First ever Amtrak Experience

[3rdRRU_PhuBai]

"You rode the Washington section of the Broadway Limited"
Thank you, Conductor Steve4031.

 

[IndyLions]

My first Amtrak trip was in 1973 or 1974 on the Empire Builder from Glasgow Montana to Seattle. Talk about whiplash, I was so busy trying to soak in all the "famous" sights alongside the railroad tracks at the same time as I was studying the train, going from front to back, over and over. And the Builder sure seemed to have a LOT of cars at that time. But the Dome Car became my hangout pretty quickly. We ate pretty well at home but the Dining Car was an eye opener. I had Halibut, either coming or going, and it was so good I was simply amazed. The tiny little bedroom was so cool in the day and when I came back from the Dome Car it had magically transformed into its sleeping configuration. That was so cool!
My Father worked as a brakeman for Great Northern until it became Burlington Northern and knew most of the crew, at least in passing, so it was kind of cool to see my Dad in his element. He actually ended up working as a conductor later for Amtrak for several months while he recovered from a back injury. I had ridden freights with my Dad as a "stow away" both in the caboose and the locomotive between Glasgow and Williston and later to Minot (?), so I thought I was an old hand, but even though riding in the cupola with an Orange Crush was heaven, having a whole train to roam was even better. I rode in the locomotive just once but it was early on and I remember only bits and pieces, like the Playboy in the toilet area and being "asked" to blow the horn at crossings. If memory serves there was a hatch at the front of the toilet that led to a platform out front of the loco, which I thought was pretty amazing.
I doubt freight train crews are able to bring their kids along on trips nowadays. Understandable, but sad.
I wish Amtrak could bring back the Dining Car, it served such a fine meal back in the day. The Sight Seer Lounge isn't quite a Dome Car but it is pretty close, and I like the way the SSL seats are arranged.

Terrific story!

I doubt freight train crews are able to bring their kids along on trips nowadays. Understandable, but sad.

I'm sure all roads have different rules - but bringing the kids along probably wasn't allowed on any road even back then. My Dad got me aboard a Pennsylvania locomotive for a couple of miles on the G, R & I line in Sturgis, MI in the early 1970's. A ride I'll never forget.

But my Mom told me years later that the "field trip" I got to experience was strictly forbidden by the RR - and that my Dad (the block operator) and the crew had taken a big risk by letting me ride.

 

[IndyLions]

I believe my first trip on Amtrak was Niles, MI to Birmingham, AL on the Wolverine/Floridian in the early 1970s - sometime between 1972 and 1975. I would have been 7-9 years old.

My grandmother took me "clothes shopping" the day before boarding - because when you traveled on a train - you dressed up. Grandma put me on the train in Niles, MI to join my Mom and little brother who had been put on the train by my Dad in Kalamazoo.

On the Wolverine - I remember thinking how comfortable the big blue seats were. Coming into Chicago - I told my little brother we would be arriving at "Grand Central Station" - and I was corrected by an adult that it was "Union Station". Union Station's waiting area seemed so chaotic compared anything I'd experienced in small town Michigan. I was so excited to board a train that was going all the way to Florida - even though we were getting off in Birmingham.

There were two lasting memories of the Floridian. First - the dome car. I thought that was absolutely the coolest thing ever. Being that my Mom had her hands full with my little brother - I had some ability to roam the train and head off to the dome alone. I was a pretty well behaved kid, so that probably sounds worse than it was. I spent a fair amount of time in that dome car - during the day and at night.

The other lasting memory was the lounge car. I'm pretty sure that's where we ate. If we'd eaten in the diner I certainly would have remembered that. But it wasn't the meal I remembered - but playing games in a booth. A game room on a train? Cool! I know Mom really enjoyed the break from the coach seat.

All in all it was a great trip. Mom told me later she didn't sleep very well because the tracks in Indiana were atrocious, and worrying about me sneaking off to the dome. I don't remember having any trouble sleeping - but as a kid I could sleep anywhere. We got off the train in Birmingham - my paternal grandparents picking us up and driving us to their house north of Atlanta.

On the trip home we drove - my Dad and my Grandpa each driving halfway for a passenger exchange somewhere in Kentucky. The most memorable part of the return was my brother getting car sick and puking all over my Grandpa's Cadillac. I remember wishing we'd taken the train home instead.

 

[Eric in East County]

Our first experience onboard a long distance Amtrak train was in 1993 when we rode the Empire Builder from Seattle to Glacier National Park. This was back in the bad old days when smoking was still allowed onboard. Much to our annoyance, we were assigned seats in the one coach that had a section for smokers at the rear. We explained to the conductor that we were non-smokers, and couldn’t we be moved to a non-smoking coach? She was not at all sympathetic and we had to stay where we were. As a result of having to breathe the second-hand smoke all night, we arrived at Glacier with irritated throats and sinuses and thoroughly pissed off at Amtrak. (We fared better on the return trip, although we both agreed that, at our age, spending the night in a coach seat was not our idea of a good time.)

Our second experience with an Amtrak long distance train was in 1997 when were took the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Seattle. This time, we booked a roomette which, to us, seemed a little too cramped when occupied by two people. On the plus side, on that particular trip, there was a second sightseer lounge car just for the sleeping car passengers.

The next year we traveled from Los Angeles to Chicago onboard the Southwest Chief and this time, we got a bedroom. In addition to being able to spread out, we had our own bathroom & sink, and PRIVACY. Since then, we always book a bedroom whenever we have to spend the night on a train.

Eric & Pat

 

[Palmland]

I was in Baltimore in May of ‘71 and saw the rainbow fleet era. My first Amtrak trip wasn’t until a year later when we flew to Chicago and took the Super Chief (don’t recall when the name changed) to Flagstaff to see grandparents in Phoenix area with our 1 year old son. Service was still all Santa Fe and every bit as good as when I rode it in’69.

 

[CTANut]

My first experience was with the flexible dining, and 3x weekly schedules. I am planning to ride again in July. Hopefully things will be better by then.