LSL 48 (28)

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Currently around 6 hours behind (I'm on it as we speak). Right now between CLE and Erie and Wi-Fi is thankfully working for now. They gave us coach pax beef stew with mashed potatoes (lot of potatoes, little beef). Looks like a post midnite arrival into NYP. I still have to catch a NJT back to Jersey and then drive back to Philly! I got rare photos of CLE's station in daylight. I'll post them when I get home. I want to save my phone's power.

Update: 6:05pm into SYR

 

[zephyr17]

Congratulations, you are now officially a veteran Amtrak long distance train rider! You've been on a train where they've had to break out the beef stew

 

[railiner]

Congratulations, you are now officially a veteran Amtrak long distance train rider! You've been on a train where they've had to break out the beef stew

Ah yes, I remember it well....years ago, when the trains were seriously delayed into an extra meal period, they ordered up "the panic boxes" to be catered by some downline fast food...usually a KFC.

 

[Skyline]

Congratulations, you are now officially a veteran Amtrak long distance train rider! You've been on a train where they've had to break out the beef stew

Other veterans get hard boiled eggs for breakfast and KFC for dinner.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

KFC? Works for me!

 

[Bob Dylan]

In the past I've had Subway,KFC,Pizza in the Diner and more recently the AMStew on Rice when on extremely Late LD Trains.

 

[willem]

Ouch. Any reason why the train departed Chicago over three hours late?

By the way, the Empire Builder that arrived in Chicago 4.5 hours late yesterday broke out the Amstew near Portage. A car attendant said the reason it had been late leaving Seattle was because the baggage car on the west-bound train caught fire and damaged itself and the transition sleeper, both of which were missing from the east-bound train.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Weather. I believe some parts were frozen? BTW we are now in Albany and probably won't make it to NYP by midnight.

Sent from my LGL63BL using Amtrak Forum mobile app

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

This is a rare photo of Cleveland Amtrak in broad daylight! I believe we got there around noon.
I also added a photo of Cleveland Browns Stadium. The poor team is 0-15 and is one loss from being the second ever 0-16 team in NFL history.

Sent from my LGL63BL using Amtrak Forum mobile app

 

[SubwayNut]

The LSL's timekeeping sure hasn't been great this past week, which is unsprisngly with the extremely cold temperatures we've been having in the midwest!

Anyway in midsummer near the Solstice even when 48 is on time, dawn is breaking while sitting in Cleveland, I got some great ones July 4th weekend a few years ago http://subwaynut.com/amtrak/cleveland/p3.php.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Ouch. Any reason why the train departed Chicago over three hours late?

Frozen everything and a recrew,

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

The beef stew was the last meal they gave us complementary and we got it around lunchtime.I was able to buy a meal from the cafe/lounge around 5pm. According to juckins.net, we made it into ALB 9:10pm (the gift shop and store were already closed) and the arrival time into NYP was 12:42am, 6 hr, 19 min late.

The last NJT train to New Jersey left at 1:22am but they didn't have the bags by then so I left them. I get home to the Hamilton parking garage and my battery is dead after the long trip to Dallas. So I have to wait for an hour in my car without heat for AAA to come get me before I drive home I finally made it home around 4:30am. I was going to take the first train up to Penn Station today to pick up my bags but I'm snowed in!

I thought my last trip back/transfer experience on the CL was bad! Those of you hoping for a good experience back from CHI so I wouldn't complain about the lack of a Broadway/Three Rivers anymore just had your hopes dashed. Now the complaints will only get louder! Screw Byrd!

On paper, going the LSL route still seems like the better option. Only six times in all of 2017 was the LSL even 3 hours late and the dead battery was the result of 10 days in a cold parking garage (or maybe it needed to be replaced before hand). On Thursday, I arrived into CHI on the TE at 5:29PM so I would've had just an hour to make the CL (which just my luck arrived on time into WAS yesterday but not on the day I was on it coming back from California).

I'm telling you, never ride an LD train with me again, you're bound to get screwed!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Hmm, and your precious Broadway/Three Rivers would not have been affected by delays EVER? Not even cold and snow? Freight derailments? Equipment failures? Somehow I don't think so.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Hmm, and your precious Broadway/Three Rivers would not have been affected by delays EVER? Not even cold and snow? Freight derailments? Equipment failures? Somehow I don't think so.

