A Train Odyssey 4, Part 2 (Day 1), AMTRAK "Crescent"
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- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- This is Part 2 of a 2-part Train Odyssey that begins with Part 1, AMTRAK's "City of New Orleans" from Chicago to New Orleans, and continues in Part 2 with AMTRAK's "Crescent" from New Orleans as far as Philadelphia.
Part 2 "Crescent" is divided into two video sections, "Day 1" and "Day 2". This video is "Day 1", from New Orleans to Atlanta.
As part of the same overall trip, I will have separate videos on various attractions.
I love your train videos!!!!
Hi Paul, thank you for sharing such a wonderful video. This trip is also on my bucket list as many of your other trips too. These videos are worth watching over again. I think train travel is awesome.
Going across lake Pontchartrain on that train scared me.wow I felt like I was on the train.
Thank you so much for making this video very informative especially at the 3:02:00 mark is showing the wheelchair lift thank you for adding that in your video to help out us wheelchair users when riding Amtrak on what to expect.
Mr. S, I truly enjoy your videos. You must enjoy them too because I see that you put forth much effort in giving the viewers the ultimate experience in training. Thanks for allowing me to experience the virtuality of riding along. I have always dreamt of riding out of Kentucky to California, especially along the coast north to see the giant sequoias. I love that deep and articulate voice you have. It keeps me spell bound throughout the videos. I especially love the long ones. I have also browsed your other hobbies and regardless what it is, you have a way of making them all interesting. I can't say enough on how much I appreciate all you do. Stay well my friend and thank you for sharing.
LOVE YOUR VIDEO IT HELPS THOSE THAT CANNOT GO SEE A NATION AT HOME WITH A LITTLE THOUGHT AND PLAY YOU CAN REFLECT BACK IN TIME
On my last couple of trips I’ve taken along two little plastic door stop wedges to jam into the various cracks and crevices in order to stop the sometimes irritating rattling noises. The upper bunk rattled so badly on the trip I took on the Cardinal that it created the audio effect of riding in a covered wagon at 79 mph. By jamming the wedges in at either end of the upper bunk I was able to staunch the incessant rattling. It worked equally well at abating an annoying rattle of the door of my roomette on both the Texas Eagle and Empire Builder trips. The wedges are available at hardware stores or big box home centers for about $2.00 for a package of two. I’m probably going to buy another 2 pack for my next trip. They take up very little room and pack easily. Highly recommend.
I would /really/ like to see the video of someone riding in a covered wagon at 79 mph!
Each time I watch one of your excellent rail videos, I add another train trip to my bucket list. Now you've got me thinking about again crossing the Pacific for a strictly ground based round trip Los Angeles - New Orleans - New York - Chicago - Seattle - San Francisco. More power to you sir!
I have been traveling the U.S from my home through these VIDEOS!!!
I love long distance train travel. Thanks for sharing.
I have very bad anxiety and your train videos really help me to calm down😌 You have a radio voice, I thank you for being there in 2020 and into 2021💕
....Very, Very, Very, Relaxing Video...!!!....( COVID Lockdown Era---2020' )......lol
The stop in Laurel at 11:42 made me remember a number of train trips I took with my parents (circa '58-'68) and how awkward it was to have the train stop -- especially at night -- with our compartment exactly in the headlights of the waiting cars, putting us "in the spotlight." And/or (as you were) with the flashing red signals that could, at night, penetrate around the window blinds even when they were drawn!
