Following on from my flight, this covers my dalliance with Amtrak going to San Francisco.
Following a very enjoyable, if warm and humid stop in Chicago, it was time to head off to Union Station for the real adventure to begin.
The genesis of this trip began way back in 1989 and was put on the back burner several times until early this year. So, what prompted something to take 22 years for finally do? Back in 1987, intrepid TV traveller Michael Palin did his Around the World in 80 Days. Part of that trip involved taking the train from Los Angeles to Chicago, initially on the now-defunct Desert Wind and then joining the California Zephyr. This journey so stuck in my mind that I swore then that I would do it one day. Fast forward to 2011.
When the B2B plans were cancelled, I suddenly found myself with an opportunity to complete what has been described as one of the great railway journeys of the world. At 2438 miles it's longest I've ever done.
So, after a healthy lie-in at the Hotel Felix, I got a cab to Union Station to check-in and drop a bag off. Union Station is mostly underground and you get the feeling that it should be renamed 'Hades'. For those unfamiliar with it, Amtrak is Federally owned and managed passenger rail service in the US. Their equivalent of British Rail if you like. Unlike the UK, the trains are publicly owned but the rails they pass over are privately owned. Freight gets priority and the better, faster lines. Back to Union Station. The Amtrak side has a very Art Deco feel that gives the feeling of going on some glamorous, great adventure. Sadly, the reality is not so chic.
Firstly, there never seems to be enough staff to cope. It took me over an hour to check-in one bag. As the queue grows, the staff have to keep calling passengers of soon-departing trains to the front of the queue so they can be done. This causes the queue to take longer to be done, then the next soon-departing train is call. The bag-drop is closed more than open and this causes the queue to build even more. Secondly, they use a gate system which causes queues but the queues are not managed so they snake all around the area. I spent 20 minutes in the 'Gate C and D' queue only to find out it was actually the 'D' queue. Finally, after a few false starts I was aboard the train and ready for the off.
On-board, you have several ways to travel. You can have either, Reserved Seating, Roomette, Bedroom, Suite or a Family Room. All but the first give you privacy and a bed of some sort. I choose the Roomette as anything else would be a waste. The roomette is 6.6'x 3.6'with 2 seats that side together to make a bed and a drop-down shelf to make an upper bunk. A mattress, sheets and thin blankets make up the rest of the bed. I stuck to the bottom bed as rolling out of the top bunk would hurt. To describe them as comfortable is an overstatement. Adequate would be better, although I did sleep a lot better than I thought I would thanks to earplugs. Each coach has 2 attendant who make up the beds, do cleaning and keep the coffee area stocked etc.
We pulled out of Union Station about 5 minutes late and got a view of the Chicago skyline as we headed west. The next 15 minutes was filled by various dos and don'ts.
Do keep your shoes on when walking round.
Do use headphones when listening to music etc.
Don't go to the dining car until called.
No smoking (this will come up again later).
No cussin'
No more than 2 alcoholic drinks per person per visit to bar.
And so it went on.
About five minutes later, a reminder about headphones and music. Shortly followed by clarification that this included musical instruments - turned out that someone started playing a ukulele, badly!! Watching the suburbs slide past soon got boring and I went off to checkout the 'facilities'.
If you thought airline toilets were small, then Amtrak has nothing on these. The look like Boeing supplied them but only gave 18 inches of floor in front of the pan. How those of an,ahem, larger build cope is anyone's guess. The use the same suction flush system so a courtesy flush is fraught with danger. Apparently it's a common occurrence to have someone all but sucked into the bowl. The shock of these has made my bowels lock solid for the 3 days plus!! The shower is by far the largest room but to use while going down the track, with all the movement, is more a matter of gymnastics than hygiene. I stuck to the wet flannel method and used bottled water for teeth. It certainly makes you appreciate a hotel shower when you get one.
While recovering from the shock, the dining car manager came around taking our lunch reservations. You have 4 choices. 5, 5:30, 6:45 and 7:15. As most of the passengers were into their 60's and beyond, they went for early dinners and I stuck to 7:15. You knew the kitchen was up to speed and any problems ironed out.
