steveb
Train Attendant
This was my first long distance travel on Amtrak. I went from St. Louis to New Orleans and turned around and came right back. My first leg of the trip was a reserved coach seat on the train 322 Texas Eagle. The train was crowed. A woman with a baby set next to me. The kid cried and she talked on the phone the whole trip. What a way to start off the trip. We arrived at Chicago Union station about 2pm...15 minutes early. I had 6 hours to kill so I walked around the station. It was great watching all the people running to the Metra trains at rush hour.
I spent most of the layover in the Metropolitan Lounge. The lounge is really nice. I was able to get out my lap top and get on the internet and watch some DVD's to kill the time. The lounge was not overly crowded. There were plenty of seats
I was called to the train at about 7:15pm. I went to my roomette (5900 room 4). I set my stuff down and went straight to the Cross Country Cafe. I was seated with a man who was a professor at a medical school in Pittsburgh PA. I had the flat iron steak, baked potato, veggies and a dinner roll. The food was pretty good. I met the sleeping car attendant. He was not overly friendly. There was always coffee and juice. The restrooms were always clean, but he just acted like he had to be there. We pulled out of the station at exactly 8pm and I was eating before we got out of the city. I went back to my room and got out my GPS so I could track my route and check the speed of the train. It was nice knowing where I was all the time. The room was very comfortable. And i had no problem sleeping. I loved the rocking of the train and the horn. I set my alarm so I could be awake on arrival at Carbondale and as we crossed the Ohio at Cairo Illinois. I went back to sleep and woke at about 5am. We were just north of Memphis. We arrived in Memphis at about 530am and were there until 7:05am. They said because of track work near Jackson. The CONO timetable has changed. Arrival was pushed back to 4:17pm arrival. Timetables say 3:32pm. I was very impressed with the area near the Memphis station. Lots of new construction...looked like condos and apartments. It is really an impressive station. I went to breakfast while we were sitting there. I had the omelette, hash browns, sausage and biscuit. Again the food was good. We left the station at 7:05am. I noticed that a lot of the towns in Mississippi have done work making their stations look good. Especially Brookhaven Mississippi. There was a park neat the nice station. Looked like an old station that was rehabed. There were people eating and drinking on patios at resturants. We arrived early into New Orleans. We got there at about 3:45. It was a great trip.
The next day I was back on the City of New Orleans for my journy back to St. Louis. This trip I was in roomette 2. We boarded at about 1:15pm. The attendant on this leg was really good. He was very personable. (unlike of my fist leg) Since there is no lunch served on this train, I got a Subway sandwich and took on the train with me. The first class lounge (Magnolia Room) is not much to write about. It is a small room with about 10 chairs (only 4 are comfy type chairs) and a couple of small tables and some chairs around them. The chairs out in the general waiting area were just as good. They only had coffee and it was empty. One of the passengers made the coffee. The really are due for a rehab of that lounge. It is pretty bad. I spent most of my waiting time in the general waiting area. The train left right on time. I made my dinner reservation at 5:30 and set with a nice woman who was taking her young grandson on a train trip. We had a good dinner. I got the Angus burger. I wanted bacon on it (it says you can get it). they said they did not have bacon. (strange thing...no bacon for my burger, but the next morning they had bacon for breakfast) The angus burger was okay, not great. I wish you could get fries on the train instead of chips. After the meal I would have been better off with the flat iron steak again. I thought the trip ride was pretty smooth. I had heard that the tracks were rough in Mississippi. I went to bed at about 9:30pm I again had the GPS on and sat there watching DVD's until about 11pm. Don't think I woke up all night (maybe a couple of time). I had breakfast at 6am in Champaign Illinois. We were running ahead of schedule. Arrived in Chicago at 8:30am...30 minutes early.
I again headed to the Metropolitan Room to wait for the Texas Eagle train 321. I was shocked that I was able to use the lounge since I was leaving Chicago on coach. They told me I could use it because I came into Chicago in a sleeper. I even got to go out to the train with the sleeper passengers. I like the Texas Eagle. I really like the lounge car. I don't understand why the City of New Orleans does not have the lounge car. I don't understand why the took it away. I am not crazy about the Cross Country Cafe. Makes the diner seem small. I think they need to go back to the old diner and put the lounge car back on the CONO.
The Texas Eagle train from Chicago back home to St Louis was a good trip. I sat in the lounge car for a lot of the trip. We had a few delays and came into the station about 15 minutes late. (not bad though) I was glad to see the train cross on the Merchants bridge and come into the city under the arch. I have not come across that bridge in 20 years. Although I think coming across the MacAuthur bridge gives a better view of the city.
