Chicago to Dallas.
Some good news: More people riding then on my Northbound trip of about 5-6 weeks ago. Approx 15-20% increase in passenger load. No more eating alone in the dining car. Had at least 2-3 other tables occupied. Sleeping Car now about 50% full. Not sure how many were in Coach but looked like over 70 boarded in Chicago. Also significant frieght train interference headed South had to pull into a siding and stop for mostly northbound UP Container trains about 4-5 times, we were over an hour late into Dallas as a result. From Tyler, TX into Dallas we had either flashing yellow or solid yellow CTC indications as well.
Pulled over 1.5 hours in DeSoto, Mo due to a Tornado Warning and waiting on a hi-rail truck to inspect 15 miles of track at night.....not sure how they do that in pitch black darkness but that was another delay.
The dining car food got a little worse in that the salad is now about 1/3 it's former size and only has two sliced cherry tomatoes in it and the individual portions of salad dressing have shrunk to about McDonald's ketchup size in this tiny foil tubes you rip open that McDonald's uses for ketchup at the drive thru. This time the croisant's and rolls were fresh and didn't look like someone sat on them first. The microwave meals still suck and taste awful.
The Restrooms were still spotless, clean and did not smell in the Sleeping Car.
Crew was still in upbeat spirits and had positive attitudes. Only one sleeper for passengers and the second sleeper was crew only. Two coaches South of St. Louis, Dining Car, and Lounge Car.....again no baggage car. Beginning to wonder if they are going to eliminate checked baggage at some point. A whole line of baggage cars in Chicago parked and a lot of the LD trains are leaving without one.
Were there many passengers in the Sightseer Lounge car? Were they wearing masks?
Assuming passengers can go to the lower level of the lounge car to buy eats and drinks, how are they maintaing social distancing in the lower level and the stairs between the levels?
Did the crew keep their masks on during their entire leg of the trip?
What were the reasons the passengers that you talked with traveling, i.e. business, family, medical, vacation, etc.?
JPS1 Were there many passengers in the Sightseer Lounge car? Were they wearing masks? Assuming passengers can go to the lower level of the lounge car to buy eats and drinks, how are they maintaing social distancing in the lower level and the stairs between the levels? Did the crew keep their masks on during their entire leg of the trip? What were the reasons the passengers that you talked with traveling, i.e. business, family, medical, vacation, etc.?
No marks on floor or stairs for social distancing it is all on the honor system. It really is not an issue yet because there are not enough passengers on the train in the first place for there to be a crowd anywhere that you cannot self-distance.
Wearing of masks is enforced and if they see you walking about without a mask they will tell you to put one on. I think they state in the regular annoucements or reminders that you really only get one warning on the mask issue.
At most one or two people in sightseer lounge upper level. Because of the wear your mask requirement, most people do not get up from their seat or sleeping compartment to move around the train. I see the crew carrying a lot of food so I think they are using the service at your seat or sleeping car compartment pretty heavily.
You only have to wear a mask in the Sightseer lounge if your closer than 6 feet to someone or transiting through the car. Otherwise it is just like coach class, when your seated you don't need a mask. Nobody seems to use that car anymore though. As for talking to people, people are far less social with the whole mask thing. I found I could only really talk to the crew as nobody else hung around the social areas of the train as they did pre-pandemic.
No. 21 today had the coaches at the front of the train, followed by the lounge car, dining car, sleeper, and transition sleeper. The sleepers are usually at the front of the train with the coaches at the back. Wonder why?
JPS1No. 21 today had the coaches at the front of the train, followed by the lounge car, dining car, sleeper, and transition sleeper. The sleepers are usually at the front of the train with the coaches at the back. Wonder why?
I am just curious, did they ever Wye the train in San Antonio on the days it does turn around there. Seems a lot when I ride they take shortcuts in San Antonio in a vain attempt to make up time. I still remember the two times I rode it when they did not empty the retention tanks in San Antonio and they filled up prior to St. Louis and the sleeping car started to smell like an open sewer. I have seen they have the capability to empty them in St. Louis and San Antonio both. Not sure how but I have heard the conductor say they can empty them at either stop.
