Atlantic Coast Service discussion

[joelkfla]

I haven't been around in quite some time, so permit a couple of questions for the Silver Meteor that relegate me to newbie status:

1) I have a roomette in 9810. Is this a Viewliner II?

2) I am connecting to a Northeast Regional train in New York. There is an approximately 1.5 hour layover. As a sleeper passenger arriving in New York, do I get access to the lounge?

3) The trip is from Lakeland to Springfield, MA. The only option was a bus from Lakeland to Orlando. Is this because the Silver Star doesn't have good connections in New York to get to Springfield?

Thanks!

Yes to all three!

Sleeper car types cannot be guaranteed, due to substitutions for mechanical issues, but 9810 is normally a VL II (which means no toilet in the room.)

Sleeper passengers are welcomed into station lounges as long as they are departing or arriving on that day.

The northbound Star arrives too late to make any connections at WAS or NYP.

 

[Exvalley]

Thanks, Joel!

This reservation is actually for my son, who will be attending college in Lakeland.

I was in the process of looking at return trips for his Christmas break, and was surprised to see that there is NO availability for a one-way fare from Springfield, MA to Lakeland on January 6th. (It appears that there is nothing available north of New Haven.) The next available train is on January 8th, which is too late. Does this make any sense?

 

[joelkfla]

Thanks, Joel!

This reservation is actually for my son, who will be attending college in Lakeland.

I was in the process of looking at return trips for his Christmas break, and was surprised to see that there is NO availability for a one-way fare from Springfield, MA to Lakeland on January 6th. (It appears that there is nothing available north of New Haven.) The next available train is on January 8th, which is too late. Does this make any sense?

I don't know whether the booking page just omits trains that are fully sold out in some situations; otherwise it doesn't make sense to me either.

But I'm not familiar with service in Massachusetts. Maybe someone with more knowledge will chime in.

 

[niemi24s]

Seems like the Valley Flyer does not operate on the weekends, at least that one.

 

[DavidSh]

It looks to me like the weekend schedules give the Northeast Regional arriving at WAS fifteen minutes later, leaving under an hour for the connection to the Silver Star, where the weekday schedule gives over an hour for the connection.

 

[Exvalley]

It looks like the Valley Flyer does not operate on weekend.

Except there are no connections from Hartford, either.

 

[uncleboots]

I haven't been around in quite some time, so permit a couple of questions for the Silver Meteor that relegate me to newbie status:

1) I have a roomette in 9810. Is this a Viewliner II?

2) I am connecting to a Northeast Regional train in New York. There is an approximately 1.5 hour layover. As a sleeper passenger arriving in New York, do I get access to the lounge?

3) The trip is from Lakeland to Springfield, MA. The only option was a bus from Lakeland to Orlando. Is this because the Silver Star doesn't have good connections in New York to get to Springfield?

Thanks!

I can answer the lounge question.Yes

 

[Allypet]

I’m on the meteor right now. They run a mix of cars, this one has a V1 sandwiched between two V2’s, with 9811 being the V1. Good luck.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

Thanks, Joel!

This reservation is actually for my son, who will be attending college in Lakeland.

I was in the process of looking at return trips for his Christmas break, and was surprised to see that there is NO availability for a one-way fare from Springfield, MA to Lakeland on January 6th. (It appears that there is nothing available north of New Haven.) The next available train is on January 8th, which is too late. Does this make any sense?

If you could get to New Haven there is an Acela departing at 8:10 AM that connects with the Silver Star. Unfortunately there are no CTRail connections from Springfield on that day that get to NHV in time.

 

[Exvalley]

If you could get to New Haven there is an Acela departing at 8:10 AM that connects with the Silver Star. Unfortunately there are no CTRail connections from Springfield on that day that get to NHV in time.

Springfield is already a nearly three hour drive for us. So I really don't want to drive farther to New Haven, especially since I would just turn around and go home right after dropping my son off.

Unfortunately, the airlines won this battle. I have already booked an airline ticket from Burlington, Vermont back to Florida.

 

[jis]

At the RPA Meeting in a discussion between sessions the question of the Silver Service serving MIC at the Airport came up. It was noted that a set of trials were run last year and then everything went quiet. Jim Matthews of RPA agreed to take it up with Larry Chestler at Amtrak and find out what exactly is going on with that and let us who were present at the discussion know. I am happy to report back when we hear anything.

 

[Sauve850]

Generally, the agents do not know which cars are old vs new. They often do not know the difference between Superliner rooms and Viewliner rooms. However, when making a reservation, for example, for train 91 or 92, if you want an old car (assuming consists stay the same as they are now), you could request a room in 9110 or 9210.

