Wed 2/17 TE#22 Sleeper#2220/Roomette #3 (Kansas) AUS-AUS Thursday 2/18 LS #303/MORR#313
A bright sunny warm day as a large crowd catches the NB Eagle @ the AUS station, only 4 in the sleeper but the coaches are pretty full. The SCA welcomes me, very friendly
and experienced guy, name is Jim C., he will turn out to be one of the best ever and Amtrak will hear from me. Usual consist of 1 Engine/Trans-Dorm/Revenue Sleeper/CCC/Sightseer Lounge/2 revenue coaches/1 deadhead coach. We keep time as we roll up the line, after the TPL stop where several board and start filling the sleepers, lunch is announced. I eat in a Mafia booth with 2 other guys, 1 a retired Army Colonel thats a T-Party/Gun advocate and a UT Professor, a civil and enjoyable conversation is had, lunch is delicious Veggie Pasta! Good service in the CCC,very friendly crew Ive not seen before! Jim tells me the TE and CONO are run through right now so this set will be going out of CHI tomorrow night @ 8PM.
Due to freight traffic around CBR we pull into FTW about 30 minutes down, #21 has passed us highballing south about 10 miles South of FTW.I leave the train, Jim says well have about 20 minutes and meet one of our members Boxcar 817 who has ridden #21 over from DAL, will ride back and catch the TRE home. A nice points run for him. We sit in the sightseer lounge and discuss his upcoming loop of the West/North coming up in a month!He grew up close to where the new Cowboy Palace is (Jerry World) so it's a small world. We get to DAL, he has missed his early TRE train so he goes to sight see a little, will take the TRE later home from Union Station. Good to meet you Tracy, thanks for coming over!While in the DAL station there is a drug bust right outside the Coach entrance! The dogs hit on a guys suitcase, the DEA handcuff him, later the SCA tells us that 40lbs. were in the bags, wonder if he should have checked them? :lol: We roll out 30 minutes down, lots have boarded in FTW and DAL, the sleeper is now full except for the Family and H bedrooms?Through EastTexas as it grows dark and cold, seeing vestiges of the snow that fell last week when Dallas had 12 inches!Have a late dinner @ 7:30PM as we roll into Longview about 1 hour down so dont get off here. The next stop is Marshall where the train changes crew and does 2 spots but no smoke break. I have the strip grilled steak which is really delicious, chocolate peanut butter pie for dessert is fantastic!We hit TXA on the Texas/Arkansas border about 9:30PM, 45 minutes down, step off into the cold night air, snow and ice on the platform, winter is still here for sure! We only stay about 5 minutes, Jim puts down my bed, I take a shower/change, start reading a book when all of a sudden we go into emergency stop!
The conductor is by my room and I hear on his radio that we have hit someone on the tracks, later Jim tells us whats going on, best info Ive gotten on any Amtrak train from the crew! He explains well have to wait on the police/ambulance/coroner etc. and that the engineer will have to be pee tested too!
Later the coach attendants announce that there is a delay due to police activity but since the flashing lights are right outside our windows everyone pretty much knows whats going on! We sit for a little over an hour, then all the emergency vehicles leave, the whistle blows and we roll out 2 1/2 hours down for LRK. The guy's body went off in the ambulance, we were doing 70 so Im sure the pieces were scattered! (too bad but man vs. train, train wins 100%!)
We get into LRK now 2 hours down, people board and deboard, we roll out through a snowy,cold landscape and I go to sleep after crossing the river into N. LRK. Sleep like a baby, Jim awakens me @ 6:30AM, we are an hour down now, made up time during the night! It's very snowy, I have a cup, some juice and then go to the diner for an omelete with grits and bisket and bacon, very hot and tasty! We pull through the industrial areas,through the yards, the sun is coming up, lots of snow and ice, its very cold outside but snug on the train!As we hit the station in STL they hustle several pax over to the MORR fixing to leave for KCY since this a guaranteed connection and not another train until 4:00PM (one Ill be catching!). I read the USA today that Jim gives out, watch the snow get deeper as we roll up, we do take the West bank route out of STL through the yards and Industrial areas, cross North of downtown on a long bridge, Jim says they used to go this way in the old days! Soon we are high balling up through ILL,lots of snow now, make the couple of brief stops,
as we approach SPI we are now 1 hour down, I gather my stuff, detrain to a cold/sunny day with snow piled up pretty deep, ice on the platform!I check with Julie, the LS out of CHI is about 30 mins down so should be here about 1:30PM.Since the Eagle started serving lunch when they left here, I watch the luggage for a guy who goes up the street to Subway and gets us a couple of Sandwiches, and they have Diet Coke in the station!
