# Family Vacation on CONO



## The Commissioner (Dec 27, 2010)

My wife and high school senior daughter had never experienced an overnight train trip before so it was time to expose them to the travails of train travel. My father was a manager for PRR-PC-CR which gave me the opportunity to ride many, many Amtrak and pre-Amtrak long distance trains including ones on routes that are now trails instead of rails. Even though this trip would be my first overnight trip on Amtrak in over 30 years, I knew exactly what I was getting into, but they didn't and it was going to be fun watching how they reacted to train travel.

My daughter wanted to visit New Orleans which was my choice too. We made a three hour drive to Centralia, IL to board the southbound City of New Orleans late at night. Centralia's little Amtrak waiting room was clean and I saw police cars patroling the area so I expected our car to be intact upon our return five days later.

I 'guessed' correctly where the locomotive would stop and positioned our luggage within a few steps of the door to our sleeper which was the first car in the train. My daughter was impressed and I credited the 'guess' to many boardings.

The attendant for our car had already retired for the night when we boarded and the attendant for the other sleeper showed us to our roommettes. I took a roommette on the west side of the car and my wife and daughter took the one opposite of mine. We were too excited to sleep and decided to head to the lounge car where we met some hilarious drunk railfans from Chicago.

When we went back to our roommettes, my pillow was missing. No problem. I went downstairs and found the conductor in his 'office' doing paperwork. I politely asked him where I could find a pillow and this ******* jumped down my throat accusing me of interrupting his work when he was so busy. I couldn't believe how rude he was to me. Having worked on the railroad myself in a prior career, I thought I knew how to approach these guys. In my opinion, he was way out of line (no pun intended) with a paying (not pass riding) customer. I went back upstairs and took a pillow from another room. About ten minutes later the angry conductor came looking for me and this time, to his credit, he apologized profusely for his behavior and found a pillow for me. Fortunately he got off at Carbondale and I didn't see him again.

Sleeping in the car coupled to the locomotive was nearly impossible due to the horn noise. There must be literally thousands of grade crossings on this route. I even think there are grade crossings for guys to get into their hunting camps. In all the trips I've ever made, I cannot recall so many crossings. And the engineer blows the horn at every single one of them. Even though I brought ear plugs with me and used them, the noise was too much to ignore. For this reason, I will never again pay big dollars to ride in a CONO sleeper.

I mentioned the noise problem to an Amtrak train service manager I met on the northbound trip and all he could say was the train from NOLA to Washington, DC had the sleepers on the rear of the train which made them quieter. The train travel in my youth was on trains with at least one or two baggage cars between the power and the revenue cars that provide a good noise buffer. Wish this train had the same consist.

Breakfast was very good. Lunch wasn't as good as breakfast. Service was very good. No complaints about anyone working the train south of Carbondale. We encountered a 2+ hour delay at Hammond due to a drawbridge problem and the car attendant kindly gave us complimentary snacks. The train was clean and I didn't notice any unusual squeaks in the roommettes we bought.

The northbound trip was uneventful. Service was very good and the only meal we got, dinner, was tasty. The train was on time into Centralia and our vehicle was in the parking lot just like we left it.

My daughter said she liked train travel. My wife's only complaint was the top bunk of the Superliner roommette. She said it felt like sleeping in a 'coffin.' Otherwise, she is looking forward to another trip. For me, I enjoyed seeing new trackage for the first time and spotting alligators south of Manchac. But until the sleepers are on the rear of the train, no more CONO for me.  It is too long of a drive from Centralia to my home after a sleepless night.


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## MrEd (Dec 28, 2010)

Thanks for the trip report. They should post warning sign near conductor office.


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## JayPea (Dec 28, 2010)

Thank you for your trip report. And for offering both sides of your experience. So many times people have negative experiences and they only talk about those. At least that conductor apologized; many don't bother. I took the City of New Orleans from Champaign to New Orleans and I didn't have any problem sleeping, but I was tired enough I didn't notice the horns.


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## Shanghai (Dec 28, 2010)

Thank you for your report. I have not traveled on the CONO, but hope to in the near future.

As for the rude conductor, there is no excuse for his actions, but I do give him some credit

for apologising to you later. We all have bad days occasionally.


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## TVRM610 (Jan 14, 2011)

I like your report.. glad you enjoyed it the trip overall. Two things to consider...

1. Conductors have serious jobs that they do.. some of it involving copying down train orders as heard on the radio. If I was sitting downstairs in the crew car and a passenger entered what is usually clearly marked as an "employee" area and I was in the middle of something like that.. I'd be pretty ticked off, and prob. would snap at the passenger too. Perhaps the guy was just lazy and grumpy, but he may have had good reason to be annoyed.

2. The city is a very unique train since it doesn't have a baggage car OR a trailing locomotive. Even on the Capitol Limited when in the Dorm car you have a baggage car AND a trailing locomotive between you and the horn. Last time I was on the CNO I was in the second sleeper and it was indeed quite loud even there. Personally I like hearing the train noise.. but I can understand this complaint.


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