Overall the trip was great for my first overnight trip. I met some really nice people and had a really good time. Travel by train just can't be beat. It does take longer, but you have to think of the train trip as part of the vacation, not travel time to get somewhere.
I can't wait for my next train trip. For my next trip I would like to Fly to Boston and then take the Acela to Washington and then a superliner back to St Louis.
I spent most of the layover in the Metropolitan Lounge. The lounge is really nice. I was able to get out my lap top and get on the internet and watch some DVD's to kill the time. The lounge was not overly crowded. There were plenty of seats
I was called to the train at about 7:15pm. I went to my roomette (5900 room 4). I set my stuff down and went straight to the Cross Country Cafe. I was seated with a man who was a professor at a medical school in Pittsburgh PA. I had the flat iron steak, baked potato, veggies and a dinner roll. The food was pretty good. I met the sleeping car attendant. He was not overly friendly. There was always coffee and juice. The restrooms were always clean, but he just acted like he had to be there. We pulled out of the station at exactly 8pm and I was eating before we got out of the city. I went back to my room and got out my GPS so I could track my route and check the speed of the train. It was nice knowing where I was all the time. The room was very comfortable. And i had no problem sleeping. I loved the rocking of the train and the horn. I set my alarm so I could be awake on arrival at Carbondale and as we crossed the Ohio at Cairo Illinois. I went back to sleep and woke at about 5am. We were just north of Memphis. We arrived in Memphis at about 530am and were there until 7:05am. They said because of track work near Jackson. The CONO timetable has changed. Arrival was pushed back to 4:17pm arrival. Timetables say 3:32pm. I was very impressed with the area near the Memphis station. Lots of new construction...looked like condos and apartments. It is really an impressive station. I went to breakfast while we were sitting there. I had the omelette, hash browns, sausage and biscuit. Again the food was good. We left the station at 7:05am. I noticed that a lot of the towns in Mississippi have done work making their stations look good. Especially Brookhaven Mississippi. There was a park neat the nice station. Looked like an old station that was rehabed. There were people eating and drinking on patios at resturants. We arrived early into New Orleans. We got there at about 3:45. It was a great trip.
The next day I was back on the City of New Orleans for my journy back to St. Louis. This trip I was in roomette 2. We boarded at about 1:15pm. The attendant on this leg was really good. He was very personable. (unlike of my fist leg) Since there is no lunch served on this train, I got a Subway sandwich and took on the train with me. The first class lounge (Magnolia Room) is not much to write about. It is a small room with about 10 chairs (only 4 are comfy type chairs) and a couple of small tables and some chairs around them. The chairs out in the general waiting area were just as good. They only had coffee and it was empty. One of the passengers made the coffee. The really are due for a rehab of that lounge. It is pretty bad. I spent most of my waiting time in the general waiting area. The train left right on time. I made my dinner reservation at 5:30 and set with a nice woman who was taking her young grandson on a train trip. We had a good dinner. I got the Angus burger. I wanted bacon on it (it says you can get it). they said they did not have bacon. (strange thing...no bacon for my burger, but the next morning they had bacon for breakfast) The angus burger was okay, not great. I wish you could get fries on the train instead of chips. After the meal I would have been better off with the flat iron steak again. I thought the trip ride was pretty smooth. I had heard that the tracks were rough in Mississippi. I went to bed at about 9:30pm I again had the GPS on and sat there watching DVD's until about 11pm. Don't think I woke up all night (maybe a couple of time). I had breakfast at 6am in Champaign Illinois. We were running ahead of schedule. Arrived in Chicago at 8:30am...30 minutes early.
I again headed to the Metropolitan Room to wait for the Texas Eagle train 321. I was shocked that I was able to use the lounge since I was leaving Chicago on coach. They told me I could use it because I came into Chicago in a sleeper. I even got to go out to the train with the sleeper passengers. I like the Texas Eagle. I really like the lounge car. I don't understand why the City of New Orleans does not have the lounge car. I don't understand why the took it away. I am not crazy about the Cross Country Cafe. Makes the diner seem small. I think they need to go back to the old diner and put the lounge car back on the CONO.
The Texas Eagle train from Chicago back home to St Louis was a good trip. I sat in the lounge car for a lot of the trip. We had a few delays and came into the station about 15 minutes late. (not bad though) I was glad to see the train cross on the Merchants bridge and come into the city under the arch. I have not come across that bridge in 20 years. Although I think coming across the MacAuthur bridge gives a better view of the city.
Overall the trip was great for my first overnight trip. I met some really nice people and had a really good time. Travel by train just can't be beat. It does take longer, but you have to think of the train trip as part of the vacation, not travel time to get somewhere.
I can't wait for my next train trip. For my next trip I would like to Fly to Boston and then take the Acela to Washington and then a superliner back to St Louis.
