Life Anyone ever ridden Amtrak?

**Rain Man** · 04-29-2010, 09:57 AM

What's it like? Would you go on a long trip with it? Are the seats like first-class aircraft seats or coach, or something completely different? Is it worth the large extra charge to get the sleeper car? Is it more like the luxury train cars of yore with good food and china and table linens in the dining car, or is it Greyhound on rails?

**Bane** · 04-29-2010, 10:01 AM

No but I knew a girl in high school,Lori Jones....We called her Amtrak.

**Nzoner** · 04-29-2010, 10:06 AM

Took one once from California to KC and made a big mistake not getting a sleeper car although I have trouble sleeping in any kind of moving vehicle.

The expierence was decent in that when going thru New Mexico they had a tour guide in the observation car pointing out Indian battlegrounds and other history tidbits.

No way in hell I'd ever take another 2+ day trip on one though.

cardken · 04-29-2010, 10:09 AM

I took the Amtrak to New Orleans last year, runs from Chicago down there. I caught it here in Kentucky. New Orleans was about 9 hours from here on the train. But it comes through here at 2am. So got a sleeper car, caught some shut eye and woke early enough to shower (in my private car), and got breakfast that was included in the fare.
I was around $325 round trip. Little on the expensive side but, was a new experience, and service, faculties were top notch. I'm glad I was sleeping the majority of the trip, you could bore easy on one of those things past the meal and viewing cars.

seclark · 04-29-2010, 10:25 AM

took amtrak w/my family from baltimore up to somewhere in conneticut. went through philly and nyc...places i'd never drive myself.

overall, it was pretty nice. only thing was on the way back, we sat in the very last car. i didn't notice, but the wife gets motion sickness pretty easy, and got a little pukey feeling. beer was kinda high priced, but i noticed a few people pulling 40's out of their bags, and drinking.

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Frazod · 04-29-2010, 10:04 AM

Shit. Let me repeat that - shit. You'll wish you'd taken the bus.

Old crappy cars, old crappy tracks, trains fighting for track time with freights that have priority. About the best you can hope for is that your train will only be moderately late.

My best friend was on a train that derailed in Ft. Madison. They basically put the passengers off the train and told them they were on their own.

I can't speak for the quality of the sleeper accomodations or high level food service, but when you consider how bad everything else is, well....

boogblaster · 04-29-2010, 10:06 AM

Had a buddy that bout got creamed by a Amtrak train .. he was drunk pissin' on the tracks at the time ....

dpg4zombie · 04-29-2010, 10:07 AM

Had a great ride from STL to Chicago.... It was nice that there where plug ins in every row so you could keep charge on your electronics.

CaliforniaChief · 04-29-2010, 10:07 AM

I've taken Amtrak from L.A. (Union Station) down to San Diego. We upgraded our seats and really enjoyed it...but wouldn't want to ride much longer than that. Of course, the views are amazing on that one too.

**Bugeater** · 04-29-2010, 10:09 AM

One of my friends' grandfather is retired from Union Pacific, and he has always emphasized to the rest of the family to NEVER use passenger rail. The tracks simply aren't maintained well enough for it to be safe.

epitome1170 · 04-29-2010, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bugeater

One of my friends' grandfather is retired from Union Pacific, and he has always emphasized to the rest of the family to NEVER use passenger rail. The tracks simply aren't maintained well enough for it to be safe.

That is the truth.

Before my current job, I was a structural engineer consultant for railroads. We would go survey existing bridges that were going to be repaired or rebuilt. This same bridges were freight lines, however, since Amtrak leases these lines from the individual freight companies (i.e. Union Pacfic, BSF, CSXT, etc) they go across the same bridges. Needless to say I have had to be next to (or under the bridges) when the freight trains would pass and from someone that generally trusts engineering, I would NEVER take a train anywhere unless the line was fully devoted to passenger trains (mainly on east coast).

The bridges are at the verge of complete inadequacy and there are countless circumstances in which the piers/piles have been eroded/deteriorated to half of their cross sections... scary stuff.

bsp4444 · 04-29-2010, 10:20 AM

We went from Kansas City to Chicago. Wonderul trip. Plenty of bathrooms, food was good comfortable seating. Nothing like flying, which in my opinion is pricing themselves right out of some business.

cdirty · 04-29-2010, 10:24 AM

I rode it from Newton, KS to LA when i was like 15. took about 24 hrs. It wasnt bad at all. The observation car was cool. Windows all around and they played a movie at night. i think it was fairly cheap too.

ToxSocks · 04-29-2010, 10:31 AM

I like Amtrack, but i've never taken a long tip on one. About an hour is the longest I've ever been.

The seats were plush and cushy, well ventilated. My experience differs from others I'd assume, since our Amtrak travels up the coastline and the cars are in good shape. The one I use to take was a double-decker. I enjoyed it. Shrug.

**sd4chiefs** · 04-29-2010, 10:59 AM

I have taken Amtrak from San Diego to Irvine (Orange County) and back a couple of times. It goes along the coast so the view is pretty assume.

