Our train trips these days often start with a visit to our friend Gladys. She lives close enough to the Empire Builder’s Wishram station (WIH) that we can park our car at her house, take her out to dinner in The Dalles, and then get dropped off at the station. Dinner was at the Canton Wok, always a good bet, and the train was right on time (though Gladys is also an Amtrak fan, and understands when it is not).
Our sleeper car attendant, Larry, was very friendly but no dinner was offered to us, even though it was only 6:55 when we boarded. He also did not offer to put down the bed, so when we were ready, I pushed the call button. Larry was right there with a smile, ready to do the task.
There was never a timetable in our roomette, just a photocopy of an old one taped to the post at the top of the stairs in the lounge car. They were not available in any of the stations I checked, either. Have they stopped printing timetables altogether?
We got breakfast when the diner opened at 6:30am, and were joined by Jake from Pendleton. I had the Continental with oatmeal. Server Pete was proud to offer us BOTH raisins and nuts for the oatmeal, but the yogurt was strawberry instead of the vanilla promised on Amtrak’s food facts page. Enjoyed the conversation so much we agreed to meet Jake again for lunch. Pete was a friendly jokester who liked people who appreciate Amtrak.
On returning to our roomette, I decided to plug in my devices. No juice in the outlet, and no Larry. I tried an empty roomette with the same results, then pushed the call button. Larry was there in a minute, but he couldn't fix it, and others began to ask about the same issue.
I went to the SSL to read and recharge. When I returned an hour later, the outlet in the roomette was working again. Larry was quite surprised to hear this, as he had not been able to fix it, and nothing more was going to be tried till they could put on a technician at Minot. The outlet continued to work for the rest of our trip.
Hubby and I took walks on the platform during the station stops at both Shelby and Havre. The weather was uncharacteristically sunny and pleasant at Shelby, which Larry called "Shelberia." He came off the train suited-up for frigid weather, and appeared quite pleased to find that the extra clothing was unnecessary.
We had local friends in Minneapolis who picked us up, and then took us back to the station at the end of our visit. As is our custom, we took them out to dinner on the way to the station. They chose their favorite restaurant, Saigon Uptown, where the food was great and the prices amazingly low ($60 for four including appetizers, dinner and beer – you must go there if you are in MSP)! Then they dropped us off at the newly renovated St. Paul Union Station. This was the first trip we went through St. Paul since the old classic station was restored and re-opened. We obtained entry to the first class waiting room, which was merely a glass enclosure with comfy chairs and a coffee maker (not in use at 9 pm). I saw that the water cooler had a red spigot as well as a blue one, so I pulled out my travel mug and an herb tea bag.
I had almost finished my tea when the station attendant came to lead us to the train. This was a simple matter of walking to the end of the station hall, and into a modern room where we waited at the top of the stairs/elevator/escalator till train arrival was imminent. Got on our car and found our old friend Larry making up our room, which some arriving passengers had just vacated. He didn't get a chance to give us bottled water or empty the trash, so I took the empty bottles and Dorito bags to the main trash bin in the center of the car.
The train was 45 minutes late at MSP, and we had lost our place in the dispatching queue. Even after we pulled out of the station, we sat in the yards while freight trains shuffled and passed. By morning, we were an hour and a half late. We woke up at 6:30, dressed and went to the diner for breakfast. Again we had the Continental with oatmeal.
I spent a lot of the day reading a library book I had downloaded to my iPad. After learning about a small hot water kettle in a different thread on AU, I had bought one of the little 0.5 liter Bonavita units, so I made myself a cup of tea morning and afternoon. The 600 Watt power draw of the Bonavita is not enough to flip any breakers, so it’s a good one-cup tea or coffee maker for the train. I had made a little cloth bag to pack the kettle and teabags in. This was the first trip I ever took on Amtrak where I had good tea, any time I wanted it.
I love taking walks at the longer stops, and watching the snowy prairies roll by as I sit in the SSL:
Larry hadn't given us bottled water when we got on. We brought water bottles with us, and mostly used our own water, but we used it up, and by then there was no bottled water left. The spigots in our car just gave off an empty sounding gurgle, and no water. I got a little out of one of the coach cars, and eventually ended up in the lounge where the attendant only offered to sell me a bottle. Luckily, the conductor was there and showed me the spigot on the mini bar counter upstairs, which worked. I got enough water to last till we got off.
For breakfast on the Portland section, you go to the lounge car. Apparently you are supposed to get a paper chit from your attendant, but we did not know that till we went to the café (and Larry had not offered). The attendant did not make us go back and get the chit, just wrote down the info off my e-ticket. Breakfast is now a choice of items from the regular cafe menu, one of each cereal, muffin, yogurt and breakfast bar. He was out of the breakfast sandwich. No beverage or fruit, just the coffee in your car. I wonder about the dinner on this section (which we had not gotten). Is it the same as breakfast, just a selection of whatever is available from their regular café items?
One of the other passengers in our sleeper car described Larry as “hands-off.” I’d have to agree. He came quickly when called, and always did anything we asked, but he was not forthcoming about the services. If you had traveled before, he assumed you knew all that was needed and let you take care of yourself unless you needed him enough to call.
They always say "trains can make up time", but I never had it happen until this trip. The westbound train was late out of MSP, but right on-time by the next evening and stayed that way till we disembarked at Wishram. A few other people got off with us, mostly just to smoke and get back on. It was a beautiful crisp morning in the Gorge. Gladys got there a few minutes after us, and said she had been driving carefully because the road was frosty and slick. As she drove up the Maryhill Grade from the Biggs bridge, she looked down and saw our train passing under Highway 97, headed for WIH.
