# My upcoming trip



## Superliner Diner (Apr 15, 2003)

For those of you who enjoy tracking members' train rides, the itinerary of my trip (with my son) will be as follows:

Wednesday, April 16

NJ TRANSIT #4620 Cherry Hill, NJ to Philadelphia, PA.

Amtrak Train #97 Silver Meteor departs Philadelphia, PA 8:37 PM EDT.

Thursday, April 17

Train #97 arrives Winter Haven, FL 5:09 PM EDT.

My parents will pick us up in WTH, and drive us to their home in New Port Richey.

Friday, April 18

My parents will keep my son, but will drive me to Tampa Union Station.

Depart TPA on Thruway bus #6092 at 12:25 PM.

Arrive Orlando, FL at 3:15 PM EDT.

Amtrak Train #92 Silver Star departs Orlando, FL 3:53 PM EDT.

Train #92 arrives Jacksonville, FL 7:10 PM EDT.

Take bus downtown, then Skyway monorail to hotel.

Saturday, April 19

Skyway monorail to downtown, then bus to train station.

AMTRAK Train #91 Silver Star departs Jacksonville, FL 8:20 AM EDT.

Arrive Orlando, FL at 11:34 AM EDT.

Depart ORL on Thruway bus #6091 at 12:15 PM EDT.

Arrive Tampa, FL at 2:10 PM EDT.

My parents pick me up in TPA.

Ride new TECO Streetcar in Tampa.

Relax off the rails Sunday 4/20 through Wednesday 4/23

Thursday, April 24

My parents drive us to Tampa Union Station.

Depart TPA on Thruway bus #6098 at 9:40 AM EDT.

Arrive Orlando, FL at 12:00 Noon EDT.

Amtrak Train #1 Sunset Limited departs Orlando, FL at 1:45 PM EDT.

Friday, April 25

Train #1 arrives New Orleans, LA at 9:20 AM CDT.

Lunch in New Orleans, possibly ride streetcars as well.

Amtrak Train #58 City of New Orleans departs New Orleans, LA at 1:55 PM CDT.

Saturday, April 26

Train #58 arrives Chicago, IL at 9:00 AM CDT.

Meet friends in Chicago, ride some CTA and METRA.

Amtrak Train #30 Capitol Limited departs Chicago, IL at 7:00 PM CDT (sleeper).

Sunday, April 27

Train #30 arrives Washington, DC 1:55 PM EDT.

Amtrak Regional Train #146* departs Washington, DC at 3:25 PM EDT.

Train #146* arrives Philadelphia, PA at 5:13 PM EDT.

* Note: If Train #30 is on time or early, we might take Regional #156, which runs about one hour earlier than #146.

NJ TRANSIT #4621 Philadelphia, PA to Cherry Hill, NJ.


----------



## Bill Haithcoat (Apr 15, 2003)

That looks like a great trip....hope you have time in New Orleans for the street cars and that the SL is not 15 hours late. I will print this out and track it.

Have a good one!


----------



## Superliner Diner (Apr 15, 2003)

Bill Haithcoat said:


> That looks like a great trip....hope you have time in New Orleans for the street cars and that the SL is not 15 hours late. I will print this out and track it.
> 
> Have a good one!


Thanks, Bill. I am hoping for a good, stiff easterly tailwind, and a freight holiday (no CSX freights running means no derailments), to get us to the Big Easy on time. :lol:

I've done both the St. Charles and Riverfront streetcars on earlier trips, but there's nothing wrong with doing them again, provided we have enough time in town.


----------



## Amfleet (Apr 15, 2003)

Have a blast SD!!!! Always look forward to your reports!


----------



## tp49 (Apr 15, 2003)

SD

Sounds like a good plan, your stopping in New Orleans is making me jealous and hungry...maybe that's why I'm suddenly craving Cajun food. Enjoy!


----------



## AlanB (Apr 17, 2003)

Well so far, unlike Viewliner's recent and incredibly late trip, Superliner Diner's Silver Meteor is only running about an hour and twenty minutes behind schedule. That report was from Florence, SC at 7:46 AM today.


