# 48 Chicago to New York Penn. departed on time June 5



## Steve4031 (Jun 5, 2020)

This trip report is getting an early start. I woke up about 5 am and perused Amtrak status maps. 49 is running late. Lost 5 hours between Schenectady and Utica. Most recently departed Erie 7 hours late. 

Previous experiences with this scenario indicates a late departure for tonight’s 48. My train.


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 5, 2020)

Steve4031 said:


> This trip report is getting an early start. I woke up about 5 am and perused Amtrak status maps. 49 is running late. Lost 5 hours between Schenectady and Utica. Most recently departed Erie 7 hours late.
> 
> Previous experiences with this scenario indicates a late departure for tonight’s 48. My train.


At least you get to Sleep in before heading for Union Station! ( And a chance to stock up with Snacks and Drinks!)

But wait, shouldn't the yards be full of equipment, and lots of OBS available from the Extra Board so a consist can be made up for an on time departure???


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## Steve4031 (Jun 5, 2020)

Bob Dylan said:


> At least you get to Sleep in before heading for Union Station! ( And a chance to stock up with Snacks and Drinks!)
> 
> But wait, shouldn't the yards be full of equipment, and lots of OBS available from the Extra Board so a consist can be made up for an on time departure???




I am hoping for the same thing. They use extra equipment in the yard to make a new train consist. But maybe the yard crews have been reduced for cost cutting. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 5, 2020)

Steve4031 said:


> I am hoping for the same thing. They use extra equipment in the yard to make a new train consist. But maybe the yard crews have been reduced for cost cutting. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.


Keep us posted, Union Station isnt a great place to hang out @ Night, especially right now!


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## jebr (Jun 5, 2020)

Steve4031 said:


> I am hoping for the same thing. They use extra equipment in the yard to make a new train consist. But maybe the yard crews have been reduced for cost cutting. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.



I'm not sure if there's a full Viewliner set in Chicago, though, or enough to make up a LSL consist. I know it's not a major base for the Viewliners (both the Cardinal and the LSL turn same-day or as close as possible, given the schedule, in Chicago) so there may not be enough Viewliner backup equipment to make it work. Unfortunately, a Superliner consist wouldn't work as it wouldn't be able to safely get into NY Penn Station.


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## pennyk (Jun 5, 2020)

Steve, I am concerned about you and MIke. Be safe and be very careful and please keep us posted.


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 5, 2020)

Right now it looks like a 5-6 pm Arrival into CHI for #49. 

Guess it will depend on the infamous Chicago Yard Crew to get the Train turned,cleaned and ready for tonight's departure.

Based on my expierence in CHI waiting on connections when LD Trains run late, it will probably be Midnight or later when you depart.

Looking forward to your reports! Bon Voyage!


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 5, 2020)

jebr said:


> I'm not sure if there's a full Viewliner set in Chicago, though, or enough to make up a LSL consist. I know it's not a major base for the Viewliners (both the Cardinal and the LSL turn same-day or as close as possible, given the schedule, in Chicago) so there may not be enough Viewliner backup equipment to make it work. Unfortunately, a Superliner consist wouldn't work as it wouldn't be able to safely get into NY Penn Station.


True Jeb! And meanwhile theres probably tons of Viewliners and Single Level Equipment stored in the Yards in New York and Florida!

OBS shouldn't be a problem if the arriving crew is worn out/ out of time.


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## oregon pioneer (Jun 5, 2020)

Hmm, hoping you get a good trip regardless. I usually end up taking 448/449 to visit family in Boston, so I am interested to know what's happening on that route these days.


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## Steve4031 (Jun 5, 2020)

My dad gave me a ride to the station. Most of the entrances from the outside of the lights we have to walk down the tab entranceway and or by baggage claim. In the metropolitan loans it’s business as usual. 

After I checked in I put an order in to Connies Pizza for a small deep dish pepperoni and a three cans of Pepsi so I am prepared for the potential delay.


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## Steve4031 (Jun 5, 2020)

Success. Connie’s said 60 90 minutes. It was as 80 minutes. I gave tConnies the 225 s canal address. The driver called when he arrived. I walked up and he was entering the station. He got a 20.


