weird baggage story

[colobok]

We did a trip recently Merced-LAX-CHI-NOL on 7/10 (sleepers were sold out on Sunset Ltd, so we went through CHI, thanks to the person who cancelled their SWC trip on 7/10).

We checked-in our baggage in Merced. The guy was looking at our AGR tickets to NOL like it was a miracle from another planet and he forgot to specify on the baggage label that they should go through CHI, not directly to NOL.

That concerned me, so when we arrived to LAX I came to the baggage dispatcher and told him that we need our bags to go our route via CHI. I have already seen on the station screen that Sunset departed at 2:55pm (we arrived to LAX at 4pm), so the next Sunset would be only in 3 days. I was worried that they would look at bags labeled "NOL" and put them on the next Sunset 3 days after and we will come to NOL via CHI and will not find our bags.

The baggage dispatcher told me "Yes, I saw those bags. Thanks for letting me know, I will put them on your CHI train".

Guess what happened? We arrived to NOL and didn't get our bags. Then we found them in baggage room and we were told that they arrived yesterday on Sunset Ltd. So even after my reminder they loaded them on Sunset, but I didn't understand how it would be possible? Sunset already departed at 2:55pm according to the station screen, but we arrived to LAX at 4pm. Then I checked on amtrak.com and found that Sunset departed LAX 2.5 hrs later. Now I am wondering:

1) was it delayed specifically for our baggage?

2) why didn't they load our bags to CHI?

3) why was it displayed "Sunset 2:55pm departed" on LAX screen?

 

[sechs]

I'm convinced that the Sunset Limited can do magic with baggage.

Some years ago, I was going to Houston via Chicago, with a layover in New Orleans. I (and my through-checked bag) missed the City of New Orleans, and I ended up staying the night in Chicago. When I got to Houston, they couldn't find my bag -- because it had come in days earlier on the Sunset. As the Sunset does not run every day, there is literally no train route that the bag could have taken to beat me there.

 

[amamba]

You are asking way too many complicated questions :lol:

 

[Amtrak839]

1) was it delayed specifically for our baggage?

2) why didn't they load our bags to CHI?

3) why was it displayed "Sunset 2:55pm departed" on LAX screen?

1. No, they wouldn't hold a train for 2.5 hours just for your bags.

2. We're talking about Amtrak here

3. The screen was probably programmed to automatically change to say "departed" once the clock ticked past 2:55. Other automatic screens have that problem, too. A friend of mine has a photo of MARC passengers lined up on the New Carrolton platform for a train, with the automated digital sign above them saying that the train had already departed, when it clearly had not.

 

[Tracktwentynine]

3) why was it displayed "Sunset 2:55pm departed" on LAX screen?

3. The screen was probably programmed to automatically change to say "departed" once the clock ticked past 2:55. Other automatic screens have that problem, too. A friend of mine has a photo of MARC passengers lined up on the New Carrolton platform for a train, with the automated digital sign above them saying that the train had already departed, when it clearly had not.

Yes, that happens frequently at New Carrollton. I think the station agents have to manually change it if the train is late. The automated announcement system will also call boarding sometimes even if the train isn't on the way.

Back in May, I was waiting on a train that was late. The digital signs had already changed to the next train (since it was after the scheduled departure time), and then the automated PA said, "This is a boarding call for Amtrak Northeast Regional #...." As soon as that ended, the station agent came on and said, "Please disgregard that announcement. The train has not yet departed Washington."