View Poll Results: You and Amtrak: What's the Story?
Amtrak is great. I'd do a long trip in an Arlo Guthrie hearbeat.	8	12.70%
Amtrak is decent. Beats flying if you have the time.	16	25.40%
Amtrak is sketchy. Short trip maybe, but not a long trip.	14	22.22%
Amtrak is hell on rails. I'd rather hitchhike in drag.	2	3.17%
I've never ridden Amtrak.	21	33.33%
What's Amtrak?	2	3.17%
Voters: 63. You may not vote on this poll

04-29-2010, 09:57 AM	Topic Starter
Rain Man Seize life. Be an ermine. Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $-572449 VARSITY	Anyone ever ridden Amtrak? What's it like? Would you go on a long trip with it? Are the seats like first-class aircraft seats or coach, or something completely different? Is it worth the large extra charge to get the sleeper car? Is it more like the luxury train cars of yore with good food and china and table linens in the dining car, or is it Greyhound on rails?
Posts: 145,366

04-29-2010, 10:01 AM	#2
Bane C.H.I.E.F.S Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: **** your face Casino cash: $10005055	No but I knew a girl in high school,Lori Jones....We called her Amtrak.
Posts: 12,621

04-29-2010, 10:06 AM	#3
Nzoner a haw haw haw Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: MIZZOU Casino cash: $26365802	Took one once from California to KC and made a big mistake not getting a sleeper car although I have trouble sleeping in any kind of moving vehicle. The expierence was decent in that when going thru New Mexico they had a tour guide in the observation car pointing out Indian battlegrounds and other history tidbits. No way in hell I'd ever take another 2+ day trip on one though. __________________ *Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.*
Posts: 27,111

04-29-2010, 10:09 AM	#4
cardken Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Casino cash: $10004900	I took the Amtrak to New Orleans last year, runs from Chicago down there. I caught it here in Kentucky. New Orleans was about 9 hours from here on the train. But it comes through here at 2am. So got a sleeper car, caught some shut eye and woke early enough to shower (in my private car), and got breakfast that was included in the fare. I was around $325 round trip. Little on the expensive side but, was a new experience, and service, faculties were top notch. I'm glad I was sleeping the majority of the trip, you could bore easy on one of those things past the meal and viewing cars. __________________ This country can't be knocked out in one punch. We get right back up again and when we do the world is going to hear the roar of our engines. Yeah. It's halftime, America. And our second half is about to begin.
Posts: 1,722

04-29-2010, 10:25 AM	#5
seclark MVP Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: nemo Casino cash: $-410100	took amtrak w/my family from baltimore up to somewhere in conneticut. went through philly and nyc...places i'd never drive myself. overall, it was pretty nice. only thing was on the way back, we sat in the very last car. i didn't notice, but the wife gets motion sickness pretty easy, and got a little pukey feeling. beer was kinda high priced, but i noticed a few people pulling 40's out of their bags, and drinking. sec __________________ "Mr. seclark. Wrong for gravy, wrong for jelly, wrong for biscuits." -rj "If every Planeteer who was disliked by another Planeteer stopped being a Planeteer we wouldn't have any Planeteers." -rj
Posts: 13,447

04-29-2010, 10:04 AM	#6
Frazod Did you hear what I said? Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $-676615	Shit. Let me repeat that - shit. You'll wish you'd taken the bus. Old crappy cars, old crappy tracks, trains fighting for track time with freights that have priority. About the best you can hope for is that your train will only be moderately late. My best friend was on a train that derailed in Ft. Madison. They basically put the passengers off the train and told them they were on their own. I can't speak for the quality of the sleeper accomodations or high level food service, but when you consider how bad everything else is, well....
Posts: 121,728

04-29-2010, 10:06 AM	#7
boogblaster MVP Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Verdigris Valley Campsite Casino cash: $10004900	Had a buddy that bout got creamed by a Amtrak train .. he was drunk pissin' on the tracks at the time .... __________________ WR or S please
Posts: 10,305

04-29-2010, 10:07 AM	#8
dpg4zombie Starter Join Date: Mar 2009 Casino cash: $8432775	Had a great ride from STL to Chicago.... It was nice that there where plug ins in every row so you could keep charge on your electronics.
Posts: 150

04-29-2010, 10:07 AM	#9
CaliforniaChief #RIPAce Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: So Cal Casino cash: $10615899	I've taken Amtrak from L.A. (Union Station) down to San Diego. We upgraded our seats and really enjoyed it...but wouldn't want to ride much longer than that. Of course, the views are amazing on that one too.
Posts: 17,455

04-29-2010, 10:09 AM	#10
Bugeater The Maintenance Guy Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Renovated Bugeater Estate Casino cash: $3992680	One of my friends' grandfather is retired from Union Pacific, and he has always emphasized to the rest of the family to NEVER use passenger rail. The tracks simply aren't maintained well enough for it to be safe.
Posts: 70,546

04-29-2010, 10:20 AM	#12
bsp4444 Veteran Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Blue Springs, MO Casino cash: $-1834695	We went from Kansas City to Chicago. Wonderul trip. Plenty of bathrooms, food was good comfortable seating. Nothing like flying, which in my opinion is pricing themselves right out of some business.
Posts: 2,046

04-29-2010, 10:24 AM	#13
cdirty Starter Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: wichita Casino cash: $10004900	I rode it from Newton, KS to LA when i was like 15. took about 24 hrs. It wasnt bad at all. The observation car was cool. Windows all around and they played a movie at night. i think it was fairly cheap too.
Posts: 495

04-29-2010, 10:31 AM	#14
ToxSocks Needs more middle fingers Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Diego Casino cash: $2083063	I like Amtrack, but i've never taken a long tip on one. About an hour is the longest I've ever been. The seats were plush and cushy, well ventilated. My experience differs from others I'd assume, since our Amtrak travels up the coastline and the cars are in good shape. The one I use to take was a double-decker. I enjoyed it. Shrug. __________________ Life is like a dick. Sometimes it gets hard for no reason, but it can't stay hard forever.
Posts: 65,925

04-29-2010, 10:59 AM	#15
sd4chiefs error 404 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Bizarro World Casino cash: $8650445	I have taken Amtrak from San Diego to Irvine (Orange County) and back a couple of times. It goes along the coast so the view is pretty assume. __________________ “It's Easier to Fool People Than It Is to Convince Them That They Have Been Fooled.” – Mark Twain.
Posts: 3,997