Empire Builder Summer Blues Started Early this year

[RRUserious]

Great eating places in Chicago. You just have to have a Plan B.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I think the prediction of things improving is optimistic and iffy. They aren't doing the work for recreation. They want to increase traffic. On that line, I've heard optimism repeatedly. Meanwhile, the record gets worse. Realists should buy their ticket expecting the experience of the past or worse. There are always opportunities to bail if it gets intolerable. Till then, the time a trip takes falls in a range, it isn't just some constant.

And One should be very cautious about making same day connections thru CHI unless it is on one of the late trains!! My advice, if you have the time-enjoy a night on the town in Chicago and leave refreshed and relaxed the next day. I know many folks cannot afford the extra time or the money it costs to stay in one of America's last great cities, but if you can it is worth it!

Yes, Chicago is a great place, and since Amtrak is so expensive anyways, especially the EB, you might as well enjoy it if you can. Passing through anyway. I would be quite bored after three straight days on the train and would rather prefer an overnight stay.

 

[montana mike]

I see #8 heading east in WA this AM is already almost 4 hours behind, having left SEA very late yesterday evening--anyone know why it left so late?

 

[greatcats]

I second staying at the Hostelling International, Chicago. Recently I stayed in one of the private rooms for something like $89 or $94. The rooms have a double bed, with a single bunk overhead, a desk with a comfortable chair, and closet space. Several of these rooms share a " living room " type area with shared baths. Not plush, but reasonably comfortable. Having the complimentary breakfast among young international travelers is a highlight.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I second staying at the Hostelling International, Chicago. Recently I stayed in one of the private rooms for something like $89 or $94. The rooms have a double bed, with a single bunk overhead, a desk with a comfortable chair, and closet space. Several of these rooms share a " living room " type area with shared baths. Not plush, but reasonably comfortable. Having the complimentary breakfast among young international travelers is a highlight.

I must disgree. $89 is too much for that Hostel. Last time I stayed in Skokie for $75/night and it was quite good. Sure, I had to ride out of town, but who cares if you're a transport fan.

 

[greatcats]

OK, I see your point, but the location downtown is excellent. I like transport, too, but when I am staying in a city for the purpose of attending concerts and doing cultural activities, I prefer to be in a place where I can walk to the event, such as the Chicago Symphony.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

OK, I see your point, but the location downtown is excellent. I like transport, too, but when I am staying in a city for the purpose of attending concerts and doing cultural activities, I prefer to be in a place where I can walk to the event, such as the Chicago Symphony.

Ah, yes, I see your point. While I respect your opinion, I'm not very interested in concerts, so I don't really need to stay in the city. The difficult thing for me was that when I rode the Loop at night to see the lights, it took me forever to get back to my hotel in Skokie.

 

[Ispolkom]

So we're riding #8 tonight from Minot to St. Paul. I went down to the depot this afternoon to check our bags, and after the station master dealt with the couple in front of me (they had complex questions that involved the bucket pricing system, checked luggage and credit card acceptance policies, and they weren't even travelling tonight), I learned that not only is train at least 3 hours late, but that a 57 person bus group is boarding at Minot tonight. It's nice that it is a warm night tonight, as it doesn't look like there will be any room to sit inside the depot. I pity the station master if the bus group arrives for an on time departure.

 

[montana mike]

#8 is around 5 1/2 hours late, STILL in ND this AM--arrrgh. And this is the weekend too. It has "only" lost about 2 hours, so far, thru the maintenance zones. Looks like an arrival into CHI around or hopefully just before 9 PM tonight, assuming #8 makes up some time at MSP

 

[TraneMan]

So we're riding #8 tonight from Minot to St. Paul. I went down to the depot this afternoon to check our bags, and after the station master dealt with the couple in front of me (they had complex questions that involved the bucket pricing system, checked luggage and credit card acceptance policies, and they weren't even travelling tonight), I learned that not only is train at least 3 hours late, but that a 57 person bus group is boarding at Minot tonight. It's nice that it is a warm night tonight, as it doesn't look like there will be any room to sit inside the depot. I pity the station master if the bus group arrives for an on time departure.

Hope these 57 people are not going past CHI?

 

[yarrow]

8 heading to chi today seems to have dropped off the status map. julie still says a bit more than 4 hours late

 

[aurbo]

It seems todays (yesterday east of Minneapolis) 7 was hung up around Hillsboro, ND for little over an hour according to scanner reports, adding to the delay time it built up east. Looking at the forecast for a large amount of the hi-line, it will be well into the 90s through the week. Just to add heat slow orders to the mess that is already occurring. Yikes!

The 7 did catch a break last week. A northbound freight smacked into a mosquito spraying vehicle just south of the depot in Grand Forks about an hour after the EB westbound went through. Closed the line for several hours. http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/271255/

 

[RRUserious]

It seems todays (yesterday east of Minneapolis) 7 was hung up around Hillsboro, ND for little over an hour according to scanner reports, adding to the delay time it built up east. Looking at the forecast for a large amount of the hi-line, it will be well into the 90s through the week. Just to add heat slow orders to the mess that is already occurring. Yikes!
The 7 did catch a break last week. A northbound freight smacked into a mosquito spraying vehicle just south of the depot in Grand Forks about an hour after the EB westbound went through. Closed the line for several hours. http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/271255/

Something for rail passengers to hope for!!

 

[Ispolkom]

Not sure how far the bus group was going, but they were continuing past St. Paul, my destination today.

This was not one of the better Empire Builder trips I've been on. We lost 45 minutes at Grand Forks, waiting on a westbound freight, then continued at slow speed because of signaling problems. This of course delayed #7, which was waiting for us at a siding. We arrived in St. Paul at 12:30 pm, 5-1/2 hours late.