For those of us with sleeping accommodation, food is included. A copy of the menu can be found here The food is best described as "basic but fair" Portion size is on the small size but seeing as you cannot walk too far, you're not getting much exercise. First night I went for the trout, which was better than I thought. Moist and bone-free. Dessert was chocolate cheesecake and as those paying attention on my flight TR will know, it went down very well. In the dining car there rule is only alcohol purchased there can be consumed. A small bottle is $5.50 and a half bottle $14. I went for the white Chardonnay which was a passable Woodbridge 2009. The second night was steak. I asked for medium-well but it was more on the medium size. Very tasty but needed chips. A very good Cab Sav to help it along.
By the time I got back to my room, our attendant (Ry) was staring to make up the beds as passengers wanted them. As it was only 8.30, I declined and read for a while. Roy popped back at 9.30 and conceded to have mine done. He had a 'trainee' in tow and it was her first trip since completing her course. Once the bed was made, I tentatively slid under the sheet and to my surprise it was quite comfy. Prior to booking, I had worried about how I would cope with the movement and noise. Being a bit of a duvet monster, I had bought a pack of those was earplugs that I so wish VS would use. They were very effective and quite comfortable to sleep in and I soon nodded off, no doubt aided by the rocking motion.
I awoke just as it was getting light, expecting to be just outside Denver, CO., but looking out the window, all I could see was the Great Plains of Nebraska (very flat and very agricultural ), looking like something out of The Wizard of Oz, with isolated farms with huge grain silos and a rust pick-up abandoned in the corner of a far field. Going by my observations, there must be tons and tons of scrap metal on US farms. Roy can along and advised us of the delay. Apparently as drunk driver in Omaha, NE. had tried to give the police the slip by driving along the tracks. This didn't quite work out and he was soon arrested. Problem was, it took 4 hours to remove the car, clean up and do safety checks. This would then cascade into more delays later.
Breakfast was called on a first-come basis and it typical US fayre. I went for the omelette and while basic, was very hot and freshly cooked. Sadly the tea was pretty dire as the water wasn't hot enough and Liptons Brisk is like the teahouse floor sweepings.
We finally pulled into Denver at 11, just over 5 hours late. On the Zephyr, Denver is one of the main service points so water is topped up along with ice etc. This takes about half an hour so I went for a wander into the station to use the facilities and see if there was a Starbucks to get a decent brew from. Sadly no such luck and back on we got. Within an hour, we were forced to stop near a section of single track line called Big 10 Curve where it gets so windy they have welded old wagons to the rails and filled them with sand to act as a windbreak. A freight train ahead had a mechanical problem and couldn't got forwards or backwards. 3 hours later it had been moved to a siding and we could pass, but not before the east-bound Zephyr had gone past. Progress was slow into the Rockies and after dinner we were still some 8 hours behind. Early night the whole train were praying for no more delays, but as the Conductor helpfully pointed out, it was Friday 13th. Awake again around sunrise, near a place called Provo, UT.
The morning before, I had caught a very strong whiff of cannabis being burnt and again this morning. It transpired that one of the more senior passengers had a medical certificate for cannabis and had been self-medicating. As mentioned, smoking is banned onboard, and the culprit would have to leave the train at Salt Lake City. All done without any fuss For those wondering, normal smoke breaks happen at stations with short stops. Pulled out of Denver at breakfast time (french toast this time) and headed off across the Great Salt Lake. Very flat and very boring.
