A few hours ago there were two open rooms and now we are back to one room left. So some chance I guess to win the bid-up. $498 is step for a 6 hour ride so might have to enjoy the ride with the hoi polloi. We will decompress in the lounge if it comes to that.
Crescent discussion 2023 Q4 - 2024
- Thread starter pennyk
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Hopefully they let you "lounge" in the lounge and not reserve it for the benefit of the crew.
now 4 rooms left so looking good i would think. and i was referring to decompressing in the metro lounge at DC Union Station at the end and f the trip. I have no hope of having any room in the cafe car to decompress.
We won the Bid-up. Rooms were going for over $500 when I last checked for our leg of the trip. I noticed our bid was listed as poor so I raised it $20 to make it "Fair" during supper just to be safe. That will be 4 flex meals which is all we got heading to NYC last summer. For the cost of not having to buy breakfast nor lunch with the glass of wine the bid up was not that expensive for the private room. Certainly makes my wife happy.
It went from showing 4 rooms to 3 remaining now so I wonder if I was the only bid up to even offer a bid. Room 2012 Room 5 so I am thinking that is the baggage car. On the return the BC is sold out and only a few seats left in coach on the Carolinian. I assume we are not getting the use of the CC upgrade coupon unless a party of 2 cancel and there are not bid-ups. Seems unlike;y for a Monday on a three day weekend. Hopefully the free Metro lounge passes will get us to the front of the line for loading on Monday so we at least get to seats together. Last year on the same weekend we had the last two seats together, though a lot of people unloaded at Alexandria so after that stop I think all the couples had seats together.
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City of Miami
Conductor
I saw 20 today in Charlottesville. The entire train was filthy, all the windows on the side facing me were opaque.
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That isn't limited to the Crescent, most equipment goes unwashed for months or years lately. It is Amtrak Phase VIII livery: dirt.
Same for the Eaglette. We board NB in Dallas, usually the Family Bedroom. I wash the platform side window in Dallas, then the other side in Mineola or Longview. Seems to irritate/embarrass the crew.
I have an extension pole with a brush/squeegee as well. Comes in handy when we are in the bedrooms or Roomettes.
Yeah, I'm crazy like that. But I like to be able to see the countryside.
It’s interesting that your action “irritates/embarrasses the crew”…
While washing the outside windows is certainly not in the job requirements for anyone working on the train, I can see how they would be offended, as not everyone understands that, and it may make it seem that you were “doing their job”…
It might even be somewhere in the fine print of Amtrak regulations prohibiting passengers from that practice, due to some perceived possible liability…
One would hope they are embarrassed that their employer is so sloppy and uncaring that their product is neglected so.It’s interesting that your action “irritates/embarrasses the crew”…
While washing the outside windows is certainly not in the job requirements for anyone working on the train, I can see how they would be offended, as not everyone understands that, and it may make it seem that you were “doing their job”…
It might even be somewhere in the fine print of Amtrak regulations prohibiting passengers from that practice, due to some perceived possible liability…
It's obviously not the job of the attendants, and I understand that. I do see the occasional attendant wipe the crud off of the grab irons. Some DO care.
"Fine print..." ? Unlikely, but in this litigious age, it would not surprise me.
I travel AMTRAK for the ENJOYMENT, what of it they have left for us.
Doggone it, it shouldn't be this way! I'm old enough to remember when it WASN'T this way - when we had smiling attendants, fresh antimacassars on each seat, edible food, no one riding in wifebeaters and shower shoes, tables actually usable by passengers and not a lounge for AMTRAK employees and storage. May as well put a sticker of a running canis lupus velocitus maximus on the side of the cars. "Just load you bags under there, folks! The restroom is all the way in the back".
Now it's no view/lounge car, you can't eat in the snack bar, obscene fares, insulting FLEX "food", an incredibly bad UI / Webpage, the most Byzantine reservation system anywhere... they try to run me off, but In spite of AMTRAK's incredible inefficiencies, downright stupidity and uncaring attitude, they will dig me out of the smoking hole with my finger fused to the restart button.
The Texas Eagle - it ain't much, but it is OUR Eagle!
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Septa9739
Lead Service Attendant
They tried on the Chief. That seems to be about the limit.
I love that you clean the windows. Sad though it is, if enough of those crews start complaining that the customers clean the windows, we may get somewhere. On a recent trip a passenger took his finger and wrote in the filth on the cafe exterior “Please clean me.” I don’t know if it worked.
I was also on the Crescent recently and it was disgusting on the exterior also
I rode the Crescent the day of the Eclipse. Fortunately we had run through rainstorms and the windows were pretty clear.
