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In case anyone wonders what happened to CAF-Elmira, they are still there. Here's a video from 2021 Their happy corporate website was updated as recently as Oct 2024. No mention of Viewliners...

Roughly 15 years ago I enjoyed playing with train simulators. I preferred Trainz, an Australian product but with a lot of US content. The general US map wasn't very detailed, but they had volunteers that created environments in areas that interested them. Some fellow foamers in Italy created...

Also glad you got your refund. It does sometimes take a few days cause I think someone has to do it by hand, but they do give you your points or money back.

No problem. Just didn't want some newbie here thinking it was okay. And Steve4031, I did equally stupid things on Amtrak as a teenager! :) Still, great pictures. About the only reason I'd consider taking the Rocky Mountaineer:

For many years I've loved popping open a Superliner vestibule window (easy to do) and leaning out for pictures and fresh air. But word is they've gotten much stricter about it. They warn you not to do it in the safety briefing, and I wouldn't count on just getting another warning. If you get...

Jeeze, you'd think that since sleepers are "first class" service, they could at least train employees to be consistent on drink per meal vs drink per ride. I know Amtrak has a long tradition of onboard staff doing whatever they want, but this should be a no-brainer. I'd almost rather just go...

The bad news, "CANADA" doesn't apply to Sleeper Plus service. The good news is that the classic Sleeper Plus bargain deals are back. Nothing west of Winnipeg, but it's a start. I'll check again in January. In the old days you could often snag roughly 40% off...

As most of you know, I've been riding the CZ since 1966, with real Zephyrettes and all. Jump ahead to the early 1990s, when I was living in San Francisco and routinely took the CZ up to Reno and back. After we passed through Soda Springs eastbound, we'd approach the snow sheds and the big...

Thanks so much for the detailed report. Amtrak at its weirdest. Glad you got to sleep to Fort Worth. I hope Kat from another thread is watching. Of course you should be credited for the first sleeper. If it doesn't come through in a few days, call customer service. When "Julie" finally...

Any thoughts about the huge open spaces on the lower level beneath the upper rooms? Hard to believe they needed both levels. Seems like they could have had many more of the single roomettes.

By the way, when I was researching this, I happened to come across an ad for the El Capitan advertising Chicago-Los Angeles coach seats for the low price of $66 in 1956. That's only $765 per person in today's dollars. You can get a low bucket coach seat on Amtrak for around $144 off season...

No indication of what they would have charged for these premium rooms. Consider the 6 cabin, 12 berth Prestige cars on the Canadian at roughly $5k per person. Mostly sold out last time I looked.

In another topic, there was discussion of the history of the Santa Fe Hi-Level cars that eventually became the model for the Amtrak Superliners. Designed for the all-coach El Capitan train, they had coaches, a diner and a lounge car with overhead windows. The cars were extremely popular...

And when you get there, you'll find that it is now the "Griffin Museum of Science and Industry", courtesy of a $125 million donation. Somehow GMOSI doesn't have the same ring to it. Flashing back to some old "Billions" reruns...

A thousand years ago I was a tour pilot (among other things) for a small airplane charter company. In those days, the Grand Canyon lodges would book *exactly* one year ahead, resetting at midnight. I loved flying to the Canyon in winter, so would stay up and nab two of the Bright Angel...

If you are going to the museum of science from the train station, you pretty much want to get there as quickly as possible so I would just Uber out there. It might cost 25 bucks, but it would be worth it. On the other hand, the museum closes at 4pm and you’ve got plenty of time to get back for...

I know what you meant, but I had this image of "converting" Superliner trains to single level by running them through a few east coast tunnels...

Just curious, if you are in Santa Barbara, why not grab a coach seat on the Coast Starlight just after lunch, have a nice ride up the coast, and spend the night in Emeryville? I know you'd get in at 9:30pm, so not much chance to sightsee, but the hotels are reasonable and you can still get a...

And just speaking as an experienced Amtrak traveler, my rule of thumb is two nights on a train, one night in a hotel. Roomettes are great, but after about 48 hours of train sitting and train food, you'll be ready for a break.

That's an ambitious itinerary but should be doable. Just curious, why such a hurry to connect in Emeryville? Would it be possible to adjust the first part of your trip to a day earlier, do some sightseeing in San Francisco/Oakland, stay in a hotel by the Emeryville station and just walk over...