----------



## AlanB (Apr 17, 2003)

Well Amtrak is reporting that SD and son arrived in Winter Haven about one and a half hours late at 6:43 PM today.


----------



## Viewliner (Apr 17, 2003)

AlanB said:


> Well Amtrak is reporting that SD and son arrived in Winter Haven about one and a half hours late at 6:43 PM today.


Well, he may not have had the luck you had, but at least it was better than mine, and they did get some extra time on the train, yet still arrived at a decent hour. At least my favorite (i.e. best, soon to be retiring) attendant Paul, was working my car and was still very nice, considering the late hour.


----------



## battalion51 (Apr 17, 2003)

Well nothing (in recent history) is as bad as 91 Monday. In the Carolina's their air compressor failed. After recieving another engine, grade crossing incident. A 4:06 AM arrival in Miami is when you get really cranky passengers.


----------



## Superliner Diner (Apr 17, 2003)

AlanB said:


> Well Amtrak is reporting that SD and son arrived in Winter Haven about one and a half hours late at 6:43 PM today.


I am here in New Port Richey, FL.

Indeed we were 1 hour 34 minutes late into WTH. AlanB told me the train left NYP on time, but then it somehow lost 15 minutes before we were to board in PHL. By the time we did leave we were almost 1/2 hour late. We were stabbed further in Maryland (MP 120, just north of New Carrollton) when #97 hit some "debris". Conductor had to walk the train and make sure the "debris" was not a trespasser, luckily it wasn't. We lost a little more in WAS waiting for one passenger transferring of a very late Cardinal (#50), which came in while we were sitting there. Had our train been scheduled to stop in Alexandria, they could have taken him off there. When I went to sleep we were 40 minutes down out of WAS. I woke when we were stopped just north of Florence, SC as #90 was passing us. We were over an hour down, and we lost a couple of minutes between each of the next few stations, so that we were roughly 90 minutes late by JAX, and that remained down to our stop, Winter Haven.

SB Auto Train was 3.5 hours late into Sanford this morning (really a little after noon it arrived) so it was still in its terminal when we passed by about 4:30. They had not yet completed loading the vehicles into the carriers, so it had a while to go before it could leave NB. One less train to meet, as we also had to meet between JAX and ORL #98, #1, and #92.

More on the weekend after my brief run up to JAX.


----------



## Superliner Diner (Apr 22, 2003)

My run up to Jacksonville was quite an adventure. Thruway bus 6092 from Tampa to Orlando had a flat tire and we were stuck in Lakeland about 1-1/2 hours. We barely made it to Orlando -- I could see the light of the train as the bus crossed the grade crossing next to the station. 180 people boarded #92 in ORL; train was packed. #92 was about 40 minutes late into Jacksonville.

In Jacksonville I did get to ride the Skyway on Friday night, and did get all the trackage I wanted to get then (although it was past 9 PM and dark outside). Saturday, well I had misread the schedule on the internet and overlooked the fact that the Skyway does not start until 10 AM on Saturdays. I hoofed it across town back to the bus terminal and caught my bus to the station and subsequently #91.

#91 was also crowded. Left JAX on time but got to ORL about 21 minutes down. Due to crowds, too much confusion at the baggage claim. Bus 6091 was delayed in departure until all transferring luggage could be found and placed on the bus. Once we got going. several traffic jams caused the Orlando-Tampa trip to take longer than normal.

After tomorrow night I'll be offline and unable to give progress reports until my arrival at home on Sunday.


----------



## Viewliner (Apr 23, 2003)

Thanks for the info, enjoy the rest of your trip.  B)


----------



## Superliner Diner (Apr 23, 2003)

> After tomorrow night I'll be offline and unable to give progress reports until my arrival at home on Sunday.


....unless I get my hands on the PC's in the first class lounges.


----------



## AlanB (Apr 24, 2003)

SuperlinerDiner has asked me to say hi to the gang for him. 