Maybe they decided not to Wye the train.
CMStPnP I am just curious, did they ever Wye the train in San Antonio on the days it does turn around there.
JPS1Unless it has changed within the past year, No. 21 pulls into the San Antonio Station. In the morning No. 22 backs out of the station for a least a couple of miles, if I remember correctly, past a switch. It then pulls ahead onto a line headed to Austin.
What a nightmare. You would think Amtrak would spend a little money for a local Wye or loop track in circumstances like that instead of a multi-mile backup move.......just so ridiculous to do that same move each day for what? Several decades?
I am curious the impact on time for the Empire Builder once they put the CTC through the downtown Milwaukee station. Currently that train slows to yard limit speeds once it loses CTC and a little before.......also ridiculous. Wonder what that connect the CTC ends together project was priced in 1972 vs the $5 million it costs now.
CMStPnPI am curious the impact on time for the Empire Builder once they put the CTC through the downtown Milwaukee station. Currently that train slows to yard limit speeds once it loses CTC and a little before.......also ridiculous. Wonder what that connect the CTC ends together project was priced in 1972 vs the $5 million it costs now.
I would venture if one applied the appropriate 'cost of living' escalators to the 1972 costs of installing CTC the amount spent then would come out to be $5M and maybe even more with the cost of relays, batteries and mechanical switches that would be required and would also require facilities to house all that equipment. Of course, had it been done in 1972, when PTC came along it would have had to been redone.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Thank you for sharing!
JPS1Yesterday, while watching No. 21 going through Granger, TX, I noticed that one of the Superliner coaches had been tagged with graffiti. It was yellow paint. I wonder how hard it will be to remove the graffiti. Ironically, all the cars appeared to have been scrubbed recently. They looked almost new.
So in order to remove the pitting and grime they have a special bath that stainless steel cars are put through to restore the like new shine (BNSF does this with it's business train and private railway car owners do it once every 15-20 years). It also removes paint to an extent so that the car would need to have it's decals or paint applied again. It is not difficult to do with an Amtrak car because the paint job is just a band. I don't know the cost of the special wash. I would think it would be expensive as the runoff probably has EPA issues.
I believe 3M sells an anti-gratffitti coating you can place over stainless steel and if the car has that (it's Amtrak...are you kidding....they wouldn't pay for that unless Congress made them). You can remove the paint with soap and water. I think NY Subway cars have this applied as well as METRA in Chicago....not sure about METRA but I know the NY Subway cars have it.
Oh and one more thing, 3M also has a special spray on compound that will remove anything from stainless steel and restore the sheen to it. So without the bath if Amtrak knew about the compound they could use it. I used it in my restaurant for the stainless steel griddle so it is safe from a trace ingestion perspective I do not know if it is EPA safe though. It was expensive too about $50 for the kit, that lasts about 15-20 uses.
As of today, September 30, at Temple, TX, the consist of the Texas Eagle, No. 21, consisted of a locomotive and four cars: sleeper for crew and passengers, dining car, and two coaches. This is the train that left Chicago on September 29th.
I spoke to the sleeping car attendant. He said this would be his last run for the forseeable future; he expects to be furloughed when he gets back to his Chicago base.
JPS1As of today, September 30, at Temple, TX, the consist of the Texas Eagle, No. 21, consisted of a locomotive and four cars: sleeper for crew and passengers, dining car, and two coaches. This is the train that left Chicago on September 29th. I spoke to the sleeping car attendant. He said this would be his last run for the forseeable future; he expects to be furloughed when he gets back to his Chicago base.
Yeah, you know what? They have no choice but to keep the dining car because of the regulation surrounding food storage......they need the kitchen. You would think they could or would have figured out a way to slide in or build a small module on a first level of a Coach by now but nope.
I am OK with the shorter consist and think on the Texas Eagle, normally could get by with just sleeper and coaches as long as they figured out a way to store and serve the food without a dining car. The lounge is unnecessary as the scenary really does not warrant it.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.