First trip in 4 days, MEM-CHI-ABQ, advice on what to expect?

[rosewood]

Check your only plugin when you enter your roomette for your CPAP use. Mine was not usable at all unless the plugin was taped in place . Use the showers they are of good size, clean and lots of hot water.

 

[sgtrock]

Hello all,

Sorry for delays, been hectic the last couple days getting ready. We are waiting now for the train to arrive. Looking forward to the trip.

Bad news -- in the rush I didn't adequately check the weather in Chicago (did a few days ago but not since) and we are unprepared for a blizzard. I'm wearing thin socks and low loose shoes for train comfort! My wife at least has waterproof boots. If I'd checked I would have grabbed wool socks and combat boots but I was trying to avoid overpacking.

So our plans of walking around downtown may have just gone up in smoke. We'll try to catch a cab to Giordanos if we can without getting frozen in slush otherwise we may be stuck in the lounge the whole time. Unless they sell some rubber boots for ridiculous prices at Union Station.

Any tips on how to deal with it tomorrow morning?

Otherwise we are really looking forward to the whole trip. Thanks to everyone for their advice and I'll be sure to post some feedback after our trip.

 

[greatcats]

You may want to just hang out in Union Station. Plenty of places to eat and the Great Hall has something to say for it. Present lounge not fabulous, but reasonably comfortable. I am about to drive home to Flagstaff from Winslow, AZ, having had a fine dinner at La Posada Hotel. Just observed your train, #3, which arrived almost 15 minutes early. 7 car consist, which is minus 1 regular sleeper. Enjoy your adventure.

 

[SarahZ]

No, Union Station does not have a footwear shop. There is a Wal-Mart near the station, maybe a block or two away, but I don't know that I'd want to buy boots only to lug them around for the rest of the trip. :unsure:

You could always take a cab wherever you'd like to go, or you could try the buses for traveling around downtown. Both options involve minimal walking, and you'd still be able to see some of the city. I'd much rather do that than spend my day sitting in the lounge. You'll be in one of the most beautiful cities in the world; it would be a shame to miss it completely.

 

[Skyline]

sgtrock,

When I layover in CHI I sometimes walk or take a quick cab ride to Water Tower Place on N. Michigan, under three miles from Union Station. It is a huge, partly upscale urban shopping destination with at least 15 restaurants ranging from fast food to fine dining and everything in between. Over 100 tenants, a few of which will help you happily kill time.

Training with a backpack instead of luggage is something I've done for a couple decades. But it's got to be the right pack--roomy but not bulky, and it should carry well.

BTW, are you the same sgtrock of the Appalachian Trail and Benton Mackaye Trail? If you are....we used to "spar" on whiteblaze-dot-net. Hope you enjoy the rails.

Skyline

 

[greatcats]

Greatcats here again in Arizona - I see that your Train 58 left Memphis on time. Hope all goes well. I certainly agree with Sarah that you don't really want to spend several hours in the Lounge. It could be worse, but you will need to have something to read. If it is really messy, you may not want to venture out, but here is a low key activity for you, several blocks east of Union Station: The Harold Washington Library. This is a beautiful facility, worth a look or browse. A few years ago, my friend and I walked in and were treated to a wonderful noontime piano recital in the recital hall bu a young man who must have been about 12. Plenty of restaurants in the area.

 

[NW cannonball]

Hello all,

Sorry for delays, been hectic the last couple days getting ready. We are waiting now for the train to arrive. Looking forward to the trip.

Bad news -- in the rush I didn't adequately check the weather in Chicago (did a few days ago but not since) and we are unprepared for a blizzard. I'm wearing thin socks and low loose shoes for train comfort! My wife at least has waterproof boots. If I'd checked I would have grabbed wool socks and combat boots but I was trying to avoid overpacking.

So our plans of walking around downtown may have just gone up in smoke. We'll try to catch a cab to Giordanos if we can without getting frozen in slush otherwise we may be stuck in the lounge the whole time. Unless they sell some rubber boots for ridiculous prices at Union Station.

Any tips on how to deal with it tomorrow morning?

