From : "John C. Whitehurst"
To : all-aboard
Date : Sat, 26 Aug 2000 22:11:10 -0500
Subject : {A-A} A-A: Trip report

I recently had the time to take an extended trip by Amtrak around the country. My trip proceeded on trains 22(Eagle), 448 (Boston Lake Shore), 67 (Shoreline), 51(Cardinal), 27(Empire Builder), 11(Starlight), and 2/22(Sunset/Eagle), beginning and ending at San Marcos.

Delays: Every train but 67 ran late. 448 left Chicago 45 minutes late, stopped to pick up express, went a few miles and stopped for approximately 45 more minutes. Unlike all other trains on this trip, no explanation was given, and no apologies offered. We were so late getting to Albany (more than two hours) I opted for Hertz for transportation to Cape Cod and a reunion with a cousin I'd not seen in 42 years.

Stations: Boston South, Washington and Portland have very nice stations. Chicago is okay. Los Angeles Union Station has not changed appreciably since I boarded the Grand Canyon there in May 1962. A beautiful building, nothing more. Since it was late at night I did not fully explore the station, what I could see in the way of services was next to nil. Are they waiting for the next millennium to fix that place up? Portland was the only station where redcap service was offered to me.

Food: poor quality beef, otherwise the food was good and the service was good to very good. I think the lady in charge of the diner on the Cardinal must never have met a stranger. She called many of the repeat passengers by name. Of course, that's an excellent way to have such.

Sleeping car attendants: all but one very good to excellent. The exception was the attendant from hell, threatening to throw passengers off the train because some one had an accident in a lavatory.

John C. Whitehurst
San Antonio