Our sleeper car attendant, Larry, was very friendly but no dinner was offered to us, even though it was only 6:55 when we boarded. He also did not offer to put down the bed, so when we were ready, I pushed the call button. Larry was right there with a smile, ready to do the task.
There was never a timetable in our roomette, just a photocopy of an old one taped to the post at the top of the stairs in the lounge car. They were not available in any of the stations I checked, either. Have they stopped printing timetables altogether?
We got breakfast when the diner opened at 6:30am, and were joined by Jake from Pendleton. I had the Continental with oatmeal. Server Pete was proud to offer us BOTH raisins and nuts for the oatmeal, but the yogurt was strawberry instead of the vanilla promised on Amtrak’s food facts page. Enjoyed the conversation so much we agreed to meet Jake again for lunch. Pete was a friendly jokester who liked people who appreciate Amtrak.
On returning to our roomette, I decided to plug in my devices. No juice in the outlet, and no Larry. I tried an empty roomette with the same results, then pushed the call button. Larry was there in a minute, but he couldn't fix it, and others began to ask about the same issue.
I went to the SSL to read and recharge. When I returned an hour later, the outlet in the roomette was working again. Larry was quite surprised to hear this, as he had not been able to fix it, and nothing more was going to be tried till they could put on a technician at Minot. The outlet continued to work for the rest of our trip.
Hubby and I took walks on the platform during the station stops at both Shelby and Havre. The weather was uncharacteristically sunny and pleasant at Shelby, which Larry called "Shelberia." He came off the train suited-up for frigid weather, and appeared quite pleased to find that the extra clothing was unnecessary.
We had local friends in Minneapolis who picked us up, and then took us back to the station at the end of our visit. As is our custom, we took them out to dinner on the way to the station. They chose their favorite restaurant, Saigon Uptown, where the food was great and the prices amazingly low ($60 for four including appetizers, dinner and beer – you must go there if you are in MSP)! Then they dropped us off at the newly renovated St. Paul Union Station. This was the first trip we went through St. Paul since the old classic station was restored and re-opened. We obtained entry to the first class waiting room, which was merely a glass enclosure with comfy chairs and a coffee maker (not in use at 9 pm). I saw that the water cooler had a red spigot as well as a blue one, so I pulled out my travel mug and an herb tea bag.
I had almost finished my tea when the station attendant came to lead us to the train. This was a simple matter of walking to the end of the station hall, and into a modern room where we waited at the top of the stairs/elevator/escalator till train arrival was imminent. Got on our car and found our old friend Larry making up our room, which some arriving passengers had just vacated. He didn't get a chance to give us bottled water or empty the trash, so I took the empty bottles and Dorito bags to the main trash bin in the center of the car.
The train was 45 minutes late at MSP, and we had lost our place in the dispatching queue. Even after we pulled out of the station, we sat in the yards while freight trains shuffled and passed. By morning, we were an hour and a half late. We woke up at 6:30, dressed and went to the diner for breakfast. Again we had the Continental with oatmeal.
I spent a lot of the day reading a library book I had downloaded to my iPad. After learning about a small hot water kettle in a different thread on AU, I had bought one of the little 0.5 liter Bonavita units, so I made myself a cup of tea morning and afternoon. The 600 Watt power draw of the Bonavita is not enough to flip any breakers, so it’s a good one-cup tea or coffee maker for the train. I had made a little cloth bag to pack the kettle and teabags in. This was the first trip I ever took on Amtrak where I had good tea, any time I wanted it.
I love taking walks at the longer stops, and watching the snowy prairies roll by as I sit in the SSL:
Larry hadn't given us bottled water when we got on. We brought water bottles with us, and mostly used our own water, but we used it up, and by then there was no bottled water left. The spigots in our car just gave off an empty sounding gurgle, and no water. I got a little out of one of the coach cars, and eventually ended up in the lounge where the attendant only offered to sell me a bottle. Luckily, the conductor was there and showed me the spigot on the mini bar counter upstairs, which worked. I got enough water to last till we got off.
For breakfast on the Portland section, you go to the lounge car. Apparently you are supposed to get a paper chit from your attendant, but we did not know that till we went to the café (and Larry had not offered). The attendant did not make us go back and get the chit, just wrote down the info off my e-ticket. Breakfast is now a choice of items from the regular cafe menu, one of each cereal, muffin, yogurt and breakfast bar. He was out of the breakfast sandwich. No beverage or fruit, just the coffee in your car. I wonder about the dinner on this section (which we had not gotten). Is it the same as breakfast, just a selection of whatever is available from their regular café items?
One of the other passengers in our sleeper car described Larry as “hands-off.” I’d have to agree. He came quickly when called, and always did anything we asked, but he was not forthcoming about the services. If you had traveled before, he assumed you knew all that was needed and let you take care of yourself unless you needed him enough to call.
They always say "trains can make up time", but I never had it happen until this trip. The westbound train was late out of MSP, but right on-time by the next evening and stayed that way till we disembarked at Wishram. A few other people got off with us, mostly just to smoke and get back on. It was a beautiful crisp morning in the Gorge. Gladys got there a few minutes after us, and said she had been driving carefully because the road was frosty and slick. As she drove up the Maryhill Grade from the Biggs bridge, she looked down and saw our train passing under Highway 97, headed for WIH.
