Thanksgiving 2014 travel - open thread

[CHamilton]

Sitting in the Pacific Parlour Car climbing toward Chemult.

 

[Bob Dylan]

No snow in the Cascades yet Charlie?

 

[CHamilton]

Oh yeah!

 

[City of Miami]

Today's Cardinal 51 westbound to Chicago had two sleepers, two cafes, and four coaches, plus baggage car. I'd say there was at least 1 coach worth getting off and then getting on here in Charlottesville. I didn't see #50 which had Aviva-dawn aboard. The Crescent has been running with 5 coaches all week and the Lynchburger has had an extra coach as well.

 

[aviva_dawn]

I know that we have one diner/lounge, two sleepers, a baggage car, at least two coaches, a private car and the single engine. If we have a third coach, I didn't notice it. I am in the first coach. Still looks quite full. We should be in WAS in about an hour behind schedule. It's been an excellent trip, and I'm sad to see its end. A full trip report is forthcoming.

-Between Charlottesville and Culpeper at this time-

 

[City of Miami]

The solo server/busser was kind enough to sell me the short rib dinner "to go" so that I could go eat it in the lounge section. That was *more* than satisfactory.

Was that server named Craig by any chance? I can imagine him doing that even though busy busy busy! He's a credit to Amtrak.

 

[aviva_dawn]

I do not know, and am pinching myself for NOT asking. I was planning to write a letter of praise about my SCA on #6, AND the dining car crew of #6 AND the solo crew member that I mentioned on #50. That's how impressed and touched I was.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I do not know, and am pinching myself for NOT asking. I was planning to write a letter of praise about my SCA on #6, AND the dining car crew of #6 AND the solo crew member that I mentioned on #50. That's how impressed and touched I was.

Was your SCA by chance Stephanie Utt? I have ridden with her twice, once on the Builder and once on the Zephyr and she is beyond amazing.

On that same Builder we had an older woman as our Server in the Diner and she had a very gruff dry sense of humour but at a moment's notice could get her whole side of the car rolling of the floor laughing. At Dinner the Dad sitting across from me dropped his napkin, couldn't reach it and asked her for a replacement. She comes back with an entire tablecloth, throws it around him barber-style, tucks it under his chin and loudly declares-DON'T LOSE THAT! No one could eat for 5 minutes because we were laughing so hard-even the Dad.

 

[Alexandria Nick]

No trouble on the CL between WAS and PGH on Wednesday. Came in early, but not as early as we could have. Ran kinda slow due to a three train meet at Bloom (right east of the station in Pittsburgh) between NS, AMTK, and AVR trains. Train was early into Pittsburgh today and then we held at Bloom for like 20 minutes. Made up the time and got into DC right on schedule. All most every station had to be two stops, which was a bit unusual, and we went through Brunswick on the south side of the yard (through the MARC station). I've never been on that track before.

 

[KVG_DC]

Good to know that. I was considering the CL back to DC from WTI when I booked my flights for this Thanksgiving. I shied away because of the massive delays it was having at the time.

I do have a round tripper for the Christmas holidays booked on the CL though! Looking forward to some train time when done teaching this semester.

 

[SarahZ]

Keep in mind that I love flying, but when I see articles like this, I'm unbelievably grateful we'll be relaxing in a bedroom with wine and Amsteak while these people wait in their 1.2-mile long security line:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/30/travel/thanksgiving-travel-home/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

 

[Acela150]

And my train was early into BOS

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Sensible people take trains-Foolish people take 'planes

 

[SarahZ]

Sensible people take trains-Foolish people take 'planes

I don't like that generalization. Many companies mandate their employees fly because it saves time, and there are times I decide to fly because I don't have enough vacation days to spend 2-4 days on a train.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Sensible people take trains-Foolish people take 'planes

I don't like that generalization. Many companies mandate their employees fly because it saves time, and there are times I decide to fly because I don't have enough vacation days to spend 2-4 days on a train.

I can understand work mandates but for me sometimes the train is the best part of the vacation

 

[amamba]

I do not know, and am pinching myself for NOT asking. I was planning to write a letter of praise about my SCA on #6, AND the dining car crew of #6 AND the solo crew member that I mentioned on #50. That's how impressed and touched I was.

Was your SCA by chance Stephanie Utt? I have ridden with her twice, once on the Builder and once on the Zephyr and she is beyond amazing.

