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Any suggestions for a railroading vacation?

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Hi all, Good suggestions all the way around.  Here's a trip that my wife and son and I did on Amtrack that we would NOT repeat.  We did a Amtrack train from Alexandria Station near Washington DC to Orlando Florida. We were told by the train conductor on board that the Car Train was much newer and nicer.  We were not on the car train. Amtrack does not own the track that runs up and down the East Coast (at least not between WDC and Orlando Florida).  They lease the use of the freight track owned by another RR company.  So often during our trip (once every hour or two) we would have to stop, sometimes for 5 minutes and sometimes for 2 hours, while the freight train in front of us was shuffled off the route.  This is probably the main reason why its impossible for Amtrack to make any money, they can never be on time!  In planning the trip I talked to the station master in Orlando and they mentioned that the train could be in anytime between its scheduled arrival time of 11am to 5 or 6pm.  We arrived at 2pm. The reclining chairs on our train were very uncomfortable, and my wife, son and I actually found it easier to sleep in the dining car slumped over the dinette.  If your doing a multiday train ride, the sleeper cars might be worth it. The Amtrack employees were to a person all very nice and considerate.  I'm particularly fond our a female conductor that we had on board.  While in the dining car watching a movie with my 9 year old son on his DVD player, several men in the booth opposite us were talking and one of them was cussing occassionally.  The conductor stopped what she was doing (counting tickets) and cautioned the men not to use that language on the train.  I was very gratefull for that.  I also witnessed Amtrack employees stopping boom-boxes from being operated without a headphone.  I brought up to the conductor that that wasn't going to bother us, and he answered that if they allow it for one, then others would want it and their music might be louder or more offensive.  I continued to see other instances where Amtrack employees and rules worked to make the train ride as enjoyable for ALL as possible.  I thought Amtracks greatest asset was its employees. I was told by others that the Amtrack observation cars cannot be allowed on the northeastern routes because of the limits imposed by the height of the RR tunnels in the Appalanchian mountains. We did this trip because we had never ridden the train to Florida before and wanted to see what the experience was like.  Althought I wouldn't trade the experince, I'm in no hurry to repeat it.  Perhaps with the nicer Car Train and a sleeper car... Hope that helps. -- RRdude
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