My First LD Trip - Empire Builder

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Madzoo

Madzoo

Train Attendant
Joined
Dec 14, 2013
Messages
51
Location
CHI
I read the reports. I'm doing it anyhow. I may not have another chance. So here I am in the CUS Metropolitan Lounge. My first impression - this place is a zoo. :)
 
Yeah. I avoid the Met Lounge. More trouble than its worth. Usually hang out at the Metro Deli bar, until right before train time, then go through general boarding gate. The Builder is one of my favorite routes, so as long as you aren't in a hurry, just enjoy the ride! Have a great trip,
 
Madzoo said:
I read the reports. I'm doing it anyhow. I may not have another chance. So here I am in the CUS Metropolitan Lounge. My first impression - this place is a zoo. :)
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Even on the Best of Days the Metro Lounge in CHI Can Be a Zoo, I Bet with the Holiday Crush it's Unbelievable!

I Hope You had Time to Get out of the Crush and Look around Union Station, and if the Weather is Good Outside, Walk around Chicago! Plenty of Great Eating Joints Around the Station and Lots to See in Downtown Chicago! The Metro Deli by the great Hall is a Good Place to grab a Sandwich and Something to Drink and People Watch Plus the Great Hall is usually Decorated very Nicely for Christmas!

Hopefully with the Holidays Coming Up the Freight Traffic on the Hi-Line will be Lighter, the Weather Will be Good and the BNSF Dispatchers Will Be in a Holiday Mood and Run the Builder on Schedule! Have a Great Trip and give us a Trip Report on your Adventure! Happy Holidays! ;)
 
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Unless you are in a big hurry to get somewhere at your destination, I would not mind being several hours late. You will get to enjoy the scenery in Washington more. ( if that is where you are going. ). Even if the train is on time westbound, it will be dark going through Glacier National Park.
 
Thanks for all the good wishes. I'm heading out to Seattle, and I'm in no hurry. Right now we're stopped in Milwaukee as scheduled.

I'm fortunate to spend a lot of time in Chicago, because I work there. I love it.
 
We're running a couple hours late. We were stopped outside of Fargo for about 45 minutes, and there has been other freight interference. The only other news is that the credit card machine isn't working in the cafe car.
 
We're stopped at Surrey about 10 minutes outside of Minot. The conductor just announced that we have entered the busy BNSF freight area, and we will be delayed some more.

Edited to add: The dispatcher detoured us through the freight yard. Cool. Those trains just go on and on.
 
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My excitement for the day was meeting up with the east bound train in Malta, MT. Someone else's excitement for the day was being the subject of the announcement "Conductor, we have a Wolf Point in the diner" several minutes after we had departed Wolf Point.
 
He had to go to Glasgow. I heard him say a family member would drive out to get him.
 
Because the train is running late, I was treated to some spectacular scenery that I would have missed in the dark. We are just pulling out of Everett now.
 
Madzoo said:
Because the train is running late, I was treated to some spectacular scenery that I would have missed in the dark. We are just pulling out of Everett now.
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The Only Part of the Current Hi-Line Fiasco that makes taking the Builder Worthwhile, Beautiful Scenery in Daylight that's Usually Passed in the Dark! ;)
 
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I don't know how other people felt, but I was very happy to be late.

Today, I received the Amtrak Alert e-mail which would have freaked me out if I hadn't read here what it's all about. I'm surprised they send them to people who are ending in Chicago.

I'll add one thing train travel related. I rode the Seattle monorail today. It was fun. I was surprised at how many people actually ride it.
 
I'm headed back east. I'm not sure what happened, but we made a hard stop around 11PM PST. The power was cut, and I saw some sweeping lights. We started moving again after about a half hour, so whatever it was does not seem to have been too serious. In other news, someone forgot the table butter in Seattle.
 
I heard that the problem last night was mechanical (something with the brakes). We made up all of the time and are sitting in Whitefish. I just saw the luggage cart go by - lots of skis.

I think an AU member had this room before me. There is duct tape across the door for the trash. :)
 
Madzoo said:
I read the reports. I'm doing it anyhow. I may not have another chance. So here I am in the CUS Metropolitan Lounge. My first impression - this place is a zoo. :)
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We were there at the same time. :) It was PACKED. We ended up sitting on an end table until the TE, CZ, and EB boarded. (We were waiting to board the SWC.)
 
I wondered if any AU members were in the Metropolitan Lounge that day. :)

We are now sitting outside Red Wing and have been informed there is a broken rail that will take about 90 minutes to repair.

Edited to change Winona to Red Wing.
 
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They just announced all the bustitutions and overnight accommodations. We are expecting about an 8:45 arrival on Chicago.
 
Thanks for posting! First-hand info about what travel on the EB is like, in this season of many delays, is a big help to those of us looking forward to taking this train in the near future! (I too have read the reports and am doing it anyhow. :) In mid-February.)

Can you tell us more about how "bustitiutions and overnight accommodations" were managed as you approached Chicago, hours late? Did they start working this out while still on the train, with passengers trying to make connections that late arrival will cause them to miss? I know your trip ended in Chicago.... If you didn't pay much attention to this, that's understandable, since you didn't need that info yourself.
 
Tricia -

I'm glad you're not letting the problems on the Empire Builder stop your trip. I have absolutely no regrets. I loved it. The conductor announced what arrangements would be made for late passengers while we were still a couple hours from Chicago. He listed each connecting train number and what was being arranged for passengers scheduled to take that train. Generally, connections within the midwest were being bustituted and others received overnight accomodations and tickets on the next day's trains. Some people going east were put on another train from Union Station, but it depended on where they were going. Upon arrival, passengers were instructed to go to the customer relations area in Union Station to receive all the details for their accomodations. Incidentally, once we were there, someone made an announcement that one of the trains scheduled to leave around 6:00 was still there, and late passengers were able to catch it.



What surprised me about the trip in general was that the "feel" of the train could really change. Heading out, the trip seemed comfortable, but for a while coming back east, it seemed a bit stressful. The conductor had to make several announcements for people to watch their children while no announcements were necessary going west. On the eastbound trip he even had to announce that there was innappropriate behavior in the bathroom and that bathrooms were to be used only for going to the bathroom. Once we passed the ski areas, the train became more comfortable again.

The community dining was often uncomfortable for me, because I am very shy around people I don't know. One person announced his displeasure at having to sit with someone else, but "no offence." Thanks. None taken. It was a thrill for me too. :eek:hboy: I did meet some nice and interesting people though. The last meal I had was the best. I was seated with a family, and when the grandma of the family found out I was alone, she gave me a big hug and welcomed me to their group. I had to laugh because the kids in the group were sharing the family room, while other family members had regular bedrooms. One of the boys announced how they strapped the youngest boy in his bed. His mother exclaimed, "You're supposed to attach that to the ceiling!"
 
For anyone who is interested, I added a Flickr set of some of the Empire Builder pictures.

Photos

They are just pictures I took on the train with the camera in my phone, so adjust your expectations accordingly. :)
 
Madzoo said:
For anyone who is interested, I added a Flickr set of some of the Empire Builder pictures.

Photos

They are just pictures I took on the train with the camera in my phone, so adjust your expectations accordingly. :)
Click to expand...
The Chicago set was great. I wondered why there were no people in the photos until I saw your "Interests" listed urban architecture.
 

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