Otherwise we are really looking forward to the whole trip. Thanks to everyone for their advice and I'll be sure to post some feedback after our trip.

Thanks, yes we really try to help, but it seems Old Man Winter hit Chi Town again - it happens a lot.

Please do post how your trip went, there's dozens here who want to know how you got along

 

[Eric308]

Hope you were able to get out and about in Chicago. At least you'll have perfect weather in Albuquerque through the weekend....Sunny and low 70's! Have fun.

 

[tomfuller]

There's a Walgreen's about 2 blocks east on Jackson Blvd. I'm pretty sure you can get a pair of heavy socks and maybe some snacks to take on the SWC.

 

[sgtrock]

Howdy all just checking back in. Arrived in Chicago on time and it was pretty ugly coming in but downtown looks like nothing happened. Snow only visible occasionally and only in green spaces. Ground dry. Beautiful and clear skies! We were able to walk all the way to Millennium Park and back to stretch our legs and had absolutely no issues.

Regarding the train from Memphis, it was very difficult to sleep but we figure we aren't used to the sleeping while moving like that. Very cramped since we had two good size backpacks in the room with us that just barely fit between the bed and door. Also when we put the seats up this morning and pulled the table out it had apparently been cleaned with toilet sanitizer? It smelled very strongly of the bathroom chemicals which was off putting. And boarding in line next to people taking a smoke break when my wife has some breathing issues was not pleasant. But overall we are happy to be here and looking forward to the next leg. My wife is really excited about the whole trip.

greatcats -- thanks for all the info, glad to hear it is running fast.

Skyline -- nope sorry different person.

Tom -- pretty sure I coincidentally went there a couple hours ago to get sudafed to help us with the cold.

BTW lesson learned for anyone else starting out -- if stopping at a layover with different weather consider packing winter clothes in checked baggage and checking it to the layover then rechecking before the next leg. Reduces what you have to carry on. When I asked amtrak in the phone I was told it would be checked all the way with no access but that is not the only option. Give yourself more flexibility this way.

 

[greatcats]

Glad to hear Chicago is pleasant and passable. I seldom sleep well the first night out on a train. You must be in the lounge awaiting your departure. I will be keeping tabs on it. Hope you have s good crew. They are out there.

 

[crescent2]

How did you like the Great Hall? We spent more time in there than in the lounge. We also had enough time to see some of the city, and the weather was very nice when we were there. Enjoy the rest of your trip!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Sounds like you had a nice experience thus far. To me almost everything on the train has the scent of Amtrak potpourri, which to the best of my understanding is nothing more than a mix of chemical detergent and commercial cleaning fragrance. I'm not crazy about it but I guess I've become accustomed to it over the years and some folks apparently love it. Go figure.

 

[me_little_me]

BTW lesson learned for anyone else starting out -- if stopping at a layover with different weather consider packing winter clothes in checked baggage and checking it to the layover then rechecking before the next leg. Reduces what you have to carry on. When I asked amtrak in the phone I was told it would be checked all the way with no access but that is not the only option. Give yourself more flexibility this way.

Not always a good idea. If you are late and might miss the continuing train, Amtrak might reroute you via bus or van to a different pickup point. Then your stuff will sit in that intermediate city until you pay to ship it or Amtrak disposes of it.

 

[HenryK]

Please, I repeat, PLEASE write about your first-time Amtrak experience, don't hesitate to include ALL the negatives, but do let all of us know how it all worked out for you. ESPECIALLY what you really liked, what impressed you and if you'd do another Long Distance trip on Amtrak.

I second the motion! New riders often experience things veterans either miss or never think about.

 

[Sauve850]

Most everyone sleeps well on the second night of travel. Mostly because not many of us get much sleep on the first night

 

[greatcats]

11am Mountain Time. Greetings from Sunset Crater Volcano. Out on the trail greeting visitors. It is a beautiful springlike day in the Southwest. I see that your SWC. Just departed Raton on time. Keep your face to the window!

 

[sgtrock]

Hello everyone,

Well we are back from our trip and I see there were some requests for my thoughts on the trip, so I'll give what I can recall.

