red Line.GIF
 
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Just looked it up:

"Conference Rooms​

We're pleased to offer our travelers access to complimentary conference rooms at select locations. Conference rooms are booked on a first-come, first-served basis and usage is limited to a two-hour time period. Customers reserving conference rooms may be accompanied by attendees. Meeting organizers must arrive before other participants are allowed to enter."

However, they don't say if all the participants have to have status or buy lounge passes. I wouldn't approach them directly, perhaps we could get someone from RPA to put in a call for us. One call to the right person can work wonders.
 
My earlier post was deleted— my bad.

The Amtrak Thruway Bus - downtown San Francisco to the suburb Emeryville is one option to board the California Zephyr - which begins there.

In the above map I posted earlier you’ll find trains in red - busses in green.

But my bus experience is almost nil and now in my retirement years I have taken trips on most of Amtrak’s long distance trains. Yes the Zephyr is way cool in daytime but I get my kicks along Route 66 on the Southwest Chief watching the historic highway go by.
 
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