First Amtrak trip and first time in the US

Hello all,
My very first post here. Please forgive any grammar mistakes, I'm from Sweden. In less than a month I'll be going to the US for the very first time, flying into Newark, spending 2 days in New York and then travelling by Amtrak across the country to Los Angeles where a good friend of mine are studying. Now, I have a few questions for all of you with more experience than me.

• If all goes well I'll have a few hours in Chicago between the trains. Is it possible to leave luggage in the station? Any particular things I should see while in Chicago? I know the few hours are far to little.
• I've heard that taking photos on and around trains can be a problem in the US. I'm not talking about any railfanning here, just taking a few photos before boarding, landscape shots along the rider etc. Surely that must be ok?
• I've understood that it's customary to tip in the US, 15-20% or so? I've also heard that you should tip to the sleeping car attendant. But how? As I've understood it you never pay them anything except tipping, so should I just give him or her a few dollars the first time we meet? That would feel a bit odd.
• How long are the station stops? Long enough to get some quick fresh air on the platform?
• Which are the most scenic parts of the trip? Will there be any particular areas I'll miss during the dark hours, given the train is on time?
• Is it possible/permitted to view the tracks from the last car on a Superliner trainset?
• Just wanting to make sure, I'm travelling in a roomette. Except for the lack of in-suite toilet and shower, the service is the same as for bedroom passengers, right? Same food included etc?

I'm sure I had more questions that I've forgotten now. Thanks for the help in advance, really looking forward to the trip!

GBN,

Can you answer some of these for our Scandanavian guest?

Blillpers wrote:Hello all,
My very first post here. Please forgive any grammar mistakes, I'm from Sweden. In less than a month I'll be going to the US for the very first time, flying into Newark, spending 2 days in New York and then travelling by Amtrak across the country to Los Angeles where a good friend of mine are studying. Now, I have a few questions for all of you with more experience than me.

• If all goes well I'll have a few hours in Chicago between the trains. Is it possible to leave luggage in the station? Any particular things I should see while in Chicago? I know the few hours are far to little.
• I've heard that taking photos on and around trains can be a problem in the US. I'm not talking about any railfanning here, just taking a few photos before boarding, landscape shots along the rider etc. Surely that must be ok?
• I've understood that it's customary to tip in the US, 15-20% or so? I've also heard that you should tip to the sleeping car attendant. But how? As I've understood it you never pay them anything except tipping, so should I just give him or her a few dollars the first time we meet? That would feel a bit odd.
• How long are the station stops? Long enough to get some quick fresh air on the platform?
• Which are the most scenic parts of the trip? Will there be any particular areas I'll miss during the dark hours, given the train is on time?
• Is it possible/permitted to view the tracks from the last car on a Superliner trainset?
• Just wanting to make sure, I'm travelling in a roomette. Except for the lack of in-suite toilet and shower, the service is the same as for bedroom passengers, right? Same food included etc?

I'm sure I had more questions that I've forgotten now. Thanks for the help in advance, really looking forward to the trip!

I'll take a quick stab at it (in order):
1) since you mention you will be in a roomette you will have access to the metropolitan lounge in Chicago (they may have changed its name recently). They do have luggage storage there, its free but expect to tip a couple $ per bag.
2) casual photos are no problem as long as you are not someplace you shouldn't be. Photos on board are also worry free
3) tipping your sleeper car attendant is somewhat optional and it is typically done when you exit your train at your destination (just hand over 5-10$ per night when leaving the train)
4) some station stops will be 10-20 minutes (you can see which ones on the timetable). There will be announcements letting you know you can get onto the platform and walk around. This are frequenlty called 'smoke breaks' but anyone can hop off the train at these stops. Don't go far!
5) I'll let others take this
6) sometimes its possible to look out the back. It depends on the train consist (arrangement of cars). Impossible to speculate on in advance. Gemerally the best views are from the sightseer lounge which is open to everyone.
7) all sleeper passengers get the same free meals and attendant service. So other than your room type your sleeper trip will be like everyone elses.

Enjoy your trip! I applaud you for seeing the US in its proper context.

I 'll assume you'll be taking the Lake Shore Limited and Southwest Chief from NYC to LA. If you have the time, I would suggest taking the longer Cardinal and Texas Eagle trains to see more of the country - but I'm not sure if that's possible to make that connections in Chicago since both the Cardinal and Texas Eagle to LA are three times a week trains.

Don't expect to see much out the back of the train because the window on the door will be very small and usually very dirty.

During your transfer wait in Chicago, if you have enough time, I recommend two hours, you could walk the few blocks to Willis Tower, the tallest in the Western Hemisphere, and ride the elevator to the top for it a grand view of the entire city.

As to your scenery questions, the views of the Hudson River as you leave NYC will be the grandest on your way to Chicago on the Lake Shore Limited. The best scenic views on the Chief will be around Raton Pass tunnel, mountainous as you climb before the tunnel and desert as you descend after the tunnel. And you'll be crossing the Mississsippi River hours after leaving Chicago, which always amazes me. I personally think the entire country has good scenery, urban, suburban, forests, deserts, mountains, farms, ranches, industries, and junkyards. Remember this one thing, from the train you are usually seeing everyone's messy back yards, not their neat and tidy front yards. For hours approaching and departing Chicago you'll see lots of corn fields, in Kansas you'll see lots of wheat fields, in Colorado you see lots of ranches, in New Mexico, Arizona, and California you'll see lots of deserts.

You'll see so much of everything it becomes fairly boring after a few hours of each. So I recommend taking a good book to read, or something else for entertainment. Amtrak only provides the scenery.