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 5, 2020)

Steve4031 said:


> Success. Connie’s said 60 90 minutes. It was as 80 minutes. I gave tConnies the 225 s canal address. The driver called when he arrived. I walked up and he was entering the station. He got a 20.


How was the Pizza? , Chicago has do many places to choose from!


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## Steve4031 (Jun 5, 2020)

The pizza was delicious. It was quickly gone. The agent in the lounge was very pleasant. An ongoing conversation helped the time pass quickly. At 8:50 we were sent out to wait for red cap. 

Now that I’m content and full of pizza it will be hard to stay awake.


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## TransWorldOne (Jun 5, 2020)

Is the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge still without any food & beverage offerings?


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## PVD (Jun 5, 2020)

Hopefully, an on-time out....It's in the system that way, but we all know how that can change..


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## Steve4031 (Jun 5, 2020)

TransWorldOne said:


> Is the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge still without any food & beverage offerings?



There were a few light snacks and the agent had small cold bottles of water. The places in the station and around station were closed. Advanced research and some planning can find food that can be delivered. 

There are a couple f Whole Foods and a Marianos within a 20 minutes walk from the station. 

Use google maps to confirm opening times.


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## Steve4031 (Jun 5, 2020)

Departed on time.


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 5, 2020)

Steve4031 said:


> Departed on time.


Sounds like the yard crew did a good job! Let us know if they did once you see the condition of the Consist and also how the Food actually is. ( do you have to eat in your Room etc)


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## Steve4031 (Jun 6, 2020)

One if my Facebook friend from Amtrak posted that she helped prepare my train. My roomette is in good working order. Clean and comfortable. I woke up a couple of times at Toledo and we are now I. Sandusky. 

Some nigh time photos.


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## Palmetto (Jun 6, 2020)

So far, so good. On time at Erie.


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## Barb Stout (Jun 6, 2020)

What is the orange squiggle and white squiggle in the middle photo?


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## Steve4031 (Jun 6, 2020)

The buttons to turn lights on and off reflecting in the window.


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## Steve4031 (Jun 6, 2020)

Diner experience is a mixed bag. Breakfast was adequate with breakfast sandwich and bowl of cereal. The attendant was a pleasure. Lots of conversation. Lunch was a problem. No child’s meal available. Not loaded on Chicago. The other options were not interesting to me. So I walked to lounge car and got a cheeseburger and macaroni and cheese. Was not allowed to sit and eat in cafe car so I walked back to diner. The attendant cheerfully provided a blondie for dessert. 

This dining system would be adequate if one could order a cheeseburger for lunch.


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## Steve4031 (Jun 6, 2020)

Departed Utica 1 hour 15 late. 30 minutes late into Rochester. Track work that reduced double track to single track East of Rochester caused significant amount of this delay. Waited for two wb freights before proceeding East. Then stick behind slower moving every freight into and out of Utica is adding to the delay.


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## Steve4031 (Jun 6, 2020)

Arrived Albany Albany exactas 1 hour late. Predicting 3:45 departure 6 minutes early since Boston cars not getting switched out. 

When I walked to the lounge to get my hamburger noted that I walked through four coaches. Seems that they are expanding consist back to normal patters. Train is not crowded. 

A few photos.


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## Steve4031 (Jun 6, 2020)

We arrived nyp 18 minutes late. Penn was desolate and some areas were blocked off. Some exits were closed off. We walked to the renaissance midtown hotel. We had booked that ahead of time. When we arrived they told us we were civilians and would not accept are reservation. This was poor form imho. Call us and tell us before we get there. 

Called hgi Chelsea and they said they would take us. I booked through the app and we took a GroundLink car to the hgi. It appears that lyft was not working. 

We successfully ordered pizza through grub hub. That arrived promptly. It is difficult determining what’s open and not open. We thought for a moment we would not get dinner because we f the curfew. 

The train ride was enjoyable. Based on my experience if you plan to travel call and check on every detail. Don’t make any assumptions. 

Some pictures of the ride along the Hudson and the pizza. It was good.


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## pennyk (Jun 6, 2020)

I am glad you were able to stay at the HGI (which is my favorite). Too bad about the other hotel. Kevin has been keeping me posted. We were both worried about you guys. Be safe and be careful (and eat more pizza-lol).


