Posted: 6/24/2012 10:22:31 AM EDT
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So, I had to go to Jersey for work and decided to catch the train for a change. Pretty neat experience all in all. I found the folks on the train to be a little less "hustle and bustle" and laid back. Gonna ride the train back to Florida on Tuesday. Anyway, thought I'd share a few pics...
Meals are included in the ticket price if you're in a sleeper car and surprisingly tasty. 
My seat for the ride... This and the adjacent seat fold out to make a bed. Since I had the room to myself, I just used the top bunk. 
The seat in front of me. The stuff on the left is a fold down sink and my shoes are on the toilet. Door is just out of the shot on the left. These double as steps to get in the top bunk. 
The door, top bunk, and luggage area 
A whole lot of this is between Florida and Philly 
Random Jessup, GA shot 
My ride on one of our stops... 
Inside the car... 
If you look close, you can see the top of the US Capitol building 
Our engine for the ride north of DC... They switch to electric north of DC and go alot faster 
I think this was looking at Philly... I'm sure one of you will correct me if wrong 
Wilmington, DE... Very clean place.... 
random shot 
Philly 
Inside the Philly station 
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Quoted:
how do these sleeper cabins work? Do you have to share a room with a random stranger? Co-ed or same sex only? Do you have to pay extra to get a sleeper cabin to yourself? Regular ticket was like 150.00 each way. You pay extra for the sleeper (worth it IMO for an 18 hour ride)Total round trip from JAX to Philly and back was like a grand (employer paid, not me). You do not have to share, you are paying for the room. However, if you get someone to go with you, you can split the room cost. |
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Quoted:
I don't understand why AMTRAK doesn't run more overnight city pairs for 8-9 hour trips. I'd look into rail more if the deal was leave at 10 pm, travel overnight and arrive in the morning. Basically what my ride was. Left Jax, FL at around 1800 and arrived in Philly this morning. Also, if you are in a sleeper, you can bring your own booze and have endless supply of ice (I don't drink, but to each and all). Not to mention there was no TSA groping. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
how do these sleeper cabins work? Do you have to share a room with a random stranger? Co-ed or same sex only? Do you have to pay extra to get a sleeper cabin to yourself? Regular ticket was like 150.00. You pay extra for the sleeper (worth it IMO for an 18 hour ride)Total round trip from JAX to Philly and back was like a grand (employer paid, not me). You do not have to share, you are paying for the room. However, if you get someone to go with you, you can split the room cost. Wow..1k just isn't competitive with air. Just hit the Southwest website, and the walkup fare is 700 round trip for a tomorrow (Monday) departure with a Friday return (historically the most expensive pairing.) |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
how do these sleeper cabins work? Do you have to share a room with a random stranger? Co-ed or same sex only? Do you have to pay extra to get a sleeper cabin to yourself? Regular ticket was like 150.00. You pay extra for the sleeper (worth it IMO for an 18 hour ride)Total round trip from JAX to Philly and back was like a grand (employer paid, not me). You do not have to share, you are paying for the room. However, if you get someone to go with you, you can split the room cost. Wow..1k just isn't competitive with air. Just hit the Southwest website, and the walkup fare is 700 round trip for a tomorrow (Monday) departure with a Friday return (historically the most expensive pairing.) I agree, but I wanted to do this for the experience and it wasn't my money... 
It kinda reminded me of being on ship when I was in the Marines
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Quoted:
The Gooberment subsidize Amtrak so much money, that is would be cheaper for the Gooberment to buy every single passenger that rides Amtrak in a year a First class ticket on a Airline. If RAMTRAK was not a tool of Congress via the subsidies you mention, we could have a national rail service actually focusing on usable or profitable routes. Instead we get a completely useless money pit of a system, whose prime purpose seems to be the reenactment of passenger rail service from a century ago. I think we need Conestoga wagons rolling from Kansas City to Oregon and Sante Fe, as well. |
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Quoted:
I don't understand why AMTRAK doesn't run more overnight city pairs for 8-9 hour trips. I'd look into rail more if the deal was leave at 10 pm, travel overnight and arrive in the morning. I did that in Europe, loved it. Go to sleep in Berlin, wake up in Amsterdam. Go to sleep in Frankfurt, wake up in Vienna. |
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In 95 I rode from NYC to Tampa. I had a sleeper car and a bottle of vodka and a few books. I could smoke and just mix drinks and relax. I would go to the bar car and met a hooker who also had a sleeper. I did not partake of the rail hooker but did love watching her work the room lol.
Rail travel used to be cool. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I don't understand why AMTRAK doesn't run more overnight city pairs for 8-9 hour trips. I'd look into rail more if the deal was leave at 10 pm, travel overnight and arrive in the morning. I did that in Europe, loved it. Go to sleep in Berlin, wake up in Amsterdam. Go to sleep in Frankfurt, wake up in Vienna. You know I know you're a conservative? Because you immediately didn't come back to the US demanding a Manhattan-Project-sized effort for "high speed rail." |
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Quoted: On Greyhound, that would have cost under $200. Just saying Amtrack is not efficient at all. It was $150 on Amtrak for a regular coach seat with a lot more room than Greyhound, as well as room to walk around, a lounge car with bar, a restaurant, more toilets, etc. He only paid a grand because of the cost of the sleeper roomette. Amtrak can be amazingly scenic, a few years back I got a sleeper from DC out to LA through the southwest, then back on the California Zephyr over the Donner pass and the Rockies. Amazing journey.
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Quoted:
In 95 I rode from NYC to Tampa. I had a sleeper car and a bottle of vodka and a few books. I could smoke and just mix drinks and relax. I would go to the bar car and met a hooker who also had a sleeper. I did not partake of the rail hooker but did love watching her work the room lol. Rail travel used to be cool. "Rail hooker" seems to be an interesting line of work. AMTRAK is leaving money on the table not advertising that service on their website, or including it in a special deal. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
In 95 I rode from NYC to Tampa. I had a sleeper car and a bottle of vodka and a few books. I could smoke and just mix drinks and relax. I would go to the bar car and met a hooker who also had a sleeper. I did not partake of the rail hooker but did love watching her work the room lol. Rail travel used to be cool. "Rail hooker" seems to be an interesting line of work. AMTRAK is leaving money on the table not advertising that service on their website, or including it in a special deal. In Europe, Red Light districts seem to form quite naturally around the major train stations, walking distance anyway. |