Alan B, administrator
Hi, you have been most helpful in the past.
Well others have answered some of your questions, but I'll try to tackle the rest of them and maybe expand on one or two of the answers.
I have had a lot of stress planning several trips with Amtrak Customer phone assistance poor to terrible, with a few excellent agents who really help. (After learning that the cab fare to my home on a return trip on the Lakeshore Ltd. would be much cheaper from CRT to White Plains than from NYP I tried to change the ticket, but the new price was hundreds of dollars more; I just learned today that the agent could easily change the departure station for me "no charge." So a lot depends on who you get on the phone).
Next time, don't even bother to fight with the agent to make a change like that. Just tell your attendant that you want to get off at Croton Harmon. The fare difference on Amtrak between CRT and NYP is probably only a few bucks, if anything. So just get off the train early if it's better for you.
Note: Don't ever try this in reverse though. Meaning if you were supposed to board the train in NYP, don't just show up at CRT to board, as you might find out that they've already sold your room to someone on board when you no showed in NY.
By the way, why not take Metro North to Grand Central and then get a cab to Penn Station. It'd probably save you quite a bit.
If I correctly read your advice to others, when arriving by New York City Yellow Cab at Penn Station for my Dec. 24 departure on the the LSL, Viewliner bedroom accommodations, I ask to be taken to 8th Ave. & 33rd Street, correct? The Amtrak entrace is right there, an escalator takes the passenger down to the Amtrak "level." (How many flights down? Is there an elevator?) Red caps are usually available where the taxi drops me off, correct? Wave a 5-dollar bill. Next, do you know about what time boarding might begin? I was told 15 - 20 minutes before departure at the Amtrak Servce Center. That seems awfully close to departure given that the train if pretty full.
If you want a redcap to help you with your luggage, then yes ask to be taken to the 8th Avenue side of the station as the odds are better that you'll find a redcap there. If you don't need one to get downstairs, then it doesn't matter where the cab drops you off. It's one flight down to the Amtrak waiting area. There is an elevator, but I'm honestly not sure where it is, as I've never used it. And I would never wave money around on a NY City street that could invite trouble. Just wave your empty hand at the redcap to attract his attention or walk over to him.
As for boarding, typically they start boarding that train no more than 15 minutes prior to departure and many times its closer to 10 minutes. However, I certainly wouldn't suggest showing up that close to boarding. I'd allow at least an hour, especially if you're arriving via taxi, as there could be traffic. It's far better to be sitting in the Club Acela Lounge for an hour, than to be sitting in the cab knowing that your train is departing without you.
Now if you do get a redcap, have him take you to the Club Acela Lounge. If you don't already have your tickets in hand, they can print them for you in the lounge so that you don't have to wait on line outside at the ticket windows. That same redcap will come back to get you when it's time to board the train, probably 20 minutes before departure, as redcaps are allowed to board their charges before the general public knows that the train is ready for boarding. He'll take you right down to the train and place your bags in your room for you.
If you don't want to use a redcap, still go to the lounge to wait until they tell you what track to board at. The lounge in NY can be found to the far left of the NJ Transit ticket windows as you face them, when standing in the Amtrak concourse which is on the 8th Avenue side of the station. Walk past the West Gate for tracks 7 & 8 on the left side of the escalator and you will see a sign on the corner of the wall. There is a doorbell to the left of two gold doors. Ring the bell and wait for the click to open the door. Note: In NY there is no pre-boarding ahead of the regular passengers, but they usually do announce your train in the lounge before they announce it in the main station. This means if you don’t dilly-dally, you can generally be near the head of the line at the escalator.
I am alone in a Viewliner one bedroom, LSL: NYP-CHI and alone in a Superliner one-bedroom, Texas Eagle to Palm Springs, CA. I assume the engines from the Sunset Ltd. are coupled to my sleeping car while we are in San Antonio, TX station on a side track(?) the night of December 26; hopefully I am allowed to sleep through the night while the cars are aligned with the new engines, leaving about 5:00 a.m. (I have 7 hours in San Antonio, but no chance to go for a walk along the famous riverbank to see the stores and Christmas lights at that time of night. I think I would be afraid to venture too far from the train given the time of night, not to mention that the train may not be reboardable until the next morning! It has to be near a platform for San Antonio passengers early the next morning, so I'm not sure what to expect).
You are indeed allowed to remain in your room and in theory, asleep in your room. Know that the car will be moved a couple of times, first to unhook it from the Eagle and then to hook it too the Sunset Limited when it arrives. Some can sleep through that, other's not. In between all of that, they usually try to keep the car next to the platform so that people can step off if they want and even run into town. You may have to wait a bit if there is no one to open the door upon a return from town, should you decide to venture into town. And make sure that you're back in time for departure if you do go into town and that you bring your ticket stub with you.
