Amenities that have disappeared from Amtrak

[KmH]

Ya. You know you're in the lap of luxury when the train can pull over and stop at night to aid passenger sleep.

Back in the day the luxury was found on the all sleeper trains - like the Super Chief - and fares weren't inexpensive.

The all chair car El Capitan train was not a luxurious.

 

[Skyline]

Smoking is not an amenity, and it presents lots of legal issues involving employee exposure to 2nd hand smoke. Ice and water are not gone, just obtained differently. I actually liked real newspapers, I still get 2 at home, on the road I just read them online.

I also enjoy real newsPAPERS. Last time I saw one on Amtrak it was USA Today. Not real. Almost any local paper along the route was better, and gave pax a better glimpse at the region they were training thru.

 

[Skyline]

I wonder if any old-time attendants provide some of that service on their own....such as putting an Andes chocolate mint on the pillows, etc.?

And if the Company disapproves such enterprising actions, as it would make the services rendered overall more inconsistent?

Creative SCAs will find a way to get around company grouches.

 

[Lonestar648]

Ya. You know you're in the lap of luxury when the train can pull over and stop at night to aid passenger sleep.

Back in the day the luxury was found on the all sleeper trains - like the Super Chief - and fares weren't inexpensive.

The all chair car El Capitan train was not a luxurious.

Interesting was that the train was almost always close to full until the airlines offered the luxury travelers a good experience. Now, these travelers don't have rail that will cater to them, nor do the airlines, so the private jet industry has picked up the ball. Transportation starts out catering to the passengers, then moves to a cattle car operation. Even buses, remember the Golden Eagle with attendant serving drinks and snacks? I think that if the Sleepers had the attitude they originally had, with good equipment, obviously good scheduling, you could have a few mostly sleeper trains. When I had to go CHI/WAS regularly, I always traveled the CAP, so did my team, and some of my counterparts. We arrived relaxed, well prepared compared to many who had tried to fly that morning. I even talked with an Amtrak Manager about a "Business" special to attract more of the CHI/WAS travelers, who loved my ideas, even wrote me a couple times with ideas, but sadly upper management killed the idea.

 

[willem]

It isn't any one specific amenity, but all of these things together creating the atmosphere for how Sleeping Car passengers were treated that we miss.

Well summarized. It's the continual erosion, both on the train (as discussed here) and off the train (AGR points, the refund policy, etc). AGR members earning Select tier used to get a luggage tag, which was a lot more useful for someone in flyover country than any NEC-focused coupon.

On the other hand, since I started riding, Amtrak has opened new Metropolitan Lounges in Chicago and Los Angeles (undersized, though) as well as the mini-lounge in Saint Louis.

 

[RPC]

The vegetarian lasagna on the Broadway Limited - for whatever reason the chefs on that train made it better than on any other!

Heritage sleeper beds - twin size with innerspring mattresses.

Ex-Pullman porters (SCAs) - if you could get one of those guys talking the stories were fascinating.

 

[zephyr17]

The Champagne Dinner in the Turquoise Room (although never an Amtrak amenity).

Face it, it has been a looooooong slide down. While there have been ups and downs, the overall direction has been pretty consistent for 47 years.

 

[spinnaker]

Ya. You know you're in the lap of luxury when the train can pull over and stop at night to aid passenger sleep.

Back in the day the luxury was found on the all sleeper trains - like the Super Chief - and fares weren't inexpensive.

The all chair car El Capitan train was not a luxurious.

I kind of enjoy the movement of the try at night. I find it relaxing. Then again I have a number of years of sailing under my belt.

Listening to the train whistle at night is pleasant too. I live a pretty good distance from a track but when the wind is right I can hear the whistles. I really enjoy it.

One advantage of stopping for the night is you aren't going to miss anything that you maybe have passed during the night.

Doesn't the train from Vancouver, CA to Jasper make stops at night?? I have that train on my list to do.

 

[MikefromCrete]

Ya. You know you're in the lap of luxury when the train can pull over and stop at night to aid passenger sleep.

Back in the day the luxury was found on the all sleeper trains - like the Super Chief - and fares weren't inexpensive.

The all chair car El Capitan train was not a luxurious.

I kind of enjoy the movement of the try at night. I find it relaxing. Then again I have a number of years of sailing under my belt.

Listening to the train whistle at night is pleasant too. I live a pretty good distance from a track but when the wind is right I can hear the whistles. I really enjoy it.

One advantage of stopping for the night is you aren't going to miss anything that you maybe have passed during the night.

Doesn't the train from Vancouver, CA to Jasper make stops at night?? I have that train on my list to do.

You mean the Rocky Mountaineer? It stops overnight in Kamloops, but passengers spend the night in hotels. It's a sightseeing train, after all.

