SERF 2011: Reports on the City of New Orleans trip I, the train not the city Options

[KevinKorell]

This thread is for reports about our trip on the train they call the City of New Orleans (as opposed to the city itself), Train #58(21) from New Orleans to Memphis.

[KevinKorell]

I know it is before this trip, but please everyone who will be on #58 from New Orleans to Memphis, the Yazoo Subdivision in Mississippi is very rough track, so the train will rock and roll more than you might be used to. Please be very careful walking through the train and moving about your rooms. It will be like that almost all the way up to Memphis, right up to the city's southern suburbs which are still in Mississippi.

[KevinKorell]

I think we all agree that this was one of our better Amtrak trips, if not one of the best. Even though we were not overnight passengers, the 11 of us in the sleeper were treated very well by our attendant, Dorothy. She was very attentive to us and extremely friendly.

We were sorry, I think, that 10 of us only had one meal on this train, because the dining car crew was great. The LSA (whose name I will butcher but I believe it was Demmonitis) and the server Debra were both on the ball and served each table quickly and professionally. The food itself was excellent, and they even gave us choices of sides that some crews don't offer.

Bill Magee remained on this train to Chicago, so he will get them again if he opts for the express breakfast.

Our trip left New Orleans on time, and we came to our final stop in Memphis at 10:16, just 16 minutes late. From what we heard of the train's horn while walking from the trolley to the hotel, it left just about on time at 10:40 PM.

We're now here in Memphis having taken either cabs or the trolley to our hotels.

[NJCoastExp]

We were sorry, I think, that 10 of us only had one meal on this train, because the dining car crew was great. The LSA (whose name I will butcher but I believe it was Demmonitis) and the server Debra were both on the ball and served each table quickly and professionally. The food itself was excellent, and they even gave us choices of sides that some crews don't offer.

11

[KevinKorell]

11

painfully -- 10. The 11th person remained on the train and had the opportunity to have breakfast with this crew.

[BillMagee]

The Amtrak record of the times for the July 21 City of New Orleans:

CODE

* Train 58 of 07/21/2011.
* City of New Orleans
* +---------------- Station code
* |    +----------- Schedule Arrival Day  
* |    |  +-------- Schedule Arrival time
* |    |  |     +----- Schedule Departure Day
* |    |  |     |  +-- Schedule Departure Time
* |    |  |     |  |     +------------- Actual Arrival Time
* |    |  |     |  |     |     +------- Actual Departure Time
* |    |  |     |  |     |     |     +- Comments
* V    V  V     V  V     V     V     V
* NOL  *  *     1  145P  *     145P  Departed:  on time.
* HMD  *  *     1  245P  *     331P  Departed:  46 minutes late.
* MCB  *  *     1  332P  *     420P  Departed:  48 minutes late.
  BRH  *  *     1  356P              CT
* HAZ  *  *     1  417P  *     504P  Departed:  47 minutes late.
* JAN  1  528P  1  544P  550P  603P  Departed:  19 minutes late.
* YAZ  *  *     1  642P  *     659P  Departed:  17 minutes late.
  GWD  1  727P  1  737P  752P        Arrived:  15 minutes late.
* MEM  1  1000P 1  1040P 1016P 1040P Departed:  on time.
  NBN  *  *     2  1222A             CT
  FTN  *  *     2  104A              CT
* CDL  2  311A  2  316A  255A  316A  Departed:  on time.
* CEN  *  *     2  410A  *     410A  Departed:  on time.
* EFG  *  *     2  457A  *     502A  Departed:  5 minutes late.
* MAT  *  *     2  523A  *     527A  Departed:  4 minutes late.
* CHM  *  *     2  610A  *     610A  Departed:  on time.
  KKI  *  *     2  713A              CT
  HMW  *  *     2  744A              CT
* CHI  2  900A  *  *     843A  *     Arrived:  17 minutes early.

[BillMagee]

The trip from Memphis north to Chicago continued the great service, and the on-time performance was not too shabby either. I passed on the "express" breakfast, but I can say that our attendant, Dorothy, makes a mean cup of coffee (and that's a compliment).