Amtrak Auto Train Discussion

I must confess, even after I've said around here that "I'm done with Auto Train" on the grounds it had become too expensive to save me, residing in the Chicago area, some 400 miles of driving - and no time whatever, I did give it a look for Northbound return on a two day trip to Miami during January.

The trip is to hear The Cleveland Orchestra during their residency in Miami, so I intended to simply fly down, Metrorail to the hotel catty corner to the venue (Marriott and Arsht Center) and repeat for the return.

But I must confess a $745 fare on #52 - me in a Bedroom, Lady Lex on the rack - gave me pause as any other journeys I had checked were about $1175 for same.

But then I started to think twice; how I intended the trip to be two days - now we're talking six, and even though air fares are ridiculous @ $1525 ORD-MIA-ORD and I no longer use my $8.25 round trip "poor man's way to O'Hare" (I'm now afraid to ride the CTA at any time of day), so it's now $125 in a livery car. All of that comes out less than over the road auto costs and additional three nights in hotels (anyone check the rates at a three star major chain - Express, Hampton varietal - of late?), I decided the Skies would be a bit Friendlier to my wallet.

Lest we forget, there was once a Louisville-Lorton private sector Auto Train. It flopped; and that was even after it was combined with Amtrak's Floridian. As I recall, that was gone before the Floridian's demise as part of the '79 Carter Cuts.

It's no wonder; the journey was simply too long. I've noted here that if the AT has not arrived by Noon, "arewethereyetitis" becomes quite endemic . AT passengers are not railfans; they are not even non-fan train lovers. They are people who want to get themselves and their auto (often "loaded to the gills" with stuff for an extended stay) in a painless way between the Northeast and Florida. Sure, there are competitive trucking services where the auto's owner will simply fly down and back. But how about "the fun" of doing without your auto for maybe twenty-four hours while the truck catches up? AT sure seems more convenient, for your auto is never more than a train length away from you.

Now I want to reiterate my "ditching" of AT (I "go down" every year and will do so long as God grants me my health) was not brought about by any "horror story". In fact on my final journey aboard #52(the day Kobe Bryant was killed), "everything worked", the Attendant was simply "wondeful", the food "edible" (even if their "comp" wine served by an Attendant carrying milk bottles and saying "you get one glass; Red or White?"; I passed on "Continental Breakfast as I knew of a MickeyD essentially at the corner of Lorton Road and Jefferson Davis Highway US1), and arrived Lorton one hour early!. But the experience was simply a "meh" - and it has become too expensive for such, considering the only 400 miles of driving - and no time whatever- saved.

Mr. Scratchy, probably Eugene K.

AT Corp even had a wilder one that fortunately went nowhere. Nuevo Laredo,NL - Queretarro,QT

And, right when AT was "sinking" no less.