I just booked a roomette on 91 from Was-Wpb in September. Looking for a VI. I tried asking how many roomettes she showed in 9110. Since there are 12 in VI and 11 in VII I thought that would work. She told me there were 8 roomettes in 9110?
Maybe thats all that was available to book. I guess as summer moves on Ill post here and ask if someone has seen the consist to help me out.

 

[jis]

I just booked a roomette on 91 from Was-Wpb in September. Looking for a VI. I tried asking how many roomettes she showed in 9110. Since there are 12 in VI and 11 in VII I thought that would work. She told me there were 8 roomettes in 9110?
Maybe thats all that was available to book. I guess as summer moves on Ill post here and ask if someone has seen the consist to help me out.

Unless something truly earthshaking happens, for the balance of this year 91/92 will have two Sleepers. 9x10 will be V1 and 9x11 will be V2 except for occasional last minute substitutions, when all bets are off.

 

[Palmland]

Since it’s pot luck which type sleeper you get why not give the passengers and crew some consistency. Have the Star or Meteor be all of one type and the other type sleeper on the other train? Presumably the Meteor would get 3 V2 and Star 2 V1.

 

[jis]

Some more on what is going on with Amtrak move to MIC at the Miami International Airport

Unused Miami International Airport hub for Amtrak needs upgrades

A 5,355-square-foot building the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) completed more than a half-decade ago to Amtrak specifications is still shy a few renovations and one more thing: Amtrak. The “beautiful building,” as it was described

www.miamitodaynews.com

 

[acelafan]

FDOT deserves an award for their patience dealing with Amtrak.

 

[blueman271]

Some more on what is going on with Amtrak move to MIC at the Miami International Airport

Unused Miami International Airport hub for Amtrak needs upgrades

A 5,355-square-foot building the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) completed more than a half-decade ago to Amtrak specifications is still shy a few renovations and one more thing: Amtrak. The “beautiful building,” as it was described

www.miamitodaynews.com

Taking years to negotiate and occupy a building built specifically for them is the most Miami thing Amtrak could do. I’m honestly curious as to what happens first, Amtrak to MIC or Tri-Rail to MiamiCentral.

 

[JoshP]

Silver Meteor #98 had meltdown north of Jesup, sitting middle of nowhere for 4 hours 55 minutes. Reported that passengers has no power, A/C, restrooms not working. Reports that either CSX assistance or wait for 92 that is going north and pull them into Savannah. This is not good.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Silver Meteor #98 had meltdown north of Jesup, sitting middle of nowhere for 4 hours 55 minutes. Reported that passengers has no power, A/C, restrooms not working. Reports that either CSX assistance or wait for 92 that is going north and pull them into Savannah. This is not good.

98(8) arrived in SAV before 92(8)'s arrival. I could be wrong but it appears, based on the location history on the tracker, that it left on it's own power as it has been recorded traveling over 75 mph. Perhaps it was a HEP issue, not an "engine" issue.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

98(8) arrived in SAV before 92(8)'s arrival. I could be wrong but it appears, based on the location history on the tracker, that it left on it's own power as it has been recorded traveling over 75 mph. Perhaps it was a HEP issue, not an "engine" issue.

The issue was the plow. Just took them way too long to switch the engines.

 

[joelkfla]

The issue was the plow. Just took them way too long to switch the engines.

What's "the plow", and what was the issue, please?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

What's "the plow", and what was the issue, please?

That thing on the bottom front of the engine. I suspect it was hitting the rails. Perhaps it had hit something which dislodged it. Am told it was bottoming out at crossings.

 

[MDRailfan]

Is the 10 Sleeper car travelling northbound next to the engine on the Meteor. Also I heard the 10 car is the Viewliner 2 on the Meteor.

 

[pennyk]

The sleepers on the Silvers are at the rear of the train. The 10 car is after the dining car in the consist. Yes, recently and most the time, the 10 car has been a V2 (on the Meteor - edit to add).

 

[jis]

The sleepers on the Silvers are at the rear of the train. The 10 car is after the dining car in the consist. Yes, recently and most the time, the 10 car has been a V2.

On the Silvers, when a train has two Sleepers, the 11 Car is the V2 (e.g. the Star today), and when it has three or more Sleepers the 10 Car (and even numbered cars) are V2 (e.g. the Meteor today, the Super-Star when it was running with 4 or 5 Sleepers).

The Star is slated to get another Sleeper in the next few years, so the car order will change then perhaps.