You don't do the New Orleans station justice. The murals are exquisite. The art deco architecture is true to the period. While the Magnolia Room is no metropolitan lounge, it is clean and offers comfortable seating and fresh coffee. Where the track bends under I-10 / US 61, the track splits in three directions: (1) Crescent: north across Lake Pontchartrain, (2) City of New Orleans: north across the isthmus between Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas; and (3) Sunset Limited: west across the Mississippi River on the Huey P. Long Bridge (Man! That's an experience!). Greenwood Cemetery and other cemeteries in the area feature above-ground burial. That is because the land sits below sea level. Burial underground would not be feasible. Indeed, during the Flood of 2016, several graves in old cemeteries east of Baton Rouge rose to the surface and floated away. Yes, they were recovered and reburied. Lakefront Airport has a beautiful art deco terminal that dates to the 1930s, when the airport received commercial aviation traffic. It was replaced as New Orleans' commercial airport in the 1950s, when Moisant Airport (now, Louis Armstrong Airport) opened. Since then, Lakefront Airport has been a general aviation facility. Riding across the lake, you feel like you're riding on water, so low is the bridge. US Route 11 parallels the track. It runs from the Canadian border to US Route 90 in New Orleans. It is still the 1920s two-lane road in many, if not most, places and is a fascinating journey all its own. Route 11 served automobile traffic going this direction after Katrina knocked out I-10 over the lake.
I'd like to add that the rail causeway over Lake Pontchartrain is the longest bridge in the world built over a body of water. 2nd being the Huey B. Long Bridge.
@@squalli1297 Guinness World Records created two categories for bridges over water: continuous and aggregate lengths over water. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway then became the longest bridge over water (continuous), while Jiaozhou Bay Bridge became the longest bridge over water (aggregate).
Difference between a coder and a programmer? ??
Love this and all your train trips. Can not travel anymore with cancer...this is almost as good. Thanks for taking the time to shoot and edit these...I know it is not easy.
Aw man, hate to hear that - wish you the best my friend.
sqengineer 🙏🙏🥀
Thanks, for your videos and posts of your trips. I'm a subscriber and I am glad you showed the inside of the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal (UPT). New Orleans is my home town and my first job was with the Mayor's Office of Transit Administration which had it's offices in the second floor of the UPT. The station was built in 1954 before Amtrak and I'm glad it even thought it looks small, it looks like it's still in good shape. Looking forward to fully viewing your posting and future videos. Regards,
One thing to remember is there is a long stop in DC to change from Diesel to Electric.
Thanks for the video of the City of New Orleans and the Crescent. Tuscaloosa is my hometown and it is interesting to see it from the viewpoint of the train. You commented on the self-storage location in Tuscaloosa. In 2011 we had a massive tornado which did substantial damage in Tuscaloosa and the surrounding areas. One of the hardest hit sections was south of the train tracks, and many of the damaged businesses have not recovered yet. That is also the reason for so many broken trees and bald patches you can see along there.
Mark Vick, thanks for that additional detail.
Again an incredible job at documenting your odyssey. I've been thru the NO terminal since the 50's & nothing's changed. The "Magnolia Room" hasn't changed since I was there in 2001. Too bad meal service as I remembered has changed. I'm hoping Amtrak won't think to charge sleeping car passengers for meals they do serve. Meals weren't always complimentary.
@@youtuuba You're welcome. I really enjoy your train videos. They are a great help for the first time Amtrak user. And the videos of the places you stop along the way are well worth the viewer's time.
@@squalli1297 I recall the days of Amtrak serving prime rib for dinner. I also recall the Burlington Texas Zephyr T-bone steak and the Santa Fe Texas Chief rainbow trout... The hey days of trains sadly have passed away...
Love your train videos youtuuba, the more commentary, the more I enjoy. It makes it really feel like you're riding with someone.
Eschatonx Yves, its really good!
I heard once that the Crescent has a history of late trains due to freight traffic. I heard about this when I was waiting a few hours to leave Atlanta, Georgia this past summer. Some guy knew to get a credit for every time this happens when he goes from Atlanta to Charlotte
That is still the case.
I’ve now done this train a few times following your original video. It always fascinates me that the train running over the causeway gives you the impression that you are skimming over the water. The tracks are so close to the surface of the lake. You can hear and smell the lake water as it laps against the structure. For me it’s a great sensation even at night traveling in the opposite direction when the sun has set.
