|
|
|
|
Amtrak 2002
In March 2002, I took Amtrak from Chicago down to Marshall TX. It was convenient because I was leaving after work (which was only 4 blocks East of Union Station) and the train stopped in Marshall, which is just a few miles from my dad's farm, which is where I was going to be staying. It's actually the 3rd time I've taken Amtrak- I took it once from Chicago to Milwaukee to meet my wife and her brother at the Milwaukee State Fair, where there was a ZZ Top concert we attended. The trip was a little less than 2 hours, but sort of weird because all the seats faced backwards. If I would have taken the return trip, the seats would have been facing the proper direction because they make that run with a locomotive at each end and just run the trains back and forth several times a day. The other time was in the spring of 2000, when I had flown from Las Vegas to Shreveport Louisiana to pick up my son, who was visiting with his grandma and grandpa. We took the train from Marshall Texas to Chicago, Illinois. We got a Deluxe Sleeper Room, which has two beds and it's own shower and toilet. This trip was fun, except we had to wait for about 3 hours on the platform in the middle of the night waiting for the train to arrive. Apparently it was just a few miles away, stuck there because of a crew change. As it turned out, the new crew could not locate the train and it took hours for them to straighten this out. I would soon find out that Amtrak does not even attempt to be on time, anywhere. They are chronically late. On this latest trip I also reserved a Deluxe Room sleeper. I like the privacy and being able to sleep in a full sized bed any time of the day or night.
Above: The deluxe sleeper room, which has this small table that can fold up. I enjoy traveling by train when I have my own room- otherwise I wouldn't bother. Here are a few pictures I took on my latest trip. The things I don't like about traveling by Amtrak: You see the worst of every town you travel through. Slum areas, industrial sections, and poor country houses are about all you will see. We did stop once right next to a prison in Texarkana, which was interesting because the were so close you could almost reach out and touch them. The fences of their compound were right up against the train line. I'm sitting at a table with a glass of wine in my hand contemplating the fate of the universe when all of a sudden we stop and I'm being started at by 50 guys in striped uniforms not more than 20 feet away. Also, the price is all wrong- for all but the really short hops, it's usually cheaper to fly. And their prices fluctuate wildly depending upon demand. For the same sleeper room, I've paid anywhere from $100 to $400 a night, and that doesn't include the $90 fare for the ticket. A one-way overnight trip can set you back about $500. The amount of time it takes to get anywhere is disappointing. I'm used to riding the Metra trains, where the speeds often exceed 70 MPH. The Amtrak trains I've taken seem to make their entire trip between 25-45 MPH. It's certainly slower than driving or taking the bus. The poor record for arriving anywhere on time. Every time I take Amtrak, I wind up being 6 hours late. That is plain stupid. And when I took this last trip, I found the originating train (from Chicago) didn't even leave on time (50 min late leaving). And once going back, my mom, dad, me, and my 4 year old son waited on the platform of at Marshall Texas from about 9:00 to 1:00 A.M. in the morning. Apparently the train was right down the tracks the whole time, but couldn't go anywhere until they completed a necessary crew change (engineers can only work a certain number of hours, and when they exceed it they just stop the train whever they happen to be). But the problem was that the replacement crew couldn't locate the train. What a fiasco. They also stop in St. Louis for varying lengths of time, taking on and dropping of train cars. They even pull the power to the train for some of this. Yet another time when we were coming into the Marshall Texas train station, they only parked the Engine on the platform, while the engineer got down, chewed the fat with a replacement engineer for 20 minutes and eventually pulled up the train so that the passengers could get off. That makes me mad because they wasted a half hour of my time when all I wanted to do was get off the train, and we were only a few yards from the platform. Even our conductor was mad that they did this. A bit of a "us and them" attitude by the train crews. Once the doors shut and the train pulls away, they make no bones about letting everyone know how it is. Repeated announcements about what to do with the trash, and what not to put in the toilets, gets very old. I suppose what really got to me was that the message seems to be delivered in a slightly derogatory way. Our sleeper-conductor even took the complementary pop and candies away, complaining that it had been abused. For what people are paying, I don't see how anyone could abuse the free pop. If Amtrak is cutting corners on the sodas, they are going down for sure. This same attitude exists in the Amtrak Union Station offices in Chicago though. I once asked the help desk which train pamphlet would I need to look at for finding a train that left Chicago and passed through White Sulpher Springs West Virginia. She just tossed a National Timetable book over to me (guess I was interrupting her conversation with her co-worker).
Above: The observation car. They also have a TV in there that shows kids movies in the mornings. But in spite of the attitude displayed by a few folks, I enjoy taking the train and plan on taking in the future whenever time is not critical and the schedules work out. What I did like: There is something historic about traveling by train in your own sleeper. Something that was once quite common in the 1930s is now all but a passing trend. If you've never taken an overnight trip in a sleeper, I suggest giving it a shot before this experience is discontinued for good in the U.S. The food in the dining car was excellent. I had a 20 oz. porterhouse steak for dinner that was simply awesome. I had the steak meal delivered to my room because I don't always care for the policy of being seated with other people. I had pancakes for breakfast the next morning, and you couldn't find better at any restaurant. I met a very nice retired couple that I sat with. The meals are included with the price of a room in the sleeper car. The solitude and being able to sleep at any time, stretched out and in a bed, while you are traveling is a major plus for taking the train. Having your own room with a bed and shower allows to arrive at your destination feeling refreshed and ready to go. It's tough to put a price on that. Being able to get on the train close to work (about 4 blocks away) and get off the train close to my dad's farm (20 minutes) is also a deal that can't be beat.
Above: Another shot of the observation car. On the level below is a small store that sells pop, chips, sandwiches, booze, etc.
Above: The dining car.
Above: The dining car again. When it's not breakfast, lunch, or dinner time it's empty, although the emplyees do tend to hang out where when they are off duty.
A table in the dining car...all set for dinner.
My deluxe sleeper room. If you are thinking about taking an Amtrak trip and you would like to ask me a few questions, email me at marktrainer@marktrainer.com. June 7, 2002 Well I've purchased tickets for July 4, 2002 but yesterday the CEO of Amtrak said they may stop all operations in July unless the government loans them $200 million. Hope they keep running until mid July.
|
