Ok more questions about the mounatins and cliffs..

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Breeze

Train Attendant
Joined
Nov 6, 2003
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60
Well I believe today is the day that I buy my ticket for the train(hopefully).

So hopefully I have a good trip and everything is safe and all!

I decided to make a new thread about what I asked in my other post about mountains, since that thread was getting old lol. Ok I had asked like if you see mountains and stuff..so I just wanted to see if anyone had any more info on that going from L.A. to Boston..I know Alan you shared a little bit about it, but is it like how you see in the movies where there is a built in tunnel going through a mountain and also what I meant about the cliffs, was ok I saw a picture of the rocky mountains on someone's train travelogue thing on trainweb.com and they were coming from Chicago to Emeryville,CA and it showed the train and like you saw a river, lake or what have you and it looked like the train was right on the edge of the little cliff and there was no bar going along the edge...now stuff like that would scare me lol. Are train tracks built on cliffs like that often?

Thanks everyone :D
 
Your trip from LA to Chicago would not be as scarey as what you see from Emeryville to Chi. I have been on both routes and while I do not remember all the details, the LA route would indeed be less scarey, if I am reading your post correctly. For many people that makes the SF(Emervyille)route more scenic and to be preferred. But to each his own.

I have often said on this forum that the desert is beautiful also, it just takes a little more "cultivating" to appreciate it than it does(for most people) to appreciate the high mountains and streams, etc.
 
Hi Bill, well what do you see exactly on the trip from LA to Chicago? Any cliffs?

Oh my, I'm really trying to get a feel for this train trip because as you can tell I worry ALOT!! :) And it doesn't help when you have friends telling you it's safer on plane than train...although I'm trying hard not to let them get to me, it still kind of does.

Another question, if I were to bring my own food, will they let you heat things up or if needed be put things in the fridge? Also is it allowed to bring a doufel(sp?) bag on board or would I have to check that as luggage?
 
Breeze, I can't remember exactly everything you will see anywhere,even in my own region. But I assure you it is relatively free of cliffs, unlike the trip from Emeryville to Chicago.

Please do feel safe on the train. Even if it has a wreck, the survival rate on a train is excellent whereas it is extremely poor on an plane. or a car, for that matter.

I am not so sure you can do the heating and cooling of your own food as you suggest...perhaps a bottle for a baby, but probably not your food. It is not like you have a lot of microwaves and kitchen stuff around you. Besides, you would not really want to carry enough food for that period of time with you anyway. Perhaps bring some snacks for the first day, and then eat in the lounge car(cheaper than the diner) for the rest of the trip. .

Yes,you can bring some baggage with you and an average size duffle bag would be fine. You will see several of them I am suire.

Finally,I wonder if you are connecing safety issues with the train falling off a cliff? Do not worry about that---I don't think it every really happens that way....train wrecks are more from problems with the track or collisions with other trains or other vehicles, not from falling off cliffs. Just don't look out the window.

There may be websites which show you somethng of the scenery. LOOK FORWARD to the scenery, whatever it is, and be glad you are seeing if calmly and yes, safely, at ground level.
 
Breeze,

I can't speak to the LA to Chicago portion, however there are no cliffs or drop-offs on the run from Chicago to Boston. However your friends are very wrong, train travel is the safest mode of transport around. One plane crash will kill more passengers than trains have killed in probably 10 years.

Yes you will here about people being killed by trains, but 90% of those deaths are from people who crossed in front of a moving train with their car, committed suicide, or committing some other foolish act. Again survivability rates in trains crashes are around 95%, survivability in a plane crash is about 5%. That's a huge difference. So you are definitely safer on a train, than a plane.

As for railings alongside any possible cliffs, no you won't see any. There is no point to having a railing, as it won't stop a moving car in the off chance it derailed at that spot. However those passenger cars are designed to absorb the impact of a 266,000 pound locomotive hitting the car head-on at a speed of over 50 MPH. That's a heck of a lot of force that the cars were built to absorb, while still protecting the passengers inside the car.

