83 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

Here is the latest update (Edition 3.1, 4/29/11) to the charts. I added #30(16) and #92(16) since we have 2 people who will be taking other long distance trains and then joining us in Washington. The 2 segments on the Crescent and the 2 segments on the City of New Orleans are filling up fast! This group has claim to a good percentage of the rooms.

This update also reflects that my destination on #50(23) is more than likely changing though it's going to be a disappearing act based on the destination printed on my ticket (free trip anyhow thanks to AGR), which I'm not going to change.

[KevinKorell]

As detailed in another thread posted tonight, the Crescent undergoes a timetable change effective June 6, 2011. Because of this, I have been able to give all of you six more minutes in New Orleans! Spend them wisely. Don't thank me, thank Amtrak.

There are no other changes to the Amtrak calling times from this or the May 9th timetable change. Crescent (#19) at Northeast cities and Atlanta is the same, and City of New Orleans (#58) times are still the same in New Orleans, Memphis, and Chicago.

[KevinKorell]

Latest update to the long distance train charts, based on one more long distance traveler sending me information. We may still (hopefully) have one or two more persons (or family units) joining us; if that's the case -- and rooms still exist -- it will be updated again.

[jis]

Latest update to the long distance train charts, based on one more long distance traveler sending me information. We may still (hopefully) have one or two more persons (or family units) joining us; if that's the case -- and rooms still exist -- it will be updated again.

Man! We wiped out about half the available rooms on 50!

BTW Kevin, an honorary member of the group, Carol, who had joined us for a day in Long Beach, will drop by in Birmingham AL to meet up with us. She lives in Birmingham AL.

[KevinKorell]

New update as of Friday morning, 6/17/11, based on information sent to me in the past week.

[KevinKorell]

The spreadsheet was updated Wednesday, 6/29/11. One more person on the two Crescent trips and the first City trip, and also an additional person on the Capitol Limited train 30(16) into Washington to join us on the Crescent.

I also removed the Capitol Limited 30(23) since to my knowledge nobody will be on that train.

[jis]

Unless some cache somewhere is playing tricks, it looks like 30(23) has found its way back into the spreadsheet, even after its banishment by you

[KevinKorell]

Unless some cache somewhere is playing tricks, it looks like 30(23) has found its way back into the spreadsheet, even after its banishment by you

It's got to be cache, because it alternately appears and disappears. Funny thing is, the other changes made as part of the same edit (such as adding Mike's accommodations) are constant.

[KevinKorell]

#19 Crescent. Northeast cities to ATL: 9 people, 8 rooms

#19 Crescent, ATL-NOL: 11 people, 9 rooms (may be a couple more if people take short-turns with us)

#58 City of New Orleans, NOL-MEM: 12 people, 7 rooms, 2 currently in coach.

#58 City of New Orleans, MEM-CHI: 9 people, 8 rooms

For those who have never been to an OTOL Fest and taken long distance trains with us, here is how we generally work. Early in each trip, when making reservations for the first of our meals together, we try to give them a total number for our group, so that we may attend the same seating. This is based on the available seatings the dining car staff decides to offer. Some people find 5 PM dinner too early; others find 7 PM too late. Something around 5:30 or 6 PM might be the best solution. I personally have health reasons why I can't have dinner so close to the time I retire, and I am used to retiring quite late.

For lunch, generally we go for the first seating if reserved seating is offered. So if they begin the process at 12 Noon, Steve and I generally will be standing in the doorway of the dining car at the stroke of 12 Noon.

Breakfast is a little different. They usually do not take reservations for particluar seatings, but they operate on a first come-first served basis. Some of us might opt to sleep later, others may be up when they open the car for breakfast, usually 6 or 6:30 AM local time. We sometimes find outselves going alone, or with fewer members of the group. If there ends up being a waiting list and it's late, I'll generally just miss breakfast hence my haste to get to lunch.

Looking above at the counts of our group members aboard the trains, the 9 people on the first Crescent is an awkward number because one person gets to sit with 3 strangers as the other 8 take up 2 full tables.

11 people on the Crescent will almost fill up 3 tables, with one poor stranger having to sit with and deal with us.

The first City of New Orleans has 14 people, assuming the 2 in coach wish to eat with the 12 in sleeper. 14 people in a Cross Country Cafe would work perfectly, as we could be seated at 2 tables for 4 and 2 tables for 3. Just 12 of us could be split to 4 tables of 3 or 3 tables of 4.

And on the second City of New Orleans we are down to 9 people, but it's probably a moot point with only breakfast in the equation before we arrive in Chicago.

I guess I should include the Cardinal as well, since we have 4 people occupying 4 rooms. Enough for one table, assuming everyone left wants to eat together. There may very well be 2 dinners aboard this train, given its recent timekeeping issues.

[jis]

From Indystar.com:

Railroad bridge collapses, 5 cars fall into river; Amtrak disrupted

The derailment is causing disruptions to Amtrak service between New York and Chicago.

Amtrak spokesman Steve Kulm says the derailment on CSX tracks affects the Cardinal line that was due to arrive in Indianapolis from Cincinnati on Thursday morning before heading to Chicago.

Kulm says passengers will get off the train in Cincinnati and take buses either directly to Chicago or to Indianapolis to catch another train. When The Cardinal returns from Chicago on Thursday night, passengers will get off in Indianapolis and take buses to Cincinnati.

Unless this trestle gets fixed in time for our trip, looks like we, who are on 50 may have a bit of bustitution in our future in the middle of the night.