But then I had to spend the extra time going all the way north through upstate NY and all the way down to New Jersey and arriving in Hamilton, NJ close to 3am. You figure if a TR left CHI the same time the LSL left it would arrive into PHL about 2-3 hrs earlier and I get home at 1:30am or 2:30am and not 4:30am and I have my luggage right now. I still have to make a trip up to NYP to get it ... after I dig out of the snow first. I'm sure most of you don't care but I'm just saying. Next time you're out until 4:30am in the morning or you're stuck in the cold in your car without heat in a parking lot in the middle of the night in the middle of winter waiting for AAA come talk to me.

 

[railbuck]

The beef stew was the last meal they gave us complementary and we got it around lunchtime.I was able to buy a meal from the cafe/lounge around 5pm. According to juckins.net, we made it into ALB 9:10pm (the gift shop and store were already closed) and the arrival time into NYP was 12:42am, 6 hr, 19 min late.

The last NJT train to New Jersey left at 1:22am but they didn't have the bags by then so I left them. I get home to the Hamilton parking garage and my battery is dead after the long trip to Dallas. So I have to wait for an hour in my car without heat for AAA to come get me before I drive home I finally made it home around 4:30am. I was going to take the first train up to Penn Station today to pick up my bags but I'm snowed in!

I thought my last trip back/transfer experience on the CL was bad! Those of you hoping for a good experience back from CHI so I wouldn't complain about the lack of a Broadway/Three Rivers anymore just had your hopes dashed. Now the complaints will only get louder! Screw Byrd!

For the record, 50(28) would have delivered you to PHL at 8:56 pm, only 20 minutes behind schedule. You would have been home (with the luggage) hours earlier.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Hmm, and your precious Broadway/Three Rivers would not have been affected by delays EVER? Not even cold and snow? Freight derailments? Equipment failures? Somehow I don't think so.

But then I had to spend the extra time going all the way north through upstate NY and all the way down to New Jersey and arriving in Hamilton, NJ close to 3am. You figure if a TR left CHI the same time the LSL left it would arrive into PHL about 2-3 hrs earlier and I get home at 1:30am or 2:30am and not 4:30am and I have my luggage right now. I still have to make a trip up to NYP to get it ... after I dig out of the snow first. I'm sure most of you don't care but I'm just saying. Next time you're out until 4:30am in the morning or you're stuck in the cold in your car without heat in a parking lot in the middle of the night in the middle of winter waiting for AAA come talk to me.

Should have taken the Cardinal

 

[daybeers]

The beef stew was the last meal they gave us complementary and we got it around lunchtime.I was able to buy a meal from the cafe/lounge around 5pm. According to juckins.net, we made it into ALB 9:10pm (the gift shop and store were already closed) and the arrival time into NYP was 12:42am, 6 hr, 19 min late.

The last NJT train to New Jersey left at 1:22am but they didn't have the bags by then so I left them. I get home to the Hamilton parking garage and my battery is dead after the long trip to Dallas. So I have to wait for an hour in my car without heat for AAA to come get me before I drive home I finally made it home around 4:30am. I was going to take the first train up to Penn Station today to pick up my bags but I'm snowed in!

I thought my last trip back/transfer experience on the CL was bad! Those of you hoping for a good experience back from CHI so I wouldn't complain about the lack of a Broadway/Three Rivers anymore just had your hopes dashed. Now the complaints will only get louder! Screw Byrd!

On paper, going the LSL route still seems like the better option. Only six times in all of 2017 was the LSL even 3 hours late and the dead battery was the result of 10 days in a cold parking garage (or maybe it needed to be replaced before hand). On Thursday, I arrived into CHI on the TE at 5:29PM so I would've had just an hour to make the CL (which just my luck arrived on time into WAS yesterday but not on the day I was on it coming back from California).

I'm telling you, never ride an LD train with me again, you're bound to get screwed!

Aw man that sounds terrible! I'm glad you got home safe though! How much snow have you gotten there, and have you gotten your bags yet?

 

[daybeers]

This is a rare photo of Cleveland Amtrak in broad daylight! I believe we got there around noon.

I also added a photo of Cleveland Browns Stadium. The poor team is 0-15 and is one loss from being the second ever 0-16 team in NFL history.

RIP Cleveland Browns.

 

[choochoodood]

This is a rare photo of Cleveland Amtrak in broad daylight! I believe we got there around noon.

20171229_120132_Burst01.jpg

20171229_120150_Burst01.jpg

I also added a photo of Cleveland Browns Stadium. The poor team is 0-15 and is one loss from being the second ever 0-16 team in NFL history.