At 1:15 the announcement comes and the LS #303 rolls in with snow and ice on the train, looks like a rough winter up this way! :lol: The business car is on the back ,Im the only one that boards it, lots go to the coaches (there are 4 on this train), we roll out South for STL @ 1:30PM, 30 mins down.A fairly fast trip down the line, we pull into STL @ 3:10PM, only 10 minutes down. The Conductor announces that this train will leave as the MORR #313 @ 4pm
for KCY so I go into the station, there is a Pizza and KFC light there but airport prices and no real chicken make me decide to eat on the train when we leave!We soon load up @ 3:45PM, roll out @ 4PM on time, after getting past Six Flags it gets dark and we chug along through the cold night with snow piled deep but the moon is shinning on the River and the Snow and the train is warm, pretty nice! I take a little nap after a pretty good Italian Sandwich and Apple Juice, wake up in Lee's Summit. get my stuff ready, brief stop in Independence, it's raining and cold as we pull into KCY @9:45PM only 5 minutes down. Everyone gets off, the train will turn in the morning back to STL.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN! A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC!!(Waterboarding is optional!!)
Enter KCY Union Station down the long walkway, its freezing cold and raining, large crowd already in the waiting room awaiting the SWC due @10:30PM from CHI, one older lady agent @ the desk. I enquire about the Bus to OKC, she tells me to go wait, shell give us info after she takes care of the Chief crowd! I go use the rest room, buy a Diet Coke, there are a couple of others in the waiting room going to OKC on the bus so we take turns watching each others stuff so we can look around this grand and almost spooky Grand Station!The Chief rolls in early,about 10:15, lots of hustling and bustling, loading,unloading etc. Eventually the last call is announced, everyone leaves @10:45PM and the lady calls us to the Amtrak desk, tells us to go out front @ 11:15PM for the bus (Jefferson Lines), the desk closes and she is gone! At 11:15Pm we take out stuff to the Main Lobby, it's too cold outside so the Nice Night Watchman tells us we can stay inside until the bus comes from the bus station, that it's usually late most nights, maybe midnight! Time passes slowly, more Diet Cokes, we discuss various things about our travels and ourselves, 12 Midnight strikes, we turn into Pumpkins, the night watchman locks all the doors, says hell let us out when the bus arrives! We see lots of cop cars, city busses pass to and fro, its now sleeting, the wind blowing and very cold!
At 12:30PM I call Julie, ask for an agent, after a 20 minute wait (damn, it's 2AM in NY!)a very friendly agent comes on, takes our info, says shell call back. Twenty minutes later my phone rings, it seems the Bus Driver has gone on strike for this line so Amtrak is sending a taxi to take us to the bus station on the other side of town where well catch the Long Dog for OKC. Upon arrival the barely English Speaking Cabbie (just arrived from Africa?)
pulls up to the Greyhbound, says its $11.50, we tell him the Bus is paying, he starts cursing and demanding his money NOW!! A transit cop comes over , we explain whats happening just as a Greyhound employee comes out, tells us to hurry, the bus is waiting, tells the cop to have the driver go the counter and we hustle through a full waiting room out to a bus thats absolutely jammed to the gills, I get the last seat in the back, the other 2 are up front! As we roll out the driver announces that well be going to Joplin,MO., Tulsa,OK and Dallas,Texas, no OKC!!! Amtrak calls me back on the phone, Greyhound has pulled the ticket and honored it to DAL, say I should catch the Eagle in DAL for FTW and AUS, it's all arranged! No problem , an over night bus ride is a ride!Fall asleep rolling down the freeway heading for Joplin, wake up as we pull into the Station. Find out here this is a made up bus with people going many places due to the driver strike, head to Tulsa rolling down the OK Turnpike! Sleep till we pull into Tulsa @ 6AM, Surprise! No bus from here except to Dallas and it will be a milkrun through SE/S OK and Texas. OK, roll out through burgs and pretty nice lakes/hills, take a food stop/pit stop @ a McDonalds in some town, head down to Texas! When I awake in Sherman it is now noon so know Ill miss the Eagle , it left for FTW @11:50AM on time!
