This part copied from my post in the Amtrak Dining thread:
This is my second trip on the Texas Eagle from Dallas to Chicago. My last one was end of October last year. I was dreading the flex food because what I got last year wasn’t that great. I have to say that Yvette who is running the dining car did a great job preparing my ziti with meatballs meal. The roll was hot, the food wasn’t overcooked to the point of becoming hard and even the butter cake was served warm. I don’t know if me going to the dining care/cafe/whatever it is this time versus having it in my room made a difference or not but I was impressed.
The seating in this dining car was 10 tables with 3 being taken up by the crew but there were only 4 of us for the 530 dinner seating so it wasn’t an issue at all. The room from seat to table was MUCH more generous than the traditional dining seating for me last year. The tables kinda narrowed down slightly from the wall to the aisle. Was nice to not have my gut squished against the table.
Yvette came around and treated it like traditional dining and did a fantastic job. This dining experience was much better this time around than last year. Still look forward to proper dining on the Eaglette though.
After here is all new:
The crew on board the Eagle were fantastic. Always polite and never rude and answered all questions in a polite manner even if someone else already asked it. The temperature in my roomette stayed around 73f to 75f which is way too hot for my sleeping. The temperature dial moves it exactly 1f. There are Amazon lockers near Union Station Chicago thanks to todays world so I bought a fan on Amazon Monday for next day Tuesday when I would arrive. Forgot to bring memory cards for cameras so threw them in as well but overnighted them to make certain they were there by 3pm.
Our cars had some new seats in them, grey pleather, both sleepers and coaches:
Chicago Union Station will always impress me no matter how many times I pass through it. We were and hour and 20 minutes late at one point but they managed to make up an hour of it along the way. Lounge was actually rather full but I stashed my bags and headed to Amazon locker to get my cards that had arrived. Apparently I gave Amazon too much credit and my fan did not arrive until 15 minutes after departure. Got my memory cards at least.
Spent three hours walking around Chicago and managed to put in 8000 steps without even realizing it. I don’t know what it is but me using Google Maps and Chicago just don’t get along. I must be too old at 45 to use it because it seems like maps thinks I’m facing the exact opposite direction most of the time and there are times where I stop and my blue dot just keeps on wandering off the due of the map. Then when I think I got my bearings and start moving my blue dot is going the opposite direction. So I end up just wandering around and I can tell you that I stood out like a sore thumb. Everyone was dressed to the nines in their ultra fancy business casual or super suits. I’m walking around in sneakers, jean shorts, and a copper colored Carhartt shirt lol. Made it back to the station just in time to start boarding The Cardinal.
I’m still on it at Staunton VA as I post this since most of this trip doesnt have cell coverage for my hotspot. This crew will not be getting a tip from me at all unlike the Eagle crew that I was generous with. The sleeper attendant has been straight up annoyed almost the entire time with every passenger she has interacted with. She has accidentally laughed exactly twice and I have yet to see a smile. The dining attendant was understandably frazzled handling food duties for the 4 coach cars and 2 sleepers in this consist on her own So I may at least give her a tip for her efforts.
This is my first time in a Viewliner and its the VL2. This roomette is in my opinion a far step up from any Superliner roomette. Number 1 IT ACTUALLY HAS WORKING AC THAT I CONTROL! For the first time on 6 Amtrak trains I can actually be at a comfortable temperature. The thermostat comes off and on and I can’t figure out what system actually controls it. Last night I set the temp to 64F to go to sleep And the air vents in front of the windows, that blow real actual air mind you unlike the decorative ones on the Superliners, came out at 64f. I was curious and dropped it to 60F and was shocked when the air coming out also dropped to 60F. I couldn’t get it any lower. Last night was the first time I ever used an Amtrak blanket versus sleeping nearly nude and sweating to sleep. Best sleep ever on an Amtrak trip.
The showers are freakin huge. I’m 6’2” 330 lbs and fit comfortably in the shower for the roomettes with room to maneuver. The roomette itself I also think is better. The extra height is really nice. It is a bit wider as I can actually sit on the bed in front of the door and have several inches of space to move around to get shoes off, stand up and such. The shelves on side were nice as well to have a spot for my stuff that wasn’t the upper bunk or other chair. The sink is also nice to brush my teeth and not bend in at a stupid angle to spit out into it unlike the bathroom sinks that are blocked by the overhead mirror. No more long extension cord needed since there are two outlets on each side of the roomette, way better to plug my CPAP in and not have to deal with cord issues. That overhead storage cubby actually fit my 28inch rolling luggage perfectly. I think they did a good job with it. One downside is that the curtains don’t block out enough light for me.
I’m on the “north” side or left side of the train and I gotta say there aint much to see aside a mile or two of a rather nice river called New RIver? I think before it meanders to the right or “south” side of the train For several more miles it seems. Staunton was our first fresh air/smoke break since leaving DC And the only one we get I think.
Our consist is engine, 4 coaches, cafe, 2 sleepers. That seems rather long for Amtrak as of late doesn’t it Or am I just too used to the Eaglette with 4 total?
Cant wait to hit DC later today!
Oh and did I mention MY ROOMETTE WAS FINALLY LOWER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SUN!!
Just gonna add posts to this thread as I wander around DC for 9 days Instead of updating this one.
And we are stopped to let a freight train pass while I lose cell signal to post this. I wonder if the Amtrak Wi-Fi actually works?