Sent from my LGL63BL using Amtrak Forum mobile app

Thanks. We needed to be reminded of that! ;-)

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Aw man that sounds terrible! I'm glad you got home safe though! How much snow have you gotten there, and have you gotten your bags yet?

Not yet. Probably will go tomorrow. New Year's Day in New York, that won't be busy at all LOL.

This is a rare photo of Cleveland Amtrak in broad daylight! I believe we got there around noon.

20171229_120132_Burst01.jpg

20171229_120150_Burst01.jpg

I also added a photo of Cleveland Browns Stadium. The poor team is 0-15 and is one loss from being the second ever 0-16 team in NFL history.

Sent from my LGL63BL using Amtrak Forum mobile app

Thanks. We needed to be reminded of that! ;-)

I actually saw a couple of riders wearing Cleveland Browns hats! I couldn't believe it! I should have taken pictures of them!

 

[neroden]

I was on this train too -- met up with Philly in the lounge car before getting off at Syracuse.

They have to find a better way of preventing the plumbing and doors from filling with snow and freezing. This *was not a problem* in steam heat days, and *should not be a problem* with decent equipment and decent procedures.

I suspect it has to do with the Amfleets being old. It looks like the exterior doors aren't closing properly any more; probably subtly out of alignment. In addition, Amfleets are from the very early days of HEP and Viewliners are from the very early days of retention toilets, when I suspect they didn't really know what they were doing. They probably know how to solve these problems on modern equipment, because I've never seen these problems on commuter rail with modern equipment.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Finally got my luggage back today! The NJT between TRE and NYP wasn't that bad this morning although Penn Station was busy. I didn't see anyone dressed up yet. I also thought people were going to go to the Giants game, it must have been to early.

I certainly saw snow on the doors walking between cars and I saw staff with brooms. Part of their jobs that night I assume was brushing snow off. Anyone working that day clearly earned their money. I'll give a shout out to Cherie who was on the train at least at the end of the train. Any LSL regulars remember her?

Nathaniel and I did meet on the LSL and we did talk for a few hours so it was great putting a face to an AU member. I don't know if any of you would want to be on an LD train with me now in the future knowing that I am a curse though! I'm sure he wasn't thrilled with being delayed although he got home a lot earlier than I did unless he had problems too.

After picking up my luggage I walked over to the Amtrak customer service office in Penn Station hoping to file a complaint/get credit after that trip and they told me to call 1-800-AMTRAK. I assume I'll have to go through the automated system, wait 10-15 minutes to speak to a representative and Amtrak is hoping I'll get too frustrated and forget the whole thing and they won't have to pay me a dime. I remember a long time ago (1996?) I was on a late CL train getting into CHI and Amtrak just passed out vouchers for future travel. But why would Amtrak want to do that now? If I ever want to visit Texas, Chicago, or California again I ever have to deal with this crap again, fly, drive, or take a bus. Amtrak has a monopoly, they don't need to worry about good customer service.

In reality the freezing/snow problems happen this time of year but the lack of a conductor was just unforgivable. If the LSL gets in a few hours earlier I wouldn't have had to make an extra trip for my luggage and other passengers get in an hour or two earlier.

 

[willem]

They have to find a better way of preventing the plumbing and doors from filling with snow and freezing. This *was not a problem* in steam heat days, and *should not be a problem* with decent equipment and decent procedures.

I suspect it has to do with the Amfleets being old. It looks like the exterior doors aren't closing properly any more; probably subtly out of alignment.

The Empire Builder that connected to your Lake Shore Limited had so much snow in one of the vestibules that the door would not open all the way. The problem is not just with Amfleet cars. But you are correct that it should not be a problem.

In reality the freezing/snow problems happen this time of year but the lack of a conductor was just unforgivable.

Even having my browser search for "conductor" yielded no meaningful antecedent to your comment. What did I miss?

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Noteworthy that the Cleveland Browns finished 0-16 today! I don't know if a congratulations or another word is in order?

 

[railiner]

Do yourself a favor, Philly Amtrak Fan.......for the next time you leave your car parked for an extensive period for travel, get one of these....

http://www.sears.com/diehard-lithium-ion-jump-starter/p-02843448000P?sid=IDx01192011x202447539&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1YKVpbK12AIVw4-zCh0WTgRWEAQYASABEgIjd_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CIXI14CztdgCFZSeyAodD9cFwg