had8ley
Engineer
Well it was time for our train fix as I had been sick since we went to watch the space shuttle launch and the astronauts were back two weeks before I got better !#$
# 20 pulled into the Slidell depot about 6 minutes early as usual. Thinking it was making a double spot for coach pax first I stepped beack thinking it would take a while to board the 30 or so getting on. The regular conductor looked right at me and said, "C.Jay,you've got a sleeper tix but if you want to ride coach you're more than welcome." It then dawned on me that the Viewliners were back on front and Tommy was double spotting for our sake. We were greeted by a very happy older gentleman SCA whose name I failed to get (maybe because he didn't give it and wasn't wearing a name tag.) There were three of us in the H room and I carried my folding "conductor's chair." It worked out perfectly as the two other pax appreciated the extra room on the couch.(To date, and at least a dozen trips later, no one has said anything except "Good idea since they took your folding chair.")(Rooms A & B have fold down wall seats~ H does not.)
We headed back to the diner, which was not a re-build, and enjoyed a delicious breakfast; my two companions had the spinach quiche and I had an egg beater omelette (thanks to the On Board service Manager Mr. Elijah Brown. Believe it or not, The NYP chefs swore up and down that they didn't HAVE to make egg beater omelettes.If you saw how easy it is you would scratch your head in bewilderment! Every station has had a face lift (or a new station at Meridian) except for Tuscaloosa. The agent informed me that TCL is next in line for an ADA platform and a station face lift.
We ran about 6-8 minutes late all the way to TCL and met a ton of freight trains. We have been noticing a marked increase in freight traffic lately. For lunch I had the half pound hamburger which was fairly good. Everyone else had the veggie burger and enjoyed them. Seems like chocolate cake is being replaced by different flavors of sorbets. The bread pudding is a watery mess if not cooked properly. The peanut butter choice was far and away the best dessert and they still do the two spoonfuls Hagen-Das.
One thing about a TCL turn~ res will NOT let you make a round trip res. They insist you need 90 minutes to make the connection even though it is single track and you could literally get off, stand at the same spot until # 19 pulled in and get back on! Anyway, if # 20 is the least bit late you may spend the night; driving to NOL in a rent a car, flying to MSY or sleeping inside the station for the next days Crescent.
We waited about 30" for a tardy # 19. Dwayne boarded us in the #10 car and said he had the diner crew wait for us for lunch. I usually tip Dwayne well so I guess he saw my name on the manifest. We walked into an empty diner and ordered dessert just so Dwayne didn't look bad. Amazingly, the southbound diner was diner/ lounge re-build but I enjoyed 20's non re-build better. (those LED lights in the wall are a little too bright.)As per usual the third coach was closed up both ways but I'm sure they were sold out out of and into Atlanta.
We counted pine trees and catfish ponds going southbound. For some reason # 19 seems to go faster in speed than # 20. I don't know if it's the setting sun or what. Dinner was delightful; although Jim's bar-b-que ribs were on the menu we all did steaks and could barely finish them. All three desserts were in the white shopping bag when we got off. Another great trip until the three coaches slipped by with 98-- car #'s on them !!!I have to give Amtak an "A" for effort!
# 20 pulled into the Slidell depot about 6 minutes early as usual. Thinking it was making a double spot for coach pax first I stepped beack thinking it would take a while to board the 30 or so getting on. The regular conductor looked right at me and said, "C.Jay,you've got a sleeper tix but if you want to ride coach you're more than welcome." It then dawned on me that the Viewliners were back on front and Tommy was double spotting for our sake. We were greeted by a very happy older gentleman SCA whose name I failed to get (maybe because he didn't give it and wasn't wearing a name tag.) There were three of us in the H room and I carried my folding "conductor's chair." It worked out perfectly as the two other pax appreciated the extra room on the couch.(To date, and at least a dozen trips later, no one has said anything except "Good idea since they took your folding chair.")(Rooms A & B have fold down wall seats~ H does not.)
We headed back to the diner, which was not a re-build, and enjoyed a delicious breakfast; my two companions had the spinach quiche and I had an egg beater omelette (thanks to the On Board service Manager Mr. Elijah Brown. Believe it or not, The NYP chefs swore up and down that they didn't HAVE to make egg beater omelettes.If you saw how easy it is you would scratch your head in bewilderment! Every station has had a face lift (or a new station at Meridian) except for Tuscaloosa. The agent informed me that TCL is next in line for an ADA platform and a station face lift.
We ran about 6-8 minutes late all the way to TCL and met a ton of freight trains. We have been noticing a marked increase in freight traffic lately. For lunch I had the half pound hamburger which was fairly good. Everyone else had the veggie burger and enjoyed them. Seems like chocolate cake is being replaced by different flavors of sorbets. The bread pudding is a watery mess if not cooked properly. The peanut butter choice was far and away the best dessert and they still do the two spoonfuls Hagen-Das.
One thing about a TCL turn~ res will NOT let you make a round trip res. They insist you need 90 minutes to make the connection even though it is single track and you could literally get off, stand at the same spot until # 19 pulled in and get back on! Anyway, if # 20 is the least bit late you may spend the night; driving to NOL in a rent a car, flying to MSY or sleeping inside the station for the next days Crescent.
We waited about 30" for a tardy # 19. Dwayne boarded us in the #10 car and said he had the diner crew wait for us for lunch. I usually tip Dwayne well so I guess he saw my name on the manifest. We walked into an empty diner and ordered dessert just so Dwayne didn't look bad. Amazingly, the southbound diner was diner/ lounge re-build but I enjoyed 20's non re-build better. (those LED lights in the wall are a little too bright.)As per usual the third coach was closed up both ways but I'm sure they were sold out out of and into Atlanta.
We counted pine trees and catfish ponds going southbound. For some reason # 19 seems to go faster in speed than # 20. I don't know if it's the setting sun or what. Dinner was delightful; although Jim's bar-b-que ribs were on the menu we all did steaks and could barely finish them. All three desserts were in the white shopping bag when we got off. Another great trip until the three coaches slipped by with 98-- car #'s on them !!!I have to give Amtak an "A" for effort!
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