Picking up sleeper 2nd leg of trip

[river]

I never thought about the trains possibly taking alternative routes. No matter what, we plan to board the Texas Eagle in Chicago. That way, if they reroute at any point it won't affect us. Actually, in terms of value, I typed in the cities between CHI and STL and found that the best time to switch to the sleeper car is in Lincoln IL--that's where the sleeper rate drops to the same price as it is in STL. Lincoln is less than 3 hours out of CHI. But if some of these small towns are bypassed for whatever reason, obviously the switch won't happen there. LIke a poster suggested, I think we'll just have to talk to the SCA in CHI and see if we can board the sleeper car early at any point. Otherwise, we'll wait until STL. Thanks for the word of caution!

 

[river]

Even assuming the Texas Eagle is on time, we don't depart St. Louis until about 8 pm. I was thinking that if I made an 8 or 8:30 pm reservation at around 6 pm while still riding in coach, I'd be more likely to get a dining reservation for that later time than if I waited for the SCA to obtain late dining reservations for the newly boarding STL sleeping car passengers. I'm thinking there's a good possibility there won't be time for these new sleeping car passengers to even eat in the dining car.

Could it be that the 8p-9p dining reservations are generally held so the SCA's can offer them first to the on-coming sleeping car passengers, so Chicago coach passengers can't even reserve during that hour? Just thinking through the possibilities.

While I note that you've already moved on to another idea, please let me explain how the above is supposed to work.

When the dining car LSA comes around to the sleepers to obtain dinner reservations for those already in occupying their sleepers, the sleeping car attendant is supposed to secure dinner reservations at that time for people boarding downline. The SCA is supposed to secure reservations that obviously match up with the times that the passengers would be boarding; in other words obtaining a 6 PM reservation for someone boarding in St. Louis as that would of course make no sense.

So what all that means is that you could have actually found out that the 8PM hour was sold out by the time the LSA got to you in coach simply because the sleeping car attendants combined with a few other people in coach had grabbed all the openings at that time.

OK, so it sounds like you are suggesting the SCA will hold a dinner reservation for us in anticipation of us boarding in STL. I didn't realize they held reservations for future passengers. So if the train is on time (leaves STL around 8 pm), we can plan on getting dinner. Correct?

 

[AlanB]

Even assuming the Texas Eagle is on time, we don't depart St. Louis until about 8 pm. I was thinking that if I made an 8 or 8:30 pm reservation at around 6 pm while still riding in coach, I'd be more likely to get a dining reservation for that later time than if I waited for the SCA to obtain late dining reservations for the newly boarding STL sleeping car passengers. I'm thinking there's a good possibility there won't be time for these new sleeping car passengers to even eat in the dining car.

Could it be that the 8p-9p dining reservations are generally held so the SCA's can offer them first to the on-coming sleeping car passengers, so Chicago coach passengers can't even reserve during that hour? Just thinking through the possibilities.

While I note that you've already moved on to another idea, please let me explain how the above is supposed to work.

When the dining car LSA comes around to the sleepers to obtain dinner reservations for those already in occupying their sleepers, the sleeping car attendant is supposed to secure dinner reservations at that time for people boarding downline. The SCA is supposed to secure reservations that obviously match up with the times that the passengers would be boarding; in other words obtaining a 6 PM reservation for someone boarding in St. Louis as that would of course make no sense.

So what all that means is that you could have actually found out that the 8PM hour was sold out by the time the LSA got to you in coach simply because the sleeping car attendants combined with a few other people in coach had grabbed all the openings at that time.

OK, so it sounds like you are suggesting the SCA will hold a dinner reservation for us in anticipation of us boarding in STL. I didn't realize they held reservations for future passengers. So if the train is on time (leaves STL around 8 pm), we can plan on getting dinner. Correct?

Correct!

If it's on time or only a little late.

 

[AlanB]

I never thought about the trains possibly taking alternative routes. No matter what, we plan to board the Texas Eagle in Chicago. That way, if they reroute at any point it won't affect us. Actually, in terms of value, I typed in the cities between CHI and STL and found that the best time to switch to the sleeper car is in Lincoln IL--that's where the sleeper rate drops to the same price as it is in STL. Lincoln is less than 3 hours out of CHI. But if some of these small towns are bypassed for whatever reason, obviously the switch won't happen there. LIke a poster suggested, I think we'll just have to talk to the SCA in CHI and see if we can board the sleeper car early at any point. Otherwise, we'll wait until STL. Thanks for the word of caution!

Unfortunately if they do a reroute, you won't be on the train. When they reroute the train for that high speed trackwork, the 321 coach car does not run. That car is left behind in Chicago since it's purpose is to provide space for those getting off the train at one of the stations between Chicago and St. Louis. Normally that car is removed from the train in St. Louis. Since the train is running the detour route it cannot make those intermediate stops. So Amtrak puts everyone, including you, who books an intermediary stop on the bus.

So again, like I said earlier, if you book to say Springfield you'd find yourself on a bus to Springfiled and then you'd have to stay on the bus from Springfild to St. Louis.

If you're willing to gamble, go for it. But I wouldn't take that chance. Either book the sleeper from Chicago or book coach from Chicago to St. Louis and then the sleeper from there. But if you book anything in the middle and track work just happens to hit that week, you're going to be on a bus.

 

[river]

Thank you, thank you, for this information. It makes perfect sense. I definitely do not want to be on a bus if possible! So we will leave our ticket reservations as CHI-STL (coach) and STL-LAX (sleepers). Glad I didn't go ahead and change that yesterday. I was checking train fares again today, and Amtrak is not offering the deal we got anymore on the initial page. The CHI-STL-LAX route (coach from CHI-STL and coach or sleeper options from STL-LAX) was offered for $298 when I booked, right on the initial page. Now, you have to do a multi-city reservation to get CHI-STL-LAX. But it does remain $298 for CHI-STL 321 and STL-LAX 421, but $416 for CHI-STL 421 and STL-LAX 421.

So, my question is, if the Texas Eagle happens to leave 321 in Chicago ( I know this is a remote chance), would they allow the 321 passengers headed directly to STL to ride on 421? Or would they be bussed (Did I tell you I don't want to take a bus? )

I've read on this forum that you should just go ahead and book the cheapest fares if there is a discrepancy on the same route--it's all 6 of one or half a dozen so hope that's correct.

I

 

[Misty.]

In my experience, they do try to automatically rebook you on a train when possible. As an example, I was returning to STL a few weeks ago and had originally booked 305 for July 24th. They canceled that train due to more track work and put me on 21 for the same day. Between 21 not working for my original plans and, later, those plans getting even more changed, I ultimately had to cancel this time and bus home.

 

[river]

Thanks, Misty. 321 and 421 are both cars on the Texas Eagle, so it would just be a matter of changing cars in the consist. Is that the same or different than what you are describing?

 

[the_traveler]

That is correct. #321 only goes as far as STL, while #421 goes all the way to LAX! (And FYI - #21 goes to SAS.) But between CHI and STL, they operate as one train.