Outbound

We departed Memphis on the 10:40PM train #58 and found the bed already put down. We were in the downstairs, car 5800 room 13. Attendant was friendly. But having the bed put down made it hard for us to move around, as we had two backpacks, a purse, and a CPAP to deal with as well. We ended up putting the two backpacks side by side on the floor between the bed and door, but this meant getting up and out was very difficult because we had no place to put our feet. No dinner was served due to the time. I slept (sort of, not really) on the top bunk and my wife on the bottom. Thanks for the suggestion on the 6' extension cord, that was a must! Train seemed clean but really it was an overnight hotel crash and our first time on a train, so it was simultaneously fun and extremely frustrating and sleepless.

We arrived in Chicago on time at 9AM. I think there was a light continental breakfast on the train but we skipped it. Chicago was beautiful -- no snow so we walked about 4 miles down up and down streets to the park and back. We ate lunch at Giordano's and it was incredible. Highly recommended to anyone who has a layover. If you want what is in the pic be sure to specifically ask them to make one of their deep dish pizzas -- they push the quick lunch specials during lunchtime because most people don't have 45 minutes to wait just for their pizza to cook. But if you have the time it's totally worth it. Their tiramisu was amazing as well, it crumbled and melted in our mouths.

We departed Chicago on time at 3PM on Southwest Chief #3, car #340 room #18. Upstairs! After this one we are hooked on upstairs! The train was clean and we actually shared the car with the crew -- transition sleeper I think it's called? Short trip to the dining car where we had our first dinner on a train. I had the steak and it was meh at best (it seemed like an overly-well-done grey lump of sirloin even though it was supposedly a medium flat-iron steak) but we had a nice conversation with a retired mechanical engineer. Slept better that night. Had breakfast and lunch the next day, met a guy traveling cross-country because he was afraid to fly, spent some time in the afternoon in the observation car and then spent the rest of the time in our roomette before and after dinner. Arrived in Albuquerque the next day right about at 3:45PM after breakfast and lunch again.

The bad part was that in Chicago a family moved into the roomette right in front of us, and they put their two small kids in the roomette across the hall. The father/boyfriend/whatever spent the whole time snapping and barking at the kids and the wife/girlfriend, and we got to enjoy eavesdropping him griping at everyone for several hours. Also, letting their kids watch a Disney movie loudly for a while. In hindsight I should have spoken to the attendant who was just a few doors away but after 11PM or so it finally quieted down so we just left it alone.

Return Trip

We departed Albuquerque at 12:10PM on the Southwest Chief #4, car #431 room #4 -- upstairs again! This time our experience tanked hard. The food was not very good and about halfway through the trip someone apparently had a bowel dysfunction in the toilet just down the hall from us and decided to leave brown smudges all along the stair rail and wall all the way to the downstairs. I don't want to point fingers but the only family we saw downstairs was an Amish couple, but who knows? Dinner was frustrating because a group from coach decided to sit next to us and proceeded to get completely drunk, and my wife later pointed out that one of them almost threw up at the table. But at least we could enjoy lunch the next day -- until that same group sat a couple seats away from us and proceeded to throw back rum-and-coke like it was water. And a frat-boy group from coach sat next to us and did the same, drinking and being loud. But despite those problems, I asked for the steak again and it was amazingly good. Seriously, it was a perfect medium-to-medium-rare (and I don't even like medium rare but it was delicious) with a singed outer crust. Seriously, this was an incredible steak, very happy with it. But that was a rare bright spot in the otherwise somewhat-crappy experience.

And oh yeah, there was some really horribly bad bumpy track in western Kansas, really freaked people out... (yeah I know about the derailment, it happened a few days after we went through there on the same train!)

We got into Chicago on time at 3:15PM and after walking around a bit ate dinner at Al's Italian Beef. I wanted the "Chicago experience" so I got the combo which had Italian beef and sausage with both sweet and hot peppers. Which is apparently a gradually acquired taste and it made me kind of sick afterwards unfortunately. Not horrible just not my idea of delicious food. But I finally got some real Chicago pizza and real Chicago beef sandwich so that's crossed off my list now.