Like airline crews, train crews in the US have set maximum hours before they must stop working. To counter this, Amtrak have crew swap stations along the route. The next swap was due at Elko, NV. As we pulled in, all the power throughout the train went off. This lead to another 2 hour delay as the on-board engineer tried to fix it. Eventually, the lead locomotive shutdown and the second would have to take over until Reno. Form there, due to the steep climbs, one engine is not enough and a Union Pacific engine was added. Given how late we were, I made a call to my San Francisco hotel to inform them I would be arriving very late and not to let my room go (all hotels full due to B2B next morning)
Pulled out of Reno just as the sun went down. Due to the delays, an extra night was needed and food provided. The dining car was had a clear out of the freezer meaning it was either fish or steak and not a lot else. No alcohol either. Our ETA at Emeryville was updated to about 2 in the morning but given the delays so far, no-one was putting much faith in that. Beds were made and Roy promised to wake us before arrival. Unusually, throughout the night station announcements were made which while informative on our position, did nothing for my sleep. Finally, with a tap-tap, Roy woke us up with an arrival time of 02:30. The last few miles dragged but we were soon in the station.
It was clear that everything was in place ready for us as getting off to bags to coach took 20 minutes. I had booked a Thru-coach to get me to the city, saving a taxi or the BART. I finally got to the Hotel Nikko at around 3:30. Luckily reception had kept my room, but due to the amount of guest, my original room had been filled. One complimentary upgrade later, I was on the 24th floor, in a Japanese Suite. I fell into bed and managed another 5 hours sleep.
Looking back, the delay was only 9 hours as we caught up some time across California, so nothing too dramatic, plus I didn't any connections to make either.
One question I have been asked is "Would I do it again?". Simple answer, Yes!
It was more an adventure for me than a way of getting from A to B. OK, comfort is not Amtrak's bag, but they do try and the way the rail network is run, they are at a huge disadvantage. Sadly, freight earns more per mile than people.
If anyone else is thinking of doing a long-distance Amtrak route, here's a few tips.
Make sure you get a sleeper.
Take earplugs and something to keep you occupied.
Don't do it if you have a deadline to be somewhere.
If getting there quickly is important, fly!!
Take wet wipes and some hand sanitizer too.
If you have any special diet, make sure to pack your own food.
Don't get stressed if delayed. There's nothing you can do about it so just go with the flow
Some useful links:
Amtrak - California Zephyr
Wikipedia
Following a very enjoyable, if warm and humid stop in Chicago, it was time to head off to Union Station for the real adventure to begin.
The genesis of this trip began way back in 1989 and was put on the back burner several times until early this year. So, what prompted something to take 22 years for finally do? Back in 1987, intrepid TV traveller Michael Palin did his Around the World in 80 Days. Part of that trip involved taking the train from Los Angeles to Chicago, initially on the now-defunct Desert Wind and then joining the California Zephyr. This journey so stuck in my mind that I swore then that I would do it one day. Fast forward to 2011.
When the B2B plans were cancelled, I suddenly found myself with an opportunity to complete what has been described as one of the great railway journeys of the world. At 2438 miles it's longest I've ever done.
So, after a healthy lie-in at the Hotel Felix, I got a cab to Union Station to check-in and drop a bag off. Union Station is mostly underground and you get the feeling that it should be renamed 'Hades'. For those unfamiliar with it, Amtrak is Federally owned and managed passenger rail service in the US. Their equivalent of British Rail if you like. Unlike the UK, the trains are publicly owned but the rails they pass over are privately owned. Freight gets priority and the better, faster lines. Back to Union Station. The Amtrak side has a very Art Deco feel that gives the feeling of going on some glamorous, great adventure. Sadly, the reality is not so chic.
Firstly, there never seems to be enough staff to cope. It took me over an hour to check-in one bag. As the queue grows, the staff have to keep calling passengers of soon-departing trains to the front of the queue so they can be done. This causes the queue to take longer to be done, then the next soon-departing train is call. The bag-drop is closed more than open and this causes the queue to build even more. Secondly, they use a gate system which causes queues but the queues are not managed so they snake all around the area. I spent 20 minutes in the 'Gate C and D' queue only to find out it was actually the 'D' queue. Finally, after a few false starts I was aboard the train and ready for the off.
