TVRM610
Conductor
After riding the Crescent to Philly and transfering to the Keystone for a trip to Harrisburg / Lancaster (see my previous report) I continued on my journey that would take me to Cedar Point in Sandusky OH.
The Keystone Service is one smooth operation. If only rail travel was like this everywhere in the US!
90-110 mph operation over the whole line. We flew by cornfields and Pennsylvania towns. The train ran ontime and was very clean. I was very impressed with the friendly Conductors who gave very clear announcements about all of the upcoming stops. I took the Keystone from Harrisburg to New York (the entire route) where I checked into the Club Acela lounge. After a little sightseeing in the city, I waited in the lounge for the boarding call of the Lake Shore Limited. The Conductor let sleeper passengers go down the escalator first, and we settled into our Viewliner Roomette. Had one of the best sleeper attendants ever, her name was Maria, and she was top notch. She greeted us by name, asked us when we wanted our beds turned down, and when we would like to be woken up. She asked about our travels and treated us like we were family. I was very impressed with her (and of course tipped her accordingly).
The dining car experience was good as well. For dinner I had the Country Fried Steak and was a bit dissapointed. It was o.k. However the Mashed Potatoes were amazing. I could not believe they were the same "instant" potatoes that I had been served a few nights before on the Crescent. Oh what a difference a good chef makes! The diner had an LSA, two servers, and one chef. Again Cloth napkins are back in the diner, one more step away from SDS. Our server was o.k. he could have been more friendly, but he provided decent service. My friend ordered the beef, and was very pleased with it. I had the Mississippi Mud Pie for dessert, I wished I had gotten the cheesecake instead. Again, it was o.k.
The train was a bit rough overnight, we flew through several turn-outs, woke me up a few times. The train was about an hour and a half late into Sandusky, which meant another hour of sleep so I was happy. Maria made shure we were up and ready for our stop. Overall another excellent trip.
The Keystone Service is one smooth operation. If only rail travel was like this everywhere in the US!
90-110 mph operation over the whole line. We flew by cornfields and Pennsylvania towns. The train ran ontime and was very clean. I was very impressed with the friendly Conductors who gave very clear announcements about all of the upcoming stops. I took the Keystone from Harrisburg to New York (the entire route) where I checked into the Club Acela lounge. After a little sightseeing in the city, I waited in the lounge for the boarding call of the Lake Shore Limited. The Conductor let sleeper passengers go down the escalator first, and we settled into our Viewliner Roomette. Had one of the best sleeper attendants ever, her name was Maria, and she was top notch. She greeted us by name, asked us when we wanted our beds turned down, and when we would like to be woken up. She asked about our travels and treated us like we were family. I was very impressed with her (and of course tipped her accordingly).
The dining car experience was good as well. For dinner I had the Country Fried Steak and was a bit dissapointed. It was o.k. However the Mashed Potatoes were amazing. I could not believe they were the same "instant" potatoes that I had been served a few nights before on the Crescent. Oh what a difference a good chef makes! The diner had an LSA, two servers, and one chef. Again Cloth napkins are back in the diner, one more step away from SDS. Our server was o.k. he could have been more friendly, but he provided decent service. My friend ordered the beef, and was very pleased with it. I had the Mississippi Mud Pie for dessert, I wished I had gotten the cheesecake instead. Again, it was o.k.
The train was a bit rough overnight, we flew through several turn-outs, woke me up a few times. The train was about an hour and a half late into Sandusky, which meant another hour of sleep so I was happy. Maria made shure we were up and ready for our stop. Overall another excellent trip.
