Any good scenery on the Crescent

[Faraz]

Just curious if it goes through the mountains or not?

 

[had8ley]

Just curious if it goes through the mountains or not?

Yes, it goes through the mountains at night. You will come into Greenville just before daylight and from Atlanta to New Orleans it will be relatively flat. The most beautiful part of the trip, in my book, is crossing Lake Pontchartrain at sunset; be sure to be sitting on the west side of the train after you stop in Slidell.

Oops, my bad. Be sure to sit on the east side leaving New Orleans and IF, just if, the diner is open try to get in while crossing the lake. From Hattiesburg to Birmingham you'll fly like an eagle and from B'ham to Atanta you'll crawl like a snake. It is a very interesting route.

 

[BobWeaver]

Just curious if it goes through the mountains or not?

Yes, it goes through the mountains at night. You will come into Greenville just before daylight and from Atlanta to New Orleans it will be relatively flat. The most beautiful part of the trip, in my book, is crossing Lake Pontchartrain at sunset; be sure to be sitting on the west side of the train after you stop in Slidell.

Reverse what you wrote, he's riding on #20.

I've only ridden 20/19 between CSN and WAS, but some of my favorite scenery is between DAN and CLP. Be sure to have your eyes out the window when you leave Lynchburg, as you'll go over the beautiful James River trestle and it's utterly amazing.

 

[greatcats]

I remember being on the Crescent one night in the 80's having dinner out of Washington, and there were lovely views of the setting sun over the Blue Ridge.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Going northbound you will see many of the famous landmarks in Washington, D.C from the left hand side of the train the following morning.. This will be just a few minutes after leaving Alexandria, Va. You will not see the White House but you will see several other major buildings, all on the left going northbound, after enjoying the rolling hillls of Virginiia since early morn.

And I agree the scenery outside NOL is spectacular, and you will see it in the daylight , whereas southbound it can be pitch black out on the water if the train is late.

 

[jackal]

Just curious if it goes through the mountains or not?

Yes, it goes through the mountains at night. You will come into Greenville just before daylight and from Atlanta to New Orleans it will be relatively flat. The most beautiful part of the trip, in my book, is crossing Lake Pontchartrain at sunset; be sure to be sitting on the west side of the train after you stop in Slidell.

Reverse what you wrote, he's riding on #20.

I've only ridden 20/19 between CSN and WAS, but some of my favorite scenery is between DAN and CLP. Be sure to have your eyes out the window when you leave Lynchburg, as you'll go over the beautiful James River trestle and it's utterly amazing.

Darn, don't tell me that--I rode the Crescent from CLT-CVS and then WAS-CLT last August. On the CLT-CVS leg, I fell asleep almost immediately and didn't wake up until the attendant told me we were arriving in CVS, since I had been flying for 20 hours and had worked a 10 hour shift the morning before I left (then going straight home, packing, and driving to the airport)--I had been awake for something like 35 hours straight upon arrival in CLT.

Then southbound, I had just come from CHI to WAS on almost no sleep, had a couple of hours to kill there, boarded the Crescent and then fell asleep shortly after Manassas.

Darn that I missed some of the best scenery both ways!

(And then, to top it all off, when I left CVS on the westbound Cardinal, I tried as hard as I could to stay awake through the beautiful mountains of WV, but I just couldn't do it. Oh well...I'll just have to retrace my steps someday when I've had more sleep...)

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I wish they still offered fried chicken on it..

