Upcoming trip: WAS-NOL

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NativeSon5859

Conductor
Joined
Aug 6, 2003
Messages
1,057
Location
NOLA
Hey guys,

On 12/11 my aunt and I will be taking #19 from WAS to NOL. We have a Viewliner Roomette booked. This will be my first time on a Viewliner, so i'm looking forward to this trip. We are booked in room #3 of the 1910 car (I think that's what it was anyway). We are flying up to D.C...somehow, I convinced her to take the train with me back. I advised her that the room will be pretty small, but she seems ok with it.

Couple of questions...

1) Will dinner be served upon departure from D.C?

2) We'll be checking bags, so I assume that we should get to Union Station by 6:00 at the latest to check bags. Should we plan on getting there earlier?

Thanks and have a safe and happy holiday season.
 
NativeSon5859 said:
Hey guys,
On 12/11 my aunt and I will be taking #19 from WAS to NOL. We have a Viewliner Roomette booked. This will be my first time on a Viewliner, so i'm looking forward to this trip. We are booked in room #3 of the 1910 car (I think that's what it was anyway). We are flying up to D.C...somehow, I convinced her to take the train with me back. I advised her that the room will be pretty small, but she seems ok with it.

Couple of questions...

1) Will dinner be served upon departure from D.C?

2) We'll be checking bags, so I assume that we should get to Union Station by 6:00 at the latest to check bags. Should we plan on getting there earlier?

Thanks and have a safe and happy holiday season.
Click to expand...
That train leaves WAS around 19:00 (7PM). That is in the middle of dinner period. The last call for dinner is usually made around 20:30 (8:30PM) and on most of the trains the diner usually closes at 21:00-21:30 (9PM-9:30PM) So you should have no problem having dinner aboard the train. You need to have your bags check at least 30 minutes prior to departure, though earlier is prefered. You should be fine at the time you're planning. Hope you have a great trip. One good thing about that train/route, is it usually enjoys a good OTP just about every trip! OBS..... :D
 
As a followup to NativeSon5859 question, I too have a question?

If boarding in DC and staying in a sleeper are you assigned a dinner time(and if so when is this done?)or do you wait in line in the dining car since dinner has already commenced?
 
A "good" car attendant will get dinner reservations for passengers that will be boarding after the dining car steward already went through the train.
 
MDRailfan said:
If boarding in DC and staying in a sleeper are you assigned a dinner time(and if so when is this done?)or do you wait in line in the dining car since dinner has already commenced?
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Well the last time that I rode the Crescent, they didn't have reservations for diner.

There was one seating north of DC, for those who had boarded prior to DC, although you weren't forced to take your meal then. Then they shut down for the power change at DC. Upon departure from DC, the diner resumed service to anyone who wanted dinner.

Now I will admit that I was traveling in late June, right before the summer rush, but I think that this is the procedure no matter how busy the train is.
 
The way Alan described the prodcedure above is the normal way. No problem getting dinner out of WAS., though it may be a little crowded as many passengers board there.
 
NativeSon5859 said:
How is the Club Acela in WAS? Worth a visit?
Click to expand...
Absolutely! It's one of the better lounges in the system. You'll have some snacks, soda, coffee, and tea. A comuter terminal if you're interested, TV to watch, and clean bathrooms.

Plus you'll be escorted to the train before those in coach are, so this way you won't have to stand in line behind a few dozen coach passengers.
 
My daughter has never slept on a train and asked me if the viewliner is noisy.(do you hear the engines/ horn?) It's been awhile since I have been on a sleeper on a overnight train(Heritage sleeper on the Silver Meteor) and the sleeper made up the rear of the train so it's was pretty quiet.
 
My daughter has never slept on a train and asked me if the viewliner is noisy.(do you hear the engines/ horn?) It's been awhile since I have been on a sleeper on a overnight train(Heritage sleeper on the Silver Meteor) and the sleeper made up the rear of the train so it's was pretty quiet.
Click to expand...

The sounds on the train at night are some of the greatest sounds in the world. The horn does blow, almost at every crossing. The sound of the wheels on the rails is very soothing, to me, and the rocking motion makes the sleeping experience like nothing else in the world.
 
MrFSS said:
The sounds on the train at night are some of the greatest sounds in the world. The horn does blow, almost at every crossing.
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You will be able to here the horn blow, but it should not concern you. It is not that loud, it is pretty muffled. I too find it very soothing.
 
MDRailfan said:
My daughter has never slept on a train and asked me if the viewliner is noisy.(do you hear the engines/ horn?) It's been awhile since I have been on a sleeper on a overnight train(Heritage sleeper on the Silver Meteor) and the sleeper made up the rear of the train so it's was pretty quiet.
Click to expand...




The Viewliners are near the front of the train so you wil hear the noises. but they are very soothing---might take a little getting used to , but as already pointed out, they just add to the experience. .
 
MDRailfan said:
My daughter has never slept on a train and asked me if the viewliner is noisy.(do you hear the engines/ horn?) It's been awhile since I have been on a sleeper on a overnight train(Heritage sleeper on the Silver Meteor) and the sleeper made up the rear of the train so it's was pretty quiet.
Click to expand...
The ability to sleep on a train is very individual. There is noise (horn, trackwork, car squeaks and clunks) and constant motion side to side and up and down (from mild to jostling). For some, this environment is conducive to sleep and for others (including me) it is not.

So basically, you will either find the experience relaxing or you won’t. You won’t know for sure until you try it.
 
Aloha

There is a CD something like sleeping on the train. Whenever the neighborhood get's to noisey I go to sleep listening to it.

Enjoy the Trip

Eric
 
R.E.M has a great new "train" song that I'm going to test out on this next ride.

It's entitled "High Speed Train"...really, really good song. I'd reccomend it to anyone.
 
Careful what you wish for: Sleeping like a baby for some is throwing up, peeing your pants and crying all night.
 
MiniMax said:
Careful what you wish for: Sleeping like a baby for some is throwing up, peeing your pants and crying all night.
Click to expand...
Sleep in a coach on a long distance trip which is full of them! You will see first hand, especially in the "crying" department!!! LOL :lol:
 

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