Down to McKinney,Richardson, then down the Central Freeway during Friday rush hour traffic into Dallas, arrive @ the station @ 2PM, a bus for Austin just left! I call Amtrak again, they tell me to purchase a bus ticket to Austin, hang on to my train tickets and CR will make it right Monday! Knowing how good they are , no sweat! I purchase a $32 ticket on Americanos, a mexican bus that leaves @ 3;35PM for AUSTIN, it's an Express, only one stop in Waco, to AUS by 7PM!Have a sandwich in the actually fairly good snack bar in the full bus station, meet a couple of truck drivers going to the Border to pick up trucks for NY, interesting life! A couple of ladies from my trip from KCY are also there, were all catching the bus! At 3:15PM the bus is announced, we line up, about 40 people (lots of Mexicans ride this route to mexico!)in line, Im in front (the drivers told us to follow them we did!)After 45 minutes the bus pulls in (Its on Mexico time! :lol: ),we load up and roll out through rush hour traffic on IH35S that makes Austin seem like Yuma,AZ!Slow going, we finally get past DeSoto S. of Dallas and pick up a steady speed in heavy traffic and rain! Stop in Waco briefly, roll out as I fall asleep and awaken as we enter Round Rock 15 miles N. of Austin, it's 7:30PM, we pull into the Station (its in N. Austin about 5 miles from downtown), unload and Stacy,my SO is waiting with a smiile.a hug and a ride! Get to her place, shower (wonderful hot water!),then to sleep in a real bed! I do call Julie and find out that #21 got delayed so we actually beat my train to AUS after a wild bus ride by 15 minutes! I can see why bustitutions are not favored, no more bus trips! If a train doesnt go there, I wont either! Time to plan the next trip, will call Amtrak Monday to get it straight! All things considered it was an Adventure, not really a trip from hell,(Dick Cheney might disagree!) just the part in KCY and missing the HF from OKC-FTW! <_<
UPDATE: Just got off the phone with CR, usual great service from Amtrak agents, IMO no-one does it better! They took the kudoos for the OBS/my complaints about the lazy/unhelpful staff and the non-existant service from jefferson Bus Lines! Will be getting a voucher for use on my next trip and still have the tickets for the 2 missing train segments to use also, I'm satisfied, time to dream/plan the next adventure on Amtrak! :lol: (and wait on the AGR points to post, still dont have the FaceBook bonus but as the-traveler said, maybe tonight!)
A bright sunny warm day as a large crowd catches the NB Eagle @ the AUS station, only 4 in the sleeper but the coaches are pretty full. The SCA welcomes me, very friendly
and experienced guy, name is Jim C., he will turn out to be one of the best ever and Amtrak will hear from me. Usual consist of 1 Engine/Trans-Dorm/Revenue Sleeper/CCC/Sightseer Lounge/2 revenue coaches/1 deadhead coach. We keep time as we roll up the line, after the TPL stop where several board and start filling the sleepers, lunch is announced. I eat in a Mafia booth with 2 other guys, 1 a retired Army Colonel thats a T-Party/Gun advocate and a UT Professor, a civil and enjoyable conversation is had, lunch is delicious Veggie Pasta! Good service in the CCC,very friendly crew Ive not seen before! Jim tells me the TE and CONO are run through right now so this set will be going out of CHI tomorrow night @ 8PM.
Due to freight traffic around CBR we pull into FTW about 30 minutes down, #21 has passed us highballing south about 10 miles South of FTW.I leave the train, Jim says well have about 20 minutes and meet one of our members Boxcar 817 who has ridden #21 over from DAL, will ride back and catch the TRE home. A nice points run for him. We sit in the sightseer lounge and discuss his upcoming loop of the West/North coming up in a month!He grew up close to where the new Cowboy Palace is (Jerry World) so it's a small world. We get to DAL, he has missed his early TRE train so he goes to sight see a little, will take the TRE later home from Union Station. Good to meet you Tracy, thanks for coming over!While in the DAL station there is a drug bust right outside the Coach entrance! The dogs hit on a guys suitcase, the DEA handcuff him, later the SCA tells us that 40lbs. were in the bags, wonder if he should have checked them? :lol: We roll out 30 minutes down, lots have boarded in FTW and DAL, the sleeper is now full except for the Family and H bedrooms?Through EastTexas as it grows dark and cold, seeing vestiges of the snow that fell last week when Dallas had 12 inches!Have a late dinner @ 7:30PM as we roll into Longview about 1 hour down so dont get off here. The next stop is Marshall where the train changes crew and does 2 spots but no smoke break. I have the strip grilled steak which is really delicious, chocolate peanut butter pie for dessert is fantastic!We hit TXA on the Texas/Arkansas border about 9:30PM, 45 minutes down, step off into the cold night air, snow and ice on the platform, winter is still here for sure! We only stay about 5 minutes, Jim puts down my bed, I take a shower/change, start reading a book when all of a sudden we go into emergency stop!
