Recent content by Rasputin

October 30, 1972 - a sad day in the history of Chicago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_Chicago_commuter_rail_crash

Substituting a regular baggage car would have at least allowed checked baggage to be offered.

I understand from another list that 19(23?) arrived in New Orleans on time on Oct. 24 with a wheel needing to be replaced on the bag/dorm. During the layover of 12 hours or so, the wheel was not replaced so 20(25?) departed without a bag/dorm. Revenue sleeping car passengers who were booked in...

Link to a follow-up article on the derailment and the clean-up of the spilled grain: https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2024/oct/23/grain-spill-near-glacier-national-park-cleaned-up-bnsf-says/

On our New Orleans to Jackson bustitution in 2019 I don't believe any Amtrak employee was on our bus. We were on the thru New Orleans to Jackson bus. There was another bus which handled the stops between New Orleans and Jackson and perhaps there was an Amtrak employee on that bus. A few days...

An Empire Builder bustitution is apparently in place between Shelby and Whitefish due to a derailment near Essex: https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2024/oct/13/freight-train-derails-on-border-of-glacier-park/

The Boston - Albany bustitution route is certainly a disappointing experience and one that I will plan to avoid if possible. The train route, however, when it runs, is usually a pleasant experience and I always look forward to the nice run along the Westfield River in western Massachusetts.

Evidently they have discontinued the small bag of peanuts which was provided to each passenger during our bustitution in 2019. Definitely pack a supply of your own food before any Albany - Boston bustitution.

Here is a link to the transcript of a meeting on September 19, 2024 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities concerning this incident. I understand that there will be an additional meeting as well...

Many companies are adept and aggressive about getting information about their products to potential customers. Some do it by online advertising, some do it by print media and some do it by both. Amtrak provides a lot of information on its website but seems to hide other information such as...

Here is a link to an article about the proposed closure of certain Montreal commuter rail lines. I don't understand the history of this issue but I understand that controversial decisions have been made in the past few years. There seems to be some suggestions that they don't even have a...

Don't forget a sleep mask and some snacks.

I should have clarified in my post that I was talking about boarding a through Northeast Regional at New York, not at the point of origin. My experience in New York is that if you board at the front of the train you find no available seats so you have to drag your luggage through the aisles of...

I didn't realize the Viewliner diner on the Lake Shore ever went away. I thought it continued to serve flex meals all along. However I have been successfully avoiding the Lake Shore for several years so I may not have kept up to date on what type of car the flex meals were being served in.

I usually make a couple trips a year between Boston and DC on an Acela. It seems to be a relatively smooth operation in my experience. You can now change your seat assignment quite easily provided that there are open seats where you want to sit. You can decide if you want to be in the quiet...