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Get Off En-route Empire Builder

Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

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Get Off En-route Empire Builder

  by Gilbert B Norman
 
This article from The Times reports upon "all the interesting stuff" to be found along the Empire Builder's route:

Fair Use:
So I bought a $499 USA Rail Pass, good for up to 10 trips of any length in 30 days, and selected a half-dozen stops along the route. Since the Empire Builder runs once a day, I could, theoretically, have 24 hours in each place; 144 hours to actually see America — specifically, parts of it that look, and feel, nothing like the places most Americans live.
from the photos within the article, it appears Uncle Warren will allow the Siemens ALC motive on his road without a P-42 assist.
Last edited by Gilbert B Norman on Sun Sep 08, 2024 7:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Get Off En-route - Empire Builder westward

  by MACTRAXX
 
GBN (and Everyone):

Interesting NYT article about the use of a $499 USA Rail Pass to make 24 hour stopovers on the westbound Empire Builder - with intermediate cities and towns chosen for stop-overs as listed:
Rugby, ND; Stanley, ND; Havre, MT*; Cut Bank, MT; Sandpoint, ID and Ephrata, WA

*I rode the Empire Builder westward with an "All Aboard America" fare back in the Fall of 2000 - Havre, MT is a station allowing some time off of the train as well as being a crew change location...There is local and MT tourist information available at the station that was well worth obtaining - and the town looked interesting enough that a 24 hour stopover would have been worthwhile had I been able to looking back...MACTRAXX

Re: Get Off En-route - Empire Builder westward

  by electricron
 
MACTRAXX wrote: ↑Sat Sep 07, 2024 11:49 pm GBN (and Everyone):

Interesting NYT article about the use of a $499 USA Rail Pass to make 24 hour stopovers on the westbound Empire Builder - with intermediate cities and towns chosen for stop-overs as listed:
Rugby, ND; Stanley, ND; Havre, MT*; Cut Bank, MT; Sandpoint, ID and Ephrata, WA

*I rode the Empire Builder westward with an "All Aboard America" fare back in the Fall of 2000 - Havre, MT is a station allowing some time off of the train as well as being a crew change location...There is local and MT tourist information available at the station that was well worth obtaining - and the town looked interesting enough that a 24 hour stopover would have been worthwhile had I been able to looking back...MACTRAXX
The Rail Pass is only valid for 30 days, and only for coach passengers. Which means you will have to pay for all food and lodging on your own buck for the duration of your trip.

Re: Get Off En-route Empire Builder

  by Gilbert B Norman
 
I'm sure that reporter, staff or freelance I know not, is young and can take the rigors of Coach travel.

Be assured, The Times' in house travel desk knows Amtrak, but of course by and large for Corridor travel. Some of their reporters such as Maggie Haberman have noted they use Acela, and if she is working on a story requiring her be on the ground in both NY and Wash, she lives on Acela.

However, there was one time a columnist, Gail Collins, was writing a column regarding the fracking in North Dakota. The travel desk had her of course flying to MSP, but then, after hotelling, on some puddle jump airline to Williston. They could have just as easily gotten her a Roomette on the Builder.

Re: Get Off En-route Empire Builder

  by John_Perkowski
 
Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Sun Sep 08, 2024 4:53 pm (Some content snipped)

However, there was one time a columnist, Gail Collins, was writing a column regarding the fracking in North Dakota. The travel desk had her of course flying to MSP, but then, after hotelling, on some puddle jump airline to Williston. They could have just as easily gotten her a Roomette on the Builder.
Are you serious?

Have you slept on the too narrow and too thin mattress that NRPC DARES to call a “Roomette” lower?

I’ve slept on only one mattress in my 67 years that was worse. Here it is, straight from the Army TA-50 I used to have to use…
Image

Re: Get Off En-route Empire Builder

  by Gilbert B Norman
 
The point being, Colonel, that The Times could have gotten her to the oilfields quicker on the Builder so she wouldn't need to "blow a day" messing around with one puddle jump airline or the other.

Somehow, I think The Times has it in their coffers (hey, that "thump on the porch" now runs $1700 a year; The Journal is a bargain @ $650) to have gotten her a Bedroom.
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