"Tardy" Empire Builder

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N.T.

Train Attendant
Joined
May 31, 2011
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27
Just saw that today the EB is getting into Chicago about 6 -7 hours late. Probably because of the big snows in the upper Midwest. Arrival time is expected to be around 10 pm (instead of scheduled 3:55pm). My question is, "Would the diner stay open for dinner?" Wonder if sleeping car passengers would be offered a meal? Comments? :unsure:
 
When they are that late, they'll serve a complimentary dinner to all passengers, including coach. It will likely be the emergency rations of Dinty Moore stew over rice. When I was on a 12 hour late Empire Builder in December, the sleeper passengers did have a regular menu, but that was because we were 6 hours late out of Everett right at the beginning and they did not serve the first dinner so they had supplies. The coach passengers got the stew over rice. Ordinarily, everyone gets the stew (and the vegans will loudly complain).
 
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The dining car staff should keep any remaining main menu items for the sleeping car passengers, though the selection might be less and less diverse until the stock is depleted at which point the "emergency rations" would be given to sleeper pax. Coach passengers will be offered the "emergency rations" and will likely not have the option of regular menu items, though this call is up to the LSA (all depends on if he/she can feed all the sleeper pax and still have stock left over,) and the regular menu would be charged at the listed rates where-as the stew-over-rice would be free of charge.

Additionally, the "service recovery packs" of crackers and/or chips might be offered from the cafe car. It all depends on if the train gets any later, how full the train is, etc. As for passengers who have connecting trains in Chicago, Amtrak Customer Relations staff should be getting on at an earlier stop to begin arranging accommodations for those who will miss their next leg. Once the train pulls into Chicago, all affected passengers will then be directed to the Customer Relations desk where hotel arrangements/food vouchers/cash for cab service should be issued. Additionally, reservations for the earliest available accommodations on transportation to the passenger's destination should be finalized at that point.
 
Oh yay, emergency rations. My favorite picture.

IMG_0735.JPG


This picture makes me want to gag.
 
Strange, that the west bound EB in MT is no where near as late as the eastbound #8 now plugging thru Wisconsin, and the west bound #7 in Wisconsin is right on schedule--even thru heavy snow. My guess is there must have been other mitigating factors to cause the now over 7 hour delay?

The last time I was on a very late EB into Chicago we got steak!!!
 
This maybe why EB is running so late plus the snowstorm

Empire Builder Train 8/28: Eastbound Train Detours from St. Paul/Minneapolis to Chicago - Alternate Transportation Provided at Intermediate Stations Effective on Tuesdays, February 12, 19, 26 and March 5 and Thursdays, February 7, 14, 21, 28 and March 7, 2013

On the dates shown above, bridge work being performed by Canadian Pacific Railway will affect eastbound Empire Builder service to and from the following stations:

  • Red Wing, Winona, La Crosse, Tomah, Wisconsin Dells,Portage, Columbus, Milwaukee and Glenview
Eastbound Train 8/28

If Train 8/28 is delayed and departs St. Paul-Minneapolis after 8:50 am, the train will detour between St. Paul/Minneapolis and Chicago, and will not stop at any intermediate stations. Additionally, the following service changes will take place:
 
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Oh yay, emergency rations. My favorite picture.
IMG_0735.JPG


This picture makes me want to gag.
That doesn't really look that bad, especially considering Dinky Moore is readily available in stores and is not some third tier institutional chow item. Toss a little hot sauce in and it's ready to go :)
 
#8 lost much of its time in ND when blizzard conditions were making road travel (and therefore track maintenance) very difficult. By the time #7 arrived conditions had improved somewhat.
 
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