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 6, 2020)

Wow, I've never heard of a NYC Hotel turning away Business! What's with the Civilian thing, are they only putting up Cops and National Guard or what??

Glad your trip went well, are you going back on #49??? Stay safe in the Big Apple!


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## PVD (Jun 6, 2020)

Lots of hotels are closed and some are being used for special purposes like housing people who need to quarantine but have other people at home, or first responders who can't expose people at home, or to house the very large number of folks from out of town that are assisting (doctors, nurses, emt and medics, etc) I don't know if they are still here, but there were almost 800 out of town EMTs and medics that FEMA sent to bolster our FDNY EMS when they were at the breaking point. But that notwithstanding, there is no excuse for them (the hotel) not telling a customer if they would not be available, Monday is set for Phase 1 reopen, Manhattan will be quite a bit busier, tom'w will probably still look like a ghost town.


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## Steve4031 (Jun 7, 2020)

We are ok. Imho 3 months into this pandemic all major hotel companies should have coherent policy in place to deal with common scenarios. Granted we probably should have not been traveling. But there are legitimate reasons for non essential workers to travel. Those types of travelers would have gotten the same treatment. 

Hilton’s apps shows unavailable hotels as sold out. The Waldorf Astoria in Chicago is an example of this. The clerk at the hgi noted that the other hotel could have called. 

I believe sharing my experience will help others as they venture out. 

NYC is supposed to open up more starting Monday. So conditions will change again. 

The food delivery apps have worked well. And google maps has provided accurate information about what is dine and or carry out or delivery. 

For example, Indiana restaurant dining rooms are open and Illinois restaurant dining rooms are not. So some drive across the border to eat.


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## Steve4031 (Jun 7, 2020)

Breakfast was accomplished with nyc efficiency. I ordered from Murray’s Bagels in Chelsea. The food arrived 20 minutes later via door dash with the delivery person riding a motorcycle. Food was delicious. 

Hotel check out is at noon. Our ride to the airport is at 12:30. Perfect.


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## Steve4031 (Jun 7, 2020)

Lunch at LaGuardia. Flying out the f the new terminal. There is a shake shack there and that was lunch.


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## Dakota 400 (Jun 7, 2020)

PVD said:


> there is no excuse for them (the hotel) not telling a customer if they would not be available,



A letter to Customer Service at Marriott International in Washington, D. C. is warranted. Mail it as a certified letter with return receipt requested with a cc to Mr. Marriott as well as the CEO might be worth your effort. Be specific in what compensation you would like: a gazillion Marriott Rewards points or a free night or two voucher, etc.


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## jiml (Jun 7, 2020)

Dakota 400 said:


> A letter to Customer Service at Marriott International in Washington, D. C. is warranted. Mail it as a certified letter with return receipt requested with a cc to Mr. Marriott as well as the CEO might be worth your effort. Be specific in what compensation you would like: a gazillion Marriott Rewards points or a free night or two voucher, etc.


You took the words right out of my mouth - especially if @Steve4031 has any status with Marriott. Even if not, a confirmed reservation is a confirmed reservation and he was not "walked" officially by the hotel (which would have paid for the other hotel at the very least). It is unfortunate that a growing number of companies are using the current situation as an excuse for poor customer service - something Marriott was demonstrating well before Covid19.


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## pennyk (Jun 7, 2020)

Dakota 400 said:


> A letter to Customer Service at Marriott International in Washington, D. C. is warranted. Mail it as a certified letter with return receipt requested with a cc to Mr. Marriott as well as the CEO might be worth your effort. Be specific in what compensation you would like: a gazillion Marriott Rewards points or a free night or two voucher, etc.


Steve, if the reservation was in your name, I would take further action. If it was not in your name, I would not pursue.


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## Michigan Mom (Jun 7, 2020)

Really enjoying this report from the field!
And the pictures from the train. 
Wish I could book a trip. With everything so uncertain the extended family gets very upset if I even mention travel.