EDIT: It didn’t.
This is my second trip on the Texas Eagle from Dallas to Chicago. My last one was end of October last year. I was dreading the flex food because what I got last year wasn’t that great. I have to say that Yvette who is running the dining car did a great job preparing my ziti with meatballs meal. The roll was hot, the food wasn’t overcooked to the point of becoming hard and even the butter cake was served warm. I don’t know if me going to the dining care/cafe/whatever it is this time versus having it in my room made a difference or not but I was impressed.
The seating in this dining car was 10 tables with 3 being taken up by the crew but there were only 4 of us for the 530 dinner seating so it wasn’t an issue at all. The room from seat to table was MUCH more generous than the traditional dining seating for me last year. The tables kinda narrowed down slightly from the wall to the aisle. Was nice to not have my gut squished against the table.
Yvette came around and treated it like traditional dining and did a fantastic job. This dining experience was much better this time around than last year. Still look forward to proper dining on the Eaglette though.
After here is all new:
The crew on board the Eagle were fantastic. Always polite and never rude and answered all questions in a polite manner even if someone else already asked it. The temperature in my roomette stayed around 73f to 75f which is way too hot for my sleeping. The temperature dial moves it exactly 1f. There are Amazon lockers near Union Station Chicago thanks to todays world so I bought a fan on Amazon Monday for next day Tuesday when I would arrive. Forgot to bring memory cards for cameras so threw them in as well but overnighted them to make certain they were there by 3pm.
Our cars had some new seats in them, grey pleather, both sleepers and coaches:
Chicago Union Station will always impress me no matter how many times I pass through it. We were and hour and 20 minutes late at one point but they managed to make up an hour of it along the way. Lounge was actually rather full but I stashed my bags and headed to Amazon locker to get my cards that had arrived. Apparently I gave Amazon too much credit and my fan did not arrive until 15 minutes after departure. Got my memory cards at least.
Spent three hours walking around Chicago and managed to put in 8000 steps without even realizing it. I don’t know what it is but me using Google Maps and Chicago just don’t get along. I must be too old at 45 to use it because it seems like maps thinks I’m facing the exact opposite direction most of the time and there are times where I stop and my blue dot just keeps on wandering off the due of the map. Then when I think I got my bearings and start moving my blue dot is going the opposite direction. So I end up just wandering around and I can tell you that I stood out like a sore thumb. Everyone was dressed to the nines in their ultra fancy business casual or super suits. I’m walking around in sneakers, jean shorts, and a copper colored Carhartt shirt lol. Made it back to the station just in time to start boarding The Cardinal.
I’m still on it at Staunton VA as I post this since most of this trip doesnt have cell coverage for my hotspot. This crew will not be getting a tip from me at all unlike the Eagle crew that I was generous with. The sleeper attendant has been straight up annoyed almost the entire time with every passenger she has interacted with. She has accidentally laughed exactly twice and I have yet to see a smile. The dining attendant was understandably frazzled handling food duties for the 4 coach cars and 2 sleepers in this consist on her own So I may at least give her a tip for her efforts.
This is my first time in a Viewliner and its the VL2. This roomette is in my opinion a far step up from any Superliner roomette. Number 1 IT ACTUALLY HAS WORKING AC THAT I CONTROL! For the first time on 6 Amtrak trains I can actually be at a comfortable temperature. The thermostat comes off and on and I can’t figure out what system actually controls it. Last night I set the temp to 64F to go to sleep And the air vents in front of the windows, that blow real actual air mind you unlike the decorative ones on the Superliners, came out at 64f. I was curious and dropped it to 60F and was shocked when the air coming out also dropped to 60F. I couldn’t get it any lower. Last night was the first time I ever used an Amtrak blanket versus sleeping nearly nude and sweating to sleep. Best sleep ever on an Amtrak trip.
The showers are freakin huge. I’m 6’2” 330 lbs and fit comfortably in the shower for the roomettes with room to maneuver. The roomette itself I also think is better. The extra height is really nice. It is a bit wider as I can actually sit on the bed in front of the door and have several inches of space to move around to get shoes off, stand up and such. The shelves on side were nice as well to have a spot for my stuff that wasn’t the upper bunk or other chair. The sink is also nice to brush my teeth and not bend in at a stupid angle to spit out into it unlike the bathroom sinks that are blocked by the overhead mirror. No more long extension cord needed since there are two outlets on each side of the roomette, way better to plug my CPAP in and not have to deal with cord issues. That overhead storage cubby actually fit my 28inch rolling luggage perfectly. I think they did a good job with it. One downside is that the curtains don’t block out enough light for me.
I’m on the “north” side or left side of the train and I gotta say there aint much to see aside a mile or two of a rather nice river called New RIver? I think before it meanders to the right or “south” side of the train For several more miles it seems. Staunton was our first fresh air/smoke break since leaving DC And the only one we get I think.
Our consist is engine, 4 coaches, cafe, 2 sleepers. That seems rather long for Amtrak as of late doesn’t it Or am I just too used to the Eaglette with 4 total?
Cant wait to hit DC later today!
Oh and did I mention MY ROOMETTE WAS FINALLY LOWER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SUN!!
Just gonna add posts to this thread as I wander around DC for 9 days Instead of updating this one.
And we are stopped to let a freight train pass while I lose cell signal to post this. I wonder if the Amtrak Wi-Fi actually works?
EDIT: It didn’t.
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