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I always do something similar as the OP, but take a New York section sleeper CHI-ALB to be away from the train horns and to be close to the diner...er...sleeper only food car. At ALB, I switch to the Boston section coach to Springfield. My method is to leave the sleeper as soon as the SCA...

I think they gave me an entry-less 1000 TQPs last year 'out of the blue' as well. Perhaps I'll have to write them sooner rather than later.

There's a number of factors at work that are limiting the number of coaches, sleepers, and even sightseer lounge cars on Amtraks trains these days. 1. During the pandemic, Amtrak stored a large number of cars. It's likely that the 90 day inspections expired as well as other regularly...

How many consecutive nights in coach do you think you can stand with nights between trains in large endpoint cities? Try this one: CHI->NYP or WAS (hotel), NYP/WAS->CHI (tr #51) (hotel), CHI->NOL (hotel), NOL->LAX (optional hotel), LAX->CHI (hotel) CHI->SEA or PDX (hotel), SEA/PDX->LAX (hotel)...

As of my most recent 6/16 trip, everything was OK...$100 ticket = 200 points + 200 TQPs...plus 200/200 for Select Exec multiplier. Even the 25% BC bonus got TQPs. Perhaps they've decided to change the rules sometime after my trip and before your 6/28 trip. However...I have been encountering...

I'd be more concerned about getting to the station at what could be the beginnings of the rush hour. Unless you're having someone drop you off or are taking a bus, finding full or multi day parking could be an issue. I have zero experience driving in Pittsburgh and don't know what traffic is...

Unfortunately, the IT techies these days are likely under unreasonable "get 'er done" schedules. So once they get the desired result, they never have time to perform adequate testing to ensure they didn't accidentally "break something" somewhere else in the system. Or, they don't have adequate...

Regretably, the Empire Service BC seats are not specifically reserved as they are on other NEC trains, including the Vermonter. About 2 months ago, even though 'pre announced' in the Metropolitan lounge at NYP and being at the front of the boarding line in the new Moynihan station, it turned...

Actually, they've been running the full cafe car on 448/449 as of yesterday. Whether the split cafe now goes to New York is only my crystal ball suggestion.

Actually, July 1 is/was the expected end of business class on 448/449. Back in May, I tried a July 3 trip and BC was either marked as non-existent/not an option or as 'sold out'. As of last night, todays' 449 showed no coach and no BC in existence...not even sold out. Tomorrow showed 'sold...

From what I've read, the NYP section has 2 V IIs, so yes, I'll be in a V II. Two days earlier, I'll be on #51 from WAS->CHI in the 5109 car...a V II sleeper/bag.

As CSX/MBTA has shut down #448/449 Sun-Thu for the last week and 2 more weeks, they've been running a deadhead #448, aka, train #1448 from ALB to BOS on Thursday nights. I just watched it come through both Westfield MA (MP 105) and Springfield MA (MP 98) and confirmed it did, indeed, have a full...

I used to think that 48/49 had the worlds' grumpiest waiters. It seemed like they were 'throwing' things on the table and simultaneously turning around to head back to the kitchen. Needless to say, they didn't get any tips to brag about from me. Then they went to 'diner light' with the full...

CSX routinely shuts down Amtrak trains 448/449 for about a month each year. At least, that's what they've done every year for the past 10 years or so. According to the Amtrak service alerts, July 21 will be the end of it. For the last couple of years, though, it's been MBTA doing track work...

For what it's worth, Amtrak ran a dead head 448 to Boston this evening to become tomorrows' 449. It came through Springfield about 11:00 PM. Funny thing, though...Trying Amtraks' web site for tomorrows 449, there's no mention of any coach seating available or sold out. Just BC and sleeper. I...

Dropping the baggage from 66/67 would put an end to checked baggage at BOS. Perhaps that's part of the 'plan' to further downgrade 448/449 since they dropped the baggage car a couple years ago.

At last BofA has stopped sending me to the 'fraud department' every time I tried to purchase Amtrak tickets on the Amtrak site! I spent more than a year of having to call to get my ticket purchases approved! Like Amtrakfflyer, BofA seems to have a problem when I take something back to a big...

And unfortunate 'rule of thumb' for train stations is that long benches promote people sleeping on them. 50+ years ago, passengers sometimes had long waits between trains and horizontal for a while made sense, especially in smaller stations. But since then, homeless people have become...

I'm guessing the NEC full BC car and Cafe was a last minute substitution in BOS. Living in the SPG area, I regularly watch the recently added virtual railfan Springfield cam. I was surprised to see the NEC A-1 between the sleeper and Cafe on 449 last week. It came back 2 days later and not...

I got so fed up with their system 3 weeks ago trying to change seats for myself & friend on the same reservation, I gave up. I tried Firefox, Edge, and from my Android phone. It would allow me to change one seat, but not both. Called their AGR select exec number and still had to wait 20...