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  1. vinceg723

    Crescent and CONO, March 2023

    The Crescent ended up pulling into New Orleans around 2:45 am. I spent much of the end of the trip in my roomette. At Meridian, we had to stop for about 30 minutes for an inspection of the train, because it would have been in service longer than usual, they said. It was the first time on this...
  2. vinceg723

    Crescent and CONO, March 2023

    I did last night -- waiting for a response!
  3. vinceg723

    Crescent and CONO, March 2023

    I don't, and I should!
  4. vinceg723

    Crescent and CONO, March 2023

    Day two aboard the Crescent. I slept so-so last night, as expected. The funny thing was, when I was consciously awake, I was not tossing and turning, nor was I frustrated to be awake — I was just enjoying the motion of the train, totally unaware of the time or the location of the train. When I...
  5. vinceg723

    Crescent and CONO, March 2023

    I am glad you enjoyed the website, and the links to other sources. There's a lot of good literature out there on train travel that I was previously unaware of. And I totally agree that LD trains are to be savored and enjoyed -- though this trip aboard the Crescent is putting that to the test...
  6. vinceg723

    Crescent and CONO, March 2023

    Greetings from Car 1910, Room 7 of Amtrak’s Train 19, the southbound Crescent. Eight years ago, as I boarded the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago for the first time, a not-so-mentally-stable woman across the aisle from me announced to the car “I’ll be working on my thesis on this trip," and then...
  7. vinceg723

    Crescent discussion

    Sorry to hear this. I am on the Crescent now -- pretty ridiculous that they have to bring us our meals in bags to our rooms, but then we can take them to the cafe if we want. I feel awful for the coach passengers who cannot use the cafe while we are in there. Three hours later, they were still...
  8. vinceg723

    Most interesting encounter(s) on a train

    I've read Kisor's Zephyr, and I just received my copy of Al Runte's Allies of the Earth. I'm also a huge fan of Jenny Diski's Stranger on a Train. My favorite line: "There was not the slightest possibility, I realised as I stubbed out my last cigarette of the evening on the platform of Chemult...
  9. vinceg723

    Most interesting encounter(s) on a train

    Resurrecting an old thread here with a related question: Do you think the nature of our train system draws a more interesting subset of people? Or are people more inherently interesting than we realize, and is it the nature of the trains, specifically the sightseer lounge, that facilitates...
  10. vinceg723

    Trenitalia seeks new night train fleet

    I made the trip in April and it was great. The compartment was more spacious than an Amtrak bedroom, and it only cost €150 to go from Cefalu (about an hour east of Palermo) to Naples.
  11. vinceg723

    Motivation for traveling by train?

    No other form of travel offers quite a connection with the landscape and with fellow passengers. I’ve seen parts of this country that can only be seen from the train, and I’ve had the most fascinating conversations on trains — everyone has an interesting story. There‘s no question we need...
  12. vinceg723

    What should Amtrak change?

    Agreed on all points but wanted to zero in on this, as it has been on my mind. Considering that the larger timing and scheduling issues require major policy changes, here is something more practical in the short term: Make the menus feel local, not just in the dining car but in the cafe car too...
  13. vinceg723

    Who is drawn to slow train travel?

    Circling back to the original post, you can view my project here -- slowspeedrail.com. Thoughtful feedback welcome, including if you want to drop me a note directly. I would like to expand and deepen this project beyond the context of the course I am taking, possibly into a capstone project...
  14. vinceg723

    Who is drawn to slow train travel?

    Not a troll at all. I love Amtrak long-distance as much as anyone on this forum. I wish I had the time to use it every time I traveled NYC-Chicago or NYC-San Diego to see my family. Personally, I fall into the category of someone who just loves train travel. I figured I was oversimplifying...
  15. vinceg723

    Who is drawn to slow train travel?

    Appreciate all the comments! As to the comment about HSR being disorienting, yes! I’m exploring how our current system is ridiculously slow and inefficient, BUT that slowness allows passengers to connect with each other and with the landscape in ways not other form of travel — air, car, HSR...
  16. vinceg723

    Who is drawn to slow train travel?

    I am working on a project about slow train travel for a graduate-level Environmental Psychology class, and in part of the project, I am making the case that because long-distance Amtrak is slow and inconvenient, it does not appeal to average travelers and instead draws a disparate cross section...
  17. vinceg723

    Most interesting encounter(s) on a train

    I just came across this thread while searching for something else and have to add some of mine: On my first long-distance train trip, the Southwest Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles in August 2000, the first person I met was an ex-convict who, years ago, fled a life of drugs in California by...
  18. vinceg723

    Sunset Limited + Coast Starlight + Empire Builder in April

    Well I am booked and leaving soon: New Orleans to Oceanside on the Sunset Limited + Surfliner; San Jose to Portland on the Coast Starlight (thank you to those who recommended it!); and the Empire Builder from Portland to Chicago, with a stop in Havre and a likely stop in Milwaukee. One quick...
  19. vinceg723

    Sunset Limited + Coast Starlight + Empire Builder in April

    Another question for my trip: If time is an issue and I have skip the Coast Starlight and fly to catch the Empire Builder, would you recommend starting from Portland or Seattle? I've done both (Portland eastbound and Seattle westbound) but it's been 20 years. I would be inclined to start in...
  20. vinceg723

    Sunset Limited + Coast Starlight + Empire Builder in April

    Thank you all for the tips! Being up early is not usually a problem for me, so I hope to see those early morning views over the Pecos River and alongside Mount Shasta. I have to say, I have never had a strong desire to ride the Sunset Limited. I was taking it more because opportunity was...
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