the_traveler
Engineer
I'll start the trip report of my 2 zone loophole trip from the end. This way, it can only get better! 
(Besides, I also want to send this to Amtrak customer service.) (Pictures to follow when I get to them.)
CHI-CVS 10/16/08 #50
Train #50 consisted of a P-42 (#44), 3 coaches (#25065, #25046 and #25021) diner/lounge #28020 and Viewliner #62020 (the Moonlight View). “Train” #850 was on the back of the train and consisted of coach #54531.
Departure from CHI was on time, but very shortly after departure we stopped, and we were late ever since. By LAF, we were 37 minutes late.
About 3 PM (IIRC) just west of Thurmond, WV, we held on a siding for a freight to pass. Then we sat … and sat … and sat … and … - and finally learned that there was a freight derailment up ahead, and that we needed to be bused around it. So we sat … and sat … and sat … and … for a bus. Oh, there were no convenient roads where #50 stopped. The crew allowed us to get off the train to walk around and stretch our legs. (But we had to stay near the train.)
The OBS staff learned what was happening not from the train crew – but from a passenger who had a scanner!
A few (many!) hours later, we started moving again. We did move many miles (at a high rate of speed), but then we pulled into a siding at a CSX freight yard to wait for the buses. And we waited … and waited … and waited … and … - until they finally came! Then we were allowed off the train to board the buses.
I was connecting at CVS to go to BHM, but due to time constraints my traveling companion had to return to KIN and would connect from #50 in WAS. The bus situation was so poorly disorganized that we were instructed that if we were going to CVS to board bus #1 and if we were going to WAS to board bus #2. So we boarded different buses. However, it turned out that BOTH BUSES WENT TO CVS ALONE! (I only found this out on the way by a cell phone call from my traveling companion.)
Train #51 was turned at CVS and became #50 and our train #50 was turned to become #51. Thus, at CVS, they would board #50 to continue their journey north.
Upon my departure from the freight yard, our driver received a call from his dispatcher that we must return back to the train. There was one passenger aboard #50 in a wheelchair, and our bus was the only one sent equipped with a wheelchair lift! I would not have any problem with this request – except for the fact that WE WERE OVER 50 MINUTES AWAY FROM THE TRAIN!
So we had to turn around at the next (interstate) exit, drive back 50 minutes to the train, pick up the passenger, then drive back another 50 minutes – just to return to the same spot! By the time we reached this spot, it was well over 2 ½ hours later! During this time, there was NO food or water provided to the passengers!
A mother with 2 small children on the bus was very upset with this fact. She mentioned that aboard #50 that they ran out of food! I can not confirm this (as I was in a roomette), but once during the (LONG) wait, I went to use the rest room in the coaches, and the conductor had to unlock the door for me between the café and the coaches. Upon my return, the door was again locked!
If #50 “ran out of food”, and they turned the train to become #51 back to CHI, does that mean there was no food all the way to CHI on #51?
Upon the return to the train, to allow the wheelchair passenger to get off the train, #50 pulled into the Prince, WV station. This allowed them to use the station’s wheelchair lift and to allow him to exit via the station’s platform. I applaud this choice, but what I do not understand is why other passengers were not given this option also. THE PRINCE STATION IS LOCATED LESS THAN 1 MILE BEFORE THE FREIGHT YARD! It would seem to me that it would be easier (and safer) for all passengers to disembark on a flat station platform instead of on the uneven terrain of a freight yard – especially the elderly, children and handicapped passengers!
Because they wyed the locomotive in the freight yard, (the original) #50 pulled into the Prince station with the locomotive leading.
On the bus ride to CVS, the driver finally did stop for “food and drinks” – but at an interstate rest area! And not until well after midnight! And all they had were vending machines with cans of soda and things like chips and candy! (On the bus my companion rode, I was informed they did not stop at all!)
My traveling companion informed me that during the wait for all the buses to arrive, because there were so many people waiting in the (small) waiting room at CVS that they were “allowed” to wait on the train. However, at NO time during the many hours wait was food or water provided! I find that the station personnel and/or emergency staff found it impossible to plan for food or water – especially since there is a restaurant within a few hundred feet (IN FACT IN THE SAME PARKING LOT) of the CVS station! And they knew the large number of passengers on #50!
My arrival into CVS was “on time” at 2:47. However, it was 2:47 AM not 2:47 PM!
