New Orleans to Memphis?

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ciship

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We board the CONO around 1:45 p.m.

Will they still be serving lunch or should we eat before we board?
 
ciship said:
We board the CONO around 1:45 p.m.

Will they still be serving lunch or should we eat before we board?
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We rode CONO from NOL to CHI last Thursday. Dinner was full-service (I had the steak). However, lunch is on your own. Also, breakfast is included for the next day, if you ride past Memphis.
 
I'm on the CONO today. For future reference: Lunch is not served departing New Orleans. There is a Subway sandwich shop in the New Orleans station, or you can wait for the lounge car to open and buy something from there. Breakfast northbound begins at 6 am but no announcement is made until 7; the diner closes at Kankakee (which is scheduled for 7:13 AM).
 
13 minutes from announcement of breakfast being available to diner closing?

Seems like a ploy to save the staff work? Probably easier to just serve "those passengers with prior knowledge" ...

( This presses my buttons, as a similar non announcement of a meal other than breakfast happened to me)

Ed :cool:
 
Quiet hours are between 11 pm and 7 am, ao (except for an emergency) the PA can't be used until 7 am. And they just stop taking (seating) new diners at that time. They don't kick out those eating or seated.
 
I've never worked the CONO, so my comments are general in nature & aren't necessarily 100% applicable here. Typically, Amtrak expects the diner crew to have everything ready for the maintenance crew to take over upon arrival at the destination. The kitchen must be cleaned, tables cleared, dining room supplies secured, etc. This can put tremendous pressure on OBS to get all the work done in time. This policy is not dictated by OBS. In fact, OBS has very little or no influence. It sometimes seems like every other department is empowered to tell OBS what to do, on this and many other matters. This was a frustration to me from the time I started working there until I retired. This may seem like an upside-down way to do things. You can decide for yourself.

Tom
 
The CONO is the train I take most often as I only live about 40 miles from the station at Hammond, LA. I have taken the CONO to Chicago 22 times in the past 6 years. Northbound, meals included out of New Orleans are Dinner and Breakfast. As the train does not depart New Orleans until 1:45pm, lunch will not be served. Southbound meals included out of Chicago are Dinner, Breakfast, and Lunch.
 
manchacrr said:
The CONO is the train I take most often as I only live about 40 miles from the station at Hammond, LA. I have taken the CONO to Chicago 22 times in the past 6 years. Northbound, meals included out of New Orleans are Dinner and Breakfast. As the train does not depart New Orleans until 1:45pm, lunch will not be served. Southbound meals included out of Chicago are Dinner, Breakfast, and Lunch.
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What time does it leave from Hammond and are any meals served before getting to NO? Looking to book trip to Memphis for 4 couples as soon as we can all get our dates together. Would you suggest riding coach or getting sleepers. I have only ridden Viewliners and am excited about riding a double decker train. Would you sit down low or uptop and how is the scenery? Do I have to request seating on the higher level? Does it ride smoother than Viewliner?
 
You can find the schedule here:

http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/380/658/City-of-New-Orleans-Schedule-011215.pdf

Southbound it departs Hammond at 1:28 PM. Northbound, it's 2:45 PM.

Hammond to Memphis is only a 7 hour ride. I would probably not pay for a sleeper, though ymmv. I love the view from upstairs.

Having not ridden a Viewliner (yet), I can't comment on smoothness, but I would venture a guess that the ride is more a function of the roadbed and track than the car you're in.

Scenery? Meh.
 
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Thats about how long it takes to drive to Memphis,except on the train you are not fighting with the steering wheel and the traffic. Scenery will be something I have not seen before. I have been on viewliner(Crescent) and I really like it. Being upstairs will be something different for me, getting giddy just thinking about it. lol
 
Since this is a daytime trip arriving Memphis around 10:30 PM, I recommend coach. Almost all coach seating is upstairs on the main or top level and you will enjoy it. The lower level seats are mostly held for handicap or otherwise you have to pay extra to reserve lower level seats. I would not pay extra to get roomettes nor the most expensive bedrooms since paying for dinner even at very high prices is definitely much less expensive and I suggest since there will be several of you, that you spend most of your time in the Sightseer Lounge. You can visit and chat with each other there. There are tables as well as seats facing the scenery in this car. Have fun. I love to travel by train and actually have to travel from Nashville to get to an Amtrak departure point one of my favorite which is New Orleans. I will be doing just that in May after spending a week in New Orleans(North Louisiana is my native State). I will be traveling on the City of New Orleans to Chicago and connecting to the California Zephyr for multiple stops in Glenwood Springs, CO, Emeryville, CA, and then back on the Zephyr to Denver. I'll fly home from Denver.

One other suggestion, when booking the trip please have the reservation agent note that the couples are a group and would like to be seated together so the coach attendant will hold the seats for your party if you depart from Hammond or other station after New Orleans.
 
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Thanks Tennessee Traveler. Is the Sightseer Lounge one with swivel seats and large windows? We were discussing the trip today and were thinking maybe Memorial day. Is the Amtrak Station in Memphis downtown or will we need cars to get around. Any suggestions for hotels. I am a Marriott girl but will do Hampton Inn.
 
cassie225 said:
Is the Amtrak Station in Memphis downtown or will we need cars to get around. Any suggestions for hotels. I am a Marriott girl but will do Hampton Inn.
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Central Station is located downtown on South Main Street. See pic below. The nearest Hampton Inn in located near the famous Beale Street not far from Central Station. The contact information is

175 Peabody Place

901-260-4000

Memphis Central Station.png
 
Yes, the sightseer lounge has large windows and angled seats facing the windows. They do not swivel.

Don't know much about hotels in Memphis but am aware there are both Marriott and Hilton branded hotels aplenty.

I do have a photo galleries website with many rail travel photos if you want to check them out. Here is the link.
 
The station is at the far south end of downtown. It is a long walk to the city center, Beale St, and hotels. There should be taxis available. There are van sightseeing tours that pickup at the hotels and hit the popular spots, eliminating the need for a car.
 
We are definitely going to have a good trip. I have never been in a sightseer lounge like that one. I am really excited now. I would love to take this all the way to Chicago soon.
 
Thanks, Cassie225. If you liked my photo galleries you might enjoy reading my blog posts . If you enjoy them especially the January and February posts documenting my Winter Rail Trip on California Zephyr and the City of New Orleans you are welcomed to sign up to the receive the blog updates in your email inbox. Blog posts are to document my travels and provide links to the photo galleries as updated. There are links on each of the blog posts as well as each page of my photo galleries to sign up.
 
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