He reports that he's on aboard Train #1 and on time out of both Orlando and Jacksonville, on his way to New Orleans.


----------



## Viewliner (Apr 24, 2003)

Tell Him I said Hi back. Lets hope that the train keeps up its good status, although a little delay wouldn't be too bad for him...

Amfleet is in Florida too, went to Disney MGM on Tuesday, Fishing today. He's leaving on Monday. He is sorry he didn't (couldn't) take Amtrak and had a bad flight down.


----------



## Bill Haithcoat (Apr 25, 2003)

Way to go, SD! I see you were on time this morning in Mobile at 4.25.....hope the rest of your trip goes well.


----------



## Superliner Diner (Apr 27, 2003)

My #1(24) was 1/2 hour early into New Orleans. #58(25) was about 1/2 hour late into Chicago. And #30(26) was 27 minutes early into Washington. I am typing this from the Club Acela in Washington Union Station, and will be boarding #156(27) in a few minutes...So far so good. Deplorable dining car situation on #30.

After last night, I am *no* Superliner Diner fan!  :angry:


----------



## Bill Haithcoat (Apr 28, 2003)

Uh oh! Is there a pattern here, dining service on the Capitol? Alan had a bad experience as well....wonder if you guys got the same crew?


----------



## Bill Haithcoat (Apr 28, 2003)

Oh by the way, welcome back! I was amused when I called "Julie" on Sunday morning, to see your progress towards WAS and she reported that you were "one minute early."....something amusing about that exacting kind of report. But of course that is very good news.


----------



## Amfleet (Apr 28, 2003)

> Deplorable dining car situation on #30.


I'm surprised, this seemed to happen to both you and Alan. My best meal ever was on the Capitol Limited #29 last July.


----------



## AlanB (Apr 28, 2003)

Amfleet said:


> I'm surprised, this seemed to happen to both you and Alan. My best meal ever was on the Capitol Limited #29 last July.


Luck of the draw. Everything depends on the crew. Get the right crew, you've got happy customers.  Get the wrong crew and you just lost repeat business.

There is an old saying, "You need the right person for the right job." In this case it would appear that this is the wrong crew for Amtrak. :angry:


----------



## Superliner Diner (Apr 29, 2003)

I fault both the entire dining car crew (the lead dining car attendant is responsible) for dragging their feet in getting the car open and ready to serve passengers, and I also fault the waiter for not having a clue in how to serve the customers promptly and correctly. The errors of their ways have all been documented.

And my waiter received his 15% gratuity -- that is, 15% of the amount in cash that a first class customer pays in the dining car.


----------



## seajay (Apr 29, 2003)

Superliner Diner said:


> I fault both the entire dining car crew (the lead dining car attendant is responsible) for dragging their feet in getting the car open and ready to serve passengers, and I also fault the waiter for not having a clue in how to serve the customers promptly and correctly.  The errors of their ways have all been documented.
> And my waiter received his 15% gratuity -- that is, 15% of the amount in cash that a first class customer pays in the dining car.


Heck, for lousy service, I wouldn't have given him more than 12.5%!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

seajay


----------



## Superliner Diner (Apr 29, 2003)

seajay said:


> Heck, for lousy service, I wouldn't have given him more than 12.5%!
> :lol: :lol:   :lol:
> 
> seajay


Seajay, if what I remember from my school days is true, the amount of gratuity I left at the 15% rate is equal to 12.5% of the amount I paid. B) That same amount I just sent to your home -- check your mailbox.


----------



## PRR 60 (Apr 29, 2003)

Superliner Diner said:


> And my waiter received his 15% gratuity -- that is, 15% of the amount in cash that a first class customer pays in the dining car.


I personally leave at least 20% of my first class Amtrak dining tab, but that's just the kind of generous guy I am! Even then, it sometimes seems like nothing.


----------



## AlanB (Apr 29, 2003)

Well in this case it really was nothing. A passenger in a sleeper pays nothing for their meal. So regardless of whether you leave 20%, 15%, or 12.5% that time zero is still zero.


----------