The conductor is by my room and I hear on his radio that we have hit someone on the tracks, later Jim tells us whats going on, best info Ive gotten on any Amtrak train from the crew! He explains well have to wait on the police/ambulance/coroner etc. and that the engineer will have to be pee tested too!
Later the coach attendants announce that there is a delay due to police activity but since the flashing lights are right outside our windows everyone pretty much knows whats going on! We sit for a little over an hour, then all the emergency vehicles leave, the whistle blows and we roll out 2 1/2 hours down for LRK. The guy's body went off in the ambulance, we were doing 70 so Im sure the pieces were scattered! (too bad but man vs. train, train wins 100%!)
We get into LRK now 2 hours down, people board and deboard, we roll out through a snowy,cold landscape and I go to sleep after crossing the river into N. LRK. Sleep like a baby, Jim awakens me @ 6:30AM, we are an hour down now, made up time during the night! It's very snowy, I have a cup, some juice and then go to the diner for an omelete with grits and bisket and bacon, very hot and tasty! We pull through the industrial areas,through the yards, the sun is coming up, lots of snow and ice, its very cold outside but snug on the train!As we hit the station in STL they hustle several pax over to the MORR fixing to leave for KCY since this a guaranteed connection and not another train until 4:00PM (one Ill be catching!). I read the USA today that Jim gives out, watch the snow get deeper as we roll up, we do take the West bank route out of STL through the yards and Industrial areas, cross North of downtown on a long bridge, Jim says they used to go this way in the old days! Soon we are high balling up through ILL,lots of snow now, make the couple of brief stops,
as we approach SPI we are now 1 hour down, I gather my stuff, detrain to a cold/sunny day with snow piled up pretty deep, ice on the platform!I check with Julie, the LS out of CHI is about 30 mins down so should be here about 1:30PM.Since the Eagle started serving lunch when they left here, I watch the luggage for a guy who goes up the street to Subway and gets us a couple of Sandwiches, and they have Diet Coke in the station!
At 1:15 the announcement comes and the LS #303 rolls in with snow and ice on the train, looks like a rough winter up this way! :lol: The business car is on the back ,Im the only one that boards it, lots go to the coaches (there are 4 on this train), we roll out South for STL @ 1:30PM, 30 mins down.A fairly fast trip down the line, we pull into STL @ 3:10PM, only 10 minutes down. The Conductor announces that this train will leave as the MORR #313 @ 4pm
for KCY so I go into the station, there is a Pizza and KFC light there but airport prices and no real chicken make me decide to eat on the train when we leave!We soon load up @ 3:45PM, roll out @ 4PM on time, after getting past Six Flags it gets dark and we chug along through the cold night with snow piled deep but the moon is shinning on the River and the Snow and the train is warm, pretty nice! I take a little nap after a pretty good Italian Sandwich and Apple Juice, wake up in Lee's Summit. get my stuff ready, brief stop in Independence, it's raining and cold as we pull into KCY @9:45PM only 5 minutes down. Everyone gets off, the train will turn in the morning back to STL.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN! A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC!!(Waterboarding is optional!!)
Enter KCY Union Station down the long walkway, its freezing cold and raining, large crowd already in the waiting room awaiting the SWC due @10:30PM from CHI, one older lady agent @ the desk. I enquire about the Bus to OKC, she tells me to go wait, shell give us info after she takes care of the Chief crowd! I go use the rest room, buy a Diet Coke, there are a couple of others in the waiting room going to OKC on the bus so we take turns watching each others stuff so we can look around this grand and almost spooky Grand Station!The Chief rolls in early,about 10:15, lots of hustling and bustling, loading,unloading etc. Eventually the last call is announced, everyone leaves @10:45PM and the lady calls us to the Amtrak desk, tells us to go out front @ 11:15PM for the bus (Jefferson Lines), the desk closes and she is gone! At 11:15Pm we take out stuff to the Main Lobby, it's too cold outside so the Nice Night Watchman tells us we can stay inside until the bus comes from the bus station, that it's usually late most nights, maybe midnight! Time passes slowly, more Diet Cokes, we discuss various things about our travels and ourselves, 12 Midnight strikes, we turn into Pumpkins, the night watchman locks all the doors, says hell let us out when the bus arrives! We see lots of cop cars, city busses pass to and fro, its now sleeting, the wind blowing and very cold!