On-board, you have several ways to travel. You can have either, Reserved Seating, Roomette, Bedroom, Suite or a Family Room. All but the first give you privacy and a bed of some sort. I choose the Roomette as anything else would be a waste. The roomette is 6.6'x 3.6'with 2 seats that side together to make a bed and a drop-down shelf to make an upper bunk. A mattress, sheets and thin blankets make up the rest of the bed. I stuck to the bottom bed as rolling out of the top bunk would hurt. To describe them as comfortable is an overstatement. Adequate would be better, although I did sleep a lot better than I thought I would thanks to earplugs. Each coach has 2 attendant who make up the beds, do cleaning and keep the coffee area stocked etc.
We pulled out of Union Station about 5 minutes late and got a view of the Chicago skyline as we headed west. The next 15 minutes was filled by various dos and don'ts.
Do keep your shoes on when walking round.
Do use headphones when listening to music etc.
Don't go to the dining car until called.
No smoking (this will come up again later).
No cussin'
No more than 2 alcoholic drinks per person per visit to bar.
And so it went on.
About five minutes later, a reminder about headphones and music. Shortly followed by clarification that this included musical instruments - turned out that someone started playing a ukulele, badly!! Watching the suburbs slide past soon got boring and I went off to checkout the 'facilities'.
If you thought airline toilets were small, then Amtrak has nothing on these. The look like Boeing supplied them but only gave 18 inches of floor in front of the pan. How those of an,ahem, larger build cope is anyone's guess. The use the same suction flush system so a courtesy flush is fraught with danger. Apparently it's a common occurrence to have someone all but sucked into the bowl. The shock of these has made my bowels lock solid for the 3 days plus!! The shower is by far the largest room but to use while going down the track, with all the movement, is more a matter of gymnastics than hygiene. I stuck to the wet flannel method and used bottled water for teeth. It certainly makes you appreciate a hotel shower when you get one.
While recovering from the shock, the dining car manager came around taking our lunch reservations. You have 4 choices. 5, 5:30, 6:45 and 7:15. As most of the passengers were into their 60's and beyond, they went for early dinners and I stuck to 7:15. You knew the kitchen was up to speed and any problems ironed out.
For those of us with sleeping accommodation, food is included. A copy of the menu can be found here The food is best described as "basic but fair" Portion size is on the small size but seeing as you cannot walk too far, you're not getting much exercise. First night I went for the trout, which was better than I thought. Moist and bone-free. Dessert was chocolate cheesecake and as those paying attention on my flight TR will know, it went down very well. In the dining car there rule is only alcohol purchased there can be consumed. A small bottle is $5.50 and a half bottle $14. I went for the white Chardonnay which was a passable Woodbridge 2009. The second night was steak. I asked for medium-well but it was more on the medium size. Very tasty but needed chips. A very good Cab Sav to help it along.
By the time I got back to my room, our attendant (Ry) was staring to make up the beds as passengers wanted them. As it was only 8.30, I declined and read for a while. Roy popped back at 9.30 and conceded to have mine done. He had a 'trainee' in tow and it was her first trip since completing her course. Once the bed was made, I tentatively slid under the sheet and to my surprise it was quite comfy. Prior to booking, I had worried about how I would cope with the movement and noise. Being a bit of a duvet monster, I had bought a pack of those was earplugs that I so wish VS would use. They were very effective and quite comfortable to sleep in and I soon nodded off, no doubt aided by the rocking motion.
I awoke just as it was getting light, expecting to be just outside Denver, CO., but looking out the window, all I could see was the Great Plains of Nebraska (very flat and very agricultural ), looking like something out of The Wizard of Oz, with isolated farms with huge grain silos and a rust pick-up abandoned in the corner of a far field. Going by my observations, there must be tons and tons of scrap metal on US farms. Roy can along and advised us of the delay. Apparently as drunk driver in Omaha, NE. had tried to give the police the slip by driving along the tracks. This didn't quite work out and he was soon arrested. Problem was, it took 4 hours to remove the car, clean up and do safety checks. This would then cascade into more delays later.