Now I'm not trying to scare you with this scenario, but I want to point out that by comparison to a very light weight aluminum airplane shell, these train cars are designed to absorb incredible amounts of force and still keep the passengers safe.

Now with regard to food, you will not be permitted to refrigerate or heat up any food that you've brought on board. You should only bring things that you can eat right out of the package or box. You might get a really nice lounge car attendant who will give you some of his ice, but don't bet on it. You can carry a small freezer chest on-board if you like to help keep things cool. Just remember not to exceed the limit of carry-on bags.
 
Breeze, do you have an Amtrak timetable yet? If so, look at the map, you will note that the run from LA to CHI is largely desert from LA until mid-Kansas, where it becomes greenery and farmland.
 
Breeze, I would not worry to much. It is truly breath-taking scenery. I took the Zephyr from Chicago to Sacramento, CA last summer and I have numerous pictures if you want to take a look at that. :) My Webpage
 
AMTRAK-P42 said:
Breeze, I would not worry to much. It is truly breath-taking scenery. I took the Zephyr from Chicago to Sacramento, CA last summer and I have numerous pictures if you want to take a look at that. :) My Webpage
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He's leaving from LA, so he'll be riding the Chief not the Zephyr. :blink:

So while looking at your pictures may give him some idea of what to expect from a train ride, they won't help with the specifics of his route. :)
 
Oh my gosh, I swear where would I be without you guys help :D

Thank you so much. I try not to worry but I have bad nerves from my mother, so I worry about every little thing and person, so it's like I don't know what to do.

No Bill, I don't have a time table..where would I get one?

Thanks Amtrak-p42, those are lovely pictures that you have :D

I know Alan, I have no clue why they so badly think I should take a plane, when they know I'm terrified of them. I mean they keep going on about how long I have stay on the train and how it's too long and so on. I'm trying not to focus on that. Anyway, Alan and Bill just by chance, do you two have a travelogue anywhere that I can read about your trips?
 
Breeze said:
Oh and Alan I'm a she :D lol
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Oops, sorry. :(

I don't know why I assumed that, I guess that I was just typing too fast. I'm usually pretty careful about that when I don't know for sure.

Train trips tend to be very relaxing, as things move far more slowly. One doesn't have x-ray machines and burly security guards asking you to remove your shoes. This alone puts people more at ease.

Yes it takes far longer to get where you are going, but you also don't have to deal with jetlag either. That slower pace also gives you time to read or listen to music (bring head phones). At the longer stops you can even get off the train and walk along the platform for some fresh air if you like. Just don't wander far and always make sure that you check with a crew member before wandering.

You will also most likely find yourself befriending your fellow passengers. I've sat on a plane for 4 hours and never said a word to my neighbor, expect for maybe "excuse me, but can I get out please?" On the train I almost always end up talking to people around me. That relaxed pace of the train makes people friendlier.

Now you can order a timetable on line, assuming that you've got at least two weeks before you leave. At the moment I don't recall when you were thinking of traveling. Also if you do order the timetable, then I would also ask them to send you a copy of Amtrak America. You can order both at this page.

As for stories, you can find a few of mine over on OTOL located here. There are also dozens of other reports that you can link to from the above page, some of which will even cover the route that you are taking.

Finally if you didn't already, again I would recomend checking out the OTOL Travel Tips.
 
Timetables can be easily located on Amtrak's website and if you want a hard copy you can go to your nearest station or follow the links on Amtrak's website to where you can order them free of charge on line and have them mailed to your home.
 
Oh it's ok Alan.. don't worry :D Thanks for your site addy and the addy for the tips. But you are right, I heard that it is very social and chill back. Thanks also for telling me about the timetable, as well as you Tp for information on the timetables too. Also nice travelogues Alan!

Oh Alan I think I'm leaving a different day..Dec. 17th..depends on how things go, either way that same week in Dec., so hopefully I can still get tixs, but I'm going to let my grandpi know before I order, even though I was suppose to get them today.

