Hi again,
Bill, my friend and I each had a berth; I was in the upper. I never rode on the old pullmans, but the berths are similar to what I saw in our museum/railway station in Omaha. The berths were VERY comfortable, and wide, much more so than the standard sleeper on Amtrak. I like the heavy drapes for privacy; you are in your own little world with plenty of room. Two of us could have shared the lower berth, really.
Yes, I wish the soft drinks had been free, but there was plenty of free coffee, tea, water with fresh lemon added. What I appreciated more than anything was the friendly service by every single staff member. We experienced three different crews (one was a crew change in Winnipeg; and then we got off the train for a week in Jasper). Not a single unfriendly crew member!
Also fantastic: the park car at the end of the train. Very comfy with its bar, social area and dome. On the other side of our sleeper was the diner, and just beyond that a Skyline Dome, with two separate areas on each side. One area had tables, the other more cushy seating around mini tables.
They didn't run out of anything on either segment, another nice surprise.
Regarding Anthony's comment, yeah, I'd have to agree that the dining car was a bit more formal, but I'd add a bit more friendly, and excellent food (for my unsophisticated taste buds). Otherwise not much different from Amtrak.
The car attendant on both segments helped with luggage, made up the berths, and checked on us at least two times before letting us know where she would be. She was available the entire trip if anyone needed anything.
I truly hope Amtrak can raise their level of service. If they can do this, then ridership will increase, as it has in Canada. There were MANY Europeans on the Canadian. I think Amtrak could attract more foreign visitors too, if there is more publicity and better service. Some Germans and Hungarians I spoke with told me that their impression of trains in the States was that the trains were late and had poor service. I did let them know about freight trains ruling the tracks.
Well, I'll get around to writing about the trips. I'm still in Canada; will be on the Empire Builder on Tuesday. See ya all...
Scott
