Thank you for your suggestions. It's my sister's first time on Amtrak but it's my.... who knows...over 20 years of riding.... I was just mainly confused about why the site wasn't showing NOR as the southern terminus.
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It's NOL, not NOR
I wonder if Baltimore would be closer for her than Wilmington. Not that I don't think Wilmington is a great station (it's my home station).
Yes, we won't be in Oklahoma. LOL!!! I was looking to see if Baltimore was closer. But no, that annoying water in the way causes it to be father and more expensive. I have only gone into WIL once myself and I remember it wasn't bad, but my home station of CLE isn't anything to write home about. LOL!
Rasputin: So glad to see someone else invoke the name W. Graham Claytor, Jr. He was, indeed, my railroad idol and would be so, so unhappy at the current operating status of "his" train. I had the rare opportunity of meeting Mr. Claytor twice: once as a passenger on the Crescent; and a second time when he attended a court hearing in Palatka FL when Putnam County Florida hauled Amtrak into court there for dumping waste on a couple of fishermen in the St. John's River.
Yeah that little bit of water
does get in the way, I imagine. I haven't crossed it in a long time. I do occasionally cross the mouth of the big river that feeds it, though.I don’t know, if this is her first experience, maybe it should not be the Crescent, I was so disappointed the last time I rode it in 2021, I’d rather ride in a car all the way to NJ and I hate long car rides with a passion.
cassie225: With all due respect to Amtrak and with service levels on some, most, or even all long distance trains at what may be a 50+ year low point, what train should one be recommending to a new rider? Is there one out there that experiencing the least service issues? Maybe some of the regular forum contributors have an opinion. I don't know.
I would have loved to start out of CLE and go west but she just did the drive here twice so it's my turn to go over there. And again, time constraints for her so the extra day to come west for her doesn't work right now. If she didn't hate Florida we would have probably taken the Silver South. No one wants to go North in Feb so that leaves the Crescent. I can only hope things improve over the next 6 months.
Maybe because my first train ride was on the Crescent and that was coach and it was fabulous, I packed chicken, pound cake, snacks and the attendant was awesome as I had my disabled daughter with me, then I found out about the sleepers and those experiences were awesome and great and now to have the Crescent just be like it is, maybe I’m a wee bit jealous of the western routes, lol, I can’t brag on my Crescent anymore, lol,if you and your sister are close you both will probably just enjoy the time together. Have a great trip
west point
Engineer
Something is happening south of ATL 19 & 20 running close to schedule last 2 weeks. The 3 major potential delay locations are not causing as many prroblems. MEI where KCS speedway joins: BHM = CSX both in and out of starion. & ATL at CSX Howell CP.
20th Century Rider
Engineer
Amtrak is simply going in the wrong direction!
The Crescent never had a separate cafe car and lounge car. It has always been just one car.
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Are sleeping car and?or coach passengers allowed to spend leisure time in the cafe car or only when they are actively eating? My impression is that on the Crescent you see a lot of the inside of your room.
My recollection is that about 8 or 10 years ago on the Crescent, my son and I, after dinner in the dining car, spent several hours in conversation in the cafe car. I am not sure that we would be allowed to occupy the cafe car in a similar manner today. (Unless I suppose we were disguised as crew members and then of course there would be no limitations.)
20th Century Rider
Engineer
In retrospect, it was more about... what shall we dine on before retiring to our stateroom for the evening 
Wasn't that the same incident that led to a ban on dump toilets?
That was the beginning of that, yes. I couldn't even imagine..... >_<
The incident to which I referred in Palatka FL I think was 30+ years ago in December 1989. Amtrak was found guilty of "commercial littering", but how this incident played in future issues of waste dumping is unknown to me. I only remember the incident because it was big news locally (I lived in Daytona Beach FL at the time) and I attended one day of the trial.
Yep, this was the incident:
http://corridorrail.com/u-s-amtrak-...ush-toilet-when-train-is-standing-in-station/[I was trying to recall if the particular incident had been a few years later.]
Anderson: Trying to stay on point of this thread, but thank you for referencing the above link with all those details. Yes, I was there (not on the specific day of the incident) as Buffalo Bluff Creek trestle on the St. John's River was a favorite place of mine to watch Amtrak (from my truck on land)--especially the Meteor. I can remember several instances for months after the incident: if you had a scanner tuned to Amtrak road channel when the Meteor passed over the trestle, you might hear the crew "bombs away!!".
Is the Cresent 19 Train going south to Birmingham cleaned in Washington DC?
mackinaw chief
Train Attendant
New Orleans union passenger terminal is quite clean. Safe and the only Amtrak station that I know that has a casino behind closed doors in the subway restaurant. That lady whom works for Amtrak there is a sweetheart. Be warned there is a imposter taxi that poaches rides and you take your belongings at risk putting them in his trunk. He claims he has no key so you have to tear apart the rear seat to get your bags out . he only takes cash. Just wish they could get rid of the humidity there. Try breathing through a hot soaked sponge.
No. It just makes a brief stop in Washington. The train originates in New York.
Thank you jimdex for the info on cleaning the Cresent in DC. The reason I asked is I am planning on getting a roomette on the Cresent 19 from DC to Birmingham and worried about the smell of the in room toilet! lol. Of course going back to DC may be a problem too. Has anyone experienced this?
If there's a smell, it probably isn't just your toilet, the car's sewage system is probably to blame.
While I mostly travel on Superliners, I have ridden roomettes in Viewliner Is quite a bit, too. I've never had a problem with odor coming from the in room toilet. If things were smelly, most of the car was.
The room should be fully refreshed and cleaned by the attendant during room turnover if there was a previous occupant before you boarded. They also should do a light clean in the morning, but my experience is if there was any "residue" in the bowl then it stayed there.
One hint for the vacuum toilets on any Amtrak or VIA train. Line the bowl with TP before number 2. That way everything lands on the TP and will get sucked entirely out with the vacuum flush.
Not that many people book roomettes between NYC and DC, so if you are getting on in DC, you will likely be the first person to occupy that room since it was cleaned in New York. Since roomettes are primarily used for overnight travel, it's also likely that when you get on the train in Birmingham, you will be the first person to occupy that room since it was cleaned in New Orleans.
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