Carolinian Questions

[Long Train Runnin']

Well I've been thinking of starting this thread for awhile now so here it is. My newbie questions are here

I am going in coach (sadly) so aside from suggesting upgrading to BC.

Okay, I'm going with the folks, this will be my moms first Amtrak ride in like 10 years (last was the Lake Shore Limited to Sandusky).

Where are the smoke stops?

Does the Cafe stock enough food that it won't run out somewhere down the line?

Is it the same old Amcafe menu?

Where will I meet with the Silver Service Trains?

Will there be a meet with the auto train?

Does anyone from that area know of a closer car rental place then the Airport?

Thanks guys if I think of more I'll post 'em here.

Anything else I should know feel free to tell me.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Well I've been thinking of starting this thread for awhile now so here it is. My newbie questions are here
I am going in coach (sadly) so aside from suggesting upgrading to BC.

Okay, I'm going with the folks, this will be my moms first Amtrak ride in like 10 years (last was the Lake Shore Limited to Sandusky).

Where are the smoke stops?

Does the Cafe stock enough food that it won't run out somewhere down the line?

Is it the same old Amcafe menu?

Where will I meet with the Silver Service Trains?

Will there be a meet with the auto train?

Does anyone from that area know of a closer car rental place then the Airport?

Thanks guys if I think of more I'll post 'em here.

Anything else I should know feel free to tell me.

You need to tell us between which cities you are traveling and in which direction in order to know about meeting trains,assuming they are on time. Do you have a timetable? Access to one? Time to receive one by snail mail? Current timetable pge 64 should answer your questions about meeting trains.

It will be hard to track meeting the auto train since it does not make stops shown to the public in the timetable. It is hard to know when it is due at various places since there are no official stops. It does have a service stop or two but that is not listed for passenger info

Richmond looks like a good place to smoke since it stays there for a few minutes.

"Running out of food" is not a predictable event , thus no way of knowing if that happen. Perhaps you feel it may happen with more freqency on some trains than others, I would not know about that. .

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Well I've been thinking of starting this thread for awhile now so here it is. My newbie questions are here
I am going in coach (sadly) so aside from suggesting upgrading to BC.

Okay, I'm going with the folks, this will be my moms first Amtrak ride in like 10 years (last was the Lake Shore Limited to Sandusky).

Where are the smoke stops?

Does the Cafe stock enough food that it won't run out somewhere down the line?

Is it the same old Amcafe menu?

Where will I meet with the Silver Service Trains?

Will there be a meet with the auto train?

Does anyone from that area know of a closer car rental place then the Airport?

Thanks guys if I think of more I'll post 'em here.

Anything else I should know feel free to tell me.

You need to tell us between which cities you are traveling and in which direction in order to know about meeting trains,assuming they are on time. Do you have a timetable? Access to one? Time to receive one by snail mail? Current timetable pge 64 should answer your questions about meeting trains.

It will be hard to track meeting the auto train since it does not make stops shown to the public in the timetable. It is hard to know when it is due at various places since there are no official stops. It does have a service stop or two but that is not listed for passenger info

Richmond looks like a good place to smoke since it stays there for a few minutes.

"Running out of food" is not a predictable event , thus no way of knowing if that happen. Perhaps you feel it may happen with more freqency on some trains than others, I would not know about that. .

I am going from NYP to CLT so the whole route in both directions so I should cover it all.

Thanks for the tips on page 64!

 

[x-press]

When are you going? Hopefully not March, as the train is not showing up in the system Monday-Friday for the whole month . . .

 

[Long Train Runnin']

When are you going? Hopefully not March, as the train is not showing up in the system Monday-Friday for the whole month . . .

Nope, Going in mid april. So hopefully things will be ironed out.

 

[AlanB]

Going southbound you won't see the Auto Train at all, other than it sitting in the terminal at Lorton, unless it's rather late. Northbound, assuming that you're not running late, you should pass the southbound Auto Train shortly before you get to Lorton. No way to predict exactly where, since the AT can leave as soon as its ready and CSX can take it. This often results in the AT leaving Lorton by 3:45 and even sometimes a bit earlier than that.

And the only service stop that the AT makes is Florence, SC.

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

Where are the smoke stops?

WAS, RVR, possibly RGH and GRO (and those last two are only BIG possibilties)

Does the Cafe stock enough food that it won't run out somewhere down the line?

As previously mentioned by others, there is no telling on that one. But as long as the train stays reasonably on schedule, then it is not all that likely unless folks make more purchases than the Amtrak LSA expects them to when he/she orders their stock.

Is it the same old Amcafe menu?

Most likely so, but some of the menu has changed over the last ten years.

Where will I meet with the Silver Service Trains?

Now, I might be a little off with my times as well. It has been a little while since I have been up that way. Assuming all is on time or close and nothing out of whack...

SB- you will meet the NB "Meteor" somewhere on the NEC, the NB "Star" somewhere between WAS and PTB, and if they're early you might see the NB "Crescent" between ALX and WAS or in Union Station. You'll pass the NB "Carolinian somewhere in the mix as well, and lastly you'll pass the NB "Piedmont" somewhere below GRO before you get to CLT.

