From : michael betts
To : trainweb@RRmail.com
Date : Tue, 10 Oct 2000 11:17:43 -0700 (PDT)
Subject : first train trip

my wife and i just took our first train trip! and with help from your site we had a rough but informed trip. we were going one way to orlando fl from houston tx. our train was 3 hr late into houston (not a good start).

but as soon as we boarded the steward told us to drop our bags in a different car while our room was cleaned and to head for lunch while he fixed it up. we had a great late lunch and enjoyed telling the other pasengers about houston as we pulled out of downtown. as we ate out attented came to tell us he was all ready with our room and to say he was sorry for any problems. the dining car service was GREAT. i had read some things on your site that had me worred but it was great the whole trip. after lunch we returned to our car and my wife caught a quick nap while i explored the train. not a lot of things to see in southeast texas, and it was raining, but the lounge car was fun to sit and chat with people. at 5:45 they made and anoucement about a "storm" in the gulf.(i like to call tropical storm olivia) that might give us some trouble.

to make a long story short...they had to stop our train to avoid the storm...in New Orleans they did put us up in a hotel and told us they would bus us "all 70 people" to orlando at 10 am the next day....well by 12:30 the next day no BUS my wife and i asked for and got a charge back to our charge card and flew on to orlando...

we had a great time while we were on the train and the train staff was GREAT but the people in new orleans seemed to have no idea what was going on.

again i want to thain you. the information i read on this site made everything seem better.we told everyone on the train about you...

thanks again
michael and misty betts

ps we do plan to travel on the trains again...just not in bad weather