The poor on-time performance wasn't as big an issue as was the air conditioning. It wasn't functioning well anywhere on the train, though I noticed that the 830 sleeper was cooler than the 831 sleeper, where we were. On the other hand, one of 830's unoccupied bedrooms had a cracked window, and that whole car (at least in the corridors) smelled of sewage. No nasty smells in our roomette, but the temperature was 85+, about ambient temperature today.

The worst air conditioning issues, though, were in the dining car, which was a CCC. As we arrived in St. Paul, I heard an announcement that lunch and dinner would be boxed sandwiches because the kitchen had temps past 120 degrees, and that coach passengers were welcome to move to the 808 coach, which apparently had working air conditioning.

Given the poor mechanical condition of the cars on this train, I'm wondering if Amtrak isn't straining to keep up service on the Hi Line with equipment that's overdue for servicing.

The crew really tried to provide good service despite the poor hand they were dealt by the air conditioning, dining car failure, and faulty toilet venting. I doubt that Amtrak made any converts among first-time travelers, though. Me, I'm happy to be home.

 

[montana mike]

Sounds like the Empire Builder trip from Hell--wow!!! A CCC for a dining car on the EB--interesting. And no AC as well. I can see a lot of unhappy campers tonight when the EB finally arrives in CHI-town. Looking like it will be at least 6 hours late getting into CHI.

Bummer.

PS--#7 in MT is now 5 hours behind as well. All in all an absolutely miserable week for the EB in both on-time performance and overall service. :-((

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

This is getting really bad! Now 7 (24) is over 5 hours late, and 8 (23) is 6 hours late! At least those poor passengers on the latter train are in Columbus and almost arrived in Chicago.

Amtrak is going to be losing lots of vouchers for this one, passengers that pay $500 per-person to ride the EB, lose out on the Diner, and get stuck in a train with no AC that has sealed windows!

Those Superliners don't even have rooftop hatches, I don't know how they're gonna ventilate now.

 

[RRUserious]

Not sure how far the bus group was going, but they were continuing past St. Paul, my destination today.
This was not one of the better Empire Builder trips I've been on. We lost 45 minutes at Grand Forks, waiting on a westbound freight, then continued at slow speed because of signaling problems. This of course delayed #7, which was waiting for us at a siding. We arrived in St. Paul at 12:30 pm, 5-1/2 hours late.

The poor on-time performance wasn't as big an issue as was the air conditioning. It wasn't functioning well anywhere on the train, though I noticed that the 830 sleeper was cooler than the 831 sleeper, where we were. On the other hand, one of 830's unoccupied bedrooms had a cracked window, and that whole car (at least in the corridors) smelled of sewage. No nasty smells in our roomette, but the temperature was 85+, about ambient temperature today.

The worst air conditioning issues, though, were in the dining car, which was a CCC. As we arrived in St. Paul, I heard an announcement that lunch and dinner would be boxed sandwiches because the kitchen had temps past 120 degrees, and that coach passengers were welcome to move to the 808 coach, which apparently had working air conditioning.

Given the poor mechanical condition of the cars on this train, I'm wondering if Amtrak isn't straining to keep up service on the Hi Line with equipment that's overdue for servicing.

The crew really tried to provide good service despite the poor hand they were dealt by the air conditioning, dining car failure, and faulty toilet venting. I doubt that Amtrak made any converts among first-time travelers, though. Me, I'm happy to be home.

WTH? Carnival Cruise in charge of Empire Builder?

 

[yarrow]

sure sounds like a carnival cruise. the equipment problems can be laid at the feet of amtrak not bnsf (as can amtrak's silence about problems on the hi-line)

 

[ScottRu]

Gads. We're taking the EB from Chicago to Portland in November. Hope things have been cleared up by then.

 

[amamba]

I wonder if they did cobble together an extra consist and that is why the cars were in such bad shape for Ispolkom's trip. Does anyone know?

 

[montana mike]

I see #7 out of CHI this PM now has a service disruption in MKE?? Anyone know what happened?

:-(

 

[yarrow]

I see #7 out of CHI this PM now has a service disruption in MKE?? Anyone know what happened?:-(

this is what i heard. doesn't make much sense so it's probably true. 7 is running on time and will proceed as far as havre where it will be annulled. there is an air conditioning problem with at least some of the coaches which will be worked on at havre. from that point, buses will take pax west or they may overnight in havre and take the next eb westbound. what the roasting passengers are to do between now and havre i have no info

 

[NW cannonball]

Gads. We're taking the EB from Chicago to Portland in November. Hope things have been cleared up by then.

By November, at least the present heat wave in the Midwest should be over.

Reading Yarrow's post, it's hard to imagine trying to run the EB Milwaukee to Havre with even a few cars with non-working air conditioning this week. Much of that stretch has similar weather to what MSP has had the last couple days -- highs mid 90's lows at best near the dewpoint in mid-upper 70's at best, low 80's frequently. Heat index frequently in the low 100's. And that is outside the train. Inside there is more heat generated by all those human bodies, plus the electrical and mechanical systems. On India rail in the hot monsoon, at least the windows in the non-AC cars can be opened.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

7 (27) is fine now. It's in Tomah and still roughly on-time. No disruption.

The "bad boy" is 7 (23) which is 3:22 late. Again, this one was on-time up until FAR, when it went bad fast. No time has been made up, it's just gotten later and later. We'll see how it pans out this evening.

 

[Linda T]

I'm hoping the EB #8 will be doing better in three weeks when I'm on it. I don't mind the delays, as long as the connections remain guaranteed. SEA to CHI connecting to the #50 home.