Traveling overnight on the train

[Anonymous]

When was the last time you slept overnight on a passenger train and where were you going?
My last trip was Montreal to Halifax in the 1960s.

[Anonymous]

It was May 28th, 1962 on the MP Eagle to San Antonio from St. Louis.

[Jetrock]

July of this year, returning from Chicago to Sacramento. Earlier the same year I took a trip from Sacramento to Portland, also an overnight trip (but just one as opposed to two on the California Zephyr to Chicago.)

I took a nap on the Capitol Corridor train from San Francisco to Sacramento but perhaps that doesn't count...

[Anonymous]

October of last year, I went from Detroit Lakes, MN to Chicago, IL. I take coach and sleep very well in the large reclining chairs with foot rests. This October I'm going drom Detroit Lake to Toronto via Amtrak. Love taking the train!

[fec153]

1950 or 1951. From N.Y. to Miami. I was 14 and travelled alone.
Phil

[jrbernier]

Oct 1987 - Overnight from Chicago to Topeka on Amtrak, with my 3 1/2 year old son.. Great ride, the sleeping car attendent was original 'old school' and even did some babysitting for a couple hours! Needless to say, he got a real nice tip when he woke us up before arriving in Topeka at 6 AM....

Jim Bernier

[egmurphy]

In late 1984 I went from Bangkok to Singapore, two nights on the train. Ex-wife complained the whole trip that I was spending too much time hanging out the open vestibule on the next car shooting pictures. [:D]

One day I need to see if I can find any of those old pix.

Ed

[Dough]

Last summer on the Cresent from just north of Atlanta to Washington and back.

[rexhea]

Late 60's from Southern Thailand to Bangkok. The first class sleepers had already been taken so the wife and I had to take the 2nd class. No AC, slatted roll up windows. the shower was in the baggage area. You stood on a pallet and pulled a rope for water (cold water). But, the service was exellent. They treated us like royality.

I will never forget the train snaking its way through the jungles and buying items from trackside vendors out our window at the many stops. I hung out the window most of the time like egmurphy said he did. The clickity-clack of the rails. It was a wonderful/fun experience and we will always cheri***he memory.

REX

[Anonymous]

About 1979, Christmas. Amtrak from Seattle to mid-Ohio and back. It was the first year that Amtrak was serving airplane diners and the kitchen and diner staff were unhappy about it. The conductors and few other staff had better than 30 years so were a great source of information. The younger staff were officious. Lot's of interesting passengers including the toddler that threw a full blown hissy fit at O'dark ugly in the morning about Devil's lake. Waiting for the kids to get bigger and couple of bills to disappear then will do it again. Probably New Orleans to DC. This time get a sleeper.

[Anonymous]

My last overnite trip was on the Southwest limited from Chicago to Topeka KS on 3 Dec 86. I had out processed from the Air Force 2 days earlier. I traveled from Trenton NJ to Chicago on the Broadway Limited.
Ch

[ckape]

About 10 years ago, heading from Oslo, Norway to Copenhagen, Denmark. We were actually in a sleeper that time, unlike the trip to Oslo earlier where we were stuck in coach all night thanks to some frantic changes brought on by a airline strike.

[Anonymous]

Spring of 1982, Baltimore to Miami and back 3 days later. Dummy me, coach the whole way. Coach seat was about as comfortable as a rock! [:(!] Wound up spending both nights playing poker with total strangers in the club car the whole way. Actually wound up winning enough to pay for the whole trip, playing cards , for a nickle ante, quarter limit! Staff in the club car stashed us some ice and soda at 2 am when they quit, which was enough to keep us going until 7 am when they reopened! [:D]
Never did sleep on the train, too busy railfanning and playing cards!!!

[Roadtrp]

The last time overnight would have been 40+ years ago between Omaha and Cheyenne. My last time in a sleeper car was last May, between St. Paul and Chicago and back. The trips were not overnight, but we booked a sleeper for the space and the privacy. It was the most relaxing and enjoyable way I've ever traveled.

My wife and I are planning a true overnighter in the next year or so. Either from St. Paul - Chicago - Washington DC or from Kansas City (we would drive there from Mpls to avoid an overnight layover in Chicago) to Flagstaff, Arizona.

[:)]

[rexhea]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Roadtrp

My wife and I are planning a true overnighter in the next year or so. Either from St. Paul - Chicago - Washington DC or from Kansas City (we would drive there from Mpls to avoid an overnight layover in Chicago) to Flagstaff, Arizona.

[:)]

I probably shouldn't post again, but reading Roadtrp's post got me thinking of when my wife and I thought about taking a train with sleeper to Denver and visit with my Daughter and family (about two years ago).

One of the two ways we could have made the trip was to leave Tuscaloosa, Alabama to Washington D.C., to Chicago, to Denver. Can you imagine that. You use to be able to go from Birmingham straight to Chicago.

The other way was to New Orleans with a 9 hour over-night layover , to Memphis, to Chicago, to Denver .
The round trip tickets through Washington D.C. were going to be around $2,300.00
To rich for our blood.[xx(]

It's a rotten shame that something so enjoyable is out of reach for many.

REX

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bostonsrock

When was the last time you slept overnight on a passenger train and where were you going?
My last trip was Montreal to Halifax in the 1960s.

Summer of 1989. Toulouse to Paris.

