A round trip to STL to ride venture cars

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Steve4031

Engineer
AU Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2002
Messages
7,173
Location
Chicago
I’m a month late doing this imho but I this was the first weekend I could pull off a Saturday round trip from Chicago to STL on the new Venture cars.

I’ve been carefully reading every internet post and watching videos of the new cars. On Wednesday I saw a post on train orders that showed 303 operating with 2 venture cars followed by 2 horizon coaches followed by an amfleet business class/food service car. This was ominous imho because I could see all passengers directed in the horizon cars with the venture cars closed to passengers do to light loads if this same consist operated on Saturday.

I’m now seated in the metropolitan lounge anxiously awaiting my fate. Before entering the lounge I detoured by the gates to see if 303 was in the station. It wasn’t.
 
Boarding was an unmitigated disaster. I boarded from the lounge. I got scolded for saying I was in BC when I didn’t say anything. I observed that they had the identical consist as video taken on Wednesday.

The conductor wanted to seat StL passengers in the car, a horizon, in front of the food service car. I understand why this was done. I asked if it was ok if I rode in the new cars. He told me no. I explained that the whole purpose of my trip was to ride the new cars and that I would walk back to the door being used in STL. He sighed and told the AC to “take this guy”. I walked down and said good morning. He didn’t speak. I told him I was excited about the new cars. He sarcastically said yippee.

What a lousy group of employees.
 
I've heard a lot of complaints from the employees working that run. Kind of surprised Amtrak is letting them get away with it (or even keeping the cars on) as having these new cars are generating a bit of press for Amtrak.
 
Steve4031 said:
Boarding was an unmitigated disaster. I boarded from the lounge. I got scolded for saying I was in BC when I didn’t say anything. I observed that they had the identical consist as video taken on Wednesday.

The conductor wanted to seat StL passengers in the car, a horizon, in front of the food service car. I understand why this was done. I asked if it was ok if I rode in the new cars. He told me no. I explained that the whole purpose of my trip was to ride the new cars and that I would walk back to the door being used in STL. He sighed and told the AC to “take this guy”. I walked down and said good morning. He didn’t speak. I told him I was excited about the new cars. He sarcastically said yippee.

What a lousy group of employees.
Click to expand...
Reminds me of a brief conversation I had with a 'gloomy gus' conductor on the Cardinal... I asked him why employees were so grumpy and he responded... "cause every day feels like Monday morning.'

Amtrak 'wrote the book' on really bad customer service.
 
The conductor explained how to use the bathrooms. If the button is green you push it to enter. It locks automatically. Then you push it to exit. If you pull on the door it may stop working. IRRC the Acelas have similar doors on their bathrooms.

Window is much better. A bit of a tint. The window sill is perfect for resting the arm or elbow. I have arm rest by other seat down and the arm rest by the window is up. Seat is reclined. I’m 5-11 290. I don’t feel cramped. It might be tight if a big guy sat next to me. The movable arm rest are a plus.
 
PerRock said:
I've heard a lot of complaints from the employees working that run. Kind of surprised Amtrak is letting them get away with it (or even keeping the cars on) as having these new cars are generating a bit of press for Amtrak.
Click to expand...
When you say a "bit of press", are you saying that the cars should be removed because the employee attitude is causing bad press, or that the cars are creating good press so Amtrak should reign in the employees?
 
Railroad Bill said:
Steve, who were the original passengers permitted to sit in the new cars? Only those stopping in cities along the route.. Springfield, etc. ?
Click to expand...

The original passengers were allowed in the new cars. It was an issue of me not wanting to ride in the older car. I understand why they do things. But there attitude towards me was totally over the top. Especially since I stated that I would gladly walk back to the car where the StL passengers were seated to get off.

There’s a private car on the back. The air brake hose on it came loose and the train made an emergency stop. After 5 minutes back on the move.
 

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Steve4031 said:
The original passengers were allowed in the new cars. It was an issue of me not wanting to ride in the older car. I understand why they do things. But there attitude towards me was totally over the top. Especially since I stated that I would gladly walk back to the car where the StL passengers were seated to get off.

There’s a private car on the back. The air brake hose on it came loose and the train made an emergency stop. After 5 minutes back on the move.
Click to expand...
Hi Steve... their bad attitude isn't just directed at you... I've gotten flack too for the simplest requests... they just don't want to be bothered and are not service oriented... all passengers are confronted with the same nonsense.

They should be thanking you for your patronage!!!
 
That should read people do ride trains. Oops

I revised the bathroom. It's still clean. The car is 80 percent full.

After 4 hours I am not tired of the seat. I did nap. So it's working well for me. The movable arm rests I'm sure our helpful. I've had two seats to myself in a horizon car and gotten tired of the older seats. The gray ones that have been recently upgraded in horizons are similar in comfort
 
joelkfla said:
When you say a "bit of press", are you saying that the cars should be removed because the employee attitude is causing bad press, or that the cars are creating good press so Amtrak should reign in the employees?
Click to expand...

It could go either way, Amtrak could move the cars onto another Midwest Corridor route with generally better staff (the Wolverine usually has good staff). Or reign in the employees. I'm not saying that Amtrak should just remove the cars from service.
 
The cars are not the problem in my humble opinion. The technology is new, and maybe the employees are annoyed by having to adjust.

I've had bad experieriences with this crew on previous trips. I've reported them a few times and they are still there. The clown that yelled at me in union station got his ass chewed by me a couple a years ago. He hasn't learned and he hasn't forgotten.

The management at the top has mismanaged covid and the flex dining fiasco which further annoys the employees.

Get better leadership and if willgdt better.
 
What a difference a crew makes. I was dreading asking to sit in the new cars for return trip. It was a different conductor. At the foot of the escalator he asked me where I was going. I told him Chicago. He also directed me to the car in front is the business class car. I polite asked/pleaded lol, to ride in the new cars. He verified I was going to Union Station and said certainly.
 
Steve4031 said:
Boarding was an unmitigated disaster. I boarded from the lounge. I got scolded for saying I was in BC when I didn’t say anything. I observed that they had the identical consist as video taken on Wednesday.

The conductor wanted to seat StL passengers in the car, a horizon, in front of the food service car. I understand why this was done. I asked if it was ok if I rode in the new cars. He told me no. I explained that the whole purpose of my trip was to ride the new cars and that I would walk back to the door being used in STL. He sighed and told the AC to “take this guy”. I walked down and said good morning. He didn’t speak. I told him I was excited about the new cars. He sarcastically said yippee.

What a lousy group of employees.
Click to expand...

I ride this route a lot.
It is my experience that one conductor working this route is just not a people person. I have had less then pleasant interactions with him a few times. I have found the other conductors on the route are fine.
 
Saddleshoes said:
I ride this route a lot.
It is my experience that one conductor working this route is just not a people person. I have had less then pleasant interactions with him a few times. I have found the other conductors on the route are fine.
Click to expand...
Then they should not be a conductor.
 
I finally got tired of sitting. Walked back to the lounge car and purchased peanut m&ms and coke. After the walk I was God to go for more sitting.

The other cars are mostly empty. A few people in each car and one small dog which was sitting on a seat. It was quiet each time I walked by.

A night time interior view of venture coach.
 
There has been slow running into Bloomington. We rolled slowly through a grade crossing and I've saw someone with A flashlight waving the train past. The gates were down. My assumption is that PTC is not working or signals are not working.

There have been no announcements.
 

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