I thought that I'd join this forum as we've been using it for a source of information for our upcoming Amtrak trip this February. We'll be leaving from Durand, MI to Chicago, then the Southwest Chief to LAX. Amtrak to Oceanside, then the Coaster to San Diego, our destination. Return trip about a week later via the Texas Eagle.
We haven't traveled by Amtrak since 2000 when we took the Empire Builder out west and back. (We'll not get into THAT trip). At any rate, we are looking forward to this trip, and hoping that things go reasonably well. A little about me. I'm a GM retiree and spend most of my time volunteering at a small railroad museum in Michigan, emphasis on steam engines and the steam era. I function mostly as coach repair, machinist (when needed), and conductor when we are operating a train. We use Mid-fifties VIA passenger coaches for our trainset.
My wife and I usually fly out to S.D. to visit our son, but we're kind of fed up with the airlines hassle and we are not in a hurry, so Amtrak it is for this trip. I'll report back on our experiences.
We haven't traveled by Amtrak since 2000 when we took the Empire Builder out west and back. (We'll not get into THAT trip). At any rate, we are looking forward to this trip, and hoping that things go reasonably well. A little about me. I'm a GM retiree and spend most of my time volunteering at a small railroad museum in Michigan, emphasis on steam engines and the steam era. I function mostly as coach repair, machinist (when needed), and conductor when we are operating a train. We use Mid-fifties VIA passenger coaches for our trainset.
My wife and I usually fly out to S.D. to visit our son, but we're kind of fed up with the airlines hassle and we are not in a hurry, so Amtrak it is for this trip. I'll report back on our experiences.
