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On a route that currently only has one train per day, every stop could benefit from more service. We don't know if the Empire Builder can handle all the intermediate stop business because it was 1979 the last time this route had more than once daily service and the train often runs full or very...

North Shore Scenic Railroad in Duluth is now running an ex-NP dome on their Duluth Zephyr excursion (90 minute trip up to the Lester River crossing in East Duluth). The ex-NP dome is leased while NSSR works on an ex-CB&Q dome that was donated to them in the last year or so. The Duluth Zephyr...

I took 28 a couple of months back - there were three options for the cold, boxed dinner. Beef, chicken, or shrimp. I opted for chicken. It was an excellent boxed meal. It has been about four years since I've headed west on 27, the boxed breakfast from the Sightseer Lounge was fine, but nothing...

Pretty sure the microwaved popcorn will be a no-go. As far as the amount you are carrying, if you can handle it all, there should be no fuss.

I was on the Empire Builder last week and was offered Tobasco with my eggs at breakfast.

In 2014 when I traveled on The Canadian, I remember the list being 8-10 varieties, all Canadian beers. Let's see how my memory is...Molson Canadian, Labatt Blue, Kokanee, a couple from Granville Island Brewing in Vancouver, a couple from Fort Garry Brewing in Winnipeg. That makes seven, but I...

Following cuts in 1989-90, VIA greatly downsized its fleet. Daily service would reduce consists quite a bit. As said, operating on the tourism model, less than daily service is not a huge issue. On the other hand, one of the common criticisms of VIA outside of the corridor is that trains are run...

Hey Ed, Although I've recently written here about my trip to Churchill this past July, I made the trip in late March/early April back in 1997. The winter is definitely the off-season for Churchill - only about 800-1000 year-round residents these days. As a native Minnesotan who sees some...

The menus haven't been there for a while, but when my wife and I rode The Canadian eastbound in 2014, each meal included a meat dish, a fish dish, and a vegetarian dish. Some meals included a fourth option (usually a second meat dish). Lunch and dinner offerings came around only once during the...

The 1700s were converted to baggage cars during the Mail & Express era of the 1990s when Amtrak believed the "glide path to self-sufficiency" included carrying a lot of mail and packages.

I traveled on the Churchill train in July. The trip north (on July 5) carried the standard, non-polar bear season consist of 2 F40s, baggage, 2 coaches, diner, and Chateau sleeper. Our southbound trip carried an extra Chateau sleeper and a Park car (Revelstoke Park) departing Churchill on July...

That would be great. Lots of college students in Winona - many from the greater Chicago area and use the train to get back and forth.

I would still travel in a roomette. I traveled by open sections for the first time a couple of months ago on VIA Rail. I met some great people also traveling in the sections, but missed the walls and door, especially in the morning when other passengers headed to the dining car for breakfast at...

There have been a couple of mentions of ex-Great Northern "Great Domes." It should be noted that the GN referred to all of their domes as "Great Domes;" the short domes were Great Dome Coaches (seats in the dome were non-revenue) and the full-length domes were Great Dome Lounges.

I never said ordering new baggage cars was silly, nor did I imply it. I suggested that cutting checked baggage service was short-sighted, especially with new assets rolling around for that expressed purpose.

Or from the other side of it, does my proximity to an endpoint or station with 40,000+ passengers/year impact my need for or the utility of checked baggage service? I'm not saying the new baggage cars weren't needed. I'm saying checked baggage service should be maintained at more stations. I...

I understand that the old baggage cars were falling apart. My bags always got off the train dirty or covered in snow. My question was of a big picture nature - Why does the right hand order a bunch of baggage cars and even convert some of the originally ordered baggage-dorms to full baggage cars...

Winona is my regular station so this comes as a disappointment. This seems to be a pattern emerging - agent leaving due to retirement or other opportunity; close the agency, end checked baggage service, hire a caretaker to open and close the station around train times. I think it is terribly...

As others have said, that list has a lot of things that are "wants," not needs. When I travel by train, the only things from that list I take are the mini surge protector, binder clips for the curtains, a bit of duct tape, and my private stock. While I am a beer guy, it is heavy and a challenge...

The bean-counters never seem to get the old adage of "You have to spend money to make money." The last couple of years of cuts to things that cost nickels and dimes in relation to the sleeping car fare WILL drive business away. Coffee and juice in the morning only vs. all day, cutting the...