Texas Eagle and Wolverine

[Kellie]

Hello! My husband and I took the Texas Eagle from Longview, TX to Chicago with our (at the time) 22 month old in June. We were in a roomette and just had a blast. We've been hoping to take a train again soon but Houston is not convenient to much, route-wise.

Well, there's a small family emergency and I am traveling, alone, with the 2.5 year old from Longview to Ann Arbor. In coach. (She is not loud anymore and unlikely to bother anyone but me! :lol: )

Just wondering what I should know. I've never been on the Wolverine. And this whole coach thing is like a whole new ballgame. I researched and planned the last trip (and all my trips) for months. I leave in like 30 hours!

Also, has anyone traveled without a driver's license or passport? I will have a temporary paper license and a school ID with a picture (and my birth cert, just in case!) I'll be calling them in the morning before booking my ticket, but was wondering.

 

[Kellie]

Also, the four hour connection between the two at Union Station. Likely to make it? We were quite late on our last trip. Also, the less than 2 hours connection on the way back? Likely to make it, or should I count on having to get a hotel room.

 

[ReidTYK]

Also, the four hour connection between the two at Union Station. Likely to make it? We were quite late on our last trip. Also, the less than 2 hours connection on the way back? Likely to make it, or should I count on having to get a hotel room.

The four hour connection should be easy enough to make, assuming that you aren't extremely late. The two hour connection shouldn't be too tight either, but in the case of a missed connection, Amtrak should handle accommodation and meals.

 

[SarahZ]

Your daughter should be fine in Coach. The seats are large enough and recline enough that most young children sleep peacefully. Just make sure you take the aisle seat so she doesn't wake up in the middle of the night and decide to brave the stairs. She'll enjoy the view out the window, and there are large trays for her coloring books and toys.

The Wolverine is a single-level train, and the seats don't have as much leg room (though they are still roomy). You'll have a foot rest but no leg rest, and the seats don't recline as far. It has a snack car, so you will be able to purchase water, juice, and food if you need some.

The Wolverine will board passengers with children first, so you don't have to worry about rushing to board with everyone else. You should be fairly settled in your seat by the time everyone else starts boarding. When you walk to the train, find the nearest conductor (they stand by the doors) and tell him/her where you're going. He/she will tell you which car to board.

The Wolverine has a decent on-time performance, especially in good weather. We don't have any snowstorms predicted for this week. The two-hour connection on the way back should afford you plenty of time.

 

[Old MM]

Be aware that some cars on the Wolverine service don't have outlets, so you will want to make sure your phone, etc are fully charged before boarding.

I have a big issue with how they treated us on that train when we tried to move to a car with outlets, but that's a whole other story..

Since you're traveling in Coach, with a little one, #1 advice is to bring snacks and drinks, including bottled water. You can buy on board, of course, but oh my word it adds up. I also bring sanitizing wipes for the kids to use in the bathrooms.

 

[Hotblack Desiato]

Be aware that some cars on the Wolverine service don't have outlets, so you will want to make sure your phone, etc are fully charged before boarding.

How long ago did you last travel? It has been years (5-6 years at least) since I have seen a single-level coach without outlets.

 

[Kellie]

Thank you for all the replies, and Oh yes, we are bringing lots of food. We're really cheap. :lol: Since we're only on the Wolverine for 6 hours, I think we'll be OK even if there are no outlets and I'll make sure my phone is charged ahead.

Do the armrests go up between seats on the Texas Eagle?

If my daughter's car seat won't fit in the overhead place, will there be another spot for it?

I am guessing I should bring a blanket for us and pillows? I need to go read the FAQs again because I glossed over all the coach stuff last time. There is JUST NO TIME.

 

[SarahZ]

There are no armrests between seats on LD trains. It's like a nice, comfy loveseat. You and your daughter can snuggle up to sleep.

There should be room for your daughter's car seat, either overhead, on the floor near your feet, or in the baggage area downstairs (there are racks for luggage near the bathrooms). On the Wolverine, you can place it in the luggage racks or overhead if it will fit.

As for the Wolverine outlets, that surprises me. I've never been in a car without outlets, and I've been on the Wolverine at least 5-6 times per year for the past seven years. I wouldn't worry about that. Perhaps Michigan Mom was on a trip with a bad-ordered car that had to be replaced in a hurry or something.

Amtrak will provide pillows, but they're super tiny. I always bring my own pillow and then use my coat as a blanket. The train can get a little chilly, so you might want a blanket or snuggy for your daughter.

 

[Kellie]

Thank you, you have been soo helpful. I think I might bring a pillow for me and then my daughter could use a train one.

The TE I was on last summer, our sleeper car was OK, but the one behind us, the first half of it was ice cold, and then the second half was (quite literally) at least 90 degrees. And it was where the expensive bedrooms were. I would have been soooo angry if I were them. But yes, I think a fleece blanket will be good insurance.

 

[Old MM]

In answer to the outlet questions, it was not my imagination, thre were no outlets, and it may depend where you board the train. We go to Chicago 2-3 times a year, on the train, and for quite a few years. I never paid much attention to the outlet situation until the kids were old enough to have DVD players and a Nintendo. Then it was always, "Pick the time when you want it most, and plan on the battery running down." Generally time enough to watch one movie, so we planned accordingly. It was galling, though, when you see every other car filled with people enjoying their laptops, movies, etc. for the whole journey. I can be happy looking out the window but today's young people have to have electronics. Last year, we were put in a car going to Chicago, with no outlets. What with the fact of it being late, and they slept, it didn't really matter. I did take a walk through the train and noticed every other car had an outlet at each seat. Hmm, just bad luck. Coming back from Chicago, guess what? Ann Arbor boarding herded into a car with no outlets. I look over at the adjacent car and of course it has outlets. So the kids and I move over there, into an open 4 seater, only to be unseated shortly thereafter by the conductor. I begged him to let us stay where we were, we had settled in completely, but he was unyielding. Also, the next car was filled then so I had to separate from the kids, whch was insane. Part of taking a train is to share the experience with my family. My son found a seat next to someone and someone else gave up a seat so my daughter and I could sit together. And here's the kicker... the conductor's reason for moving us? If we don't sit in the RIGHT car, we may not know when to detrain. Really? I mentioned the obvious fact that he was not going to be more responsible for my family than I was...and that I knew where to detrain... but it was like talking to the seat cushion. And here's the kicker: He got off well before our stop for a crew change. Wow, good thing I knew where to get my family off the train without him. I'm sticking by what I said; Do not assume you will have the outlets on Wolverine service, just be glad if you do.

 

[SarahZ]

Okay... I was just sharing my experience with outlets. Obviously, your mileage varies.

It sounds like you got a huffy conductor. Most of them have let me move to another car as long as I a) take my seat check with me and b) promise I'll return to that car when they announce my station. Sometimes, though, if they know they have a family boarding at an upcoming stop, they have to keep those seats free.