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

Ok, first off you will cross lake Ponchartrain on a very long bridge and will be surrounded by water as far as you can see, not to mention that the majority of the bridge is too small to see, its almost as if you're on a boat crossing the lake. Then you'll make the stop at Slidell, between Slidell and Laurel you'll be traveling across the swamps of LA and MS, between Laurel and Meridian you'll pick up some speed for a dash through trees and farm land. After Meridian you have a quick section of fairly open land to Tuscaloosa, including a tall bridge that crosses the Black Warrior River. Somewhere around Tuscaloosa you will pass one of the other Crescents. After Tuscaloosa you start to get into the base of the Appalachians almost immediately after Tuscaloosa you'll start noticing a lot of high fills, then you'll pass the Mercedes Manufacturing plant at Vance, AL, up until this point you've basically been following Hwy 11 but after Mercedes it breaks away and becomes part of I-20/59. You'll make an unusual station stop at Birmingham which involves leaving NS to take CSX for about a mile, then stoping to allow the conductor to get off and hand throw switches to get in the station, the tracks into the station are poorly maintained and you will notice the train sway side-to-side quite a bit, the conductor will run down the train to load and unload, then he'll go to the front of the train to hand throw a switch at the front of the train, you'll see him/her getting passed on the ground out of the window, then then the train will stop for them to get back on in the last car. All of this takes a good 15 minutes. After the station stop in Birmingham they start taking dinner reservations, I forgot when they took them for lunch but I assume Hattiesburg, they usually start about 2 or 3 hours before the first time. After Birmingham you'll go around Norris Yard in Irondale, AL, just before Norris yard you'll go past a restaurant that is based off the Whistle Stop Cafe in the movie/book Fried Green Tomatoes, the real location was supposed to be along this line to the east somewhere near Leeds. After Irondale, you have some fairly slow running through curvy track that follows a small stream, this is where the mountains start for the Crescent, you'll cross I-20 and slow down soon after at Leeds where the NS Birmingham-Mobile line breaks off to head south, then you'll pick up speed for a bit, right after that you'll slow to 15mph for an extremely steep curve at Brompton, then you'll get up a little faster, and at Chula Vista you'll go through the only tunnel on this route south of Washington, you'll open back up to farmland with small towns then cross the Coosa River (I live less than a mile by water from this bridge), then you'll go through the Honda Manufacturing Plant, you'll see more farmland and small towns before passing the huge Anniston Army Depot which will be on your left side for almost 5 miles, this depot repairs tracked vehicles and incinerates chemical weapons warheads. Just after you pass the Army Depot you'll stop at Anniston, this station has just under gone extensive remodeling, greyhound is supposed to move in along with taxis and city buses, After Anniston you'll make a quick dash out of town through Oxford and then slow to around 45 and 50 for the rest of the way into Atlanta, there is almost no straight track the rest of the way, you can see both ends of the train out of the windows most of the time, this is when dinner will be served and you get to sit and watch the trees in the foothills roll by with the occasional sleepy town. At Austell you'll start to encounter freight delays every train coming from the North and East comes into Atlanta through Austell, you'll make your stop in Atlanta soon after, Atlanta is a fairly long stop and the train usually leaves completely full, its usually dark once you leave Atlanta. The train will speed up a good bit as it makes its stops in the small towns of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, Charlotte, NC will be a fairly long stop and you should meet another Crescent here. Somewhere between Danville and Lynchburg, VA, the sun will rise and you'll wake up to rolling hills covered with trees and farmland, after the stop at Lynchburg you'll cross a tall bridge over a creek in the bottom of a gorge, the rest of the way in you'll see small towns and farmland, around Manassas you might start seeing VRE commuter trains, you'll stop at Alexandria and between Alexandria and Washington be on the look out for monuments, you'll go under ground for a bit and stop in the open at Washington, the power will be immediately cut for the engine change, you'll get a AEM-7 or a HHP-8, usually just one, two if they need to distribute power between WAS and NYP or one has had maintenance done recently, once the engine change is complete the train will leave, from Alexandria to NYP the Crescent only unloads so you will gain a considerable amount of time. If you were late into DC you'll be on time or early into NYP, its possible for you to be up to 90 minutes early.

If you have the time I recommend using Google Earth or Microsoft Virtual Earth to map out the route, Google does a better job in rural areas, and Virtual Earth does well in cities, Virtual Earth also has the birds-eye-view option that has photos taken from helicopters rather than just the satellite images.

 

[AlanB]

Paragraphs, please.

 

[Faraz]

Great reply Crescent ATN & TCL, probably the most detailed answer to a posting I have ever seen !

 

[Guest]

Ditto, very descriptive... I laughed at the "picking up speed" part between Laurel and Meridian. The train always seemed to do the "shake, rattle and roll" through there making it hard to stay straight in the diner... You may have missed inserting a description about one of the meanest patches of kudzu I've ever seen that shows up on one side or the other of Anniston.... AND, for the record, Fried Green Tomatoes and the movie prop (now an operating restaurant) for the Whistle Stop cafe was actually filmed in Juliette, Georgia (a small community north of Macon, GA).