Enjoy your trip, the best way to see America is on a train.

I'm the wierd guy. I find it all scenic!

I've been known to spend my night sitting in the room chair of a deluxe bedroom watching the world go by on the SW Chief and the CZ.

Raton Pass is beautiful, as is the movement into Flagstaff, AZ.

I assume you will be taking train 49 (The Lake Shore) from New York to Chicago, most scenic is the left side from New York to at least Syracuse. You have the Hudson Valley and will cross the Hudson River right after leaving Rensselaer and from Schenectady west you will be in the Mohawk Valley as far as Utica. It is a very pretty ride and I hope you will enjoy it. I don't know just how much time you will end up having in Chicago as 49 is often late. The Hudson Valley between New York and Albany will be the scenic highlight of your trip at least east of Chicago.
Sweden, i remember giving a railfan from Sweden a cab ride on the River Line many, many years ago and he enjoyed it very much even though the ride was at night on a freight train. Enjoy your time in the US.
Noel Weaver

Many thanks for all the good answers!

I'll bring plenty of music along, as well as some reading material. Just sitting by the window and watching the scenery go by is an experience in itself, especially in another part of the world where even the least scenic bits are exiting to see pass by. Longest trips by train I've ever made is Narvik - Stockholm in Sweden (22 hours overnight) and Inverness - London in the UK (8 hours daylight) so this will be an new experience!

As most of you have guessed, I'll be using the Lake Shore Ltd between NY and Chicago. I looked at some other routes, but decided that this was the easiest even though the Texas Eagle sure was tempting. Tickets were bought months ago.

I find it a bit strange that there isn't a direct NY-Chicago train via Pittsburg following the old PRR line. I assume the line through the mountains, Horseshoe Curve etc must be really pretty. I had a look at the timetables while planing this trip and as far as I could see a direct train would almost be fast enough to allow for a daylight trip. I guess there simply isn't a demand for that.

If you don't want to try to trust your luggage to the staff in the lounge in Chicago there are paid lockers that you can use. Requires a credit card (to pay for it) and a finger print (to lock it/unlock it). When entering from the Great Hall, the lockers are the first hallway on the right, the room on the left. The Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago has recently changed, so I don't know how secure the luggage is now; before you walked in the door and the luggage storage was to your immediate left which didn't strike me as all that secure.

The former PRR route was discontinued due to budget cuts and bad track conditions the host RR had at the time(PC/early CR)
On # 3 the Westbound SW Chief,you will start "mountain climbing" at Trinidad over Raton Pass, then twisting thru Glorieta Pass,
meeting # 4 at Canyoncito before arriving at Lamy.
Then you drop down into the Rio Grande River valley to ABQ NM a crew change,fueling,and watering point.
You will see some vendors under a bridge selling various trinkets/wares at the platform.
As it gets dark,you will go"mountain climbing" from Winslow to Kingman dropping into the Colorado River valley into
Needles Ca.
By early morning in Ca you will have come down Cajon Pass into the LA metroplex to LA Union Station.

As for Chicago if you have time, the Willis (former Sears) tower is probably your best bet.
If you had more time you could jump on the L at the Quincy station about a block from the Willis, and ride to Randolph/Wabash and check out Millenium Park.
The Chicago Art Institute is well worth it but would take an entire day just to scratch the surface.

Jon

The luggage storage at the recently relocated Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago is very informal - just a walk-in closet, which is self-service.

One curiosity to look for aboard the Lake Shore, between Cold Spring and Beacon (before reaching Poughkeepsie) is Bannerman Castle, on an island of the same name in the Hudson River. In ruins now, it was built early in the 20th Century to resemble a castle in Scotland, but bears a remarkable resemblance to the ruined castles you see on islands in the Rhine. By coincidence, both the Rhine and the Hudson, although flowing in opposite directions (the Hudson flows southward), each have a railroad line on both banks--on the left bank primarily passenger and on the right bank primarily freight (exclusively freight on the Hudson); from time to time on the Lake Shore you'll be able to see a freight train on the opposite bank almost anywhere between Yonkers and Albany-Rensselaer.

When you arrive in Los Angeles take a moment to look around Union Station. Built in 1939, it was the last major station built in the U. S., is well-maintained, and is busier now than at any time in its history. Depending on how much time you'll have in Los Angeles, if you can spare a day to go to San Diego, Amtrak's Surfliner service has many departures daily which provide a good view of the Pacific Ocean on the right from shortly after San Juan Capistrano to shortly after Solana Beach.

Enjoy your trip, and be sure to let us know how things worked out.

Actually the River Line can be seen between about Peekskill and a point a little north of Poughkeepsie but not elsewhere on the Hudson Line. Usually you will see one or two freight trains in that area. The passenger station at West Point can also be seen and it is in beautiful condition.
Noel Weaver

From Crowne Plaza Piitter Salzburg--

While the Berghoff (Adams and Dearborn; but who needs to say how to get there in this day of electronic playthings) once was the place to have a Lunch to remember, "ain't no more". I'd suggest Miller's Pub (Adams and Wabash) or if more solitude - and more $$$ - Rhapsody in Orchestra Hall (Adams and Michigan).

I hope the new Amtrak Met Lounge is nice; the former one at track level was a "zoo". But guess what, United Club at O'Hare was just that Monday afternoon.

I'd definitely take music and reading material, but in many trips between Boston and Chicago I found myself ignoring my reading material and looking out the window, mesmerized. There's certainly plenty of Americana to see, both trackside and in the distance. Past Chicago you can read for a couple of hours and look out to see them same scenery as the last time you looked out. Nevertheless, it is not to be missed!