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   Allen   
      
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    Msg  : 3139 of 3171   
    From : Al Kaiser                           1:142/926       06 Sep 16 10:03:34   
    To   : All   
    Subj : My Memphis Amtrak Trip   
   ===============================================================================   
   Recently I took a long train trip to Memphis Via Amtrak.  I usually don't   
   travel much, maybe once every two years.  I did go to Flordia for an amateur   
   radio convention last year and there was an opertunity to go this year to   
   Memphis for another convention.  Never having been there before I jumped at   
   the chance even knowing that this was going to be a very expensive trip.  The   
   train travel alone was over a thousand dollars because it would require two   
   nights on a sleeper car.   
      
   So I booked two roometts both ways.  Instead of leaving from my hometown like   
   I usually do, I would have to drive to Union Station in New Haven and park   
   there for a week.  The line New Haven to Springfield is being upgraded and   
   double tracked to improve speed and service and the line won't be fully   
   completed until 2018.  We and a couple of other places are getting new   
   stations and work on the line curtails service sometime.  I could have left   
   from my city but would have been stranded in New Haven on the return leg.   
      
   So the trip started on a nice sunny Saturday moring.  I got a good spot in the   
   parking garage.  I was worried that I would have to carry my two items up and   
   down the stairs but cheking in the Amtrak information office, (where I picked   
   up a full system time table - which by the way is being elimated due to the   
   fact that they are available online), found out that there are elevators in   
   the New Haven Station to down to the tunnel and up to the tracks.   
      
   The first leg of the the trip was Business Class to Washington, D.C.  Then   
   sleeper to Chicago and finally sleeper from Chicago to Memphis.  Then a week   
   later turn around and do the whole thing over again in reverse.   
      
   To me the travel is a big part of the vacation and when I travel I take my   
   camara to take picures from the train and also my GPS to watch were we are and   
   what our speed is, and I take my scanner and listen to the railroad   
   communications.  The line from New Haven to New York still needs some work but   
   the Regional Acela toped out between 90 and 95 MPH.  There are still some slow   
   areas where they come down in the 40's but mostly they average over 70 MPH.   
   The line from New York to Washington was different though and it looks like   
   they did a lot of work on it and I was seeing peaks of 125 MPH and we averaged   
   over 100 MPH for most of the trip into Washington.  I'm told that the 125 MPH   
   speed is due to new baggage cars being put on.  The old ones were limited to   
   100 MPH.   
      
   Once in DC I bad a layover wating for the sleeper so I was able to take   
   advantage of the First Class Lounge and to avail myself of the free snacks and   
   refreshments.  Also I took some time to walk around and grab a late lunch in   
   the food court, (McDonalds of course).   
      
   So the sleeper was to leave in the evening and we were taken directly from the   
   lounge to the cars and let on board early.  They were serving dinner in the   
   dining car, (all meals are free as part of the sleeper ticket), but being late   
   I did not take advantage of it because I have to watch what and when I eat.  I   
   did get the GPS out and put the earphones on to listen to the train crew.   
   Once you get out of the city the chatter is mostly between the crew, dispatch   
   and occasional passing trains.  Speeds were impressive.  You don't think you   
   are going very fast but I was routinely seeing over 70 MPH, it looks slower   
   from the seats.   
      
   The next morning I got up early, I'm an early riser anyway and was in for   
   breakfast just after 6:30 AM.  The eggs, bacon, sasauage,  muffin and jelly   
   was good.  Can't say much about the coffee though.  Can't beat my DD coffee,   
   it was railroad coffee, strong and a little bitter needed a ton of sugar and   
   cream. Can't yet say I've had a great cup of coffee on a train.  We got into   
   Chicago after 8 AM.  I got to say that all of the trains were within 15   
   minutes of the scheduled arrivle times.   
      