 

[BillyJo]

It's been almost 8 years since I've taken an overnight train, and back then, the SCA served coffee and bottled water, and may have also had snacks available in the sleeping car. Did they really get rid of those "perks"? I'll be on the CONO and the CL in a couple of weeks, but I'm glad I checked here first - I would have been waiting in bed to smell the coffee in the morning!

 

[cpotisch]

It's been almost 8 years since I've taken an overnight train, and back then, the SCA served coffee and bottled water, and may have also had snacks available in the sleeping car. Did they really get rid of those "perks"? I'll be on the CONO and the CL in a couple of weeks, but I'm glad I checked here first - I would have been waiting in bed to smell the coffee in the morning!

The sleepers still have coffee in the morning and usually plenty of bottled water. Snacks are uncommon, but are available every once in a while (only if the SCA buys 'em out of pocket on his own time).

 

[Maglev]

It's been almost 8 years since I've taken an overnight train, and back then, the SCA served coffee and bottled water, and may have also had snacks available in the sleeping car. Did they really get rid of those "perks"? I'll be on the CONO and the CL in a couple of weeks, but I'm glad I checked here first - I would have been waiting in bed to smell the coffee in the morning!

Morning coffee and bottled water for sleeper passengers are still advertised amenities. Of course this is Amtrak, so there is some variation in how much and when you get coffee and water, but I would say it is safe to rely on wake-up coffee.

 

[BillyJo]

Great, thanks for the good news, and for the quick replies.

 

[KmH]

When I first rode Amtrak back in 2010 they still handed little pillows out to coach passengers.

 

[Gulfwind2]

The thing I will miss the most is the "bedtime sweet".

One thing I used to brag to my friends (many of whom would upgrade themselves to Delta Air Lines' first class whilst away on business travel) about was having a nice piece of chocolate waiting for you atop the pillow after the bed was neatly turned down for you in the sleeper. Meanwhile my friends were being "welcomed" to Delta first class with tiny bottles of Dasani water.

 

[Lonestar648]

The Coffee is usually ready by 6:00 AM, so there are a few early risers waiting for the ready light to pour their first cup the day.

 

[MiniMax]

I miss the tail-end lounge cars and their narrow stairways up to the dome seating. Those (dome) cars are still being used in Canada. Ride them while you still can.

 

[stappend]

The Newspaper.

The late night reception they had on the Lake Shore Limited, after they bumped the Chicago departure time to the later hour.
The wine glasses and wine they used to leave in the rooms on the Empire Builder and Pioneer.

 

[spinnaker]

Actual edible food cooked on-board

I have zero complaints about Amtrak food. I have only been on a couple of trains where food was served but I found it excellent considering the circumstance.

 

[Lonestar648]

The food served on Amtrak 20 or 30 years ago is so different from today. I remember Prime Rib, 2" juicy pork chops, salmon fillets that were seasoned and cooked correctly, omelets cooked to order with a selection of ingredients, railroad french toast made to order.

 

[railiner]

The food served on Amtrak 20 or 30 years ago is so different from today. I remember Prime Rib, 2" juicy pork chops, salmon fillets that were seasoned and cooked correctly, omelets cooked to order with a selection of ingredients, railroad french toast made to order.

I recall that period when they sent all the Chef's to the Culinary Institute of America, for a custom designed course for them. At that time, they allowed the chef's to be much more creative, and each was encouraged to offer a nightly 'Chef's Special' of their own choosing, with certain guidelines. This occurred around 1991 or so, IIRC. Some of them were really creative, and it instilled pride in their performance....

 

[Lonestar648]

The food served on Amtrak 20 or 30 years ago is so different from today. I remember Prime Rib, 2" juicy pork chops, salmon fillets that were seasoned and cooked correctly, omelets cooked to order with a selection of ingredients, railroad french toast made to order.

I recall that period when they sent all the Chef's to the Culinary Institute of America, for a custom designed course for them. At that time, they allowed the chef's to be much more creative, and each was encouraged to offer a nightly 'Chef's Special' of their own choosing, with certain guidelines. This occurred around 1991 or so, IIRC. Some of them were really creative, and it instilled pride in their performance....

People I traveled with so looked forward to Dinner to enjoy the specials. The pork chops were among the best I have ever had.

 

[KmH]

No more route schedules or routes guides in sleeper accommodations.

I got back this morning from a CZ round trip.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

No more route schedules or routes guides in sleeper accommodations.

I got back this morning from a CZ round trip.

Those have always been hit or miss In my experience. It's a nice touch for sure.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Around 2013 we had great dinner entrees (Beechers Mac n cheese, Mahi Mahi fillet, lamb shank), free wine and cheese tastings for sleeper passengers on the lake shore and Starlight, free wine tasting for sleeper passengers on the empire builder, nice toiletry kits for sleeper passengers on starlight and empire builder, "real" plates and glassware on empire builder, Starlight, and Capitol.

Things were moving in the right direction....