On that same Builder we had an older woman as our Server in the Diner and she had a very gruff dry sense of humour but at a moment's notice could get her whole side of the car rolling of the floor laughing. At Dinner the Dad sitting across from me dropped his napkin, couldn't reach it and asked her for a replacement. She comes back with an entire tablecloth, throws it around him barber-style, tucks it under his chin and loudly declares-DON'T LOSE THAT! No one could eat for 5 minutes because we were laughing so hard-even the Dad.

If someone did that to me I would be furious. Maybe you had to be there but I would be mortified and writing complaint letters. It sounds highly inappropriate and unprofessional.

 

[amamba]

Keep in mind that I love flying, but when I see articles like this, I'm unbelievably grateful we'll be relaxing in a bedroom with wine and Amsteak while these people wait in their 1.2-mile long security line:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/30/travel/thanksgiving-travel-home/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

that is the stuff of nightmares.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I do not know, and am pinching myself for NOT asking. I was planning to write a letter of praise about my SCA on #6, AND the dining car crew of #6 AND the solo crew member that I mentioned on #50. That's how impressed and touched I was.

Was your SCA by chance Stephanie Utt? I have ridden with her twice, once on the Builder and once on the Zephyr and she is beyond amazing.

On that same Builder we had an older woman as our Server in the Diner and she had a very gruff dry sense of humour but at a moment's notice could get her whole side of the car rolling of the floor laughing. At Dinner the Dad sitting across from me dropped his napkin, couldn't reach it and asked her for a replacement. She comes back with an entire tablecloth, throws it around him barber-style, tucks it under his chin and loudly declares-DON'T LOSE THAT! No one could eat for 5 minutes because we were laughing so hard-even the Dad.

If someone did that to me I would be furious. Maybe you had to be there but I would be mortified and writing complaint letters. It sounds highly inappropriate and unprofessional.

She was good and able to read her "audience" before coming on with any comments or schtick.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Sensible people take trains-Foolish people take 'planes

I don't like that generalization. Many companies mandate their employees fly because it saves time, and there are times I decide to fly because I don't have enough vacation days to spend 2-4 days on a train.

I can understand work mandates but for me sometimes the train is the best part of the vacation

I agree with the "sometimes". My next trip will be by plane because the best part of that vacation will be spending time with my newest grandchild & her family.

 

[aviva_dawn]

My SCA was Terrence on the CZ.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

My SCA was Terrence on the CZ.

Please do take those few miniutes to send in words of praise about Terrence and anyone else on the Crew you feels deserves them. Even if you cannot recall names, they can be tracked down through train information. Now you will likely get the standard form letter in return but hopefully someone is doing their job and putting your letter into their employment files where hopefully they get read when it comes time for raises and promotions.

 

[City of Miami]

I recently sent in a commendation through the link on Amtrak.com and got no response whatsoever. I didn't really expect any either.

 

[jis]

Sensible people take trains-Foolish people take 'planes

I don't like that generalization. Many companies mandate their employees fly because it saves time, and there are times I decide to fly because I don't have enough vacation days to spend 2-4 days on a train.

I can understand work mandates but for me sometimes the train is the best part of the vacation

Not if you are going to Hawai'i
BTW, I had an amazingly good experience on my return trip from Honolulu. I had upgrades all the way. Surprisingly, I got served better food than on Amtrak - a roast beef entree, accompanied by a very good Malbec, and finally a fully dressed up ice cream sundae for dessert, in domestic first class, with real linen and silverware. Go figure! This was on a San Francisco - Orlando flight! The flight from Honolulu to San Fran had lie flat seats, so I had a quick omelet, sausage, quiche, fruit cup and yogurt breakfast and went back to sleep, that was interrupted by the early departure, and slept all the way to San Fran.

 

[SarahZ]

We're on the SWC, heading back to Chicago.

Our SCA is Gabriel. We've only been with him for ten minutes, but I already love him.

 

[BCL]

I noted that I had a friend with a kid visiting from Southern California who wasn't willing to drive and for whom it was too late to book air travel at reasonable rates.

So they took Amtrak home last night EMY-BFD-LAX-IRV scheduled on the 712/5812/784. I guess the weather slowed down the bus since it was over an hour late and they missed their train connection. Even though it's reserved around Thanksgiving, they allowed on the next Surfliner. I think that's not a problem when it's not reserved, but missing a connection probably gives and exception when it is considered reserved.