Tell me the name of the white banked river between Hattiesburg and Birmingham. I don't recall a bridge. Cedars start appearing in quantities before crossing this river so the white is probably Limestone or kaolin.

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

Ditto, very descriptive... I laughed at the "picking up speed" part between Laurel and Meridian. The train always seemed to do the "shake, rattle and roll" through there making it hard to stay straight in the diner... You may have missed inserting a description about one of the meanest patches of kudzu I've ever seen that shows up on one side or the other of Anniston.... AND, for the record, Fried Green Tomatoes and the movie prop (now an operating restaurant) for the Whistle Stop cafe was actually filmed in Juliette, Georgia (a small community north of Macon, GA).Tell me the name of the white banked river between Hattiesburg and Birmingham. I don't recall a bridge. Cedars start appearing in quantities before crossing this river so the white is probably Limestone or kaolin.

The river is the Tombigbee, I'm not sure what kind of rock is on the side, but it is brilliantly white. The river has quite a bit of barge traffic. If you search Epes, AL in Google Earth you shoud be able to find the bridge just a little to the east. Its between Meridian and Tuscaloosa.

Fried Green Tomatoes was filmed in Juliet Georgia but the book and movie took place between Leeds and Irondale along what I assume is NS's mainline, however there were other East-West lines in the area that no longer exist. I think the Whistle Stop Cafe in Juliet was a hardware store before the movie was filmed. The Whistle Stop Cafe in Irondale was opened before the movie was filmed, they decided to change the name to Irondale Cafe after the movie and allow the Whistle Stop Cafe in Juliet to operate as the official one for tourism. Supposedly every citizen of Juliet appears as an extra in the movie.

As far as the kudzu I have no idea what area you are specifically talking about, the entire line through Alabama and Georgia has been taken over by kudzu. I know there is a good bit between Irondale and Lincoln, then another good bit from Heflin, AL to Augusta, GA. NS doesn't seem to mind it being there, I guess it helps with erosion.

 

[paulcompton]

On wednesday I will not only be on 19 crescent for the first time but also first time on Amtrak, anything I should stay awake for ? Not the dinner by the sounds of things

Leaving DC at 6:30 pm heading for Atlanta, how long should I keep my eyes open ????

Thanks

Paul

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

On wednesday I will not only be on 19 crescent for the first time but also first time on Amtrak, anything I should stay awake for ? Not the dinner by the sounds of things
Leaving DC at 6:30 pm heading for Atlanta, how long should I keep my eyes open ????

Thanks

Paul

I usually just wait until it gets dark, which will probably be after Lynchburg, but I have been awake for the entire route one time. I had slept late that day just before leaving and stayed up watching the lights from the towns, the locos headlights, and the signals change as we went under them. Just before Lynchburg you will cross a high bridge across a gorge with a small creek in the bottom. I would definitely be awake for that. There is a lot of good scenery during the night portion, but unless you are on a significantly late train you will miss it. You could always take one of the day trains through N & S Carolina though.

The sun will come up between Toccoca and Gainesville, GA, there is a lot of farmland and forests in that area. You'll start seeing more buildings the closer you get to Atlanta.

 

[paulcompton]

ok thanks for that.

paul.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I contest your statement about the dinner. If the Heritage diner is on that train, the dinner will be worth staying up for, trust me.

 

[Rail Freak]

I contest your statement about the dinner. If the Heritage diner is on that train, the dinner will be worth staying up for, trust me.

Rookie Here.

Enlighten me on the difference, please!

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

I contest your statement about the dinner. If the Heritage diner is on that train, the dinner will be worth staying up for, trust me.

Rookie Here.

Enlighten me on the difference, please!

A heritage diner is a diner that was inherited by Amtrak from the freight railroads when it began operations on May 10, 1971. These are used exclusively on single level LD trains in the east. These cars are for the most part between 60 and 80 yrs old, this is some of Amtrak's oldest equipment.

A Superliner diner is a newer (built in the 70s and 80s) dining car that is used with the two level trains in the west.

The diner-lite service is a pilot program for a reduced service dining car on the LSL.

The Cross Country Cafe is a pilot dining service for the CONO that is an attempt to operate as a 24hr diner with fewer crew than a full service diner.

