Silver from NC to FL and back, end July/early August 2022

[Old MM]

After several years, back on the Silver service to south Florida for vacation. I talked the kids into it with the assurance that Amtrak would give us a better chance of getting there without delays and cancellations, given the current airline struggles. And we did arrive on the same evening we planned, so that's a strong positive. Along the way, and back, as always I report the good and the not so good. The beginning was one of the positives. Raleigh is a new favorite station.

 

[Old MM]

Our adventures started with my daughter and I flying from DTW to RDU, the area where my son now lives, and boarding the GoTriangle airport shuttle/connecting bus to his apartment complex. We were booked out of Raleigh on the Silver Star the following evening. He's got a small studio so we stayed in a nearby hotel that night. Pleasant evening exploring the area, and getting some tasks accomplished the next day. We shopped, cooked and stocked his freezer for the fall school semester. Later in the afternoon the 3 of us boarded an express bus from the Chapel Hill campus to downtown Raleigh. Rain wasn't in the forecast, but unforecasted showers often popped up. Which was a welcome break in the unrelenting heat. When we hopped off the bus in Raleigh, there was a cool breeze and it was pleasant to walk through the area towards the Amtrak station. It was still intense when in direct sunlight, though. Fortunately there was shade from the tree lined streets. I am continually impressed with the level of planning present in the municipalities of North Carolina. We had planned to get dinner prior to boarding the train, which was scheduled at 9 pm, and, using our Apple maps, located a Food Hall which was a couple of blocks from the station.

 

[Old MM]

The Morgan Street Food Hall, close to the Raleigh station, proved to be a perfect spot to get dinner and while away the evening. With all the different choices, we took our time getting 3 different dinner selections, and staked out a spot outside, away from the chaos and noise inside. We are still not keen on indoor dining venues, and there were picnic tables and other areas to sit outdoors. The Silver Star was expected to be an hour late coming into Raleigh, so there was no need to rush.
Eventually we left the Food Hall and made our way down to the station. As I hope you can see in the photos, it is a beautiful, expansive station and overlooks the downtown area. Very striking at night. We settled in to wait for our train, and my son was happy to stay inside with the bags while my daughter and I went for a walk. However, another torrential downpour cut short our stroll and we hightailed it back inside. When it got close to departure time, everyone's tickets were scanned in the waiting area, then we were all proceeded up to the track. There was quite a crush in front of the elevator, so we just schlepped our bags up the stairs to the platform. Two trains were arriving at about the same time, a commuter train and our Silver. We walked down the length of the platform in search of our sleeper car 10.

 

[Old MM]

The Silver Star arrives! Much hubbub on the platform. Raleigh is apparently a busy boarding station. I talked to a fellow traveler who was traveling in the coaches to Georgia. We located our car and met our SCA. Son had his own roomette and I shared with daughter. Since it was already 10 pm, he had the beds made up and we were happy to get in them and call it a night. After a long and hot day, we looked forward to showers before turning in, but the hot water was depleted in the shower room and we freshened up in our rooms using the sinks, soaps and towels provided. This was one of the newer cars, the VL2? so no toilet but still had sinks. The older cars with the toilets are much more convenient, as the shared bathrooms in our car were honestly quite disgusting. I got tired of cleaning them and used up many more disinfecting wipes than planned. Ended up buying more in FL. Anyway, once clean (sort of) we were in bed, relaxing, enjoying the nighttime scenery, and soon we all conked out.

 

[GAT]

Great narrative! Looking forward to the rest. I wish we could have some of those torrential downpours out here in northern California.

 

[Old MM]

In the morning, I was awake first, and left the compartment at 7 am in search of coffee. There didn't seem to be any coffee service in the car, which didn't matter as the diner was one car forward and I got coffee there. Took my cup back to the room and watched the scenery until my daughter woke up. The morning sunlight was strong. It was a little after 8 am. We knocked on the door of my son's room and he agreed to go get breakfast with us. The SCA had explained that there would be reservation times taken for lunch, but not breakfast. He also advised there would be no dinner the next day, regardless of how late the train was. This argued against our having breakfast too early, and also pointed to a later lunch time as well. Son and I had the omelette. Daughter had milk, cereal and a couple of Kind bars, as she is more of a Continental breakfast person. The omelettes have changed character, last year I enjoyed the spinach-heavy version that was so reviled by so many on this forum. Replaced now with something more eggy. Not a fan, plus mine was inadequately heated.

