# Cross country - Sacramento, CA to Brunswick, ME!



## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 22, 2018)

Fulfilling a bucket list item. Fall colors. Cross country train trip.

My travel companion (S) and I boarded the California Zephyr in Sacramento. Excited, nervous, and overpacked. We’re in a roomette, which has no storage, and a bunk lovingly referred to as an MRI scanner. S bonked her head throughout the two nights. Not much sleep.

Tip: earplugs and eye mask. Even if you have *never* used them.

Second night I slept great. Beds are made so top sheet is fully tucked under mattress - sleep on your side and your tucchus hangs out.

Our roomette was ground floor, easy shower and toilet access.

Tip: bring clips to hold curtains closed.

Food: meh, There’s a kitchen but fresh and hot does not mean fabulous. Alcohol is expensive.

Tip: Bring your flask, a bottle of wine, and/or beer. Make friends, have an afternoon social in the lounge. We also brought apples and cheese. And cutting board and knife.

Showered onboard. It’s an experience!

Met a lot of fun folks. Travelers from Spain, UK, Germany, and various states. A lot of birthday celebrations and bucket list trips.

The walk stop list from the forum was dead on, thank you. We bolted at every opportunity.

The conductors in Colorado were absolutely fantastic. One spoke German and provided entertaining banter on sights and history. On either side the conductors were strictly business, no history, no banter, just stops.

Arriving in Chicago we dumped bags in metro lounge, learned there’s a shower, wandered through town.


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## cpotisch (Oct 22, 2018)

Sorry to hear that it sounds like you didn't have a particularly great time. Food was "meh", the bunk was "an MRI scanner", the mattress was too narrow, etc. That's a shame.


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## Sauve850 (Oct 22, 2018)

Well sometimes the food is "meh" and for sure the alcohol is expensive. Carry a small cooler. I travel in a roomette (alone) on Viewliners and they are way better than the Superliners.

My last trip I too had great conductor thru Colorado.


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 23, 2018)

Oh, I’m sorry, cpotisch, we’re having a great time. And, still acknowledging there may be small things


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 23, 2018)

Sauve850 said:


> Well sometimes the food is "meh" and for sure the alcohol is expensive. Carry a small cooler. I travel in a roomette (alone) on Viewliners and they are way better than the Superliners.
> 
> My last trip I too had great conductor thru Colorado.


Do you recall if your conductor was from Colorado and spoke German? I wish I could recall his name, he was such a card.


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 23, 2018)

I’m a little embarrassed, we are having loads of fun.

Crossing through Nevada in the desert there were wide swaths of white. Anyone know for sure what it was?

Also saw huge solar array. Why aren’t those put up so critters can pass under or some other use of land?


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 23, 2018)

We met so many interesting folks. Being two we were always seated with someone else.

A couple from Germany joined us for several meals so we chatted quite a bit. Including politics and history and built in biases, really interesting conversations.

A young couple from Spain who soon return home for jobs in rehabilitating prisoners. Long conversations about the innocence project, rehabilitation, and warehousing people.

A lovely, elderly British woman who runs her own construction firm. Described mansplaining and she said while they don’t have the word she’s quite familiar.

A lovely retired couple from Oklahoma who travel extensively and have hit their bucket list of visiting all states. The differences between anticipating earthquakes vs tornados and their many careers. They were very sweet.


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 23, 2018)

In Chicago we took advantage of the metro lounge as well. And, they have showers. Oh, my gosh. What an amazing experience.

Met a lovely lady who had also enjoyed the rain water shower head. Felt very spoilt.

We went to the Hancock building for drinks, ran into a fellow passenger and escorted her back down the 96 floors to get her safely in a cab.

Hung in the lounge with others transitioning from Zephyr to LSL.


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 23, 2018)

The LSL. We were curious about the toilet in the cabin and had made a pact - no use of the potty. Nope nope nope.

Those would be my feet pointing at the toilet. As we cruised to coach in search of a toilet behind doors we found most of our fellow roomette passengers had a similar pact.

The beds were quite comfy, it would be nice if less of the top sheet extended under the mattress as being on your side means your backside is exposed. But, not a complaint, more a curiosity. The beds were so beautifully made up perhaps it’s a professional pride thing?

Our SCA was Miles. He graciously removed our bags to a mysterious location that allowed us to sit down. He was wonderful. So was Peter in the dining car, he was another funny guy and let us occupy a table for an unreasonably long time.

On the LSL meals are premade as there is no galley for cooking. One gentleman was quite incensed without having tried a meal. We found the meals wonderful. Breakfast was a yogurt parfait with fresh blueberries and organic granola, fresh fruit, a kashi bar, and a muffin. It was a lot of food. It comes in a very cool, sustainable bamboo box. Organic and low impact, thank you, Amtrak!

We used our free alcohol to have Bloody Mary’s with breakfast. People came and went, Peter stayed busy and also kept us entertained.

For lunch S had a vegan wrap which came with gluten free brownie, chips, and fruit. I had the antipasto plate with cheesecake in a glass mason jar, breadsticks, and a wide assortment of meats, cheeses, vegetables. I’d brought my own gluten free beer which Peter opened for me.

The dining car serves as lounge for sleeper car passengers.

At Albany the train splits with the front part heading to Boston and the rear to NYC. Once we had a new engine we headed off to NYC.


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 23, 2018)

Starting the second night I used ear plugs and a mask. Slept through the night.

My travel companion did not and hasn’t gotten much sleep.


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## railiner (Oct 23, 2018)

That 'white stuff' in the Nevada desert sounds like salt flats....dried ancient lake beds, like the famous one at Bonneville, where they attempt record land speed runs....


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## CCC1007 (Oct 23, 2018)

railiner said:


> That 'white stuff' in the Nevada desert sounds like salt flats....dried ancient lake beds, like the famous one at Bonneville, where they attempt record land speed runs....


It could also be signs of mine sites that may have been there.


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## Sauve850 (Oct 23, 2018)

Rail_Gurlz said:


> Sauve850 said:
> 
> 
> > Well sometimes the food is "meh" and for sure the alcohol is expensive. Carry a small cooler. I travel in a roomette (alone) on Viewliners and they are way better than the Superliners.
> ...


I think his name was Brad but dont recall German.He was most entertaining.


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## cpotisch (Oct 23, 2018)

Rail_Gurlz said:


> *Our SCA was Miles. He graciously removed our bags to a mysterious location that allowed us to sit down. He was wonderful.* So was Peter in the dining car, he was another funny guy and let us occupy a table for an unreasonably long time.


Interesting. We had Miles on #48 in February and found him to be pretty curt and unhelpful. Maybe he was just having a bad couple days or something.



Rail_Gurlz said:


> So was Peter in the dining car, he was another funny guy *and let us occupy a table for an unreasonably long time.*
> *On the LSL meals are premade as there is no galley for cooking.* One gentleman was quite incensed without having tried a meal. We found the meals wonderful. Breakfast was a yogurt parfait with fresh blueberries and organic granola, fresh fruit, a kashi bar, and a muffin. It was a lot of food. It comes in a very cool, sustainable bamboo box. Organic and low impact, thank you, Amtrak!
> 
> We used our free alcohol to have Bloody Mary’s with breakfast. People came and went, Peter stayed busy and also kept us entertained.
> ...


Meals on the LSL are actually not pre-made because "there isn't a galley". Those dining cars have a full kitchen which can churn out fresh, hot meals on the spot, which they do on two other long distance routes. The boxed meal system was a decision made by Amtrak to cut meal service and cut spending. The equipment is anything but prohibitive I would also add that the new packaging and box is actually pretty wasteful when you considering that each individual item is wrapped and sealed, and any leftovers (even if you haven't opened it) have to be thrown away.

All of that said, did "S" like the vegan wrap and included fixings? I don't eat meat, so I'm not too happy that there is only one vegetarian choice, but it's good, I guess it's not too bad.


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 25, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> Rail_Gurlz said:
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> ...


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 25, 2018)

After a few days in NYC we are off again!

Acela Express (B class) to Boston south, Lyft to Boston north for the Downeaster to Brunswick.

I slept the first hour and woke up somewhere in Connecticut. Lovely scenery, lots of rivers and bays. B class was ample and comfortable. We sat in the car adjacent to the cafe to grab a snack along the way. No freebies on the Acela.

Pretty busy train with a fair number of folks in and off at each stop. We didn’t visit the loo so no comments there.


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 25, 2018)

Now on the Downeaster to Brunswick!

After a few tries we found someone willing to tell us which track so we could stage appropriately. B class was right behind the engine nearest the terminal making it easy to board.

The B class is half a car, 18 seats, in the same car as the cafe. Seats are two on the right, one on the left. The pairs are reserved for those traveling together. There’s even a little curtain up to separate B class from random visitors to the cafe. Reminiscent of airplanes long ago.

A lovely young woman offered everyone a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage on being seated. The snack bar has a few tables associated which were taken almost immediately.

Four hours and our end-to-end trip across America is halfway there.


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 25, 2018)

Both Boston stations are primarily for commuters. A few fast food places, a bar, and small shops. Visited an ice cream shop, E&B (thank you, Boston!), got S a veggie slice (she’s happy). The bar doesn’t serve Irish coffee (what?!) so we may be bringing tiny bottles of whiskey to toast our Irish city on the return.

Boston north is home to local sports venues and I may inadvertently have put myself into a live interview. schießen.

It was mighty chilly in the terminal. That Irish coffee would have been nice.


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## cpotisch (Oct 25, 2018)

Rail_Gurlz said:


> B class was right behind the engine nearest the terminal making it easy to board.


Just for the record (and I get this doesn't make any difference practical difference for you), the "engine nearest the terminal" is actually not an engine as such. It is an NPCU, or Non Powered Control Unit. These are former F40PH locomotives, which had the prime mover and traction motors removed because after they became too old and outdated to be used to pull trains anymore. NPCUs are used on a bunch of routes, and are also known as "Cabbages" because in addition to being used as a *cab* car, checked *baggage* can also be stored in the empty space where the prime mover once was. Just a little train tidbit.


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 25, 2018)

Ok, finally some photos!




S showing off her preferred seating on the Zephyr.




Solar panels




The aforementioned white stuff




Magnificent rock formations.




There was a private car attached to our train from SF to Chicago. Lower was sleeping compartments, etc and adobe car for lounging.


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 25, 2018)

Chicago




Upper lounge




Shower




Customs & border patrol cruising cars in search of illegal Canadians?




Getting a new engine after the Albany split between Boston and NYC bound trains.




The LSL includes a sink and a lovely travel kit with all the amenities.




Approaching NYC


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## cpotisch (Oct 25, 2018)

Rail_Gurlz said:


> IMG_0184.JPG
> 
> Customs & border patrol cruising cars in search of illegal Canadians?


Why would they be searching for Canadians in particular? That would make sense on the Adirondack or Maple Leaf, but the LSL stays in the U.S. the whole way.


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## cpotisch (Oct 25, 2018)

So how would you say the food on the LSL compares to that of the CZ?


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 25, 2018)

Noise levels

CA Zephyr was extremely quiet from Sac through the Sierra (it is singular as it is a Spanish word. Sierra Nevada means saw tooth mountain range). Sometime later it got noisy by then we were spoiled.

The LSL has more traditional train noise. The cabin was filled with fan noises which made for good white noise.

Acela was relatively quiet.

Downeaster is quite noisy with occasional high pitched whining.


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## cpotisch (Oct 25, 2018)

Rail_Gurlz said:


> Noise levels
> 
> CA Zephyr was extremely quiet from Sac through the Sierra (it is singular as it is a Spanish word. Sierra Nevada means saw tooth mountain range). Sometime later it got noisy by then we were spoiled.
> 
> ...


Food though...?


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 25, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> So how would you say the food on the LSL compares to that of the CZ?


To be honest, I preferred the food on the LSL. While it may have been prepared in advance it was excellent with clean, crisp flavors. It was nice having a hot breakfast on the Zephyr but it was a sad little pile of scrambled eggs.


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 25, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> Food though...?


Both the Acela and Downeaster have little snack cars. S had a microwaved frozen pizza on the Acela. I brought my own so I could have a gf croissant and later a sandwich.

There’s bagged popcorn on the Downeaster which is intriguing. Apparently popcorn is s big deal east of the Mississippi. Maybe someone can tell us why?

The snacks look good but I’m still trying to get rid of our carry on snacks. We’re taking less with us on the return.


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 25, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> Why would they be searching for Canadians in particular? That would make sense on the Adirondack or Maple Leaf, but the LSL stays in the U.S. the whole way.


We were very unclear on why CBP was at the station or on the train at all. It seemed ridiculous to us as there are any number of international visitors traveling by rail in the US at any given time.

Did they think anyone would be swimming across the border and sneaking on a train?

I’ll be interested to see if they show up in Maine or in the way back to California. I know they didn’t talk to our German or British travelers.


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## cpotisch (Oct 25, 2018)

Rail_Gurlz said:


> There’s bagged popcorn on the Downeaster which is intriguing. Apparently popcorn is s big deal east of the Mississippi. Maybe someone can tell us why?


The Downeaster has popcorn because it's a state funded route which sources its cafe car fare from local New England based suppliers and manufacturers. I honestly don't really think of popcorn being a particularly big deal around here, so were you just hypothesizing that it was because the Downeaster sells it? Because the in the cafe car on one route isn't really a great test pool...


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 25, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> Rail_Gurlz said:
> 
> 
> > There’s bagged popcorn on the Downeaster which is intriguing. Apparently popcorn is s big deal east of the Mississippi. Maybe someone can tell us why?
> ...


Ah, thank you. Well, we saw popcorn starting to show up as a thing when we got to Chicago. Popcorn stores, huge selections of popcorn everywhere. We thought maybe it was a thing.


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## cpotisch (Oct 25, 2018)

Rail_Gurlz said:


> cpotisch said:
> 
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> > Rail_Gurlz said:
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Well, Garrett Popcorn is Chicago-based flavored popcorn manufacturer and they have A LOT of stores there, which is probably what you were seeing. They have locations all over the country, but they are near everywhere in Chicago.

Tip: Next time you're in Chicago, get a bag of both CaramelCrisp and CheeseCorn. You won't be disappointed.


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 25, 2018)

More adventures!

We’re in Wells MA, apparently there’s a freighter north of us which dead in the water waiting for a part. There’s a SB Downeaster stuck at Saco so they’re going to bus those folks to us and us to them so we swap trains in order to get back on the road.


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## cpotisch (Oct 25, 2018)

Rail_Gurlz said:


> More adventures!
> 
> We’re in Wells MA, apparently there’s a freighter north of us which dead in the water waiting for a part. There’s a SB Downeaster stuck at Saco so they’re going to bus those folks to us and us to them so we swap trains in order to get back on the road.
> 
> ...


I'm actually pretty jealous right now. When my dad and I took the Downeaster from Boston to Portland and back last month when the Great Dome car was on it, we had a great time, and now I really miss it (both the train and Portland itself).


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 25, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> Well, Garrett Popcorn is Chicago-based flavored popcorn manufacturer and they have A LOT of stores there, which is probably what you were seeing. They have locations all over the country, but they are near everywhere in Chicago.
> 
> Tip: Next time you're in Chicago, get a bag of both CaramelCrisp and CheeseCorn. You won't be disappointed.


Ah, well, perhaps not all over. Not seeing any on the west coast. Vegas looks like the closest to us.

The popcorn on the train was all Maine local. I think we may have had a popcorn thing going for a while but it didn’t stick for us.


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 25, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> I'm actually pretty jealous right now. When my dad and I took the Downeaster from Boston to Portland and back last month when the Great Dome car was on it, we had a great time, and now I really miss it (both the train and Portland itself).


[emoji23] yeah, jealous is a funny sentiment for hanging about, cramming into a bus, and reboarding.

But, we are back in a train and on the way.


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## cpotisch (Oct 26, 2018)

Rail_Gurlz said:


> cpotisch said:
> 
> 
> > I'm actually pretty jealous right now. When my dad and I took the Downeaster from Boston to Portland and back last month when the Great Dome car was on it, we had a great time, and now I really miss it (both the train and Portland itself).
> ...


Considering you've been delayed and bussed, I highly recommend calling Customer Relations after this trip for compensation. I've found them to be incredibly fair and helpful when stuff like this has happened to me.


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## Rail_Gurlz (Oct 28, 2018)

cpotisch said:


> Considering you've been delayed and bussed, I highly recommend calling Customer Relations after this trip for compensation. I've found them to be incredibly fair and helpful when stuff like this has happened to me.


The state of Maine compensates by giving one-way passes good for three months. We gave ours to a couple of students who travel between Boston and Brunswick three times a week.

S really likes your idea so we will be speaking with customer relations. The bus trip was on a city bus so there was no luggage storage and we schlepped our bags ourselves.

We packed for two weeks, meaning we have bags. Because there was no storage it also meant we had to drag bags on the bus and sit with them.

It’s funny on the short legs the amazement of train staff that we have luggage.


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