NB- You will pass the SB "Carolinian," "Palmetto," and "Star" all between RMT and WAS. But first you will pass the SB "Piedmont" around GRO. You should see the SB "Crescent" either on the NEC or in Union Station, or between ALX and WAS (if you're a little late). And you will pass the SB "Meteor" on the NEC around

Will there be a meet with the auto train?

As Alan already mentioned, NB "Auto Train" will already be in LOR by the time you go by there on your SB trip. And NB you should pass the SB "Auto Train" just outside LOR unless he is late leaving or you are late getting there. But you'll see him anywhere along between SSM and LOR (hope you don't get that late to see Auto Train down near RMT. That means you're having a bad trip!).

Does anyone from that area know of a closer car rental place then the Airport?

Because of the time you are going to get there, I would stick with the airport car rental. Most of the local ones will already be closed or closing, and it will be too risky in the case your train gets late getting into CLT.

OBS gone freight...

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

And the only service stop that the AT makes is Florence, SC.

And to the OP, just so you are aware of it you will not pass through FLO on the "Carolinian." as it is further down on the "Meteor/Palmetto" route. It heads inland at SSM like the "Star" does to make its trip to RGH. Down at Fetner, the "Carolinian" will bear off to the right on the NS (State of NC trackage) to head to GRO and CLT. You will be able to see the other track off to the left which is the CSX line where the "Star" heads off towards SOP, CLB and back to SAV. Fetner is the interlocking where the two main lines split, but you should notice this more when you stop in the station at Cary, NC.

OBS gone freight...

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Thank you OBS Gone Freight!

I remember posting that you worked the silver route so some parts of the track are/were familiar to you, so thanks for all the details.

 

[jackal]

I did the Amtrak-to-airport rental car shuffle in August 2007, although I was departing and arriving on the Crescent, which, as you may have heard, serves CLT at about the worst time possible. I avoid cabs like the plague, preferring public transit at nearly ever possibility (for both transit-fan and cost reasons), and even I succumbed to a cab both to and from the station.

The CLT Amtrak station isn't in the best part of town, and while there is bus service from the road in front of the station to the airport, it's a very long journey and service isn't terribly often (not good when you're not in a great part of town).

If you *can* find a local rental agency that will be open when you arrive, ask if they offer complimentary pick-up service. But make sure to make some sort of arrangements in the event your train is late--a backup reservation at the airport or something...or a bribe to the rental agent that day if they'll stay for you until the train arrives! :lol:

Also, I hesitate to recommend them because their rates are very often triple what other companies are, but Hertz has been known to reimburse cab fares, so check with the airport Hertz and see if they'll do that. But make sure the savings on the cab won't be less than what you'd pay at another agency, or see if you can Priceline Hertz down to a reasonable figure. (Not sure they'll still reimburse the cab fare on a Priceline booking, though, and you're not guaranteed to get them if you do bid on PL, though PL sends most of its business to Hertz and Budget.)

 

[Long Train Runnin']

I talked with my dad and he said that there was a rental car counter in the station from Hertz. Can anyone confirm this?

 

[jackal]

I talked with my dad and he said that there was a rental car counter in the station from Hertz. Can anyone confirm this?

In the CLT station? Not a chance. I should know--I've spent about eight long hours of my life there attempting to sleep on those hard wooden benches (5 hours waiting for the departure after arriving from the airport and 3 hours after arriving back by train for the rental company at the airport to open) and, when I was unable to fall asleep, getting intimately acquainted with every square inch of the station.

I can firmly attest that there is no Hertz (or other rental car) counter anywhere in the station. (I didn't see one near the station, either, but I didn't venture outside much.)

 

[Long Train Runnin']

I talked with my dad and he said that there was a rental car counter in the station from Hertz. Can anyone confirm this?

In the CLT station? Not a chance. I should know--I've spent about eight long hours of my life there attempting to sleep on those hard wooden benches (5 hours waiting for the departure after arriving from the airport and 3 hours after arriving back by train for the rental company at the airport to open) and, when I was unable to fall asleep, getting intimately acquainted with every square inch of the station.

I can firmly attest that there is no Hertz (or other rental car) counter anywhere in the station. (I didn't see one near the station, either, but I didn't venture outside much.)

hmmmmm. interesting I'll pass that info along to my dad then since he was saying we were going to be able to get the rental car at the station...

 

[AlanB]

Well actually the Hertz site does list Amtrak as a place that one can rent a car. However, they do specify that there really isn't a rental place at the station, the pick up and drop off at Amtrak need to be coordinated in advance.

That makes me believe that they can deal with a late train, but I wouldn't swear to that. Here's the phone number for the place, 704-359-0114, which coincidentally seems to be the same phone number as the airport rental place.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Well actually the Hertz site does list Amtrak as a place that one can rent a car. However, they do specify that there really isn't a rental place at the station, the pick up and drop off at Amtrak need to be coordinated in advance.
That makes me believe that they can deal with a late train, but I wouldn't swear to that. Here's the phone number for the place, 704-359-0114, which coincidentally seems to be the same phone number as the airport rental place.

Yeah, my dad explained it to me. Since he is Hertz gold the car will be there and we will be able to get the key somehow and when we leave, we just park it in a certain spot and leave the keys and paper work inside of it. So as long as someone drops the car off where its supposed to be then we shouldn't have a problem even if we are running late.