 

[joelkfla]

The SCA had explained that there would be reservation times taken for lunch, but not breakfast. He also advised there would be no dinner the next day, regardless of how late the train was.

That's ridiculous. The train has been arriving in MIA later than 9pm 50% of the times over the past month.

 

[Old MM]

After breakfast, it was time for just relaxing, chatting and planning our Florida trip. As always, the scenery is the attraction of train travel. We love seeing all the interesting stations along the way, large and small. When the SCA arrived to take lunch orders, he advised the Beef Short ribs were out, and no salads with lunch. We selected the latest lunch slot, anticipating a late arrival into Ft. Lauderdale. The chicken/pasta dish is eminently skippable, the pasta with meatballs is "adequate" (son's assessment) and surprisingly, the vegetarian noodle dish is tasty and has a bit of a spicy kick to it. All meals are heavy on sodium and flavorings. The diner car staff, working with the SCAs, have a good system for processing orders. You advise your SCA whether you would like your meal delivered, or if you'd prefer to eat in the diner. Many passengers chose the in-room option, as evidenced by SCAs running back and forth delivering the meals. We got a table in the diner, where the attendant had the meals waiting and labeled by room number and planned for the selected time slot. Unlike the breakfast, this time the food was piping hot so at least no worry about food poisoning. (I didn't eat the cold omelette). I think we had left Orlando by this point, a couple of hours behind schedule. Although the Star was running late, there was still a longer stop at Tampa, affording the opportunity for a brisk walk/jog along the platform. There's a process of reversing direction in and out of Tampa, which is kind of cool, and as the train approached the station, my daughter insisted she saw a live chicken strolling outside on a side street. (No spoilers from people who know what this is, will be covered in the return post!)

 

[Old MM]

As the afternoon sun illuminated the landscape all around us, we enjoyed the beauty of central Florida - from the comfort of our air conditioned rooms, that is. I wouldn't last long in the heat and humidity outside. The lateness of arrival into south Florida is kind of a drag, and seems to be an almost daily occurrence. Amtrak seems to have some padding built in where they expect to make up time between Okeechobee and West Palm, but this trims 30 minutes tops off of a 3 hour delay, so it's not wise to count on getting to any of the coastal stations in time for dinner. Be armed with snacks or fill up on the flex meals as we did - even the warm rolls with butter are filling and at least ensure you can go some hours without eating. I should mention, that just as with our LSL trip last year, while the meals are unspectacular, the desserts are fabulous (unfortunately). No Blondies this time around, but the same brownies (really good) and a rich butter cake which is like a pound cake with a gooey center. Also good. We got 2 brownies and 1 of the cakes and squirreled them away to have in our hotel later. The last couple of hours were just kind of a waiting game, it was getting dark and not much to see, plus the delays continued as Amtrak coordinated with local rail services. We finally arrived at about 9 pm in Ft. Lauderdale, and immediately got a cab to our hotel, the Crowne Plaza downtown. It was the best weekend value I could find, plus used points to reduce the rate. My strategy is to spend less on the arrival hotel, not knowing what time we'll get there, and change hotels after a day or two. This works well each year regardless of mode of travel. The hotel does a brisk business with cruise passengers and flight crews and was very busy, but what mattered was the clean room and bathroom with excellent water pressure in the shower. Everything in the room worked and was stocked, including the coffee service, which was much appreciated. The onsite diner is crazy overpriced, we didn't eat there, but there are many options nearby including a good pizza takeout place. That night we had pizza and the train desserts, which was fun. I'll skip the remainder of our Florida stay, which had us moving up to a Courtyard hotel at Lauderdale by the Sea for a stay nearer the beach, and next report on the northbound trip on the Star. While in the area, we purchased the 3 day Broward County bus passes (via phone app) and used them to get around, which proved to be an excellent value. I will mention, and I know this may bother some people, but I'm comfortable with not leaving any tips on the southbound trip. Our SCA really didn't have to do anything other than have the beds ready when we boarded at Raleigh, and the cold inedible breakfast omelet was a deal breaker. Not to mention, no effort was made at keeping the shared bathroom clean. Quite sure I did more, including wiping surfaces and tamping down the overflowing trash can. I'm not too entranced with the new cars because 2 bathrooms for a full car are just not enough, particularly with passengers from the adjacent odd numbered cars using them too. There are some positives with the new cars: the sink faucets work much better, no splashing everything in sight, and the upgraded mattresses are so much nicer. Plus the AC worked very well which is critically important in the heat. There are thermostats which appear to be wall decorations only, but it didn't matter as again it was very comfortable. It even got a little chilly overnight, however the new blankets are very good insulators and we all slept well on Train 91. My kids are lobbying for air travel next year, which we will more than likely return to for the cost savings and additional time at destination. They are adults now and have preferences on mode of travel, so that has to be taken into account when planning family trips now. Left to my own devices, when I have the means (or points) for one of the Bedrooms on the southbound trip, I'd ride that route again. Next post will review our return to Raleigh on Train 92!

