California Zephyr discussion 2024 H2

[PaTrainFan]

I'll post this here to start. If it's more appropriate elsewhere, so be it. A creative interactive Washington Post story about a cross country train trip on the Zephyr and Lake Shore Limited. Hopefully the link provides free access; if not, my apologies.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/interactive/2024/amtrak-train-travel-diary/

 

[joelkfla]

I'll post this here to start. If it's more appropriate elsewhere, so be it. A creative interactive Washington Post story about a cross country train trip on the Zephyr and Lake Shore Limited. Hopefully the link provides free access; if not, my apologies.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/interactive/2024/amtrak-train-travel-diary/

I thoroughly enjoyed that!

Here's a "gift" link, in case anyone has trouble with the direct one:
https://wapo.st/3YZeuFB

 

[Traveller]

I thoroughly enjoyed that!

Here's a "gift" link, in case anyone has trouble with the direct one:
https://wapo.st/3YZeuFB

Thank you, my type of Amtrak travel and was fun to read.

 

[BoulderCO]

I'll post this here to start. If it's more appropriate elsewhere, so be it. A creative interactive Washington Post story about a cross country train trip on the Zephyr and Lake Shore Limited. Hopefully the link provides free access; if not, my apologies.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/interactive/2024/amtrak-train-travel-diary/

Yes, that was quite the entertaining "graphic essay". I highly recommend reading it if you have access to the Post.

I especially liked the cartoon depictions of spaces we are all familiar with such as Roomettes, Cafe car, etc. Useful comparisons between sleeper and coach travel also.

 

[tgstubbs1]

Yes, that was quite the entertaining "graphic essay". I highly recommend reading it if you have access to the Post.

I especially liked the cartoon depictions of spaces we are all familiar with such as Roomettes, Cafe car, etc. Useful comparisons between sleeper and coach travel also.

I had to use the 'reader' mode.
People seem to respond to those kinds of graphics. Kind of like comic books, I guess.

 

[PaTrainFan]

I had no idea a route change was under consideration, but this article says that Amtrak is sticking with the current California Zephyr current BN route through Illinois and Iowa "for another year.'
The full article is behind a paywall but there's enough of a tease to give an idea.

https://www.joc.com/article/amtrak-to-continue-route-over-bn-tracks-5638421

 

[Agent]

I had no idea a route change was under consideration, but this article says that Amtrak is sticking with the current California Zephyr current BN route through Illinois and Iowa "for another year.'
The full article is behind a paywall but there's enough of a tease to give an idea.

https://www.joc.com/article/amtrak-to-continue-route-over-bn-tracks-5638421

Just to make things clear for everyone, the article is from 1987.

 

[railiner]

Just to make things clear for everyone, the article is from 1987.

 

[Willbridge]

From 1987 till 1991 or so, Amtrak considered running on the UP from just east of FMG to Chicago. One can imagine the discussions with Omaha.

 

[PaTrainFan]

Just to make things clear for everyone, the article is from 1987.

Oops, my bad. I should have paid closer attention. This showed up in my Google News feed and, well, did the wrong assumption.

 

[Agent]

It was a three-engine-day for the Zephyr across Iowa today. Amtrak #6(23) ran over two hours late across the state this morning with a Union Pacific locomotive leading the way. I couldn't tell if there was a problem with either Amtrak engine, but I'm guessing one wasn't running well.



Also, which may or may not be related to the above, #5(25) also had three engines as it came through Iowa this evening. But those were all P42s (134, 15, and 171). That train was running on time if not early.

 

[mldev]

Have a booking on the california zephyr #5 from Chicago to san francisco car #540 room 22. Where is this room and does it have service

 

[zephyr17]

Have a booking on the california zephyr #5 from Chicago to san francisco car #540 room 22. Where is this room and does it have service

It's a transition-dormitory ("transdorm"). It'll be the first car behind the baggage car. Your room will be upstairs on the right side relative to the direction of travel, transdorms are the only sleepers that are always oriented the same direction so room side is predictable.

Your car will probably handled by the SCA in the adjacent car, the 31 or 32, depending on whether there are one or two standard sleepers on your travel date. There have been reports of transdorms getting their own SCA assigned, but I wouldn't bet on that. How well the next car's SCA handles the transdorm varies. It may be fine, or you may be in the Land of the Lost.

 

[niemi24s]

Not sure what you mean by service but here's the layout of your car ;

 

[PVD]

There was a trans dorm on my CZ trips the beginning of August. They had their own attendant in both directions, I think they were pretty heavily sold.

 

[zephyr17]

Just FYI, it appears that they are charging an additional $5 for the EMY-SFC bus over the EMY fare now. I saw a post over on Flyertalk with fares that did not square with @niemi24s chart nor railsforless.us (which doesn't allow SFC). I checked it on Amtrak.com and there is now an $5 difference between the EMY and SFC fares that accounts for the variance. My recollection is both stations used to be same price when connecting off the Zephyr, making the bus effectively free. No longer.

Not a big deal and it's still worth booking for the convenience of it, but it is a change.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

The Pufferbelly restaurant near the station is supposed to be decent. I haven't actually tried it. The station itself is nothing to look at but has all the necessary facilities.

Pufferbelly Station is pretty good - huuuge portions and great people watching (and the CZ right outside the windows). Downtown GJCO has a fair number of restaurants and bars, as well as shops, etc. It's a regional center for the area. If you go, a stop at Enstrom's Toffee is of course, mandatory.