# Riding the Hiawatha



## AstroCat (Aug 26, 2008)

By the shores of Gitche Gumee, otherwise known as Lake Michigan in this travelogue, I went on my very first Amtrak trip. What follows are the observations and thoughts of a first time rider.

This was a short trip from Glenview, IL to Milwaukee, WI and back. My wife and I were off to a weekend festival in the city made famous by its beer. We left on Friday (Aug 15, train 335) and returned the following Sunday (Aug 17, train 334). Between Glenview and Milwaukee -- a distance of 68 miles -- there are only two stops: Sturtevant and the Milwaukee Airport.

In the middle of the day, the Glenview station is a sleepy commuter station that is used by both Amtrak trains and Metra trains. Metra is the commuter rail line that serves Chicago and its suburbs. Amtrak train 335 was scheduled to arrive at 1:27 PM. Unfortunately, the Metra train scheduled for 1:11 PM was 22 minutes late. This caused a 15 minute delay in the arrival of the Amtrak train, plus a further delay as the Amtrak train was then stuck behind an all-stops commuter train for several miles. We were about 25 minutes late into Milwaukee. For me, this was not a problem. I actually enjoyed having a little more time on the train.

Living near Chicago, I have used local commuter trains a lot and I based my expectations on those trains. So I was bit surprised to discover that instead of doors opening on each car, only two doors opened on the Amtrak train, with an Amtrak person standing by each door to check tickets. Also, the doors are narrow and the look and feel of the entryway is very utilitarian.

I asked the Amtrak person if the train was full. He said no, but suggested that we should move toward the front of the train if we wanted two seats together. We boarded the train and moved forward, finding two empty seats together in the quiet car, which had many signs telling us that this was indeed the "Quiet Car" and that no load talking or noise was allowed. Of course, being at the front of the train meant that we heard the loud train horn (or whistle or whatever it is actually called) blow at every street crossing outside of the urban areas.

We liked the fact that there was plenty of room for our carry-on baggage. The baggage racks above the seats are much roomier than those on airplanes. The seats are also well cushioned, which is a big improvement over Metra trains. The seats also recline, but for such a short trip in the middle of the day, we didn't try that. There were electrical outlets for each set of seats. These were located in a strip just below the window.

Once we started moving, we were greeted by a cheerful Amtrak person who was selling beverages.

The ride was smooth, with very little swaying and very little sound from the wheels going over discontinuities in the tracks. Certainly no worse than a Metra train (and much, much better than riding the Chicago L trains).

This was a single level train. All of the cars looked the same. I think there were two bathrooms per car, but in some cars they were closed, which meant you had to go to a different car to use the bathroom.

I would advise anyone riding this train to make a mental note of which car they used to board the train, because that is the door you will mostly likely use to exit the train. If you are only people exiting at a particular station, there will be no obvious clue as to which car is the one to use when exiting.

As we approached Milwaukee, it was amazing how quickly we went from what looked like a somewhat rural, grassy area to a dense downtown area. The Milwaukee Amtrak station is located within walking distance (or a short cab ride) of many hotels.

At the Milwaukee station (on Friday, Aug 15), we spotted an old train parked a few tracks away from our train. It looked like an old engine and the cars looked older and were painted very differently than modern trains. I'm not sure what it was doing there.

For the return trip on Sunday, we arrived at the Amtrak station about 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. There was already a line of about 50 people in front of us. More people arrived. I chatted with a gentleman who had arrived from Chicago on Friday using the Hiawatha. He said that he left Chicago near rush hour, and the train was standing room. Again, I am glad we took a train in the middle of the day.

By the time they started boarding the train, there were a lot of people in line behind us. Still, we were on the train within five minutes of when the line started moving. We found seats easily, but the conductor announced that over a hundred more people were waiting to board at the Milwaukee Airport stop and that things would get crowded.

We left Milwaukee on time. We were delayed about four minutes at the airport as a crowd of people boarded. It appeared that everyone found seats. We arrived in good old Glenview almost on time.

I felt that my first Amtrak trip was a complete success and I enjoyed every minute of it. 

Next up, the Empire Builder to St. Paul – just a over a month away.


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## the_traveler (Aug 26, 2008)

Great TR! Thanks for sharing.

I think you'll find the EB trip different - and better!  (Even the cars will be different!)


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## MrFSS (Aug 26, 2008)

Glad you enjoyed your first ride. The EB will be an entirely different experience. As different as the "El" and what you just rode on Amtrak.

Were these the cars you saw in Milwaukee? They are parked there quite often.












My wife and I rode the EB in 04. If you are interested in pictures, they are *HERE*.


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## AstroCat (Aug 26, 2008)

The cars I saw looked a bit different. Some had large letters on the side: "Arizona" and "Grand Canyon." It looked very odd. I assumed it was some type of touring train, but I didn't have time to check it out.

Of course, it could be that all the beer I consumed at Irishfest has fogged my memory.


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## Guest_cnr1949_* (Aug 26, 2008)

You never mentioned the speed of the train, but may I assume that today's Hiawatha travels at about the same speed as the 1930s models, that is, about 100 mph?


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## Shotgun7 (Aug 27, 2008)

AstroCat said:


> The cars I saw looked a bit different. Some had large letters on the side: "Arizona" and "Grand Canyon." It looked very odd. I assumed it was some type of touring train, but I didn't have time to check it out.
> Of course, it could be that all the beer I consumed at Irishfest has fogged my memory.


You may have seen the American Orient Express, or Grandluxe as it's now called. This is a privately owned and very expensive luxury tourist train that shows up in various places across the country and quite often follows the Empire Builder's route from Chicago to Seattle. The passenger cars should have been mostly dark blue with a large white strip across the windows, one of which possibly being a full length dome car. It's operated typically with two Amtrak P42s at the head end.


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