I hope my trip goes well and nothing happens..I'm going to pray :D
 
Breeze said:
Oh Alan I think I'm leaving a different day..Dec. 17th..depends on how things go, either way that same week in Dec., so hopefully I can still get tixs, but I'm going to let my grandpi know before I order, even though I was suppose to get them today.

I hope my trip goes well and nothing happens..I'm going to pray :D
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Breeze,

Since that's a Wednesday, I'd say you've got a pretty good chance of still getting tickets. I wouldn't however wait much longer or you could be out of luck. Plus the price might go up some too.

Two other quick tips to help save money. If you have a AAA card, you can get 10% off the price of the tickets. Additionally Amtrak currently has a small sale running right now. If you enter the Code "H345" in the promotional box, you can save 5% off the fare. You can read more about this deal by clicking here.

Depending on when you are returning you may or may not be able to use this discount for that ticket. There are blackout periods around the Holidays. From December 19th to Jan 4th is blacked out. So if you are returning during that time, you will have to make two reservations. One to Boston using the discount code, then one reservation for your return without the code.

Note, if you do have a AAA card that discount is valid for both directions, regardless of travel dates.

Finally, I'm betting that you'll have a great trip. Trains are a great way to travel. :)
 
Awww thanks Alan.. hey how come my smilies aren't showing up? But thank you...I hope I have a good trip also.

I do have an AAA card...can I still get the 5% off as extra? Yeah I plan on getting my tickets this week..soon!
 
Yup, you can get the 5% off in addition to the AAA discount as long as you book by 12/13 and don't travel during the blackout periods. This discount is only good when booking on the internet. Just enter H345 in the Promotion code field when making your reservation and you'll save 5% on the rail fare (not accmodation fare).
 
Well actually it's less money out of your pocket. :lol: You'll enjoy you're trip, I can almost guarantee it! :lol:
 
Breeze, when you get your timetable(and several have told ways to get one) a lot of your questions will come into focus with something tangible to look at it. You will find all kinds of tips in it, just browse through all of it.

.

Check the system map(front cover fold out) first. Check instructions for reading the schedules on page 4 and 5. Look at the Southwest Chief on page 90 and many other things....don't just look on these pages, rather skim through it all, I think it will be an eye-opener for you.

ALso........about scenery.......here is a thought.........just go by a book store, like Borders or Barnes and Noble or something and look in the travel sections. Look at books for the states through which you will pass. Look at your encyclopedia at home, if you have one, also. Be sure to look at books about Chicago, due to your waiting time there.

Still after you have throughly looked at all your trains, all the travel tips, all the neat info in the timetable please DO continue to ask us any kind of of question still....we will be glad to help. But I think the timetable is going to be a big help.
 
Breeze said:
...and it showed the train and like you saw a river, lake or what have you and it looked like the train was right on the edge of the little cliff and there was no bar going along the edge...now stuff like that would scare me lol.
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What would a bannister actually do alongside the train besides (maybe) look pretty? :lol:

Seriously, though, you don't have anything to worry about. As the others have said Amtrak is one of the safest modes of transportation out there. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the trip!
 
Maybe nothing, but I would think they would put a bar or something or like you see on freeways sometimes..like a concrete divider. It was really close ;)
 
Well the guardrail on a freeway is there because there is nothing to keep your car in the lane and on the road except for your skills as a driver.

The train on the other hand doesn't wander around, it must follow the rails. It can't vary left or right by more than an inch. The engineer has no steering wheel like you have in the car. Therefore since he can't make a mistake and turn left or right, there is no need for a barrier to keep him on the tracks.

Besides those guardrails on the highway aren't perfect either. They will stop a car only if the car hits it at an angle. If the car hits it headon, the guardrail will probably fail. Additionally the guardrail won't stop a bus or a truck.
 
Oh I see...I never knew that. I always thought they could help stop a car.
 
I thought in some sense in certain locations the guard rail was there to let people know if someone did wreck and go over in those places not often travleled.
 
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