Luggage: One large, folding TUMI garment bag on wheels: 23.5" X 24.5" X 12" and one case on wheels: 22" X 14" x 9 1/2" and a carry-on computer bag with printer, lap top. I will hang up my clothes and I assume the folding garment case can be left in the luggage storage area elsewhere in the car, if not on the LSL Viewliner, then on the TE/SSL Superliner. The smaller case, or both, could be placed on my top bunk (but then it could not be folded up during the day). Can the top bunk stay down during the day in case I want a nap and/or a place to store my suitcase(s), particularly on the 3-day run to PSN?
When you're in the Viewliner, you will have a cubbyhole above the hallway where you should be able to stow one bag. The other can go on a seat or on the upper bunk. Just to clarify though, are you in a bedroom or a roomette? If the former, then you'll have all the room you need and won't have to worry. If the latter, then things get a bit tighter, but nothing terrible either.
On the Superliner's you can certainly leave one bag in the luggage rack downstairs as you enter. The other can go into your room with you. Again if you're in a bedroom, then you'll have room for both bags if you want.
And yes, you can have the upper bed down all day long if you want, just make sure you don't smack your head into it.
I read where you wrote that the rooms are awfully "tight with little room for larger suitcases," so I'm a little concerned. Any advise you could give would be apppreciated on that subject. I will weigh the bags for the 50-lb. limit, but the bags will weigh 50 lbs., not more than a pound lighter (my return trip is by jetliner PSP-DFW-LGA, no time for a return by train).
As I mentioned above, a lot depends on whether you have a bedroom or a roomette. But either way I should think that as a single traveler in the room you should be just fine. It's a bigger problem if there are two in the rooms.
This sure is an expensive vacation. I am hoping to have good service, good meals, etc. Do I lleave a tip for the dining room personnel (meals are all included)? Do I receive free non-alcoholic drinks all day and night (I do not drink alcohol)? If I'm not hungry at lunch, can I take a sandwich to my room for consumption later? Can I order from the dining room and take the meal to my room if the dining car is full and I'm uncomfortable with too talkative passengers? Do you think there will be an Observation Car in addition to the Lounge Car, with glass dome for viewing (very limited daylight hours in winter)? How much is a fair tip for the room attendant NYP-CHI and CHI-PSP (I do not know if there is a crew change, but probably there is between CHI-PSN)?
Other's have commented on the tips, so I'll leave that alone. For meals, breakfast is first come first served, but lunch and dinner are by reservation only. There is a rather large window, for example lunch usually runs 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, so pick the time that works for you.
There will be no nice lounge or "observation car" on the Lake Shore, but you should have one on the Eagle and the Sunset Limited.
And yes you should tip your Lake Shore attendant upon arrival into Chicago as you won't see him/her again. You will have to change trains there. To that end, upon arrival you should head to the Metropolitan lounge to await the departure of the Texas Eagle. It is located on the lower level of Union Station, which is also the track level. If you are standing in front of the Amtrak ticket windows, then the Amtrak waiting area is to your left. When you enter the main Amtrak waiting area through a sliding glass door, just walk forward and slightly to the left. There should be another sliding glass door along with a sign, unless they've changed the entrance in the last few months. Again, just show your tickets and relax.
They'll also give you a card that contains the time that you need to return to the lounge by, in order to board the train and not miss it. If you do leave the lounge, take this card with you as it is also your pass for reentering the lounge. Just wave it at the attendants as you walk in and one will usually look up and acknowledge you and the card. Note the Chicago lounge can be very busy and it sometimes can be hard to get a seat, but you still get the free stuff and priority boarding.
There is also a room inside the lounge manned by a redcap where you can leave your luggage for a while, should you wish to explore Chicago or at least go upstairs in the station to get lunch. You can also have a redcap take you from the LSL to the lounge if you want and/or need one, just let your sleeping car attendant know so that they can wave down a redcap. You can also get a redcap to take you out to the Eagle from the lounge when they make that announcement just prior to boarding.
Do I take tape for holding noisy cabinent doors and the curtains closed? I assume I can sleep with the window curtains partially open to look outside. Can I use my hair dryer (my hair is a mess without a blow dryer)? I sure hope the toilets work throughout the trip and there are no horror stories I've been reading about here! When I board NYP 12/24, dinner should be served. Can I request a time from my sleeping room attendant or does it depend upon whom he asks first, like hundreds of coach passengers?
Tape is up to you. The curtains should stay closed without it though. Curtain is under your control, so do what you please; just remember to fully close it when dressing/undressing. You can use your hair drying without worry. And I wouldn't worry too much about the toilets. I'm not sure what the current procedure is for dinner out of NYP, haven't gone that way in a while. I believe that the LSA from the dining car comes around to take reservations shortly after departure, but you can confirm that with your attendant if they don't tell you on their own during introductions.
And coach passengers never get asked for dining times until after all sleeping car passengers have selected their times or had a time picked for them by their sleeping car attendant.
