AutoTrain check in prior to dropping vehicle

[pw1]

I am fairly new to the forum - thank you for all the great discussions

Previously when we boarded the AutoTrain we would get to the station early - walk into the station to get our seats and meal time and have a lunch we brought and eat in the station. One of us would head out to the car just before 11:30 and check the car in. This is in Lorton.

We don't do the priority offload. It seems that we are in the last 20% of the cars off loaded. Not sure if this is just our 'luck' or because we checked in one of the first 10 or 20 cars.

Our next trip is leaving on July 4 - we planned to head over to one of the restaurants for lunch then come back to get in line with the car. I know there is a side parking lot that we can run in to check in before lunch.

Is there something special we need to do if we check in and come back a little later with the car.

Yes - we will be there long before 2:30 - so that should not be an issue. We do realize this will mean sitting in line in the car.

We cannot remember if there is anything special we need to do because we already checked in at the desk - or will we just drop the car and go in to wait.

Thanks in advance for any ideas!

Pat

 

[GBNorman]

There is no first on first off with general loading, and having made twenty-four AT trips over the years, I have never been used the priority loading.

Even though they could tell you when you will get your vehicle back likely within five minutes (they have to know where each vehicle is - indemnity you know), that is a closely guarded secret - and it's likely just as well. The Bennie-Caddy-Lex crowd be screaming how they are so important that they are entitled to have their vehicle back NOW.

So it's you get it back when you get it back.

Just take it to Lunch with you and check in when you are ready to give it up.

Many a trip, I've shown up ten minutes before closing.

 

[RichieRich]

Doing the AT at least every other month...I've seen it all over the last 15 years. No rhyme-nor-reason to loading/off-loading. Numbers are random. The main reason for early check-in is I want a 5ish dinner seating. Come late and you may be eating at 9:30!!! I've had 2 dinner seating's, then again, 4 seating's on a full train. I've been the LAST car unloaded (get a "prize" in the old days)...2nd-to-last...generally the last half...no matter when the car was loaded. Priority loading in SFA makes no sense on the Lorton side as 95 is a parking lot any time! Maybe on the SFA side if you want to jump on 95 to Miami.