   With a 12 hour layover in Chicago I took the two hour bus tour of the City.   
   Chicago just opened a brand new Metropolitan Lounge about two weeks before I   
   got there and it is beautiful!  It is larger than the old lounge, (and I   
   thought that Chicago had the best first class lounge anyway).  They have   
   plenty of free snacks, regular McDonalds type of soft drink dispensers,   
   juices, milk for the kids and snacks.  They serve a buffett type cheese,   
   cracker and salad lunch and had wine sampling, (but I don't drink and was on   
   the tour durning the buffet).  One other welcome thing... showers!  (Which I   
   took advantage of on the return leg), a full bathroom with a huge shower room   
   that you get a key card to enter with a washcloth and nice big towel to dry   
   off with, sure beats the small stall on the train!  Two other things about   
   the lounge, first of all it is a long way from the tracks.  If you have any   
   kind of luggage take the redcap to the lounge.  I made that error going up.   
   I did not know there was a new lounge and it was a drag with my luggage, I was   
   beat.  Use tbe redcap both ways, they will board you early.  Also the   
   "undiscovered" area of the lounge, upstairs.  Either go up the stairs or take   
   the elevator.  Even with all the crowds downstars upstairs is quiet and rather   
   empty.  It looks onto the street and into the Great Hall, if you go out the   
   doors you will have to enter back through the main enterance.  The one area   
   that needs improvment is the baggage hold.  The room is small and fills   
   quickly.  There are three long metal racks two against each wall and one down   
   the middle.  If you get there early by the end of the day your stuff is   
   burried.  That needs to be at aleast double size maybe more.   
      
   My train was one of the last ones out for the evening so by the time I left   
   there were only about a dozen other people there they called us about 40   
   minutes before depaturre and we were brought directly to our roomettes.  Again   
   with the GPS and scanner though there was not much to see because we left   
   after 10:30 my stop was just after 7 I did not get a chance for breakfast on   
   the train, but I was in my hotel room by 8:30.  Again speeds were close to 75   
   MPH at times and the ride was fairly smooth though the whole system.   
      
   On the return leg I left late Friday evening.  The Memphis station is not much   
   to talk about in fact the Amatrak window closed at 10 PM.   The train was at   
   10:40 but arrived about 11 PM.  With another mostly overnight trip there was   
   not much to see and hear until the morning, but arriving after 9 AM. I did   
   have time for a nice breakfast aboard the train.  Another long layover, (but   
   not quite as long), I toured the Willis Tower, (Old Sears Tower), and  took   
   some great photos from the 103rd floor.  Again the second floor of the   
   Metropolitan Lounge was quite unoccupied most of the day and relaxing.   
      
   Pretty much the same for the Chicago to Washington trip.  Again speeds over 70   
   MPH for much of the trip. it's just too bad that the routes that Amtrak   
   curtailed when they took over have not been brought back, it would have cut   
   the DC to Memphis part to maybe 10 or 12 hours in a coach or business class   
   coach going straight west.   
      
   I did make one change in my trip plans.  When I got into DC I saw that there   
   was an Acela which left earlier and got back into New Haven over an hour   
   earlier than my original plan.  I swiched over to the business seat on that.   
   It was my first time riding the Acela and I was impreessed on the route from   
   DC to NCY.  I saw speeds of 130 MPH on the GPS and was even a spike of 135 MPH   
   that I caught.  Also since we were express we were on the middle track and   
   were blowing through stations at 100 MPH!  Whoose!  NYC to New Haven was still   
   about the same as the regional but slightly faster in some spots but still not   
   with all the stops.  When the Acela leaves the station it REALLY leaves the   
   station.  It is going 40 MPH by the time we get to the end of the platform.   
   We actually arrived in New Haven one minute earlier than scheduled arrival   
   time.   
      
   All in all a great train trip. proabably the best I've had yet and a great   
   vacation with visits in Memphis to Graceland and Sun Studios where Elvis,   
   Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis Carl Perkins and, even Ozzie Osborne the week   
   before I was there recorded.  Sun Studios is still an active recording studio   
   in the evenings.   
      
   Well I hope you enjoyed my trip report.  Hope you all have something to share.   
   I'd love to hear your stories.   
      
   Toodeloo!   
      
   Al Kaiser - Meriden, CT, 04-Sep-2016 at 19:29. Fido : 1:142/926 -   
   Internet : n1api@cox.net   
      
      
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   Al Kaiser - Meriden, CT, 06-Sep-2016 at 10:03.   
   Fido : 1:142/926 - Internet : n1api@cox.net   
      
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