SDS is the Amtrak program aimed at cutting diner costs without sacrificing overall quality. Main difference no glassware and half the staff. Personally I noticed no difference, maybe even a slight improvement in food quality on the Crescent after it went under SDS. The only thing I don't like is the standardized menus that no longer have food from the region of travel. Personally the fact that they use plastic plates doesn't bother me. Loads of restaurants have switched over to hard plastic plates and cups.

The final type of dining service is the original service that only exists on the Empire Builder at this point. It will soon be offered on the Coast Starlight as well. It consists of what you would expect at a fairly well-to-do restaurant. There are menus customized specifically for the train, real glass ware is used, and there are more employees.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Amtrak has several different food service car layouts.

Casual Food Service:

Single Level:

Snack Cars: I think this actually used to refer to a car that had all coach seating except for a snack bar, but I'm not sure.

Cafe Cars: I think this used to refer to a car that had a snack bar, table seating on one end, and coach or business in the other.

Dinette: Table seating both ends, snack bar.

Bistro: Thats what I call Capstone Cafes (which are all stored, I think) and Acela Cafes, which have a snack bar and a few stand up or stool seated tables. Kind of idiotic in the space utilization area, if you ask me.

These three are sort of merged together and you only find the second and third type in the system anymore, I think. They come in both Amfleet I and Horizon layouts.

Bi-Level:

California Snack: Upper level is a cafe of sorts, I've never actually ridden these trains.

California Snack Coach: Lower level is a cafe, upper level is a coach

Superliner Snack Coach: Ditto.

Lounge Car:

Super Dome Lounge: Amtrak operates precisely one of these cars, it is used on special occasions, and it has dome seating in the upper level, and a cafe in the lower level.

Amfleet II Lounge: Booth seating on one end, snack bar in the middle, lounge seating on the other end. These are increasingly rare.

Amfleet II Smoking Lounge: Made when Amtrak was starting to limit smoking. Has booth seating on one end, snack bar in the middle, and an enclosed room for smokers on the other end. I don't know if any are in service, but smoking is prohibited either way.

Amfleet II Dinette Lounge: Booth seating in both ends, snack counter in the middle.

Superliner AutoTrain Lounge: A converted diner with lounge seating and a smoking room downstairs. In this particular car, smoking is permitted due to the Auto Train's non-stop nature.

Superliner Sightseer Lounge: The crown jewel of Amtrak's car fleet, it has a cafe downstairs and an observation deck upstairs.

Formal Dining Cars:

Heritage Diner: These cars date back to the 40s and 50s. They are Budd built streamliners inherited from Amtrak's predecessor railroads. They have a kitchen and (unused) counter seating in one end, and booth seating in the other. These cars have fallen into dis-repair and are starting to be culled from the system. They provide a full dining experience and are designed to prepare fresh meals, although for most entries, they don't.

Amfleet II Diner-Lite: These cars are designed to provide a substitute for the Heritage cars in lieu of a real replacement. They have booth seating on both sides and look like a Dinette. The snack bar has been equipped with convection ovens and it serves heated meals. On the Lake Shore Limited both ends serve as a diner, and it has officially replaced the Heritage cars, allowing Amtrak to allocate the failing cars among the Silver Service trains and the Crescent. On the Cardinal, it allows it to offer an enhanced dining service by using one side as a diner and the other as a Cafe, consolidating the function of two cars into one on a very short train (two or three coaches and a Viewliner, plus this)

Superliner Diner These are also classic diners. They have full table seating on both ends, a waiter station in the middle, and a full kitchen downstairs. Food is delivered via dumbwaiter.

Cross Country Cafe These are a consolidated diner that can function as a lounge (and does so on the City of New Orleans) and allows the Texas Eagle to run its Sightseer Lounge unstaffed (no cafe). It also functions as a more casual Diner. It does, however, have a full kitchen downstairs. Its a converted Diner, with the waiting area converted into a counter.

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

What is the difference between a club car and a cafe car? I have seen the Philadelphia Club, run on one of the Crescent's consists for a while now, is there really any difference between it and a regular cafe?

 

[AlanB]

What is the difference between a club car and a cafe car? I have seen the Philadelphia Club, run on one of the Crescent's consists for a while now, is there really any difference between it and a regular cafe?

The Club car's where the cars that were rebuilt with the smoker's box in them. Many have now had that box removed, although I'm not sure that they are all gone. And some of those cars have already been converted to Diner-Lite cars.