Upon my arrival into CVS since I was to connect to #19 to go to BHM, I inquired to the station ticket agent what would be done for me (since it was a guaranteed connection and #19 departed many hours prior). I assumed that I would be provided a room in CVS. Instead, I was instructed to re-board #50 to go to WAS where they will provide me a room and send me out on the next #19.
The ticket agent then said, “Since I had a sleeper, I’ll provide you a sleeper to WAS. Let’s see if any are available.” (HUH :huh: I was in a sleeper!) She then said, “Come on down (to the sleeper)!” Prior to CVS, I was in Roomette #1, but after CVS I was in roomette #5?
This request to go to WAS did not make any sense, since it would require me to go CVS-WAS on #50 and then WAS-(thru CVS)-BHM on #19!
Upon my arrival in WAS (at about 6 AM by the way), there was no one from Amtrak to meet the train. And due to the early hour, there were no Amtrak employees at the Amtrak Information desk, so I went up to the Amtrak ticket windows for assistance.
The agent who helped me was surprised when I informed her of the late arrival of #50. When I inquired about getting on #19 that night, she informed me that there were no rooms – only coach! (BTW – The agent in CVS never even checked.) Because I did not want to spend the necessary AGR points for a roomette award to go coach, I chose to cut my vacation short and return to KIN. (BTW – I was NEVER at any time offered a room!)
The agent then had to get an OK from her manager, and gave me a “Conductor’s Carry Authorization” to allow me to board train #164 to KIN. However, it was for COACH ONLY (normally a roomette AGR award allows you to ride BC where offered) and it was only for 1 PASSENGER ONLY (even though the AGR award was for 2 passengers)! Thus I had to use 3,000 additional AGR points to obtain a ticket for my traveling companion.
Because I had a sleeper arriving into WAS, I was allowed use of the Club Acela. There I had my first “meal” of pastry and coffee since lunch the previous day. (None of the other shops in WAS were open yet.)
WAS-KIN 10/18/08 #164
The trip on #164 was uneventful (thankfully)! Both departure and arrival were on time at 9:25 AM and 4:11 PM. Prior to my batteries dying on my GPS, I recorded a speed somewhere between WAS and PHL of 124 MPH!
http://picasaweb.google.com/railfan51/CHICVSKIN#
(Besides, I also want to send this to Amtrak customer service.) (Pictures to follow when I get to them.)CHI-CVS 10/16/08 #50
Train #50 consisted of a P-42 (#44), 3 coaches (#25065, #25046 and #25021) diner/lounge #28020 and Viewliner #62020 (the Moonlight View). “Train” #850 was on the back of the train and consisted of coach #54531.
Departure from CHI was on time, but very shortly after departure we stopped, and we were late ever since. By LAF, we were 37 minutes late.
About 3 PM (IIRC) just west of Thurmond, WV, we held on a siding for a freight to pass. Then we sat … and sat … and sat … and … - and finally learned that there was a freight derailment up ahead, and that we needed to be bused around it. So we sat … and sat … and sat … and … for a bus. Oh, there were no convenient roads where #50 stopped. The crew allowed us to get off the train to walk around and stretch our legs. (But we had to stay near the train.)
The OBS staff learned what was happening not from the train crew – but from a passenger who had a scanner!
A few (many!) hours later, we started moving again. We did move many miles (at a high rate of speed), but then we pulled into a siding at a CSX freight yard to wait for the buses. And we waited … and waited … and waited … and … - until they finally came! Then we were allowed off the train to board the buses.
I was connecting at CVS to go to BHM, but due to time constraints my traveling companion had to return to KIN and would connect from #50 in WAS. The bus situation was so poorly disorganized that we were instructed that if we were going to CVS to board bus #1 and if we were going to WAS to board bus #2. So we boarded different buses. However, it turned out that BOTH BUSES WENT TO CVS ALONE! (I only found this out on the way by a cell phone call from my traveling companion.)
Train #51 was turned at CVS and became #50 and our train #50 was turned to become #51. Thus, at CVS, they would board #50 to continue their journey north.
Upon my departure from the freight yard, our driver received a call from his dispatcher that we must return back to the train. There was one passenger aboard #50 in a wheelchair, and our bus was the only one sent equipped with a wheelchair lift! I would not have any problem with this request – except for the fact that WE WERE OVER 50 MINUTES AWAY FROM THE TRAIN!