 

[Old MM]

All too soon, our vacation was drawing to a close and it was time to board Train 92 heading back north to Raleigh. We slept in a bit longer than intended, the beach days may have gotten us a little too relaxed, still there was just enough time for packing and getting an Uber to the Ft. Lauderdale station. When we had arrived, there were Yellow Cabs waiting for customers at FTL and I do try to patronize the cabs whenever possible. However, in South Florida, if you're pressed for time, sometimes Uber and Lyft are the most immediate option. Boarding at FTL is interesting. The station interior is small, and there was one window open with a long line of people. With 2 tracks, we didn't know whether we could stay on the Track 1 side, or if we had to take the stairs up to to the walkway and cross the tracks for Track 2. I started asking fellow passengers, and a couple of other passengers asked me, where we should go, and it developed that we needed to be on Track 2. Evidently, all Northbound trains, including the Tri Rails, were boarding on that side. Fortunately there's an elevator for anyone who needs one, or who prefers not to haul bags up (and down) those huge staircases. Once on Track 2, an Amtrak employee made the rounds and advised people where to wait based on the order of the consist. 92 was running basically on time, maybe a few minutes late, so we didn't wait for long. This time we were in car 11, and were greeted by an amazing SCA, named Sharon. She was so friendly and helpful I was honestly kind of shocked. Her attention to detail with each passenger are something I have not seen in years. We were getting settled in our rooms, across from each other, with the usual departure sanitizing routine, and Sharon came by to welcome us and to explain the lunch/dinner process, gave us menus, and returned 10 minutes later. We decided to take advantage of being on the beginning of the trip and ordered the beef short ribs. The 1230 lunch seating had passed, I imagine that's mostly folks boarding in Miami, so we took the 130 time slot. As before, we ate in the diner and the meals/beverages were ready and labeled with our room numbers. The beef is definitely one of the better choices among current Flex meals, thin sliced which makes up some for the toughness, and it's really difficult to screw up mashed potatoes and green beans. Sharon had advised us that salads and deserts plus a beer or wine would be available at dinner, and she had taken our dinner orders at the same time. Having enjoyed lunch, it was time to relax in our rooms and take in the scenery going North. We kept the same odd/even Roomette assignments so the view would be different for each room on the return. We were all delighted to have the old style rooms with the toilets, and with my daughter and I sharing a compartment, if someone needed to use the facility, the other would hang out in my son's compartment. The AC was working as well, although not as consistent in our room, certainly enough to be comfortable. I'm not quite sure about this but I think the bag storage area at the top is more spacious in the VL1, and has a bar that prevents bags from potentially sliding out. There are pros and cons, overall, I much prefer the VL1 roomettes. Anyway. We had a memorable afternoon with the rapidly changing weather providing excitement, and we looked forward to Tampa because we were going to solve the mystery of the chicken sighting!

 

[pennyk]

Thanks for your detailed trip report. Because of rain and lateness of the train, I did not walk to the crossing to see 92 this evening. I would have loved to wave to you.

 

[Old MM]

We got to Tampa not long after 5, I don't remember exactly. 92 was running basically on time but would lose a few minutes with each stop. The skies were darkening. A storm was brewing and the rain started just after we pulled into the station. We went out to the platform to get some exercise, and the wind was blowing the rain sideways. Certainly cooled things off! Son remarked that Tom Brady lived there so we all said Hello to him as we hurried along the length of the train. There's possibly enough time to run inside the station and use the facilities there, which my son did, but I would not take that chance. Not sure if the train always spends the allotted time there. On both Star trips, there were a fair amount of people boarding and detraining, so it did take a while, and the checked luggage had to be loaded on. Once all of this activity is completed, the train departs. After we reboarded, we positioned ourselves at our respective windows as 92 left Tampa.
Well, first we saw a chicken statue. Then a sign. Something is definitely chicken oriented here. Farms? Factories? The latter not being the happiest thought. Then - there was not only a chicken hanging out on a side street... then another chicken... from the other side of the train we saw a flock of them. While I was taking this in, the kids did the Google thing and found out there are indeed, wild chickens in this area that are descendants of chickens from generations ago, and further that this is an accepted local feature that residents have safeguarded. There's a website, which links to a Chicken Society. The Society cares for aged and injured birds so that they may enjoy their full lifespans. We had so much fun with this discovery and you can bet I poured it on thick with "SEE? YOU CAN'T GET THIS ON A PLANE!"