Departed Chicago to Memphis on the New Orleans #59 (car #5900 room #4 - upstairs again!) at 8:05PM just about dead on time. Dinner was served in one seating for the whole train due to the departure time, which was OK since there were only a few cars. We were the first ones in the dining car because I had a hunch we should get in early and our car attendant told us we should go ahead even though we weren't sure if an announcement had been made. Turned out we got there early and surprised the dining attendant but he told us to go ahead and sit, and our sleeper attendant came through and it became clear from the laughing and picking that the sleeper attendant sent us on just to mess with the dining attendant. But it was cool because he took good care of us. He was run ragged and I started chatting him up and he stated that he was the only one working the dining car for the whole trip -- he would handle seating, serving, cooking, everything all on his own all the way to New Orleans! That was shocking but made sense when we considered the Amtrak financial difficulties in the news lately. I asked him what food would be easiest to cook to not take much time and he said not to worry and pick whatever we wanted, so we did, and we had food on our table in literally five minutes! He even told a couple more groups who came in a few minutes later that there would be up to a 45 minute wait for them but he had food on their tables in under ten minutes. We asked if we could just get dessert at the end to take back to our rooms and he told us to go on and he would bring it to us -- and 10 minutes later he knocked on our door and handed us desserts with spoons and everything.

On this leg the top bunk was made up facing the opposite direction as the lower bunk, and for the first time I could actually get onto the top bunk properly without twisting myself into a pretzel. Seriously, if you plan to sleep on the top bunk be sure to ask it be made up so the head is away from the side with the step. The bunk instructions clearly state this is how you are supposed to get up there. With the wrong configuration (where the pillow is on the side with the step) I found it to be honestly very dangerous trying to get up there while the train is bouncing around, because you have to twist your body around with your feet behind you on this tiny ledge and someone could easily be thrown off balance and fall. Plus in the correct position my head was no longer towards the front of the train so I didn't feel like I was hurtling head-first into darkness and I slept far better than I had any other night on the train. The beds are thin and hard but this was actually very comfortable and relaxing for a change. If/when we ride again I will absolutely ensure I sleep in that configuration, it's so much better than the other direction.

We arrived in Memphis about 70-90 minutes late due to the flooding that was happenning, as the train was required to slow down and watch for hazards. Got the luggage in a few minutes and got into one of the cabs that was waiting at the station and went to pick up our car. We had left our car at the Republic Parking on 250 Peabody Place and it was completely untouched after being there for 12 days. Honestly we expected something to happen to it. But when we picked it up we noticed that, being on the 4th floor, we coincidentally shared that parking space with about 12-15 police cruisers that patrolled the downtown area apparently, so I guess it worked out well after all. (when we dropped the car off two weeks before, there was an LA Lakers game about to start right across the street, so it was pandemonium and we almost couldn't get a parking spot in the only garage that offered overnight parking in the area!) But of course the garage computer ate our ticket and it took 90 minutes and a trip to the ATM in the rain to get cash to pay the attendant, which messed up our schedule for our return trip, but everything worked out OK in the end.

Summary

Memphis -> Chicago was a pain in the butt, uncomfortable and noisy and no food and hard to sleep. Chicago -> Albuquerque was beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing. (other than the grumpy family)

Conversely, Albuquerque -> Chicago was nasty and not relaxing, yet Chicago -> Memphis was very relaxing and enjoyable.

Also, we way overpacked for the trip, but there were a lot of unknowns since it was our first time on a train cross-country. We did not shower, but we did clean up in the bathrooms and used baby wipes once. And I'm honestly shocked that the "cup holders" in the roomettes are so shallow -- given how bumpy the ride can get I'm surprised we didn't have coffee dumped into our laps more than once. We intentionally only filled the tiny cups about 2/3 full to try and make them more bottom-heavy and just made more frequent refill trips, so maybe that helped.

Finally, we found the upstairs to be more comfortable and even a bit more roomy than the downstairs. Maybe it was just our imagination. But there is a definite feeling of more space in the Southwest Chief than in the New Orleans, because the SWC doesn't have the "closet" it just has a hanger with a belt. This means there isn't a wall right next to your head like there is on the CONO. So it definitely has more elbow room than the CONO.

