ns4eva
Train Attendant
Planning to take a return trip back west to see Glacier National Park this summer. First time I had gone was in the summer of 2009 and you all were a valuable source of knowledge then as I predict you will be this time. Last time I took the Crescent from LYH-WAS, the Capital Limited from WAS-CHI, and the Empire Builder from CHI-ESM. This time I want to depart from a station closest to home. Last time I didn't because I had read about connection issues with the Cardinal and it's lack of being ontime. That concern is a big one I would like to straighten out before going forward with reservations.
Here's the plan, leave HIN (Hinton, WV) end of June and arrive ESM (Essex, MT). The trip will consist of roomettes round trip. Stay at the Izaak Walton several days and start back around beginning of July. This time though instead of just me and my wife (was my fiancée last time) I have talked my mother and father into going as well. This will be their first time out of the Eastern Time zone and only their second Amtrak venture (last one was LYH-TPA in December 2008).
Now, I have seen what seems to be a pattern, granted I could be mistaken since I'm not an Amtrak veteran, but it seems the Empire Builder has ontime issues around June most years. Granted that seems to be because of flooding in the midwest, etc., but is this common? I would hate to be on a return trip on the EB and running late and be stuck in CHI for a couple days and then be stuck with most likely coach accommodations, or worse, being bused back to WV.
Would we most likely be more successful in making connections by just doing the LYH-WAS-CHI-ESM trip again?
Any information would be appreciated.
Here's the plan, leave HIN (Hinton, WV) end of June and arrive ESM (Essex, MT). The trip will consist of roomettes round trip. Stay at the Izaak Walton several days and start back around beginning of July. This time though instead of just me and my wife (was my fiancée last time) I have talked my mother and father into going as well. This will be their first time out of the Eastern Time zone and only their second Amtrak venture (last one was LYH-TPA in December 2008).
Now, I have seen what seems to be a pattern, granted I could be mistaken since I'm not an Amtrak veteran, but it seems the Empire Builder has ontime issues around June most years. Granted that seems to be because of flooding in the midwest, etc., but is this common? I would hate to be on a return trip on the EB and running late and be stuck in CHI for a couple days and then be stuck with most likely coach accommodations, or worse, being bused back to WV.
Would we most likely be more successful in making connections by just doing the LYH-WAS-CHI-ESM trip again?
Any information would be appreciated.
Last edited by a moderator: