# MI-ChI-NYP-CHI and Home again in MI



## Michigan Mom (May 23, 2021)

So we have been duly vaccinated, not gone anywhere for a year and a half, and rescheduled this New York trip several times as the pandemic unfolded. Thanks to Amtrak for making these multiple reschedules possible with no penalty. The more time went by with no traveling, the more our travel budget held up, so we added a day in NY, and an overnight in Chicago. I will concentrate on the rail portions of this trip, not as much on the time spent in the cities themselves.

Sat. May 15th. A beautiful spring morning. I've boarded out of Ann Arbor and Detroit in the past, DET station has character and you're among the first major station to populate the Wolverine, on the other hand, Ann Arbor has a more decent boarding time. The train was running on time and we arrived at the Ann Arbor station to find a somewhat sizeable crowd, nothing like the loads prior to Covid, but surprisingly busy. Trains were still capacity limited to 50%, so while my daughter and I got seats together, my son had an empty seat next to him, something that was a rarity on the Wolverine before. There's a new elevated boarding ramp at Ann Arbor and for the most part, they try to load and unload from the ramp. Coach passengers line up on the ramp and an Amtrak employee tells you whether to turn left or right as you board. I'm not too proud to tell you that after all this time not being able to do anything but shop for groceries, cook, clean, and work from home, when the Wolverine pulled into the station I was a little teary eyed. It was like seeing an old friend. So we are on board, the train starts moving, and the conductor scans our tickets. Mask compliance is being strictly enforced, via some clearly worded yet humorous announcements. We are basically planning to nap or look out the window until we get to Chicago, so no need to remove our masks. Overheard conductor advising a passenger that Amtrak was scaling back up to full capacity and that this was the last week of 50% bookings. Conductor also mentioned that this was the busiest train he had seen in a long time. So other newly vaccinated people were starting to flex their wings and travel too. Once people get the vaccine, they are raring to go. We enjoyed the peaceful and beautiful ride. The scenery from western Michigan gives way to more industrial views and eventually the skyline of Chicago. We are back!


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## Michigan Mom (May 23, 2021)

Arrived in Chicago, 11 ish local time. Some overcast and drizzle had started and we delayed our plans to exit the station and find a place to have breakfast. We checked into the Metropolitan lounge, where we would have had to leave our bags anyway, and sat around for an hour or so, waiting for the weather system to pass. Walking around in a few stray raindrops is no problem, but getting soaked would have been a situation to avoid. Once the heavier rains had passed through, we went outside into a chilly and somewhat drizzly morning, to a diner that was around the corner from the station. Forgot the name, if I hear it will remember. We had to wait outside in a bit of a line, which was under an awning equipped with heat lamps, and simply being in Chicago was so welcome, we enjoyed the time waiting. After a delightful cooked to order meal that I didn't cook, we went back to the Lounge and regrouped for a few minutes, at this point the weather had started to clear up and while it was cool and pleasant, the sun was out so off we went to explore Chicago. It was exhilarating to walk around the city after all this time. Dinner was takeout from Beggar's Pizza, also close to the station, and they also have some pasta dishes. There were not that many passengers in the lounge when we returned, presumably because most of them would have left on the earlier LD departures. After dinner we rested as evening fell in Chicago. We waited for the Amtrak attendant to call boarding for the LSL departing at 9:30 pm, about as different as anything could have been from our everyday lives over the last year and beyond.


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## OBS (May 24, 2021)

Great start! Was breakfast at Lou Mitchell's?


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## jiml (May 24, 2021)

Always enjoy your reports; looking forward to the remainder.


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## Michigan Mom (May 24, 2021)

OBS said:


> Great start! Was breakfast at Lou Mitchell's?



Thank you, YES! That was the name of the place. If I don't write stuff down I forget!
More later after some work meetings


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## OBS (May 24, 2021)

Michigan Mom said:


> Thank you, YES! That was the name of the place. If I don't write stuff down I forget!
> More later after some work meetings


I remember because my parents always loved stopping there on their annual train journey from Michigan to Florida....


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## Michigan Mom (May 24, 2021)

So evening is falling in Chicago and we are waiting for boarding. Tired feet as we covered a lot of ground during the day. I will mention that although it was so lovely to be there again, there were moments of sadness at seeing former favorite spots closed, some permanently. The Loop neighborhood, always kind of quiet on weekends, was almost deserted. Up on Michigan Ave. there were far more pedestrians, just not what would be expected on a typical spring Saturday. For example, no line outside waiting to get into the Starbucks Roastery. Water Tower place had a few closures, unfortunately the Mity Nice grill on the lower level, a longtime favorite, is gone, and so is the adjacent coffee shop, which made the best lattes in Chicago (or anywhere) in my opinion. The Riverwalk was also less crowded than expected, although it was cool enough that the weather might have been a factor still. As we will see, how things change in just one week... but that's for later. And don't get me wrong, we were feeling privileged, and grateful, to even be able to do this again, for a number of different reasons.
The call for LSL is announced, not many people left in the lounge so it's clear the sleepers are still at half capacity. For that matter, there wasn't a huge crowd for the coaches, either. We settle into our roomettes in Car 11 (after going over everything with sanitizing wipes) and the train pulls out of the station. This doesn't seem to be a popular opinion, but we like the in-room toilets and were pleased to be on the older equipment. If Car 12 was the new Viewliner, I didn't go check it out or ask. Our car was less than half full. The SCA came around to explain features, very friendly and personable guy, for the most part we're pretty self sufficient but I always enjoy meeting the attendants. We got our free drinks (one alcoholic beverage for over 21) and settled in for the night. Unlike past trips, there were no amenity kits, other than the bars of soap in the room. If this is a money saving move for Amtrak, I don't really miss the kits anyway. We loved watching the scenery, just as on the morning Wolverine ride, it was like seeing it all again for the first time. Somewhere around South Bend we all conked out at varying times - son was communicating from his room via text with daughter and me, and she was the first to doze off in her upper bunk.
Next morning, went to look for coffee and then remembered there was no longer a coffee station in the car - sleeping car passengers can request from the lounge or just wait to have with breakfast. What do you know, the cream was not spoiled so the coffee was drinkable. A good start to the day. Here is another unpopular opinion - I actually really liked the omelette. It's stuffed with spinach and Mozz, with a side of breakfast potatoes. Perfect amount of food. The dining car had every other table blocked off for distancing, which didn't create any issues on this trip given the light bookings, and some elected to take meals back to the rooms. We enjoyed the scenery, which is the real star, and looked forward to the long stop at Albany so we could take a walk and stretch our legs. It was warming up considerably by then, so the jackets we left Michigan with were now packed away, and we crossed over a bridge alongside of the station, walked up and down the block and then back to the station to reboard. There was quite a crowd boarding in Albany, even a couple of people who booked rooms from Albany to NYP, interesting. Our SCA made a comment about something or other "not being ready" for the increased ridership. Anyway, we left Albany right on time.
The flex dining meals are either your late lunch or early dinner as you prefer, to my knowledge you can't request another meal even if the train is late (which this was) and honestly unless you're starving it's an easy decision to put off dinner until NY with a 6:30 arrival time. I have no issue with the flex meals as they fill the purpose and I don't expect fine dining. Son reported that the pasta was "adequate" and daughter was not enthused about the chicken marsala because of the mushrooms in it. I had the vegan enchiladas which were fine although "adequate" is probably a better description. The warm rolls with butter were very welcomed, the tiny salad is better than no salad, and the brownie or blondie for desert were packed away for the next day. I need to walk quite a bit to justify having one of those. Anyway, some time after Albany, we were proceeding along pretty much on time, and then... the train slowed down and stopped. We couldn't hear the announcements too well in our car, it was something to do with the engine. They got it started, but we noticed that the toilet out of service light kept flashing off and on, and then the train braked and came to a halt once again. Whatever the problem was, the crew got it going a second time, and we finally started getting closer to NY before it died for the third time. By this time I was getting a little apprehensive, and went to ask the SCA about it and either he was messing with me or serious, couldn't tell which, he said he hoped they could get it going and that we wouldn't get stuck in the tunnel. Obviously I don't know diddly about how Amtrak engines work, all I can tell you is that the lighting system was still working, and water from the sink, but otherwise no power. With only 3 days a week of operation I don't understand why they can't maintain engines better? Shouldn't they resolve these issues before returning to full schedules? When they got the engine started again (how??) we proceeded smoothly without getting stuck in the tunnel, and arrived at Penn Station 2 hours late. It was late enough that we just wanted to get to our hotel, unpack, shower and crash for the night, so we didn't look for the location of the new Metropolitan Lounge.


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## Michigan Mom (May 24, 2021)

So the LSL ride to NY could definitely be made better with more advantageous timing, such as earlier departure out of Chicago, and less ground time in Albany. I fully recognize this can't be done for reasons that have been outlined in other threads. Depending on future circumstances this may not be an attractive option unless booking for the train experience specifically and the departure/arrival situation is not the highest priority. NYC itself I have mixed feelings about, and definitely pricey. Kids really enjoyed the Manhattan vibe and this trip was for them so that's what mattered. I would not be inclined to return there solo. Following up on info received on this forum, we took the ferry to Governors' Island. Very pleasant place for a long walk, for that sense of history; abandoned military barracks and other interesting buildings, and fresh water stations to refill water bottles. The ferry trip is so short I'm surprised they don't just build a pedestrian bridge or walkway. 2 full days of exploring Manhattan and on the third morning we check out of our hotel and walk to Penn Station to check in at the Metropolitan Lounge.


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## Dakota 400 (May 24, 2021)

Interesting report; thanks for posting it. Looking forward to reading your next installment.


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## PVD (May 24, 2021)

You can't put a walkway to Governor's Island, it is navigable waterway. It is a cool place. So many things are reopening, they are running some good free admission deals for vaccinations (get a shot, come in for free) Museums, Zoo, sports teams... and we are vaccinating tourists as well.....Some spots were also giving 7 day metrocards with shots....


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## Michigan Mom (May 24, 2021)

PVD said:


> You can't put a walkway to Governor's Island, it is navigable waterway. It is a cool place. So many things are reopening, they are running some good free admission deals for vaccinations (get a shot, come in for free) Museums, Zoo, sports teams... and we are vaccinating tourists as well.....Some spots were also giving 7 day metrocards with shots....



We saw that! There was a long line of folks waiting to get vaccines and the 7 day metrocards, I forget at which station. What a great idea.


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## PVD (May 24, 2021)

They did tickets for the LIRR or MNRR as well. I like the idea of opening up to tourists. Some of the pop ups were interesting, like under the giant blue whale model at the museum of natural history, or going to CitiField or Yankee Stadium Vax sites, and getting Mets or Yankees tickets. Many other cultural institutions are also aboard. 
I went to CitField a while back, it is a well run vax site, they didn't have to sway folks then...appointments were tough to get....


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## Michigan Mom (May 24, 2021)

Back to NYP departure day. We are walking around Penn Station in a state of utter confusion, despite some excellent Youtube videos available, despite some excellent early TRs here, despite everything, we couldn't find the Metropolitan Lounge. Signage directing you to the street seems odd. We find ourselves near an exit, dragging our luggage and probably looking lost, where a friendly Amtrak employee asked if he could help, and then said he'd just escort us himself. We went up an escalator, crossed the street, and were greeted with our first sightings of the new Moynihan train hall. It's like the pictures that you see, all skylight airy, sleek and modern. Our Amtrak friend took us up another escalator to check in with the agent, where they verified our tickets and had each of us step up to the machine that took our temperatures. After being cleared, we looked around the lounge. Everything is brand spanking new and clean. The lounge was sparsely populated and the terrace overlooking the train hall was empty. A sleek service counter offered snacks and drinks, tended by Amtrak personnel so everything was very sanitary. There were lockers near the entrance for bag storage. Although there's no way to secure the bags in the lockers, we were not concerned about anyone stealing what was basically our laundry and some toiletries. So we put our stuff in the lockers and left the lounge to soak up some final Manhattan ambiance before departure. We stopped at one of the dollar pizza slice places for a good and inexpensive lunch, followed by frozen drinks at a Starbucks. It was getting noticeably hotter in the direct sun which we weren't yet accustomed to, so we decided to head back to the station an hour before departure to cool off in the air conditioning and check out the lounge offerings. It was really quite impressive. They had some wrapped pound cake type pastries, bagged popcorn snacks, chicken pinwheel wraps, veggie wraps, oranges and Kind bars, that I can remember, with a selection of beverages. Instead of the food items being set out for everyone to handle, since the counter is staffed, you simply request whatever you like, which is proffered in what I can only describe as a first class professional manner. Seriously, these guys are impressive. We packed our snacks for the train, in anticipation of those flex meals, and soon they were calling Train 49 for boarding.


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## Michigan Mom (May 24, 2021)

We followed the queue down the escalator from the lounge, and then down the escalator by Track 12. Very spiffy boarding experience. It's clearly designed to be both futuristic and functional. The boarding area being marked by the new gate posts that direct you right down to the tracks, is just plain impressive. Whoever designed this setup is a visionary. 
After being directed to our favorite car 11, got settled in our two roomettes across from each other, and soon we were leaving NYP. The air conditioning in the rooms worked very well so the cabins were comfortable on a hot day. This time, our car was full, so I would guess that car 12 would have been also. Our SCA made the rounds and seemed relieved that we wouldn't need any assistance setting up the beds and so forth. After a year of light loads, perhaps, employees are getting reacquainted with full trains again, in a very short space of time, so my impression is that travel is suddenly rebounding faster than operators had maybe envisioned. 
Soon, the urban cityscape gave way to the beautiful river views, which if I didn't mention in the 48 segment of this TR, would have been due to anxiety about the engine issues, and is without question one of the top highlights of the LSL trip. If it were just views of the water I could do this every day. 
The cafe car attendant announced dining hours of 430-6 and then after 7 until close. Of course I forget what closing time is, maybe 9 pm? It may have been around that 6 pm hour that we stopped in Albany so it was a good time to detrain and walk around for a while. We picked up appreciable traffic in Albany once again, whatever rooms were not sold out of NYP filled up as well as the coaches. Some time after 49 pulled out of Albany, we went to the lounge car for dinner. Just as with the trip on 48, every other table was blocked off, but this time, there were more passengers showing up for seating than there were available seats. So we tried to be considerate, finish our meal, leave the tip, and vacate the table for others. The staff were working hard to keep things moving along, but they were also super polite and didn't challenge people such as single diners who finished their meal and then lingered on a table for extended periods of time. Not sure how this is going to work for full trains. Some adjustment of expectations is probably upcoming.


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## Michigan Mom (May 24, 2021)

49 was traversing the gorgeous scenery as night fell, thankfully this train seemed to have a good engine. We got our rooms ready to turn in, after getting cleaned up and changed. Night on a LD train is the most exciting, I think, as you get ready for sleep, someone else is doing the driving, the motion of the train is soothing, and you know you'll be waking up much farther down the road.
Next morning, after consulting Apple maps and online timetables, it was determined that we lost some time overnight due to freight traffic in Ohio. With a relatively early arrival into Chicago, not concerning from our perspective. We were planning to hang out in Chicago to complete our trip and a late arrival didn't affect our separately booked trip home. Both kids decided they'd rather sleep than have breakfast so I went to the diner alone for an omelette and coffee. It was the same brisk situation, the car attendant providing excellent service while also trying to seat everyone who appeared, given the blocked off tables. Once again I was not about to linger knowing people were waiting to be seated. Honestly I don't see any advantage for employees or customers with the "flex" arrangement, regardless of what food is offered, better to take reservations so that everyone can be accommodated and the employees don't have to tear out their hair trying to make it work. The "flex" arrangement seems to be geared towards hoping that customers will appreciate the flexible times enough to offset the quality of the food. Speaking of which, in the last installment, I failed to mention our review of the offerings. The Chicken Marsala was deemed to be better than the pasta and meatballs. I found several edible pieces of chicken and the cavitappi pasta with veggies was of a good texture and temperature - then again, for a frozen and reheated dinner. Coupled with the hot roll and butter, a filling meal, with a brownie or blondie saved for the next day. Knowing the choices ahead of time, encourage picky eaters in your party to bring some takeout with them on board. Further, in regards to the pre-selecting of meals, that might be a testing experiment, because we were not locked into our selections, no mention was made of our selections, the attendant simply handed us the menus and took our orders.


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## MARC Rider (May 25, 2021)

Looks like if they're going to unblock the seats and sell full trains, they're also going to have to unblock the tables in the dining car and cafe car.


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## PVD (May 25, 2021)

I forgot to hit "post reply" yesterday, but it looks like you covered the river scenery.... The finicky engine you had coming in Alb-NYP would be a single Dual Mode, in Albany you normally pick up the 2 P42 from the Boston section. and leave the P-32. It runs on 3rd rail in the short tunnel that leads into NYP...diesel outside..

Love the trip up the Hudson (left side of train) On a lucky day, you can spot an eagle out over the water. Power change (leave the P32-DM and pick up the P42s from Boston) and joining with Boston section in Albany is usually nice when it is pleasant weather


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## Michigan Mom (May 25, 2021)

After breakfast, let the offspring sleep in, and just enjoyed the scenery with a second cup of coffee brought from the diner. It was a bright and sunny morning. Ohio/Indiana are during the night when you leave Chicago, so it's a different view on 49. Mostly kind of industrial, which always looks more artistic from a train window. Hearing my daughter stir in the upper bunk, advised her that if she wanted breakfast, now was the time to get it. She was investigating options on her phone and announced that she'd get lunch from a place called Erik's deli when we got to Chicago. Arrival time was projected at about 2 hours late, around 11 ish local time. Maybe 45 minutes before that, we knocked on son's door so he could get ready. Everyone was duly packed and well rested as 49 pulled into Union Station.
Next up: What A Difference A Week Makes!


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## Michigan Mom (May 25, 2021)

PVD said:


> I The finicky engine you had coming in Alb-NYP would be a single Dual Mode, in Albany you normally pick up the 2 P42 from the Boston section. and leave the P-32. It runs on 3rd rail in the short tunnel that leads into NYP...diesel outside..
> 
> Appreciate this information, embarrassed to tell you I don't know what any of it means. I'm getting old enough that I just admit it though :-/
> What's the difference between the 32 and 42? Are the 32s older and prone to break down more?
> Also if the engine loses power... how are they able to get it started again?


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## Michigan Mom (May 25, 2021)

What a difference a week makes.... indeed. One week prior, (EDIT: 5 days) we had arrived into Chicago at approximately the same time, on a gray and drizzly day, with a relatively uncrowded lounge, and almost empty luggage room. On this sunny and hot day, there was a line to the check in at the front desk, and the luggage room was already full. And this is not even at capacity yet - it was a few days prior to the Amtrak announced return to 100% bookings. I think that in the week leading up to that, they were already unblocking and selling seats/rooms, as evidenced by the difference in loads on 48 last week vs 49. If all the LD and business class passengers check in early, there is not enough room to accommodate everyone's luggage. It did seem to work before, with people checking in at staggered times, and the bag room gaining spots as trains departed, but if ridership increases, they might need to expand that space if possible. Then again there might be enough people who check their bags, or even keep their bags with them, that it continues to work. All I can say is that at 11 am, it was full with bags on the floor, but my son got our bags on the top shelf where there was an empty space. We needed to hang out for a while until the hotel room was ready, and the younger generation who slept through breakfast on the train were officially starving. I gave them the credit card, and waited in the lounge while they went to a place called Erik's Deli. The Chicago lounge now has bagged snacks and breakfast bars out again, as well as coffee, tea and cold water from the dispenser. There might have been packaged muffins too. I took a bag of pretzels for later. The chilled water (still or sparkling) was especially, nice on a hot day, and I enjoyed waiting there and listening to the announcements. They are very clear on the mask policy. Erik's was apparently located in an office building nearby, and the sandwiches were reportedly quite good and to my surprise, reasonably priced. I wasn't hungry since having the omelette and potatoes on the train, however this information will be filed away in memory (hopefully) for future trips. The hotel room was ready a couple of hours early (for a fee) so after lunch we headed out for a walk though Chicago. The Loop neighborhood was again relatively quiet, similar to the previous week, even though the train station was showing increased levels of activity.

EDIT: I must apologize, to anyone reading, we didn't arrive back in Chicago a full week later, it was actually a Thursday. We depart on Saturday as is outlined below.


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## PVD (May 25, 2021)

The P32 DM is designed to run limited distances on 3rd rail before switching to regular 
Diesel/Electric like the P42. The traction motors are AC, not DC like the P40/42. Since they needed room for the added electrical eqpt, it has a 12 cylinder not 16 cylinder engine, resulting in a good bit less power. There are other differences, but most of them don't mean much except to hardcore railfans. Amtrak has a set of them that are used on all of the trains that come out of NYP and go up the Hudson. Some of them run all the way, others, like the Lake Shore, swap at Albany. The first batch came in 95, followed by a second batch in 98. Any DM is usually more troublesome than its non DM sisters, but I can't really say, they seem to be ok. Metro North has a decent sized fleet of them, since they go to Grand Central, they have 3rd rail shoes that work on under-running 3rd rail, rather than over. There have been times when Amtrak converted some of theirs to go into GC when work was being done on the West side connection.


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## Michigan Mom (May 25, 2021)

2 nights and 2 days in Chicago. Due to a confluence of circumstances, meaning our travel budget was increased since not traveling for a year and a half provided an offset of sorts, and the LD train portion was paid for many months ago. We filled up the time easily. My kids love the big-city shopping experience, and I love the 70% off sales, so they were able to get some new items they needed for school. I had meant to take a detour to walk by the Palmer House to see if it was re-opened, and maybe just look around the lobby, but we never made it past the Macy's on State. We were staying in River North and took long walks twice a day up and down the river. Many more people this time, taking pictures by the water, jogging, or hanging out in the cafes and bars. Sometimes it felt like pandemic what pandemic? While indoor masking is still pretty much 100%, quite a few people (including us) didn't wear masks outside. It was never so crowded we had any more than incidental passing contact with others. Manhattan streets were a little more densely populated, so we had kept our masks on in the crowds, removing them when we had more space, such as when walking around Governors' Island. The time flew by both days and just like that... it was time to wake up, check out, and head back to Union Station to catch the Wolverine back home.


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## Michigan Mom (May 25, 2021)

Some confusion... and another engine story

As mentioned, we had a longer trip than originally planned pre-pandemic, adding days in Chicago. I also had a healthy amount of points to redeem so instead of returning in Coach, decided to splurge and use points for Business class. I wanted to end the trip on this note as this vacation was meant in large part as a reward or recognition for diligent academic performance and overall great attitudes as students in the pandemic year and a half. So this meant we could once again check in at the lounge, drop the bags, and run out to grab breakfast/lunch for the trip home. As noted in my edit above, we had returned on Thursday, and our departure was Saturday.
Slight change in plans as we left the hotel. It was pleasant walking and we probably weren't hurrying along with sufficient urgency - I realized we weren't going to have time to leave the bags and look for a place to get carryout and still make the 1:25 departure. So we each got a sandwich along the way. Knowing there was a complimentary beverage in BC meant we didn't have to buy drinks. We got to the lounge a bit less than an hour before departure, and kept our bags with us (once again, bag room looked pretty full). The place was packed. This was the day before the return to full capacity, and for all intents and purposes, it looked like Amtrak was there already. 
The agents do not want people congregating in the vestibule waiting for boarding, so they politely asked us to take seats in the lounge. The atmosphere was a little hectic - if there isn't demand for sleeper travel, you couldn't tell. Shortly the announcement came for boarding the Wolverine. The agents did not walk us down to the track, instead just providing directions to Track 16. When we got to the track entrance, an Amtrak employee asked us if we were in business class and we said yes, whereupon he told us to make 2 right turns and go to gate F. We followed his instruction and found ourselves - at the back of the coach line. We looked around for a gate agent to give us access to the preboard lounge for business class, seniors, military, etc. but no one would look at us. Finally we left our place in line, and walked up to the front, which was visibly annoying to the people waiting - I don't blame them, and I expect to receive BC amenities if I'm in BC - so we had to grit our teeth and disregard the looks, harrumpfs, and a couple of terse comments. The two agents we saw studiously ignored us, and left the lounge (which was empty) so we just ducked under the ribbon and entered the lounge.
Can I just tell you that the TSA agent there didn't like this? We received quite the lecture, which was fine, and at least partially deserved, but the minutes ticked by and it was now 1:06 for a 1:25 departure - normally I'd expect even the coaches to be boarding up. The agent, who was near the track entrance, still seemed to be of the mind that we didn't exist, although the TSA guy made up for it by screening my son's bag for explosives. At least someone was interacting with us and providing some limited information. We were not even sure of being in the right place to get home on the only train that day. The TSA guy helpfully added, gesturing towards some other passengers waiting next to us: "These are coach passengers on your train. The agents will call boarding soon." There was just a sense of, in the confusion of it all, that the right hand didn't know what the left hand was doing - if the lounge agent had walked us to the track (as advertised) if the gate agent hadn't directed us to the back of the coach line even though we were in BC - if someone at the gate would just speak to us for half a second. Doesn't the lounge communicate with the gate, i.e. "sending 5 down from the lounge in BC"? At any rate, eventually the gate agent agreed to let us board, and when we got to the BC car, the other passengers were already on board. With us, the car looked to be half full, so I imagine the coaches were also still half blocked. 
Not a good boarding experience. If this ever happens again I will be more assertive.
Train 352 pulled out of CUS exactly on time, and had a pleasant journey home. One final engine story, though. At Jackson, we are stopped and - with no warning, the power goes out. Kids have instant "OH NO" expressions as we all exchange wary glances. This was not mentioned by any crew member up until this time, but apparently we towed an engine from Chicago for a disabled train. Can only surmise this would have been the previous day's 352 or 351. Glad we stayed in Chicago for the extra day eh? The power wasn't out for long, and we were only delayed about 20 minutes or so into Ann Arbor. Thanks to anyone who read my ramblings - I will go back and input some edits as needed, and my writing nearly always does need edits.


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## JontyMort (May 25, 2021)

PVD said:


> The P32 DM is designed to run limited distances on 3rd rail before switching to regular
> Diesel/Electric like the P42. The traction motors are AC, not DC like the P40/42. Since they needed room for the added electrical eqpt, it has a 12 cylinder not 16 cylinder engine, resulting in a good bit less power.



The third rail running is limited in time as well, isn’t it? Certainly power and speed are both less in electric mode than using the diesel prime mover.


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## Dakota 400 (May 25, 2021)

Michigan Mom said:


> where a friendly Amtrak employee asked if he could help,



My experience at NY Penn: My taxi dropped my 3 pieces of luggage and me off at the side of the station with only an escalator and stairs to the station below. How am I going to get this stuff and me--safely--down to where I needed to go? An Amtrak employee was coming up the escalator and I asked her for help. She said that she was on her lunch break, but she helped me get to the station where the Lounge and luggage check-in was close-by. I didn't have the presence of mind at the time to offer a gratuity and I have felt badly for some time because of my failure to do so. Other Amtrak employees at NYP whom I encountered were also pleasant and helpful.


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## Michigan Mom (May 25, 2021)

Dakota 400 said:


> My experience at NY Penn: My taxi dropped my 3 pieces of luggage and me off at the side of the station with only an escalator and stairs to the station below. How am I going to get this stuff and me--safely--down to where I needed to go? An Amtrak employee was coming up the escalator and I asked her for help. She said that she was on her lunch break, but she helped me get to the station where the Lounge and luggage check-in was close-by. I didn't have the presence of mind at the time to offer a gratuity and I have felt badly for some time because of my failure to do so. Other Amtrak employees at NYP whom I encountered were also pleasant and helpful.



Well, don't feel bad. It was her choice to help you and having been in the airline industry in a past life, I can tell you that sometimes, in the world of transporting passengers, helping someone out when you're on a break is its own reward.
Edit: it's never too late to call customer service and give a compliment.


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## jiml (May 25, 2021)

It does speak well of the company and their choice of employees too. Your own report in Post #13 confirms that Amtrak still has some good people.


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## Michigan Mom (May 25, 2021)

jiml said:


> It does speak well of the company and their choice of employees too. Your own report in Post #13 confirms that Amtrak still has some good people.



They have a lot of good Jimi. I report the good and the not so good. Also, I don't blame employees for the lack of service departing Chicago. If they weren't prepared to handle the increasing levels of ridership, that's on management. They know what the booking levels were.
Next time I'm in the situation of boarding BC on the Wolverine out of CUS, I will ensure some answers are provided before walking down to the tracks. Or I'll just use coach which is our norm.


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## jiml (May 25, 2021)

Michigan Mom said:


> I report the good and the not so good.


One of the reasons I always read your balanced reporting.


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## PVD (May 25, 2021)

JontyMort said:


> The third rail running is limited in time as well, isn’t it? Certainly power and speed are both less in electric mode than using the diesel prime mover.


Yes, the P32-DM is not designed for long distance 3rd rail running, it is designed to run on 3rd rail until it clears the enclosed space (out of NYP for Amtrak, GCT through the Park Ave Tunnel for MNRR. Then it starts the diesel for full speed running. It is rated for 60 mph on third rail, 110 as a diesel.


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## NEPATrainTraveler (May 26, 2021)

Great trip report! I will probably feel emotional too whenever I take my next Amtrak trip. I Haven't traveled outside my local area since before the pandemic. The Hudson river scenery on 49 is great and was a highlight of my own LSL trip. I've seen the blondie get mentioned on a lot of trip reports where the OP had the flex meals. Almost makes me want to book a sleeper trip that's long enough to have one of the flex meals served, so I can try out the blondie for myself.


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## Bob Dylan (May 26, 2021)

Wonderful trip and report! FREE @ Last,Free @ Last!


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## JontyMort (May 26, 2021)

Michigan Mom said:


> Well, don't feel bad. It was her choice to help you and having been in the airline industry in a past life, I can tell you that sometimes, in the world of transporting passengers, helping someone out when you're on a break is its own reward.
> Edit: it's never too late to call customer service and give a compliment.


Interestingly, Dakota 400’s post doesn’t make it clear whether the experience was at “Penn classic” or the new Moynihan Train Hall. The latter is fully ADA-compliant and step-free access should be - and, I believe is - available from the taxi drop-off point.


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## JontyMort (May 26, 2021)

PVD said:


> Yes, the P32-DM is not designed for long distance 3rd rail running, it is designed to run on 3rd rail until it clears the enclosed space (out of NYP for Amtrak, GCT through the Park Ave Tunnel for MNRR. Then it starts the diesel for full speed running. It is rated for 60 mph on third rail, 110 as a diesel.


Yes, that got me thinking - by way of a digression - about third-rail traction generally, and the - relatively - few locomotives that have been used over the years (obviously, because third-rail is best suited to unit operation). In the UK, the early efforts culminated in the late 1950s with a “straight” DC-only locomotive with 2,500 hp, which must have been quite punchy in an 80-ton body. These were used on heavy boat-trains to the channel ports. But the obvious difficulties of staying on grid and lack of flexibility led to a short life. Later efforts produced a 1,600 hp electric with a 600 hp generator as well, which was very successful (especially used in pairs). But all of the electro-diesels in Britain have been electrics with diesel back-up, in contrast to the P32s.

Obviously third-rail multiple units in the UK have been much more common, and used for distances of up to about 100 miles - generally with performance well-matched to the traffic.


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## jiml (May 26, 2021)

JontyMort said:


> Yes, that got me thinking - by way of a digression - about third-rail traction generally, and the - relatively - few locomotives that have been used over the years (obviously, because third-rail is best suited to unit operation). In the UK, the early efforts culminated in the late 1950s with a “straight” DC-only locomotive with 2,500 hp, which must have been quite punchy in an 80-ton body. These were used on heavy boat-trains to the channel ports. But the obvious difficulties of staying on grid and lack of flexibility led to a short life. Later efforts produced a 1,600 hp electric with a 600 hp generator as well, which was very successful (especially used in pairs). But all of the electro-diesels in Britain have been electrics with diesel back-up, in contrast to the P32s.
> 
> Obviously third-rail multiple units in the UK have been much more common, and used for distances of up to about 100 miles - generally with performance well-matched to the traffic.


I wasn't aware until a couple of years ago that the UK had _as much_ third-rail outside metropolitan areas as they do - particularly in the south. As a more casual and distant British railfan, I tend to think of overhead catenary associated with major routes first, then diesels in more rugged or remote areas, with third-rail more of an urban thing.


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## Michigan Mom (May 26, 2021)

NEPATrainTraveler said:


> Great trip report! I will probably feel emotional too whenever I take my next Amtrak trip. I Haven't traveled outside my local area since before the pandemic. The Hudson river scenery on 49 is great and was a highlight of my own LSL trip. I've seen the blondie get mentioned on a lot of trip reports where the OP had the flex meals. Almost makes me want to book a sleeper trip that's long enough to have one of the flex meals served, so I can try out the blondie for myself.


The blondie with a side of pretzels is one of my all time fave indulgences to have in a hotel room late at night after a tiring day. Kids prefer the Brownie, made with sustainable Peruvian chocolate


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## Michigan Mom (May 26, 2021)

Bob Dylan said:


> Wonderful trip and report! FREE @ Last,Free @ Last!


Thank you for reading our adventures! Yes, Free is what it felt like to be out and about again!


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## Michigan Mom (May 26, 2021)

jiml said:


> I wasn't aware until a couple of years ago that the UK had _as much_ third-rail outside metropolitan areas as they do - particularly in the south. As a more casual and distant British railfan, I tend to think of overhead catenary associated with major routes first, then diesels in more rugged or remote areas, with third-rail more of an urban thing.



You never know where you might pick up interesting knowledge... all of this discussion is fascinating, and completely new to me. There was (is)? a user here named Third Rail and I never had any clue what that meant.


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## Michigan Mom (May 26, 2021)

JontyMort said:


> Interestingly, Dakota 400’s post doesn’t make it clear whether the experience was at “Penn classic” or the new Moynihan Train Hall. The latter is fully ADA-compliant and step-free access should be - and, I believe is - available from the taxi drop-off point.


Since Moynihan has not been open that long, guessing the Penn classic.


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## PVD (May 26, 2021)

One of the problems with taxis at Penn was that the complex was designed to have a mid-block taxi drop off and pickup ramp that went under the Penn Plaza building connections, that had good access for passengers. Post 9-11 it was closed off for vehicle access, and cabs now drop off pick up on the avenues, and it became much more difficult for passengers with luggage, particularly on the 8th Ave side. Hopefully, the Moynihan side fixes that, I haven't "explored" yet.


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## Mystic River Dragon (May 26, 2021)

Thank you for a lovely trip report! And what a wonderful and thoughtful reward for your young people for handling a difficult year so well!

I love water, so especially enjoyed the mentions of the Hudson and the river in Chicago.

When I was in Chicago, I stayed in the north loop area and could easily walk to the river from my hotel. I enjoyed sitting on the steps and watching the river traffic.

The lake used to get all the tourist publicity and glamour (although the river seems to get mentioned a bit more now), but I loved watching the variety of river traffic.

Carrying all sorts of traffic, from barges to water taxis, the river seemed to be saying “The lake gets the glamour, but I do the work and keep the city moving!”


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## JontyMort (May 26, 2021)

jiml said:


> I wasn't aware until a couple of years ago that the UK had _as much_ third-rail outside metropolitan areas as they do - particularly in the south. As a more casual and distant British railfan, I tend to think of overhead catenary associated with major routes first, then diesels in more rugged or remote areas, with third-rail more of an urban thing.


Historically, your assumption - of third rail being for commuter traffic - is absolutely correct. There were systems around Newcastle, Manchester, and Liverpool, of which only Liverpool’s has survived - though Newcastle and Manchester ultimately incorporated their former third-rail lines into light-rail/tram operations.

But as you say most third-rail electrification was, and still is, south of London. The London, Brighton & South Coast had a very early experiment with AC overhead, but after the enforced merger into the Southern Railway of 1923 the third-rail system was adopted - the London & South Western had already made a start on this before the merger. By 1939 the Southern had almost all of its London commuter lines electrified, plus its semi-rural (or outer-suburban, depending on how you define it) lines to Brighton itself, and Portsmouth - 50 and 70 miles from London. The nearest US equivalent would be the eastern end of the LIRR.

Extensions after the war were to Dover in 1959, and eventually in 1968 to Southampton and Bournemouth - this coinciding with the end of steam working, which had co-existed incongruously with third-rail electrics for 40 years. The final extension, from Bournemouth to Weymouth in 1988, took the third-rail over 140 miles from London, of which the 90 miles west of Basingstoke definitely falls within your “rural” category, though with some important towns en route.

No further extensions are - in theory - to be allowed, for safety reasons. This causes something a headache in a couple of cases where relatively short infill schemes would be useful.


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## Dakota 400 (May 26, 2021)

JontyMort said:


> Interestingly, Dakota 400’s post doesn’t make it clear whether the experience was at “Penn classic” or the new Moynihan Train Hall. The latter is fully ADA-compliant and step-free access should be - and, I believe is - available from the taxi drop-off point.



My experience was at "Penn Classic" and I was dropped off at the 8th Avenue side of the building. I didn't know any better; I thought both entrances to the station would have passenger friendly services.


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## Barb Stout (May 27, 2021)

Dakota 400 said:


> My experience was at "Penn Classic" and I was dropped off at the 8th Avenue side of the building. I didn't know any better; I thought both entrances to the station would have passenger friendly services.


redacted


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## Barb Stout (May 27, 2021)

JontyMort said:


> Interestingly, Dakota 400’s post doesn’t make it clear whether the experience was at “Penn classic” or the new Moynihan Train Hall. The latter is fully ADA-compliant and step-free access should be - and, I believe is - available from the taxi drop-off point.


I wonder if the average taxi driver would have that knowledge (for drop-offs) and if so, if it would be at the top of said driver's mind. I doubt the latter but have no idea of the former.


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## fdaley (May 27, 2021)

I was in both New York and Chicago last February just before the pandemic. Actually, I read later that there were probably 10,000 Covid cases in NYC by then, even though we still thought it was confined to a few places on the West Coast. In Chicago, I saw someone wearing a face mask for the first time. Your report certainly made me think about how much we lost over the past year and how being able to travel again is at once gratifying and somehow bittersweet. I'm glad your trip went so well -- and glad to read that Lou Mitchell's has survived. We are looking forward to our first train ride since the pandemic next month (a day run from Maine back to upstate NY), and I hope to see the Moynihan station for myself later this summer.


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## JontyMort (May 27, 2021)

Barb Stout said:


> I wonder if the average taxi driver would have that knowledge (for drop-offs) and if so, if it would be at the top of said driver's mind. I doubt the latter but have no idea of the former.


I actually wondered that. The drop-off point(s) for Moynihan are on 31st and/or 33rd Street, but maybe that information is taking a while to filter through, since for Penn the drop-offs are on 7th and/or 8th Avenue, aren’t they? I’m “asking for a friend” since I’m hoping to be getting there by taxi in September.


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## MARC Rider (May 27, 2021)

Access to and from "Penn Classic" is going to be an ongoing issue. First of all, most passengers arriving at Penn are going to be disgorged into the old station, as only the two escalators at the far west end of the platforms take you directly into Moynihan Train Hall. If you are in the old station, access to Moynihan is either from the lower LIRR concourse or by ascending to the surface and crossing 8th Ave. If you need an elevator, the path is even more circuitous, and thus confusing to people who don't know the station. The signage directing people between the two waiting areas is not the best, though it's true that the LIRR concourse is under major construction, and things may improve when that's finished. And many Amtrak passengers may not want or need to use Moynihan Train Hall, as they are transferring to LIRR, NJT, or the subway.

The state of New York has been soliciting opinions about to form the renovated old Station should take. The main choice is between continuing the old 2-level underground layout or rebuilding as a single level train hall. I would opt for the single level train hall, as it reduces confusion about the station layout. It would also allow a more spacious architectural design, more in line with Moynihan, Grand Central Terminal, and 30th St. Station in Philly. That's really one of the strong points of the design of 30th St. Station in Philly. You walk in, and you can see the whole layout. (OK, except for the upper level SEPTA trains, but the waymarking is pretty obvious.)


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## Bob Dylan (May 27, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> Access to and from "Penn Classic" is going to be an ongoing issue. First of all, most passengers arriving at Penn are going to be disgorged into the old station, as only the two escalators at the far west end of the platforms take you directly into Moynihan Train Hall. If you are in the old station, access to Moynihan is either from the lower LIRR concourse or by ascending to the surface and crossing 8th Ave. If you need an elevator, the path is even more circuitous, and thus confusing to people who don't know the station. The signage directing people between the two waiting areas is not the best, though it's true that the LIRR concourse is under major construction, and things may improve when that's finished. And many Amtrak passengers may not want or need to use Moynihan Train Hall, as they are transferring to LIRR, NJT, or the subway.
> 
> The state of New York has been soliciting opinions about to form the renovated old Station should take. The main choice is between continuing the old 2-level underground layout or rebuilding as a single level train hall. I would opt for the single level train hall, as it reduces confusion about the station layout. It would also allow a more spacious architectural design, more in line with Moynihan, Grand Central Terminal, and 30th St. Station in Philly. That's really one of the strong points of the design of 30th St. Station in Philly. You walk in, and you can see the whole layout. (OK, except for the upper level SEPTA trains, but the waymarking is pretty obvious.)


DITTO!!


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## Dakota 400 (May 27, 2021)

Barb Stout said:


> I wonder if the average taxi driver would have that knowledge (for drop-offs) and if so, if it would be at the top of said driver's mind. I doubt the latter but have no idea of the former.



My thought was and is as to why the taxi driver dropped me off on the 8th Avenue side of the station: I was coming from my hotel in the financial district of the City. We were going North. 8th Avenue is one way North. When we got to the station, drop off this fare, and then proceed on to get another fare. He probably could have cared less whether that was the best drop-off point or not. To drop me off on the 7th Avenue side, he would have to go on a cross street to get to 7th Avenue which goes South.


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## PVD (May 27, 2021)

Certain times of day, that can take a very long time, and some of the corners have no turns allowed, although taxis might be exempt, I don't remember..


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## caravanman (May 28, 2021)

Very enjoyable read, glad you had such a good time!


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## Eric in East County (Jun 5, 2021)

Michigan Mom,

Thanks so much for posting your well-written and informative trip report. For us, being able to read trip reports like yours is what makes our daily visits to *AU* so special. Now that more people are starting to travel again, we look forward to reading more trip reports in the near future.

Eric & Pat


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## Michigan Mom (Jun 6, 2021)

I am gratified that people found my report helpful, that's the main purpose for sharing the report.


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