Traveling by Train

Just don’t plan on arriving in DC at your scheduled time. Or anything close to it.

My parents tried it once for the experience. My mom is very frugal and super tolerant of most things. She had my dad book plane tickets home and would not do the round trip on the train. That told me all I needed to know.

Long answer, full info:

Two years ago, my daughters and I took the train from New Orleans up to Chicago (The City of New Orleans). I had always wanted to ride an overnight train, and this seemed like the best way to do so-- basically one day and overnight, arriving there next morning.

The accommodations were pretty nice; the girls had a full bedroom and I had a roomette which was perfect --for just me. I don't think a roomette is big enough for two people. On that train, the sleeper cars are in the front, then the dining car (only for sleeper car folks, not for the poors in coach), then the observation lounge car with the cafe' on the bottom level. Then come all the coach cars with just seats.

We actually spent a lot of the first day in the Observation Car, because you get a lot better views than from your single window in your roomette or cabin (especially if you are on the bottom level).

The coach seating looks okay -- two big seats across on each side and lots of legroom between rows. The problem is the people IN the coach section. People you see at Walmart of all races, covered in blankets, carrying plastic grocery bags of Styrofoam food containers, crying kids and babies. Walked through there ONCE to look out the window of the back of the train as it was traveling fast. That was enough.

You actually have a porter/attendant designated when you get your room, who takes your meal order and schedules meals, and changes your cabin to a bed set-up. Mine was a very nice lady; she also kept me with a supply of ice for the gin and tonic I brought with me.

The whole experience had that Snowpiercer vibe going with the separation of classes and it getting nicer as you moved to the front. The observation lounge car was nice at first, but as the evening wore on and more coach folks got on board in places like McComb, Jackson, Yazoo City and Memphis, the observation lounge began to get infiltrated and taken over by coach folks... like one guy bringing his blanket and taking over a whole section of three seats by laying down across them... baby mamas with a phone in one hand and a toddler in the other loudly talking loudly on the phone to friends about no-good men who "drink up all their money", etc.

We had our dinner in the Delta as the sun went down; pretty nice. I had short ribs, Daughter 1 had some kind of pasta, other daughter had chicken. The food is okay, almost a tv dinner/microwaveable dinner. Nothing on that route is actually "cooked to order" in a kitchen; I think they use a convection oven to heat up frozen or refrigerated meals. On SOME routes (worth checking on) I think they do make meals cooked fresh, not heated up. I should add you DO get a cocktail with dinner, however. And they had their own limes, too! Also, contrary to what another poster said, from the late afternoon on, I had no trouble taking my own drinks (gin and tonic) anywhere on the train-- lounge car, walking around, etc.

When the sun went down, and the observation car began to be seriously taken over by the denizens of coach, we retired to our rooms. So then came the fun part of trying to sleep. Luckily, I had: (1) drank A LOT of gin and tonics, (2) a white noise machine, and (3) Styrofoam ear plugs, because while the clackety-clack of the train is kind of soothing, that LOUD whistle the train must sound at EVERY road crossing is not. WHOOOO! WHOOOOOOO! WHOOOOOOOOOOOO! But worse than that was the motion of the train. This was not a case of "the gentle rocking of the train lulling you to sleep". No, that thing lurches and jostles and jerks you back and forth, rather violently, and on some of the serious banked curves you are angled and feel like you may roll out of bed. Surprisingly, I did get to sleep from about 11 PM until 2:30 AM when I had to go relieve myself. I slept a little fitfully with all that motion but did have some deep sleep with dreams. I was able to get back to sleep and slept rather soundly again till about 6:30 AM, when the sun had come up. By then we were well into Illinois, where the track may be in better condition (and is certainly flatter and straighter).

In the morning, I did take a shower, shaved, and got ready and changed on the train. As I noted the ride by then was smoother. The facilities were not bad at all for such. I had hall facilities for me (girls had a combo shower/toilet in their room, with the sink/mirror in the main part of the room).

We took the last breakfast service at 7:15 (which was pretty good and filling), eating as we crossed the farmlands of Illinois on a bright sunny morning. I had “railroad French toast” and bacon with orange juice and a Diet Coke; the girls got the continental breakfast, which included cereal, granola bar, yogurt, and a muffin, with juice/coffee.

We arrived at Union Station in downtown Chicago only about 10-15 minutes behind schedule, which was good.

All in all, it was great experience, but probably good for only a one-time bucket list thing. Not sure I could do a multi-day trip anywhere on the train. And I certainly wouldn't ride it in coach, that's for sure, even if it was a short trip. Anywhere short, I can drive faster than they get there (Atlanta I can get to in 6 hours, by train it's 12. Jackson I can get to in a little over 2; by train it's 4).

The Crescent (Nola to NYC) is the nicest of the 3 Amtrak routes out of NOLa. It uses newer, nicer, different type of passenger cars than the ancient Superliners on the City of New Orleans (to Chicago) and Sunset Ltd (to LA). I’ve parked my car at the NOLa train station without incident, but Slidell is the safer bet. Try it, you’ll like it! I’m taking this train to NYC next week.

This is all I got

Oops.

Right of way.

I think I knew it.

I probably just absentmindedly typed it it phonetically. You know, because I’m from Phenix