FLEX meals on the Crescent. Mr. Claytor must be doing about rpm in his grave. Infamita!
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Amtrak must be the only form of transportation where you need to pray for rain.
Maybe people will start showing up at stations offering to squeegee your window for a tip.
west point
Engineer
Now that does bring out the chuckles! Maybe some can remember videos when conductors, OBS and pullman porters would open traps, go down stairs and wipe the grab irons?
xzperu42
Service Attendant
I’m riding it in 3 days. 
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We were on 20 on Saturday and I thought the windows were not that bad. We waved a few times while in a station. No one ever waved back. So they could not see in due to dirty windows. Or it would seem the people were very rude and envious of us being on the train. The windows were not pristine but we could see out fine and I am not sure I want people looking in while I am in private room. Maybe I am in a state of undress or something. So I prefer the windows be a bit opaque from the outside. And I am clearly envious when others are on a train and I am not so I chalk most of the non-waving back to envy (Though I do wave back if I see someone wave at me from the train.)
When did a cup of wine at lunch become a charge with flex meal. I seem to remember a free cup of wine for lunch on Memorial Day 2023 trip to DC but this weekend lunch wine was a charge. And there is not a dinner meal on day two of the Crescent heading north since the train gets in to NYP at the time it does. Is wine free for the previous day evening meal while in Alabama?
The policy is one adult beverage with dinner under both Flex and Traditional systemwide. That's always been the policy with Flex and with Traditional since it was reintroduced, as far as I know.
So, yes, there should have been a free drink for passengers the previous evening's dinner. And no free drink with lunch. The fact you got one last year probably was Amtrak's YMMV variability working out in your favor
On the Carolinian 79 we had to slow to 40 MPH due to a tornado warning. And there were was enough rain to leak through the vestibule it still did not clean the windows to a level to satisfy most.
It was an exception when that didn't happen.
And then there are places obsessed with wiping things off...
It helps when they wash it before it leaves its origin, though. But they don't, so it's already filthy when it leaves New York or New Orleans. The additional mileage between its origin and Charlotte just adds a bit more grime patina.
Southern Railway March 1972 (i.e. pre-Amtrak), at Hattiesburg MS, conductor wiping down the handrails of the dome car on the Southern Crescent.
TheVig
Lead Service Attendant
Yeah I don't recall when the last I've seen clean windows on the Crescent or the Carolinian, when I depart Charlotte.
west point
Engineer
Anyone have idea where these connecting passenger came from??
5/29/24 8:34pm EDT
_ Service Update: As of 7:26 PM CT Crescent Train 20 which
_ departed New Orleans (NOL) on 5/28 continues to hold at
_ Birmingham (BHM) for inbound arriving connecting customers
_ that were estimated to arrive at 7:00 PM CT. We will provide
_ updates as information becomes available.
_
_ 05/29/24 10:04pm EDT
_ Service Resumption: As of 7:56 PM CT inbound connecting
_ customers have arrived and Crescent Train 20 which departed
_ New Orleans (NOL) on 5/28 is now operating approx.2hrs 30mins
_ late.
5/29/24 8:34pm EDT
_ Service Update: As of 7:26 PM CT Crescent Train 20 which
_ departed New Orleans (NOL) on 5/28 continues to hold at
_ Birmingham (BHM) for inbound arriving connecting customers
_ that were estimated to arrive at 7:00 PM CT. We will provide
_ updates as information becomes available.
_
_ 05/29/24 10:04pm EDT
_ Service Resumption: As of 7:56 PM CT inbound connecting
_ customers have arrived and Crescent Train 20 which departed
_ New Orleans (NOL) on 5/28 is now operating approx.2hrs 30mins
_ late.
xzperu42
Service Attendant
I’m on The Crescent now in a Roomette in car 1912 and fortunately the train is not a rolling disaster area 
. The windows in my Roomette are reasonably cleanish.
Photo of my car, room in middle:
. The windows in my Roomette are reasonably cleanish.Photo of my car, room in middle:
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xzperu42
Service Attendant
Nice ride so far, we are on time as we approach Atlanta. I had dinner last night in my room and it was better than the Flex meals I recall having pre covid. I had the beef dish:
When I return on Monday the dining car should be back on, so it will be interesting to compare.
The staff so far have all been good. No complaints.
Window in Cafe (it’s not Switzerland, but still not bad):
When I return on Monday the dining car should be back on, so it will be interesting to compare.
The staff so far have all been good. No complaints.
Window in Cafe (it’s not Switzerland, but still not bad):
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