Breakfast was called on a first-come basis and it typical US fayre. I went for the omelette and while basic, was very hot and freshly cooked. Sadly the tea was pretty dire as the water wasn't hot enough and Liptons Brisk is like the teahouse floor sweepings.
We finally pulled into Denver at 11, just over 5 hours late. On the Zephyr, Denver is one of the main service points so water is topped up along with ice etc. This takes about half an hour so I went for a wander into the station to use the facilities and see if there was a Starbucks to get a decent brew from. Sadly no such luck and back on we got. Within an hour, we were forced to stop near a section of single track line called Big 10 Curve where it gets so windy they have welded old wagons to the rails and filled them with sand to act as a windbreak. A freight train ahead had a mechanical problem and couldn't got forwards or backwards. 3 hours later it had been moved to a siding and we could pass, but not before the east-bound Zephyr had gone past. Progress was slow into the Rockies and after dinner we were still some 8 hours behind. Early night the whole train were praying for no more delays, but as the Conductor helpfully pointed out, it was Friday 13th. Awake again around sunrise, near a place called Provo, UT.
The morning before, I had caught a very strong whiff of cannabis being burnt and again this morning. It transpired that one of the more senior passengers had a medical certificate for cannabis and had been self-medicating. As mentioned, smoking is banned onboard, and the culprit would have to leave the train at Salt Lake City. All done without any fuss For those wondering, normal smoke breaks happen at stations with short stops. Pulled out of Denver at breakfast time (french toast this time) and headed off across the Great Salt Lake. Very flat and very boring.
Like airline crews, train crews in the US have set maximum hours before they must stop working. To counter this, Amtrak have crew swap stations along the route. The next swap was due at Elko, NV. As we pulled in, all the power throughout the train went off. This lead to another 2 hour delay as the on-board engineer tried to fix it. Eventually, the lead locomotive shutdown and the second would have to take over until Reno. Form there, due to the steep climbs, one engine is not enough and a Union Pacific engine was added. Given how late we were, I made a call to my San Francisco hotel to inform them I would be arriving very late and not to let my room go (all hotels full due to B2B next morning)
Pulled out of Reno just as the sun went down. Due to the delays, an extra night was needed and food provided. The dining car was had a clear out of the freezer meaning it was either fish or steak and not a lot else. No alcohol either. Our ETA at Emeryville was updated to about 2 in the morning but given the delays so far, no-one was putting much faith in that. Beds were made and Roy promised to wake us before arrival. Unusually, throughout the night station announcements were made which while informative on our position, did nothing for my sleep. Finally, with a tap-tap, Roy woke us up with an arrival time of 02:30. The last few miles dragged but we were soon in the station.
It was clear that everything was in place ready for us as getting off to bags to coach took 20 minutes. I had booked a Thru-coach to get me to the city, saving a taxi or the BART. I finally got to the Hotel Nikko at around 3:30. Luckily reception had kept my room, but due to the amount of guest, my original room had been filled. One complimentary upgrade later, I was on the 24th floor, in a Japanese Suite. I fell into bed and managed another 5 hours sleep.
Looking back, the delay was only 9 hours as we caught up some time across California, so nothing too dramatic, plus I didn't any connections to make either.
One question I have been asked is "Would I do it again?". Simple answer, Yes!
It was more an adventure for me than a way of getting from A to B. OK, comfort is not Amtrak's bag, but they do try and the way the rail network is run, they are at a huge disadvantage. Sadly, freight earns more per mile than people.
If anyone else is thinking of doing a long-distance Amtrak route, here's a few tips.
Make sure you get a sleeper.
Take earplugs and something to keep you occupied.
Don't do it if you have a deadline to be somewhere.
If getting there quickly is important, fly!!
Take wet wipes and some hand sanitizer too.
If you have any special diet, make sure to pack your own food.
Don't get stressed if delayed. There's nothing you can do about it so just go with the flow
Some useful links:
Amtrak - California Zephyr
Wikipedia
Thanks
Darren
Darren
