Rick,
Thanks for an interesting, somewhat non-railfan orientated report.
A few thoughts and comments.
First, Amtrak upgraded you for free to business class when you brought the sleeper?
Next, the train you were on from Boston to NY goes 125 miles per hour in many places, but certainly over 100 MPH. Acela's claim to fame is that it can hit 150 MPH.
At Penn station there are actually two levels above the tracks, the LIRR uses the middle level, while Amtrak and New Jersey Transit use the upper level. And with regard to the escalators, next time just keep walking if the first escalator you come to isn't working. Each platform has at least 3 escalators and a few plaforms have even more.
Yes that dining car is very old, at least 50 years old.
Note to self: on the trip in November across the country in coach, bring a power strip, and make many friends.
Love it, just love it!
I see you didn't like the upper bunk, cie la vie. Personally I love the upper bunk on a Viewliner, since I don't loose my sitting area and the floor space. When I wake up in the morning I can just shove the bed up and be able to get dress like a normal person, instead of the squirm and wiggle method needed otherwise.
There certainly was a shower on the Sunset Limited and by the way, one can run the water a bit more than you did, although you don't want to squander it either, as there is only just so much hot water.
And like wow, that you got an Acela seat for only $3.20 over the regional. I have to wonder if William did something wrong, but that's his problem. And I'm glad that you thought to ask him and went to the lounge. My first reaction when you mentioned the line was, oh no, I bet he didn't know that he could go to the lounge to do that, even though they can't take money in there. William was correct on that issue, the lounges are credit cards only.
You're only other alternative would have been to just buy an Acela ticket from the machine and get a refund later for the other ticket, although that method would have incurred the 10% penalty.