Recent content by Brian Battuello

MBTA Green Line Update: The MBTA is putting one of its future Type 10 Green Line "supercars" outside Boston City Hall today and tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez reports you'll be able to go inside the sample trolley and tell MBTA staff what you think. "The feedback...

Excellent summary of the two sleeper fleets. I don't mind the Superliner roomette by myself, but it is a bit of a challenge for two, especially when you and your spouse have to fight over the beds. OTOH, our kids absolutely loved the top berth of a Viewliner, where they could set up their...

The tin of cookies sounds great! Better than anything in the cafe car. Have a fun trip, and welcome to Amtrak Unlimited.

Feel free to forward this to your local MBTA manager for a suggestion on how to handle projects: (replaced the previous youtube with a higher quality version)

Santa Fe, Albuquerque. Gotta cut back on the trips down the SSL stairs.

I've seen sleeping in the SSL, but about 90% of the crew would gently or not-so-gently rouse you back to your seat. Bless the few with a sense of mercy. I'd take Amtrak coach over Greyhound, but that isn't saying much. On your walk to the back "viewing area", check out the crying babies...

Typical Amtrak. Waiting years for a car washer to be built, presumably at huge expense, instead of hiring two guys with squeegees on a stick. In years past, I've seen the squeegee guys in Denver and in Santa Fe. Maybe we were supposed to tip them. :)

Travelling in a sleeping car on Amtrak is an odd mix of cruise ship and camping, and you never know which one you'll get. But don't get your hopes up for cruise ship....

The private Rocky Mountaineer train through the Colorado Rockies has a custom designed open air viewing area. Looking for that picture, I found this really well done YouTube promo piece. Note that the RM is a "coach" only train, you spend nights in decent hotels, which simplifies things...

Very good point. Also it is the train where one is most likely to want to open a door and see the scenery :cool: Anyway, this is mostly very old venting. I don't want to discourage newbies from the amazing CZ experience!

Beautiful pictures! For the uninitiated, the one with the tracks streaming away is from the back car of the train, usually after a bunch of coaches. Well worth the walk. Totally legal for sleeping car passengers and a chance to find out how the other half lives. The back door, if hopefully...

If you've read this before, skip ahead... The CZ is scheduled to arrive in Denver at 7:56am. The night before, ask the attendant how early you can go to breakfast. Enjoy breakfast and watch as more cows than you've ever seen before pass by the train. When you are about 15 minutes from...

No idea, but congrats on the hire and welcome to Amtrak Unlimited!

Amazingly, no. I don't really understand the Silver line tunnel system, but when you get off the bus under South Station, you are already inside the T paid area, and you walk down one clearly marked staircase and boom, you're on the Red Line platform. Just like transferring from another T...

Re my earlier comment about Kawasaki, if they would toss in a bar car with snacks, I'd happily ride in a transit car for trips under 200 miles if it was cheap, fast and frequent. Would be nice if they faced the seats forward, though, and the FRA would probably make them take out the standee...