BUT -- if you are in the upstairs be prepared for a lot more swaying -- so much so that my wife had a bruise on her arm from the CHI-ABQ trip that was still there when we pulled into Memphis some 12 days later! She got banged up pretty badly in a couple spots, but they were just bruises nothing major so she wasn't worried about it and it didn't dissuade her from wanting to go again. But it is something people need to be aware of. Upstairs was a lot smoother and more comfortable in our opinion than downstairs, less track noise and it just seemed to be a smoother ride, but it sways far more than the bottom and you can be thrown suddenly from one side of the hall to the other. There were times I was almost thrown into someone's room where they had the curtain pulled but not the door, and other times I was definitely knocked sideways into someone's door.

All this makes it sound incredibly violent but it's not really, its just a hazard to be aware of. I could definitely see someone older or someone with stability problems having some potentially serious issues from it.

All in all we enjoyed the experience, it was an adventure to say the least, and we were shocked and horrified to find out about the derailment just five days or so after we returned. But we have also discussed taking a train back to Chicago just to spend time checking out the museums there since we didn't have time on this trip, or taking the Empire Builder out to the Dakotas area. So we definitely want to travel by train again. We'll just pack a bit lighter and relax a bit more next time.

Thanks to everyone who gave us tips and feedback before the trip, your ideas were invaluable. Hope this feedback helps someone else planning a trip!

 

[oregon pioneer]

Wonderful summary, so glad the experience was overall positive!

 

[Eric308]

sgtrock....nice review! You surely covered everything and sound like a real trouper (your wife as well)! Glad to hear that you weren't totally soured on your experience and are already planning another train trip. Good idea about the Empire Builder...I also suggest that you at least continue past North Dakota and maybe stop off near Glacier Park and/or Whitefish, Montana. Better yet, just stay on to either Portland or Seattle. I'm heading out on the EB next week via Portland, and then riding the Cascades up to Seattle to catch the EB back home. I do this loop at least once a year and never tire of it. Again, glad you guys had fun and thanks for the great trip report.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Thanks for sharing your adventure with us!

FYI- There are 2 types of Superliner Sleepers, I (1970s)and II(1980s). The Is have the tiny enclosed closet in tbe Roomettes that are mostly useless. The newer IIs ( 80s)have the open wall configuration that makes the Roomettes feel spaceier.

Most of the Is have been rehabbed in Beech Grove and have digital lighting and controls, a much improved Shower and Bathrooms, and faux wood paneling that makes them look lots better than the old worn out blue carpet in the unrehabbed ones.

Instead of riding to Chicago again, have y'all discussed riding the City to New Orleans, spend a couple of days/nights, then take the Crescent to Washington or New York, both great Cities in which to visit?

The Crescent, a Single Level equipped Train, has Viewliner Sleepers and you'll find the Roomettes about 100% more comfortable than Superliner Roomettes.

 

[Manny T]

Thank you Stg. Rock for your trip report. I related to a lot of it and certainly one pet peeve of mine--the people who book multiple roomettes, keep the doors open at all times, and then treat the corridor as private space for chatting, shouting, yelling and generally conversing as if no-one else was around. You arrived at the best and only solution, and it is NOT always successful--asking the SCA to speak to the parties involved. In general I find that people in sleepers do NOT treat the space as a Quiet Car (even after "lights out") because it's not designated as such--perhaps it should be--but in any case, people should know that other people are trying to rest/relax/sleep in their accommodations, and that speaking across the aisle is likely to disturb them.

My advice for dinner on the CONO departing Chicago 8:05 PM is to have an early dinner in Chicago before boarding, or to acquire take-out and bring it aboard. Avoids the somewhat difficult single seating in the dining car that you described so well.

I totally agree that for people who can climb the stairs, the upper level of a Superliner is a better place to be. Just ignore everything that goes on down below. It's similar to why people always head to the top level in a double-decker bus, life is better up there.

In sum, you had so many train-worthy experiences that I predict you will be very well prepared for your next Amtrak journey! Thanks again for your report.

 

[neroden]

Thanks for the report. Amtrak can be so inconsistent... I'm glad three of the four legs were pleasant enough.