 

[Old MM]

Thanks for your detailed trip report. Because of rain and lateness of the train, I did not walk to the crossing to see 92 this evening. I would have loved to wave to you.

I hope to be able to wave in person some day! This was a few days ago.

 

[pennyk]

I hope to be able to wave in person some day! This was a few days ago.

Ditto. I have seen chickens many times in Ybor City when I have done day trips to Tampa. It is a real treat, but it was surprising the first time I saw them.

Edit to add: if it was a few days ago, I may have waved to your train. I get down to the tracks a couple of times a week, depending on timing and weather. I generally go for a long walk at 7pm daily.

 

[Old MM]

Back on the Star, heading out of Tampa in an easterly direction across the state, the storm clouds were soon behind us and the scenery was bathed in the late afternoon sunlight. Soon it was time for dinner, we all had the vegetarian noodle dish with the "plant based"meatballs. Tasty but I can no longer handle all the salt and flavorings, in the sense that drinking large quantities of water for the next 24 hours seems to be a side effect. We all agreed that bringing sandwiches with us might be a better option next time. As the evening approached, the towns near the stations were a sight to behold. Gorgeous public parks, street lights, small town Main Streets, and beautiful landscaping. Sharon had asked us what time we would like the beds made up, and we said anytime between 9 and 10 would work. She was so considerate and friendly, bringing us extra waters on request (for me a necessity after the flex dining) and I saw her providing this same friendly service to anyone in the car she was speaking to. You can tell she is focused on her job and enjoys helping people. Ordinarily I try to bother the SCA as little as possible. Well.. as it turns out in the next post, we needed her help with something.

 

[Old MM]

Hardworking Sharon apologized for being a few minutes late (not an issue at all for us) and immediately got both rooms ready for the night. The shower room had hot water so my daughter had gone down to clean up, and was changed into clean sleeping attire. Son also decided to take a train shower, which he normally doesn't do and enjoyed. Sharon had stopped by to ask us if there was warm water in the shower, since I had told her the showers didn't work on the southbound trip. It's not her problem honestly, I was just floored that she cared enough to ask. Anyway, daughter still likes the upper bunk and the window there, together with phone connectivity she is very relaxed on these train evenings. (She's a Type A premed student so relaxing isn't something I see her doing much of these past few years). Soon, I was ready to call it a night as well. Then I noticed something. The bed didn't feel like a bed. It was lower, and lumpy. Not comfortable. Upon examination, you can call me slow with justification, I noticed there was no mattress. A blanket over the seat cushions, topped with the sheets. Daughter was instantly attentive, and texted her brother across the way to advise him of the situation. Son looked in and said, no problem, I'll just give you the extra mattress from my room. I wanted to call Sharon but son pulled down the mattress from his upper bunk, which was outfitted with sheets and a blanket, and positioned it in my lower bunk. What a difference! But then, we realized there might be a similar situation for him. So we asked him if he had a mattress. He was finishing up some work stuff, and daughter conked out while I waited for him to pack up his laptop for the night. Turned out he didn't have a mattress on the lower bed either. Well, he was prepared to rough it for the night, but there was no way I could enjoy a mattress if my kid didn't have one! So against his objections I went in search of Sharon. She explained that this happens out of Miami, and the yard advised her to just put sheets on top of a blanket. This is a pretty significant service failure when people pay top dollar for these rooms. I asked Sharon if there was an extra mattress anywhere and she immediately went to go look. She returned with a mattress for my son who was annoyed at my overruling him, but who was also apologetic and grateful in the morning for being able to sleep on an actual mattress. Sharon said she got it from an attendant in the next car, so presumably from an unused room, although the wording "from attendant" made me wonder if an SCA had to sacrifice their own bedding? I certainly hope not. Then again, there is no excuse for Amtrak to do this to either employees or customers.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Mattresses disappearing in Miami definitely needs to be reported to Customer Relations when you get home!

No excuse for this shoddy service on Amtraks part!( several Members have said that the Mattresses in the V IIs are Very Hard)

 

[joelkfla]

She explained that this happens out of Miami, and the yard advised her to just put sheets on top of a blanket.