At 12:30PM I call Julie, ask for an agent, after a 20 minute wait (damn, it's 2AM in NY!)a very friendly agent comes on, takes our info, says shell call back. Twenty minutes later my phone rings, it seems the Bus Driver has gone on strike for this line so Amtrak is sending a taxi to take us to the bus station on the other side of town where well catch the Long Dog for OKC. Upon arrival the barely English Speaking Cabbie (just arrived from Africa?)
pulls up to the Greyhbound, says its $11.50, we tell him the Bus is paying, he starts cursing and demanding his money NOW!! A transit cop comes over , we explain whats happening just as a Greyhound employee comes out, tells us to hurry, the bus is waiting, tells the cop to have the driver go the counter and we hustle through a full waiting room out to a bus thats absolutely jammed to the gills, I get the last seat in the back, the other 2 are up front! As we roll out the driver announces that well be going to Joplin,MO., Tulsa,OK and Dallas,Texas, no OKC!!!
Amtrak calls me back on the phone, Greyhound has pulled the ticket and honored it to DAL, say I should catch the Eagle in DAL for FTW and AUS, it's all arranged! No problem , an over night bus ride is a ride!Fall asleep rolling down the freeway heading for Joplin, wake up as we pull into the Station. Find out here this is a made up bus with people going many places due to the driver strike, head to Tulsa rolling down the OK Turnpike! Sleep till we pull into Tulsa @ 6AM, Surprise! No bus from here except to Dallas and it will be a milkrun through SE/S OK and Texas. OK, roll out through burgs and pretty nice lakes/hills, take a food stop/pit stop @ a McDonalds in some town, head down to Texas! When I awake in Sherman it is now noon so know Ill miss the Eagle , it left for FTW @11:50AM on time!Down to McKinney,Richardson, then down the Central Freeway during Friday rush hour traffic into Dallas, arrive @ the station @ 2PM, a bus for Austin just left!
I call Amtrak again, they tell me to purchase a bus ticket to Austin, hang on to my train tickets and CR will make it right Monday! Knowing how good they are , no sweat! I purchase a $32 ticket on Americanos, a mexican bus that leaves @ 3;35PM for AUSTIN, it's an Express, only one stop in Waco, to AUS by 7PM!Have a sandwich in the actually fairly good snack bar in the full bus station, meet a couple of truck drivers going to the Border to pick up trucks for NY, interesting life! A couple of ladies from my trip from KCY are also there, were all catching the bus! At 3:15PM the bus is announced, we line up, about 40 people (lots of Mexicans ride this route to mexico!)in line, Im in front (the drivers told us to follow them we did!)After 45 minutes the bus pulls in (Its on Mexico time! :lol: ),we load up and roll out through rush hour traffic on IH35S that makes Austin seem like Yuma,AZ!Slow going, we finally get past DeSoto S. of Dallas and pick up a steady speed in heavy traffic and rain! Stop in Waco briefly, roll out as I fall asleep and awaken as we enter Round Rock 15 miles N. of Austin, it's 7:30PM, we pull into the Station (its in N. Austin about 5 miles from downtown), unload and Stacy,my SO is waiting with a smiile.a hug and a ride! Get to her place, shower (wonderful hot water!),then to sleep in a real bed! I do call Julie and find out that #21 got delayed so we actually beat my train to AUS after a wild bus ride by 15 minutes! I can see why bustitutions are not favored, no more bus trips! If a train doesnt go there, I wont either! Time to plan the next trip, will call Amtrak Monday to get it straight! All things considered it was an Adventure, not really a trip from hell,(Dick Cheney might disagree!) just the part in KCY and missing the HF from OKC-FTW! <_<UPDATE: Just got off the phone with CR, usual great service from Amtrak agents, IMO no-one does it better! They took the kudoos for the OBS/my complaints about the lazy/unhelpful staff and the non-existant service from jefferson Bus Lines! Will be getting a voucher for use on my next trip and still have the tickets for the 2 missing train segments to use also, I'm satisfied, time to dream/plan the next adventure on Amtrak!
:lol: (and wait on the AGR points to post, still dont have the FaceBook bonus but as the-traveler said, maybe tonight!)
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