7 detouring this evening between Fargo and Minot.

[Steve4031]

I was waiting for 7 at cus. Got the tonal call from Amtrak. The agent explained this is due to weather which probably means flooding on the normal route.

 

[Steve4031]

There was no announcement in the metropolitan lounge. We boarded on track 28 from the south concourse. The red cap explained that there was track work on the north tracks.

 

[Steve4031]

7 departed 37 minutes late. We are approaching Glenview with stood and starts because we are behind a Metra local.

 

[fairviewroad]

Wrong time of year for flooding. Everything is frozen solid. There is, however, a Winter Storm Watch in effect for the area starting Friday night. It seems like today's departure could make it through before the storm, however it's possible the host railroad is clearing the area in anticipation of the coming storm.

 

[Steve4031]

I saw the the weather alert for devils lake but not Minot. I thought the same thing. We are doing a round trip to Seattle. Saturday and Sunday we are in Seattle during the time this storm is supposed to pass through. So we could get a before and after.

 

[Steve4031]

We left Milwaukee 43 minutes late. A good sca. vanessa iirc. Lsa is a little annoyed because I changed dinner reservations. I’m traveling with my dad and he eats later then I do. He was sleeping so I guessed wrong when she came By. She ended being ok after I apologized. I understand they don’t like routines disrupted.

They are using different diner reservation forms. Color coded with time printed on them.

 

[the_traveler]

Vanessa is great! She is above and beyond!

 

[Steve4031]

I agree. She already got the 20 dollar tip.

 

[Steve4031]

Just checked asm. 8 is not detouring.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Nothing says classy like an LSA brining homemade colored paper to work. You should email that photo in to Amtrak, the LSA should be using Amtrak branded time slips, not their pre-school style arts and crafts.

 

[jebr]

Just checked asm. 8 is not detouring.

I think BNSF sometimes does directional running on that segment during snowstorms. They're concerned about sidings not staying clear and stuck switches - easier to do directional running and not have to worry about that.

 

[Steve4031]

Amtrak has posted a service alert for my return trip on 8 and a few other dates. A storm is passing through the area Saturday and Sunday. 6 or more inches of snow is expected.

I will be passing through the area Monday night. I’ll enjoy collecting the mileage.

The dining car crew did a good job at dinner. It did not occur to me that the LSA was breaking policy. Seams like she is creating more work for herself doing it this way with all the cutting she would have to do create these slips of paper. I bet she does have an education back ground though.

Imho she’s not hurting anyone by doing this way. Though she was a bit annoyed with me changing times last night she was not overtly obnoxious like the guy I had on the cz a few years ago who scolded me for being asleep when he passed through my sleeping car and I missed getting a diner reservation.

 

[fairviewroad]

Nothing says classy like an LSA brining homemade colored paper to work. You should email that photo in to Amtrak, the LSA should be using Amtrak branded time slips, not their pre-school style arts and crafts.

Wow...it's pretty late in 2019, but I think we might have a candidate for "most petty complaint of the year."

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Wow...it's pretty late in 2019, but I think we might have a candidate for "most petty complaint of the year."

Thanks! I do what I can

It’s really more of the point of an LSA making up his / her own system rather than following the standards that Amtrak has put into place.

 

[fairviewroad]

It’s really more of the point of an LSA making up his / her own system rather than following the standards that Amtrak has put into place.

I hear ya. No harm meant.

 

[Steve4031]

The train is packed and they have worked diligently to serve as many people as possible. They did a 4:30, 5:00 6:00 6:30 7:00 7:45 and 8:30 seating both nights. Maybe the times are a bit off but it’s representative of the effort they put forth. They were professional and polite thought this is there return leg back to Seattle.

 

[MARC Rider]

I hear ya. No harm meant.

It seems to me that Amtrak's standards should be that staff works diligently to serve as many people as possible, ensuring that all sleeping car passengers who want dinner get served and as many coach passengers as possible can spend their money in the dining car. That seems far more important than obsessing about the format of their stupid reservation slips.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

It seems to me that Amtrak's standards should be that staff works diligently to serve as many people as possible, ensuring that all sleeping car passengers who want dinner get served and as many coach passengers as possible can spend their money in the dining car. That seems far more important than obsessing about the format of their stupid reservation slips.

One comment is obsessing? Feel free to disagree. I feel like it’s odd to complain about the blankets being wrapped in plastic and yet one thread over multiple posters complain about that.

 

[willem]

Back to the topic of the thread: 7 detouring....

Dixieland says the train made its stops between Fargo and Minot.

* FAR * * 2 324A * 405A Departed: 41 minutes late.
* GFK * * 2 441A * 527A Departed: 46 minutes late.
* DVL * * 2 602A * 642A Departed: 40 minutes late.
* RUG * * 2 656A * 733A Departed: 37 minutes late.
* MOT 2 829A 2 906A 827A 906A Arrived: 2 minutes early. | Departed: On time.

Did BNSF change its mind?