TPA-ORL, Silver Star

[AmtrakCrescent20]

This is a travelogue of a trip on the Silver Star Train 92 from Tampa to Orlando. This report is very detailed. It's truly a "report", not a review. If details, horrible pictures (sorry), and/or a long travelogue for a 1 hr 54 min trip will drive you crzy, I don't recommend reading it. If this isn't the case, however, you can find the report here at my website: TPA-ORL 2007

My apologies in advance if the pictures get messed up.

See two other travelogues, one without photos, and one with pictures here.

Let me warn you these aren't half as well written etc. as most of the others out there. I just don't have the time to revise.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

nice travelogue! The pictures of Orlando below the collonade and barrier pix apparently are not there, just get blank squares and if I select "view image" it comes back file not found.

We've made the WPK-TPA-WPK trip quite a few times. From Tampa Union Station it's about a ten minute walk to the Tampa Aquarium, and there is also an old WW-II freighter, a "Victory Ship", at the wharf down there that you can tour inexpensively. The walk from the station down to the road that goes along the wharf (where you find the trolley, that freighter, the cruise ship docks, and the Aquarium) is only about three blocks. In Ybor City, which you can take the trolley to, the Columbia Restaurant has excellent Cuban cuisine in historic surroundings. Usually there is not enough time between 91's arrival and 92's departure at TPA to do a whole lot - you caught one of the days when they were both actually on time. Sometimes 91 is so late that we have to get off at Lakeland in order to still catch 92 back to WPK. One time it was so late we had to get off at Kissimmee in order to still catch 92 back. Just south of Kissimmee station, look at the backs of the brick buildings (the front side is along the old main street in downtown Kissimmee) - there are very lifelike murals painted on the back of a lot of the buildings.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I enjoyed the detailed itinerary very much. I do not know much about the territory so I felt it was a learning experience.

It was especially meaningful since I will be in the Tampa, Lakeland area soon but unfortunately will not be on the train. This report is so good and so detailed it almost makes up for it!!

 

[AlanB]

Thanks for a nice report.

A few thoughts and/or answers to things that you mentioned in your report.

I thought that the Silver Service no longer carried 3 Viewliners because of shortages, but I must be wrong. Even when there were 3, I seem to remember reading that there were only 2 in the winter. The 3rd one may be there to make up for the loss of the Heritage crew dorms.

You've sort of got this one backwards. During the summer months the Lake Shore Limited gets three sleepers, during the winter months the extra sleeper goes to the Silver Service.

The smoking lounge is really a waste of valuable space, since smoking isn’t permitted on the train anymore. Amtrak should seriously look at removing the smoking lounge and installing more tables, for which there is a very high demand.

The smoking box will go bye-bye as the Amfleet II lounge cars get converted to Diner-Lite cars. Currently at least six are done, another may have just been released, while others are currently underway. The car you saw will no doubt head for the shops sometime this year or early next.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

About sleeping cars to Florida in the winter. There is in fact a good strong old railroad tradition (long before Amtrak) of so called snow-birds, wealthier folks from the snowy states, traveling south for the winter.

When there were a lot more trains than there are today it could get very interesting. Trains from New York, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Cleveland,, etc to Florida would in some cases be equipped with extra sleepers in the winter.

A hypothetical train which was ten cars long in the summer might be 15 cars in the winter, extra cars all being sleepers, and maybe an extra diner, or coffee shop lounge or whatever.

Some routes even had extra complete trains. The "Orange Blossum Special" ( a song of country and western music fame) was such a train. Winter only.

The winter season back then was about Dec. 16 through April 24. Obviously this helped with the holiday travel as well.

Thanks to the cooperation of the pullman company, it was relatively easy to borrow cars from other roads to accomplish this. Some sleeping cars built for trains from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest instead went CHI to FLA in the winter---just to cite one example. Often tampering with the idea of matched consists.

As a lifelong southeasterner, I got early exposure to this with trains from Chicago to Florida and Detroit, Cincinnati to Florida.

Today, under Amtrak, we still see a remnant of this in the three sleepers in the winter. Also, I am very sure, the auto train shows signs of silver-haired snowbirding. Perhaps the auto train is exactly where some of that old "Orange Blossom Special", "Florida Special', "Vacationer", "Miamian", etc, business has gone today.

 

[AlanB]

Today, under Amtrak, we still see a remnant of this in the three sleepers in the winter. Also, I am very sure, the auto train shows signs of silver-haired snowbirding. Perhaps the auto train is exactly where some of that old "Orange Blossom Special", "Florida Special', "Vacationer", "Miamiani", etc, business has gone today.

Bill,

One needs only to look at the rules for the Senior Citizen discount to know that the Auto Train sees many a snowbird. The normal 15% Senior discount is not valid on the Auto Train, because so many Senior's use that train to fly south for the winter.

Yes during the summer you can find lots of families on the AT, but ride during the fall or spring and you'll see many more snowbirds on the AT than you will families.

 

[Amtrak Kid]

The amfleet 2 lounge appears to be unrefurbished, it has the same carpeting that could be found on unrefurbed coaches and heritage equipment that was also unrefurbished.

Corey

 

[AmtrakFan]

Nice report. When I was in Tampa, FL, I got to see 92, I went along the Far Platform, where the PV was to get my Photos.

 

[AmtrakCrescent20]

The amfleet 2 lounge appears to be unrefurbished, it has the same carpeting that could be found on unrefurbed coaches and heritage equipment that was also unrefurbished.
Corey

It was from a refurbishment a while ago, when they installed smoking lounges and the new seating-don't know what else they changed or if they changed the carpet. I do know that it had been refurbished at some time because I have ridden in AmfltII lounges that have the orange/red colors. These older (not yet refurbished types) have table booths at one end and a "lounge" are at the other, with smaller tables and individual seats instread of benches.

 

[battalion51]

I had one of the rebuilt lounges on 97 with me yesterday, and I have to say I really do like the setup. The increase in the number of booths is great, and it seems like there is a lot less wasted space in the car. The Conductor office though I feel like will be a waste of space as it does not appear that there is nearly enough room to work in there. I'm sure some of the better crews will use it during peak travel periods though when those tables are needed most. If nothing else it's a good place to store your overnight during the trip. :lol:

 

[Amtrak Kid]

It is an unrefurbished, the refurbed with the smoking lounges were greyish and white if i remember right, while the as delivered were brown and maroon.

Corey

 

[RailFanLNK]

Great trip report! Great details glad you had a good time!

 

[tourlink99]

Great report! Just to let you know that the run down train sheds are being repaired/replaced as we speak. The City of Tampa condemned the sheds and Amtrak is replacing them. Also those buses are not owned by Amtrak. They are operated by Martz Bus Lines and they are wrapped in Amtrak livery per their contract. Finally,

I have departed from T.U.S. on many occasions and passengers are allowed to sit on the "midway" till your train is called. Your not allowed on the platform until its time to depart. That being said, there are always exceptions to the rule I guess based on who is working that day but I have been chased from the platform a few times. Otherwise thanks for the detailed report and I'm glad you enjoyed your trip.

 

[AmtrakCrescent20]

I have departed from T.U.S. on many occasions and passengers are allowed to sit on the "midway" till your train is called. Your not allowed on the platform until its time to depart. That being said, there are always exceptions to the rule I guess based on who is working that day but I have been chased from the platform a few times. Otherwise thanks for the detailed report and I'm glad you enjoyed your trip.

Well like you said I guess my experience was an exception. Th station staff let anyone wander all over the platforms and some people were even walking on the tracks (and this was 1 hour before the train departed)