# Hi, Ho, Silver!!



## DocJohnB (Feb 15, 2013)

*I had been looking forward to my first trip via Amtrak sleeper since last March when I first booked it. It was to be the bookends of a 10 day cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.*

*I came to this site, asked for and received some good advice on Amtrak travel. Somewhere along that road I believe I promised a trip report so here it is.*

*I left my home in Bangor, Maine early morning on January 28th for an overnight stay in Boston. The first segment of my trip would leave early the next morning. I would be taking the NER 93 from BOS to NYP to connect with the Silver Meteor (97) to DFB. Coming home I would take the Silver Meteor (98) to NYP and the NER 174 back to BOS. I had booked a roomette on the Meteor and took the advice of members on this board and upgraded to Business on both regionals ($20/segment).*

*Being a “nervous” traveler, I headed over to South station around 7 a.m. for my 9:35 departure. Quickly finding a redcap, I asked him for help with my bags and locating the ClubAcela. Arriving there, he assured me he would watch over the luggage and come get me prior to boarding. South Station ClubAcela is just a really nice place to sit, relax and enjoy time in between or while awaiting your train. Free refreshments are provided. As promised, the redcap arrived and led me to the Business coach. Turns out that $20 upgrade charge was a good investment. Just an extremely comfortable ride. Arrived at NYP on time, found a redcap and enjoyed the benefits of ClubAcela while waiting 90 minutes for the departure of the Silver Meteor.*

*Here, my nervousness came into play as the redcap did not arrive back at the promised time and it took 10 minutes to get another redcap. Just as he was loading the luggage, the original redcap arrived. Having no idea of “redcap protocol” I let the two of them hash out the arrangements and was escorted to my roomette by the original redcap.*

*Once onboard, I met the SCA – Victor. He helped me with the luggage and gave a quick but thorough brief of the roomette. Victor would be like an old friend by the end of the trip.*

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* The inscrutable Mr. Victor*

*The train left on schedule and would stay pretty much on schedule until Jacksonville. I arrived into DFB about an hour and 10 minutes late. Coming back it was pretty much the same as the train was late arriving into NYP by about an hour and 40 minutes with most of the lost time occuring in north Florida. However, this just gave me more time to enjoy the train.*

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Amtrak Station - Jacksonville, FL*

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* Looking to the rear from the dining car.*

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*  My roomette!*

*The crews on both trains were very good, yet they were quite different. My opinion is that the first crew was “better”. Victor always let me know when the train would be in a station for an extended stop (smoke break). While I do not smoke, I did appreciate getting off and stretching the old bones. He was just a very affable fellow. Coming back the SCA was George. Efficient, helpful, but just a more reserved individual. The same “difference” in the dining car staff. Going down, the LSA came to the sleeping cars and asked for/assigned dinner reservations, very professional (though a bit stiff) in demeanor. He led people to their seating. The LSA on the return trip (98) seemed a bit more harried, was a bit of an organizer, yet professional. He asked at lunch for your seating request and gave you a white ticket with the time requested. When one arrived in the dining car, he would point to the table you were to sit at. Bottom line is that both were efficient in their jobs.*

*As the southbound (97) train started edging closer to its destination, Victor had less to do and would stop and chat with me. I found out the crew was home based in Miami (he lived in Venice, FL) and worked a 4 day on 4 day off cycle. Victor (and possibly his whole crew, but am not sure on this point) would work the Silver Star northbound and the Meteor southbound . . . . . had to do with departure times for him. He also mentioned that the average Amtrak service time for the crew on the Meteor was well over 20. He, himself, had 26 or 28 years of service. Again, he was an interesting gentleman.*

*I thought the food was very good. I had three breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners on my combined trip. Breakfast was always the omelet, but would mix up the sides (potatoes/grits, croissant/biscuit), juice and coffee. One lunch was the Angus Steakburger, the other was the Cubano sandwich. One dinner was the Marketplace special (meatloaf) and the other the Herb Roasted ½ Chicken. The meatloaf was sort of ehhhhh, but the rest of the meals were good to excellent.*

*After dinner on the southbound, I grabbed a couple bourbons, some ice and headed to the room. On the northbound, being better informed, I had a pint of Jameson's and enjoyed a couple of drinks while reading in the room.*

*The roomette itself was quite comfortable. Actually, it was more than comfortable. I found that I could only read for 45-60 minutes before the nap gremlin bit me. Southbound, I stored my carryon under one of the seats and positioned the large one between the seat and inside bulkhead. Because of this arrangement, Victor made up the upper bunk. It was very comfortable. However, I am 70 years old and carry a bit of excess baggage. Added to that I have two battered knees. I made it up to and down from the upper bunk, but it was a bit of a struggle. On the return trip, I decided to store the luggage on the upper bunk and sleep on the lower. Not nearly as comfortable, IMO but I was able to get a fair nights rest.*

*This was my first “sleeper” trip on Amtrak. Hopefully, I will be able to travel the rails again in the future. It was a great, relaxing way to travel and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it including the waits on the side tracks.years.*


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## AG1 (Feb 15, 2013)

Thanks for posting your great trip report !

Tonto would approve.


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## Bob Dylan (Feb 15, 2013)

:hi: Nice Trip Report and Pics! Vic is one of the Best SCAs Amtrak has as is that Whole Crew!


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## MrEd (Feb 16, 2013)

thanks for trip report.


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## ScottRu (Feb 16, 2013)

Nice post - thanks. My 'bucket list' includes a trip from Boston to Orlando on one of the "Silvers,"which may well happen next year. (And I "resemble the remarks" about folding old bones into the upper bunks - especially on the Superliners!)


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## henryj (Feb 17, 2013)

Nice report. Thanks for sharing. I made that same trip southbound last December. I thought the meatloaf was not very good either. I slept in the upper, but I am able to get up and down easily even though I am 72. I had Sonny as the car host. He was a 14 year veteran and a friendly but very professional guy. He got excited when I asked him for a towel to clean the outside of my window in New York. I had the only clean window on the train. I wrote a trip report elsewhere. I though the so called 'lounge' car was a boring waste. Why don't they fix up something special for these Florida trains. Silver service?


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## VentureForth (Feb 26, 2013)

Did you get dinner going into NYP on the Northbound?


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## DocJohnB (Feb 26, 2013)

VentureForth said:


> Did you get dinner going into NYP on the Northbound?


*VentureForth - sure did. In fact, while I only enjoyed 3 meals southbound, I was able to enjoy 4 northbound. I boarded in DFB and the SCA informed me that I could get breakfast for another 30 minutes . . . so I had breakfast, lunch, dinner the first day and breakfast the second.*

*On another (and totally unrelated to Amtrak) note, I noticed you are located in Richmond Hill, GA. Received my first speeding ticket there in 1963 (IMO, undeserved). Heading back to base in NC from JAX with a buddy, got pulled over on US. Had to call my brother in Michigan who guaranteed the $50. Sheriff took my driver's license and told me he would send it to me when he got the money. My buddy had to drive the car back to base. My brother sent the money the next day, but I didn't get the license for about 3 weeks. Oh yeah, I was tapped for 5mph over the limit. (Can you say speed trap? :unsure: )*


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## VentureForth (Mar 4, 2013)

Well, the cops here have changed. I know several of them. They [claim] to only ticket for infractions 15 MPH over posted limits. I've been pulled over and only given warnings. They try to educate rather than punish for the most part.

Now, Sherrif's Dept and Georgia State Patrol that operate within Richmond Hill - that's another issue completely. They can do whatever they want!

On another note, I live close to the CSX Mainline which is really nice for train watching.


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