Friendships Form on Amtrak Hiawatha

[Trollopian]

A feel-good story about the on-board holiday party organized by commuters on the Amtrak Hiawatha. (Sent to me by a friend and Milwaukee native.) Excerpt: "'You spend three hours a day with these people, so you get to know them. They become friends and family, both on and off the train,' says Todd Allen, a resident of West Allis who has worked in Chicago for 30 years." I especially liked the guy who says he'll keep riding the train occasionally even after he retires soon. For the parties.

Seriously, it's a paean to the value of community, which you sure don't get fumin' on the freeway in your own personal little metal pod.

https://onmilwaukee.com/seasonal/holidays/articles/amtrak-commuters-holiday-party.html

 

[railiner]

Great story. I didn’t know Amtrak carried an (unmanned) lounge car on the Hiawatha’s. I wonder how they get around Amtrak’s rule that only Amtrak served alcohol is permitted in other than private accommodations?
Do some of the regular’s charter the car?

I recall there were chartered “commuter clubs” on some commuter trains serving New York, years ago... not sure if any still operate...

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I rode a bus for 5+ years that had a group of people who held Friday night “happy hour” each week. We took turns bringing the food & wine.

Some of us got together on other occasions.

Another bus I rode occasionally had parties, like for birthdays or retirements.

Those were back in the 70’s & 80’s in Delaware.

 

[Seaboard92]

The last commuter club is in Chicago actually. It’s on the UP North Line Car 553. It’s an ex AC&F Chicago and Northwestern parlor car. I have photos of the interior somewhere. I’ll have to share them.

 

[railiner]

There used to be one on NJT’s North Jersey Coast Line...
Metro North used to have several MU staffed bar cars on the New Haven line...
Even the LIRR had lots of staffed bar cars...they may still have some on seasonal Montauk weekend trains...

 

[Thirdrail7]

Great story. I didn’t know Amtrak carried an (unmanned) lounge car on the Hiawatha’s. I wonder how they get around Amtrak’s rule that only Amtrak served alcohol is permitted in other than private accommodations?
Do some of the regular’s charter the car?

I recall there were chartered “commuter clubs” on some commuter trains serving New York, years ago... not sure if any still operate...

It is similar to the unused cafe car on most of the Empire Trains. As long as Amtrak personnel aren't using it, I believe the FDA rules do not apply. When they cut the cafe cars on the NYP-WAS only trains in the 90s, passengers kind of did the same thing.

Of course, the IG will probably follow the article and the good times will come to an end.

 

[Willbridge]

When my dad retired from representing the Seattle Times in Oregon that ended at least 42 years of a monthly round-trip on the Pool Line, plus PDX-SEA trips starting in the 30's, a WWII troop train from Fort Lewis, the last Gray's Harbor train, etc. With help from Amtrak's Art Lloyd in SF, they blocked out the rear coach on his last work trip and family, friends and crew surprised him with a party.

At age 96 he still enjoys an occasional family Talgo trip, although he claims that he rode a steam-powered heavyweight trip that made the trip as fast, with an added stop in Chehalis.

 

[AFS1970]

LIRR got rid of their bar cars years ago. MNRR kept them up until the new M8's came in, now they don't even run them on the trains using the older cars. I always thought that they could make up an interesting excursion train of bar cars and maybe make a bit of money.