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## Ferroequinologist (Jun 7, 2020)

Steve4031 said:


> One if my Facebook friend from Amtrak posted that she helped prepare my train. My roomette is in good working order. Clean and comfortable. I woke up a couple of times at Toledo and we are now I. Sandusky.
> 
> Some nigh time photos.



How's the AC? i like it around 70F. Often too warm for me


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## Steve4031 (Jun 8, 2020)

I was traveling with a friend and we were attempting to stay and use his employee discount. He asked me not to follow through. He’s concerned that the confusion could cause him to lose his job. 

The air conditioning worked well in my car with the door to my room open. With the door shut it was a bit warm. I was in the south side of the train and the sun was shining in most of the day.


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## caravanman (Jun 9, 2020)

Interesting trip report, sounded similar to a war time account with scarce service options, etc.
Did you find that most passengers wore masks, or not many? Did any crew wear masks? How was your flight, is there any real "social distancing" on a plane?

Ed.


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## Steve4031 (Jun 9, 2020)

The crew wore and enforced wearing masks. Obviously when you eat or drink it comes off. I forgo my mask when I went to the lounge car in the Boston section. The lsa has a box of masks and gave me one. This was appreciated. I would have gone back and gotten my mask without complaining. I think most of the passengers Had masks or kept to themselves. The 4 coaches were had about 6 passengers total. Sleepers may have had more. 

On southwest they sold only enough tickets to keep middle seat open. People and crew wore masks. 

I would not want to equate my experience with war time conditions. I ate what I wanted. I did not really go without. I enjoyed an afternoon of listening to music on my headphones and looking out at the Mohawk River and Hudson River. This is pretty nice compared to what my father described as wartime conditions during WWII. 

I’m hoping the full service diners return to the western long haul trains in July. If not I’ll probably do a trip anyway. I now know that lunch and dinner are issues. So if I took the chief I would order food delivered for dinner at Albuquerque and eat a cheeseburger for lunch in the snack car. I might pack some snacks.


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 9, 2020)

Steve4031 said:


> The crew wore and enforced wearing masks. Obviously when you eat or drink it comes off. I forgo my mask when I went to the lounge car in the Boston section. The lsa has a box of masks and gave me one. This was appreciated. I would have gone back and gotten my mask without complaining. I think most of the passengers Had masks or kept to themselves. The 4 coaches were had about 6 passengers total. Sleepers may have had more.
> 
> On southwest they sold only enough tickets to keep middle seat open. People and crew wore masks.
> 
> ...


Dont think I'd want to ride #421 CHI-LAX( 3Days/3Nights) or any of the 2 Night Western Trains until the Full Service Diner Menu returns!


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## Dakota 400 (Jun 9, 2020)

Bob Dylan said:


> Dont think I'd want to ride #421 CHI-LAX( 3Days/3Nights) until the Full Service Diner Menu returns!



And, the servers and the patrons don't have to wear masks. I would love to go out for dinner. But, the thought of being served by staff who had to wear a mask would spoil the ambiance, I think. Why spend the money for an experience that could be unsettling and disappointing?


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## Steve4031 (Jun 9, 2020)

Dakota 400 said:


> And, the servers and the patrons don't have to wear masks. I would love to go out for dinner. But, the thought of being served by staff who had to wear a mask would spoil the ambiance, I think. Why spend the money for an experience that could be unsettling and disappointing?



I ate at a Texas Roadhouse with my girlfriend a week ago. Those dang rolls tasted just as good with the server wearing a mask vs not wearing a mask. Likewise with the steak and loaded bake potato. 

Every time I wear the mask and go into some place I have to fight the urge to say “This is a stick up”.


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## Metra Electric Rider (Jun 10, 2020)

Dakota 400 said:


> And, the servers and the patrons don't have to wear masks. I would love to go out for dinner. But, the thought of being served by staff who had to wear a mask would spoil the ambiance, I think. Why spend the money for an experience that could be unsettling and disappointing?


I think that staff wearing masks may be here to stay and will become a lot more common than before even if our little covidious friend goes away in flu season, etc. 

Went up to Wisconsin over the weekend and it was pretty much business as usual albeit with more social distancing (other patrons stared at us when we walked through wearing masks) but all the staff wore jaunty restaurant branded masks (little local restaurant - great burgers).


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