# Chicago to New Orleans on 59 and 58



## Steve4031 (Mar 1, 2004)

If you guys remember my trip report from November about the Capitol Limited, you'll remember that I had a bad day at work before taking my trip. On this trip, I took steps to ensure that I would have a better day at work. I did.

I made a quick exit, drove over to my friends school, picked him up, and we had dinner in Greektown before going to Union station. 59's late 8P.M. departure encouraged us to eat earlier. The dinner at Pegasus restaurant was excellent, and relaxed.

Each of us were booked into standard rooms in the 5900 car on 59. We checked into the Metropolitan lounce, and received excellent service. My buddy sat down to nap as I checked into the possibility of getting a family bedroom. Deluxe rooms are nice, but since I always get the upper bunk, wanted to try the family room. Alice, the agent in the metropolitan lounce checked availability, and discovered that the family room was available. When she saw that our resevations had been made separately, she admitted that she did not know how to make the change into the computer. Alice walked me over to Pam, a ticket agent, and explained the situation to Pam. Alice exempliefied first class service in the way she handled this because she took me to a knowledgable ticket agent, and helped me bypass the line. Since there was only one family room on the entire train, her actions ensured that the room would not be sold as I stood in line. Pam was knowledgeable. She managed my reservation efficiently while coaching three other agents on how to do their transactions. During the entire process, Pam had a smile on her face. This was a nice way to start the trip.

My buddy and I used red cap service again, and this time it was a great experience. Our bags were located onto a cart, and we rode with the driver on his vehicle out to the train. As we rolled down the platform, I noted the consist.

(I did not get the engine type or number-oops)

But here is the rest of the consist from front to back.

Baggage

Transition sleeper

diner

Lounge

3 coaches

Sleeper- california

deadhead coach

As you guys probably know, the family bedroom spans the width of the car with windows on each side. This is a plus. However, the windows are small squares rather than the large rectangles used in standard and deluxe rooms.

Also, while the room is long as it stretches across the car, it is narrom from front to back. A sofa seat covers most of one wall, and two seats that are similar to those in the standard room face each other on one side of the room. There is much less legroom between those to seats though. Howeever, I pushed them together, and stratech out just fine. Thus I had one window, and my buddy had the other. Also, at night I slept in one of the childs beds rather than the upper birth. I could not stretch out completely, but I had my window to look out, and was still able to sleep.

We departed ontime from Chicago and stayed ontime for the whole trip., arriving early into New Orleans.

Things to note about this route:

Compared to most Amtrak routes that I have been on, the ride is rougher. However, I enjoyed the swaying back and forths, and the other motions of the train.

The ride through Missippi features many small towns that have defintiely seen better days. The woods and fields and rolling hills does provide a variety of views. The last 40 miles into New Orleans are intersting because the train passes through swampland and along the shores of Lake Ponchartrain. At times, the train passes over long bridges that are at most 10 feet above the swamp land. This provides an interesting end to the trip.

Between Memphis and Jackson, The City of New Orleans does not follow its original route. Instad of following the old route which parallels Interstate 55 through Brookhaven, Durant, Canton, it head farther west through Greenwood and Yazoo City.

The dining car service on the way down was average. The Lead service attendant seemed more intersted in meeting his needs than the passengers. He came across as a little scatterbrained. The food seemed a little blander than usual. At breakfast, the sausage seemed undercooked. I missed lunch because we did not get back to the diner intime to eat a hamburger. The crew told us after we had beeen waitlisted for 45 minutes that the only thing left was garden burgers and salads. Alan would delete my remarks to the service attendant, so I won't quote myself. We simply decided to eat an early dinner in new Orleans. However, despite the bad ending in the diner, the trip south was enjoyable.

On the return trip, the consist was identical. Except that the california sleeping car had been replaced with a superliner I sleeper, and the dead head coach was removed. The entiire consiste had been wyed, and the sleeper was on the back with no freight!!!

  

So I stood at the back and watched track for the first 70 miles fo the trip, and the last 100 miles coming into Chicago. I loved every second of it too!!! The porter told me that this was not usual. I figured God and Gunn were rewarding me for not making voodoo dolls of my least favorite co-workers.

The crew was different from the one from Chicago. The dining car crew was better than the first. The steak was excellent at dinner, and the pancakes at Breakfast the next morning were great too. An extra chef was interviewing passengers about their dinner experience in the dining car. I volunteered us to take the survey. Of course, I like everything. My buddy, who is not a train fan, also gave his steak high marks. The chef also explained to me that Amtrak was standardizing the dining car operations so that they could better track costs. It was an intersting conversation.

58 was running about 20 minutes late at Champaign, and by Kankakee, it was close to 45 minutes late. No announcements were made, but from the slow running that I noticed, and some stops at signals, I deduced that we must have been stuck behind a freight. We arrived Chicago 30 minutes late, but well rested and ready for the work week.  Well, maybe not ready for work, but you know what I mean.

All in all, a great trip.


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## Amfleet (Mar 1, 2004)

Sounds like a good trip Steve. I think I ran across Alice, the Metropolitan Lounge attendant, over this past summer when I was in Chicago. While I did not require a change in reservations she seemed very efficent and organized.


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## denmarks (Mar 1, 2004)

Steve4031 said:


> The dining car service on the way down was average.  The Lead service attendant seemed more intersted in meeting his needs than the passengers.  He came across as a little scatterbrained.  The food seemed a little blander than usual.  At breakfast, the sausage seemed undercooked.   I missed lunch because we did not get back to the diner intime to eat a hamburger.  The crew told us after we had beeen waitlisted for 45 minutes that the only thing left was garden burgers and salads.  Alan would delete my remarks to the service attendant, so I won't quote myself.  We simply decided to eat an early dinner in new Orleans.  However, despite the bad ending in the diner, the trip south was enjoyable.


Is dinner served after leaving Chicago at 8:00 pm? I need to plan for my trip on the same train in June.


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## Steve4031 (Mar 1, 2004)

Is dinner served after leaving Chicago at 8:00 pm? I need to plan for my trip on the same train in June. 

Yes it is. However, if ths train is showing a pattern of late departures before you go, I would advise eating before you get on.


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## Guest (Mar 4, 2004)

It would be nice if you could drop a short letter to Mr. Gunn about your trip and specifically about Alice in the Lounge. He is very good about responding and sending personal thank you letters to the employees and the employees love receiving his letters.


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## RichBohlman (Jan 16, 2005)

I really enjoyed your trip report.

My wife and I will be taking the City of New Orleans north from Mississippi

in late February 2005. Then the Empire Builder from Chicago for a ski trip up to the Wisconsin Dells.

We have booked a deluxe sleeper room for the trip up to chicago and back

and we are really looking forward to our trip. 

Planning to submit a trip report on our return.


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