Ridiculous! Please report this to Customer Relations.

 

[Old MM]

Restful night for us, and Sharon had advised we would be about an hour behind schedule, so not a rush to have breakfast early. We went down to the diner at about 8 or so, and my daughter looked at the offerings and left. She wasn't particularly hungry and there were not any breakfast bars on the table (the southbound trip had Kind bars). Son had the omelet. All I wanted was coffee. We stayed in the diner for a while since it wasn't full. At no point on either Train 91 or 92 did I ever see anyone waiting for a table, so guessing many decide to have meals in their rooms. Frankly I'm about done with the flex meal experiment, and will plan on bringing stuff like cheese and crackers for future trips. The beverages and the desserts, though, are essential. We saved the previous night's brownies and butter cake as before, and Sharon ensured we never ran out of water. The service level in the diner was noticeably better so I added some tips to the box set out for that purpose, and my last 10$ in cash went to Sharon for her exemplary and caring service. I really hope to see her again on future trips, she is a credit to Amtrak.
After breakfast we were packed and ready early, and my son discovered that if we got off the train in Cary there was actually a faster bus connection back to the Research Triangle area. When Sharon came by we asked if this was possible, she cleared it with the conductor and we were able to detrain there with other passengers from the sleepers. Sharon, you are a treasure and I will never forget you.
Cary is a small station and the platform isn't lengthy however the stop was coordinated so that passengers and trash from the diner could both be offloaded. Impressive. Even more impressive, this small station had numerous bus connections. North Carolina really knows how to do public transportation. It's free for the duration of 2022 but even when they reinstate the fares it is an amazing deal. We do not have this available in Michigan. It's the equivalent of being able to board a bus between Detroit, Troy, Pontiac, Metro Airport, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Brighton, even Jackson, for a couple of bucks. We took the Cary bus to the connection point, and boarded another bus to our hotel which was located directly on the bus line, to chill and get ready for our flight back to DTW the next day.
So our 2022 summer family vacation drew to a close, and as I complete this report, everyone is getting caught up on work/school/meetings/etc. That stuff is always there waiting. In fact, once you're back at home and work, it's like you never left. So make the most of your travels. It broadens horizons in many ways. I'm so happy we had this time together.

 

[Old MM]

Ridiculous! Please report this to Customer Relations.

I know, you guys are correct, I just don't want to cause an issue for the hardworking crew members. Amtrak management presumably is aware of the shortage of mattresses and they will either address it or they won't. Besides, the issue was solved for us, so we don't really have anything to complain about. If I had to spend a night on the seat cushions after having paid for a bed, yes I would be contacting Customer Relations that same night!

 

[Old MM]

Mattresses disappearing in Miami definitely needs to be reported to Customer Relations when you get home!

No excuse for this shoddy service on Amtraks part!( several Members have said that the Mattresses in the V IIs are Very Hard)

The mattresses are on the firm side, which is certainly preferable to not having one. The old mattresses were softer but also well worn and occasionally gross... so the new bedding is a net positive for the V2 cars... if they include in the rooms!

 

[Dakota 400]

Amtrak management presumably is aware of the shortage of mattresses and they will either address it or they won't.

Your assumption may not be correct. Management ought to determine why there is a shortage of mattresses. Is someone stealing them?

 

[joelkfla]

Hmmm -- it just occurred to me: When I was in a VL II Accessible Bedroom last fall, I noticed that the seatback did not fold completely flat when converted for sleeping, which was compensated for with a wedge-shaped mattress.

On my trip this spring, there was just the typical flat mattress, so I slept nearer the front of the berth to be on the flat part. I wonder if it was related to whatever problem they're having.

 

[Old MM]

Your assumption may not be correct. Management ought to determine why there is a shortage of mattresses. Is someone stealing them?

Good question. Theft isn't the first thing that comes to mind, lack of enough provisions is what I'm wondering about. I wouldn't be surprised if it was related to the "supply chain" issues we have been hearing about for everything. If they know that they only have enough mattresses for say 80% of the beds, they should not be selling 100% of them. Do they count on a certain percentage of rooms only having one passenger? Even that they would know ahead of departure. Does Miami not keep enough inventory to stock a completely full train? At any rate, I'm not inclined to call CR when our SCA took care of the problem for us. What if my phone call created a problem for her, it wouldn't be fair. When booking in the future, however, I will be asking some questions and also, I did want to share the info with others here on the forum.