So we had to turn around at the next (interstate) exit, drive back 50 minutes to the train, pick up the passenger, then drive back another 50 minutes – just to return to the same spot! By the time we reached this spot, it was well over 2 ½ hours later! During this time, there was NO food or water provided to the passengers!
A mother with 2 small children on the bus was very upset with this fact. She mentioned that aboard #50 that they ran out of food! I can not confirm this (as I was in a roomette), but once during the (LONG) wait, I went to use the rest room in the coaches, and the conductor had to unlock the door for me between the café and the coaches. Upon my return, the door was again locked!
If #50 “ran out of food”, and they turned the train to become #51 back to CHI, does that mean there was no food all the way to CHI on #51?
Upon the return to the train, to allow the wheelchair passenger to get off the train, #50 pulled into the Prince, WV station. This allowed them to use the station’s wheelchair lift and to allow him to exit via the station’s platform. I applaud this choice, but what I do not understand is why other passengers were not given this option also. THE PRINCE STATION IS LOCATED LESS THAN 1 MILE BEFORE THE FREIGHT YARD! It would seem to me that it would be easier (and safer) for all passengers to disembark on a flat station platform instead of on the uneven terrain of a freight yard – especially the elderly, children and handicapped passengers!
Because they wyed the locomotive in the freight yard, (the original) #50 pulled into the Prince station with the locomotive leading.
On the bus ride to CVS, the driver finally did stop for “food and drinks” – but at an interstate rest area! And not until well after midnight! And all they had were vending machines with cans of soda and things like chips and candy! (On the bus my companion rode, I was informed they did not stop at all!)
My traveling companion informed me that during the wait for all the buses to arrive, because there were so many people waiting in the (small) waiting room at CVS that they were “allowed” to wait on the train. However, at NO time during the many hours wait was food or water provided! I find that the station personnel and/or emergency staff found it impossible to plan for food or water – especially since there is a restaurant within a few hundred feet (IN FACT IN THE SAME PARKING LOT) of the CVS station! And they knew the large number of passengers on #50!
My arrival into CVS was “on time” at 2:47. However, it was 2:47 AM not 2:47 PM!
Upon my arrival into CVS since I was to connect to #19 to go to BHM, I inquired to the station ticket agent what would be done for me (since it was a guaranteed connection and #19 departed many hours prior). I assumed that I would be provided a room in CVS. Instead, I was instructed to re-board #50 to go to WAS where they will provide me a room and send me out on the next #19.
The ticket agent then said, “Since I had a sleeper, I’ll provide you a sleeper to WAS. Let’s see if any are available.” (HUH :huh: I was in a sleeper!) She then said, “Come on down (to the sleeper)!” Prior to CVS, I was in Roomette #1, but after CVS I was in roomette #5?
This request to go to WAS did not make any sense, since it would require me to go CVS-WAS on #50 and then WAS-(thru CVS)-BHM on #19!
Upon my arrival in WAS (at about 6 AM by the way), there was no one from Amtrak to meet the train. And due to the early hour, there were no Amtrak employees at the Amtrak Information desk, so I went up to the Amtrak ticket windows for assistance.
The agent who helped me was surprised when I informed her of the late arrival of #50. When I inquired about getting on #19 that night, she informed me that there were no rooms – only coach! (BTW – The agent in CVS never even checked.) Because I did not want to spend the necessary AGR points for a roomette award to go coach, I chose to cut my vacation short and return to KIN. (BTW – I was NEVER at any time offered a room!)
The agent then had to get an OK from her manager, and gave me a “Conductor’s Carry Authorization” to allow me to board train #164 to KIN. However, it was for COACH ONLY (normally a roomette AGR award allows you to ride BC where offered) and it was only for 1 PASSENGER ONLY (even though the AGR award was for 2 passengers)! Thus I had to use 3,000 additional AGR points to obtain a ticket for my traveling companion.
Because I had a sleeper arriving into WAS, I was allowed use of the Club Acela. There I had my first “meal” of pastry and coffee since lunch the previous day. (None of the other shops in WAS were open yet.)
WAS-KIN 10/18/08 #164
The trip on #164 was uneventful (thankfully)! Both departure and arrival were on time at 9:25 AM and 4:11 PM. Prior to my batteries dying on my GPS, I recorded a speed somewhere between WAS and PHL of 124 MPH!
http://picasaweb.google.com/railfan51/CHICVSKIN#
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