Andre

[AntonioFP45]

1990s

Tampa to New York. Silver Star. Traveled by coach. Two F40s from Florida to Washington leg.

Actually not bad. Seats more comfortable than those aboard an airliner in the coach section. Enjoyed the railfanning. The Heritage Fleet lounge car was very comfortable and had better riding qualities than the Amfleet cars or "AmCans".

Only negative experience: I was low on cash so I asked the lounge car attendent behind the counter for a cup of ice. Young guy about 22. He gave it to me and said: Don't make it a habit! Instead of arguing and ruining my memories I decided to walk away.

Rest of the trip was excellent. At Washington the locomotives were swapped. Our 15 car train was pulled by just ONE E60. We hit 90mph in stretches. Nice looking electric locomotive, though the horn was a high pitched "yucker".

On the return trip we were delayed in S. Carolina. Our train hit a motorcycle on the tracks! Apparently the 2 boys on it jumped off just in time! Delayed two hours. What really cheesed me off is that when the police showed up, the boys' father was walking around casually as if nothing was a big deal!! Our engineer and conductor were upset, but professional. Had it been me, my parents would have gone into MELTDOWN with an old fashioned, well earned butt whipping! No Dr. Spock mush!

[RMax1]

Last May. Dallas to St. Louis. Stayed in the crew area on the Texas Eagle coming back.

RMax

[johncolley]

August of last year I helped a friend move his household goods from Port Townsend, WA to Altoona, PA. After a few days touristing me around the Altoona area and including the East Broad Top RR, He put me on Amtrack for the trip back to Seattle. One night train to Chicago where I had enough layover to take a bus down to the Museum to see the Zephyr and the BIG layout. Then bus back to town to catch the Empire Builder. I rode coaches on both trains, but it was a lot more comfortable than the coaches I rode in the '40's and '50's! What a wonderful trip I had.

[tatans]

Late 1950's from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to Abbotsford B.C. behind steam on OLD sleepers on our way to air cadet camp, imagine a coach full of 14-17 year old insane cadets on a train with windows that opened( great fun in the spiral tunnels) Then the return trip, most of our possessions were dropped out the windows of the coach, no souvenirs. Good Times eh?

[twhite]

1983, Sacramento to Portland on the 'Coast Starlight' to spend Christmas with my sister and her family. The train was chock-full of college kids heading from SoCal to Portland and it was one BIG party in the dome car, which back then was a SuperDome of either Santa Fe or GN parentage. The porter just said the heck with it and left the bar open all night. It was VERY quiet the next morning out of Klamath Falls as we went over the Cascades. Best overnight train trip, though, was considerably earlier, going from San Francisco to LA on the "Lark." Now THAT was a luxurious overnighter.

[randybc2003]

What's "Overnight"? Last trip was Portland Section, Amtrack's EMPIRE BUILDER. Coach, - as a Coach, it was wonderful![:D] Departed +/- 3AM, arived destination +/- 6AM. Unfortuniately I am not realy an owl. Suffered later in the day. [|)] Return trip was similar schedule.

1963, - Sleeper on Espee, Oakland to Bakersfield, California. It was on the Owl. (Or was it the Lark? I never could keep those two schedules straight.)

1961 - Grand Trunk Western, Chicago Ill to Flint Mich. (The family picked up a new car at the Factory!!)

One of these days I hope to take longer, better train trips!!
[|)][|)][|)]

[Anonymous]

I've always wanted to do that, but I never have gotten a chance.

[conford]

August 2004, Minneapolis MN to Portland OR. Our family of 4 travels by coach. Fortunately our kids are young (4 and 6) and well behaved. I am better prepared these days, I bring earplugs, a neck pillow, and eye shades. At 6'3", I find Amtrak's seats less than comfortable for sleep, but manage to get enough.

Should note that the first overnight trip I remember was almost 50 years ago, on the fabled Wabash, from Champaign IL (I think) to Detroit MI.

Cheers,
Peter

[Anonymous]

Last year, Chicago to san fran, San fran to seattle, Vancouver to toronto, Total over 7,000 miles in ten days.

[twhite]

RandyBC: had to be the 'Owl', the 'Lark' ran the Coast route. Took the 'Owl' one time when I was a wee little thing. 800 head end cars and two Pullmans. I was so young I didn't know whether or not to tip the porter when he made up my berth, so I handed him a dollar and he just grinned and asked me if I had enough for breakfast. I told him no, but Mom was meeting me in Sacramento. He went down to the end of the car and got me two extra pillows. I think I was twelve, or something like that, but that porter was one of the nicest fellows I can remember. Oh, and no, he didn't take the dollar.

[IRONROOSTER]

Last time for me was two weeks ago from south Florida to Alexandria Va. via Business Class coach. Sleeping while not as good as a bed, was still reasonably comfortable.
Enjoy
Paul

[Jetrock]

I do recommend getting a sleeper for anyone taking Amtrak overnight for any distance. Coach can be pretty uncomfortable. Sleeper isn't cheap but it's generally less than First Class on an airplane, includes all meals (and Amtrak's meals beat airline food any day!) and you get privacy, a bed to sleep on, and a shower.

[SD40-2W]

July 1963, Montréal to St-John, NB.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Fall of 97 on the Empire Builder 2 nights between Minneapolis and Seattle. Then the return trip 2 nights on Via between Vancouver and Winnepeg.