Railroad Forums 

  • Lake Shore Limited

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

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1568439  by Arborwayfan
 
I've never had especially good thoughts about Chicago checked baggage. Why should it take an hour or two to give people bags that came in on the same train as them and rolled off the platform 15 feet away from them? And why can't you check something on an LD train heading into Chicago and then have it handed to you for your corridor connection? Some of that is national policy, no doubt, but is it all? Boston manages to give out checked baggage on the platform, at least they used to: more than once they handed me my bag right out the door of the baggage car, which seems like the obvious way to do it, instead of pretending to be a very inefficient airport as CUS does.

I love checked baggage. I think there should be more of it. But it needs to be done right. And the friend should definitely write in and complain and specifically request a voucher.
 #1568494  by STrRedWolf
 
Gilbert B Norman wrote: Sun Apr 11, 2021 6:50 pm Mr. Wolf;

Did She????

Enquiring mind wants to know, if willing to share.
She hasn't been back in the city yet. I think she's back at work on the ferries today. I'll ask when she's active.

Edit: She says she'll check tomorrow. I hope they'll hold the bike until then.
 #1568623  by STrRedWolf
 
Another update... and I swear we need to start a "Amtrak Baggage Handling" thread.

Boston South Station's managers are PISSED. The bike is in DC now after taking a detour to New Orleans. With any luck it'll be in Boston tomorrow.
Chicago baggage staff stuck it on the City of New Orleans by accident lol

Then it was put on the Crescent to DC. And supposedly it’s being put on The Night Owl tonight, so I’ll get it after work.
NTS -- Chicago's staff are incompetent when handling checked baggage.
 #1568639  by Arborwayfan
 
It's not like they've got such a complex information and transportation problem. How many baggage cars to empty and load every day? 7? How many possible pairs of trains to transfer things between? 42, if you include some unlikely ones like Lake Shore to Capitol? Do they have a terrible facility that makes the work more complicated, or are they understaffed or poorly trained or poorly organized?
 #1568656  by STrRedWolf
 
Arborwayfan wrote: Tue Apr 13, 2021 5:02 pm It's not like they've got such a complex information and transportation problem. How many baggage cars to empty and load every day? 7? How many possible pairs of trains to transfer things between? 42, if you include some unlikely ones like Lake Shore to Capitol? Do they have a terrible facility that makes the work more complicated, or are they understaffed or poorly trained or poorly organized?
From what I'm hearing of the interactions between Boston South Station and Chicago, it's probably a mix of poorly trained and poorly motivated. They had 45 minutes to pull it out of the Zephyr and onto the Cardinal. or taken some time and put it on the later Capitol Limited, with plenty of time for Washington to get it on 66. No, they delayed a few days, weren't bothered to route it through, then tagged it for Boston via DC, and slapped it on the City of New Orleans, where the folks there did the right thing and got it on the Cresent to DC.

As I said before, Boston South Station is PISSED.

Hopefully my friend will register to the forums and you'll get it from her.
 #1568699  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Mr. Wolf, presuming her velocepede is in tact, Amtrak has now fulfilled the transportarion contract berween them. Therefore, she has no base for a pecuniary claim.

But should she, and I'm at a loss to think of why, contemplate using Amtrak further, she ought to be in contact with Customer Relations setting forth the sorry details of this matter. They may choose to award her with vouchers for future travel.

Possibly on her next commercial transportation journey, be it air or rail, she will decide that my long standing maxim of 'If you can't carry it, don't bring it" has its merit.

Related of sorts, I'm now thinking a year ahead to an April '22 journey down under to Sydney, NSW where my Niece resides. Since I no longer "houseguest" (that's college stuff to me), I'll be at a hotel (likely an extended stay varietal), and doing much on my own (my Niece, M2K, has her own life). To see what NSW Trainlink is all about (State owned "Amtrak"), maybe a down and back same day as far as I can get on the line that goes to Melbourne, which looks like a place named Cootamundra with a 2hr layover for the return train (no way an AU$8K Luxotrain junket), but no matter I'll live for the two weeks within my "if you can't carry it...." maxim.
Last edited by Gilbert B Norman on Wed Apr 14, 2021 8:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
 #1568709  by J.D. Lang
 
I booked a round trip from NYC to Albuquerque in June on the LSL & SWC. I was going to check one suitcase but after reading about your friends saga I'm taking Mr. Normans sage advice and pack much more frugally and carry a backpack and smaller suitcase with me. Sounds like the incompetent baggage handler's at CUS would screw up the transfer between the LSL & SWC. Glad to hear that your friend got her bike back.
 #1568724  by markhb
 
Congratulations on the (apparently safe) return of her bike! Your friend should at least put in for the Guest Rewards points for the miles it traveled!
 #1568731  by STrRedWolf
 
Gilbert B Norman wrote: Wed Apr 14, 2021 10:40 am Mr. Wolf, presuming her velocepede is in tact, Amtrak has now fulfilled the transportarion contract berween them. Therefore, she has no base for a pecuniary claim.

But should she, and I'm at a loss to think of why, contemplate using Amtrak further, she ought to be in contact with Customer Relations setting forth the sorry details of this matter. They may choose to award her with vouchers for future travel.
I think the next trip will be all NEC down to DC after the pandemic simmers down and we get back to mostly normal. But that's for another topic in a different subforum. :)
 #1568786  by Railjunkie
 
The bike story sounds very much like a hunting rifle worth big bucks I was told. That ping ponged back and forth between CUS and NYP. It was supposed to end up somewhere in the Dakotas I believe, for some elk hunting I guess. It never made it. Imagine showing up for your long awaited guided trip and your most important piece of luggage isn't there. I do know the rifle was found locked up in the gun locker in the baggage car and FedEx handled the shipping not sure if it made it out west or if it was just shipped back to its owners residence.
 #1568789  by Robert Paniagua
 
Im looking forward to riding the Boston segment of the Lake Shore Limited to the fullest all the way to CHI without switching trains at Albany, but having the Boston segment is a blessing so that I dont have to take a NER to NYP and change there.
 #1568798  by scratchyX1
 
STrRedWolf wrote: Tue Apr 13, 2021 2:44 pm Another update... and I swear we need to start a "Amtrak Baggage Handling" thread.

Boston South Station's managers are PISSED. The bike is in DC now after taking a detour to New Orleans. With any luck it'll be in Boston tomorrow.
Chicago baggage staff stuck it on the City of New Orleans by accident lol

Then it was put on the Crescent to DC. And supposedly it’s being put on The Night Owl tonight, so I’ll get it after work.
NTS -- Chicago's staff are incompetent when handling checked baggage.
It makes me think of this epic journey. EX-B&M RDC9 #6929

https://www.triangletrain.com/ex-bm-rdc9-6929/
  • 1
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
  • 48
  • 59