Nice video. Thanks for posting and sharing. You sound like Harry Nile the radio detective. Read somewhere Amtrak was wanting to stop the long distance coast to coast routes and just stick with the small short trip commuter trains in metropolitan areas.
spliceon charlie, I don't think that AMTRAK wants to do anything like reduce service or services, actually to the contrary. However, Congress and the administration has not been very friendly towards passenger rail service, and AMTRAK is trying to survive. But a lot of otherwise poorly served communities and areas in this country (in regards to travel access) would be hurt is the long distance trains go away, and those areas have political clout. Hopefully the funding will remain.
Your reading is wrong. Here is what Amtrak says:
"Amtrak will acquire new mainline passenger diesel locomotives from Siemens Mobility to replace its aging National Network locomotive fleet. These initial 75 locomotives will be used principally for Amtrak’s Long Distance train service, with options to purchase more, for use on some State Supported routes and for future growth."
@@alphonsozorro7952 , your retort will not make sense to others unless you preface it with the RUclips name of the person to whom you are responding. This is basic RUclips courtesy.
@@youtuuba No youtuba Amtrak wants to cut services not Congress. I am no expert and do not want to lose Amtrak but until 1972 there was no Amtrak. This video is just outlining Amtrak wanting to boost more shorter commuter routes and less long haul.
Inside Amtrak’s Dying Long-Distance Trains | WSJ
@@alphonsozorro7952
Inside Amtrak’s Dying Long-Distance Trains | WSJ Watch the video. I am not an expert just going off what I am seeing and watching.
Yes, the Georgia/Alabama line is the boundary between the Central and Eastern time zones.
New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal. I remember when those red menu boards were FULL of trains coming and going. Sigh.The Magnolia room is pretty much a quiet room with couches and a quiet place for Sleeper car passengers to wait. usually has fresh coffee in the coffeemaker after about 6AM. Looks like it has been spiffed up. A little. The terminal closes late at night and opens around 5 or 6 IIRC. You can stay inside after it closes, but if you go out, you are out until the terminal repoens.
waited for this, saw it about 1 hour after posting!! I am sad they are getting rid of the chef meals, because that is part of the experience of train travel!!
Pauline veloza, to reiterate what I said in the video, apparently AMTRAK is only getting rid of hot, chef-prepared meals on SOME trains. Reportedly, those will remain on the longer trips that are longer than one night long.
@@youtuuba Yes, I understand, but it still takes away some of the romance, and we can blame it on Washington!!
@@paulineveloza4945 Unfortunately when you research Amtrak's books, they lose their most money in the diners on their long distance trains. The prices on the menu have gone up so much, most coach passengers buy convenience store food at the cafe instead. About the only ones still dining at the diner are sleeper passengers whose diner meals are included with their fare. As fewer and fewer coach passengers dine in the diner, the more Amtrak loses in the diner... Its like a Catch 22 situation...
@@youtuuba we were told they were taking the hot prepared meals away on the Southwest Chief as well...
@@lindaplaylist170 , who is "we" and who "told you". It may work out either way, but I personally have been "told" that the trains over one night long will retain the hot meals, at least for the time being. If there has been an authoritative statement from AMTRAK to the contrary, and you know where that statement comes from, perhaps you can share your source so others can check into it. Otherwise, it is just hearsay.
I went on the Silver Meteor from Philadelphia after meeting my fiance and my vacation for my graduation and went as far as Charleston, SC.
The combined families from Lynchburg and Norcross went on the Tailslandian River Runner from Philadelphia after their trip as far as Chaseville, GA! How cool was that?
Myra, Klonoa, Asriel, and Platelet (aka Amy Tabby) went on the Grand Strand from Myrtle Beach as far as New Haven, CT after their vacation here.
We need more train odysseys! Sunset Limited from New Orleans to LA!
It's my favorite amtrak train
I'll never take an Amtrak that isn't serving hot meals, and I would think that Amtrak will lose alot of business for that reason. Love your videos. I find them very interesting and informative.
I agree.
All the great western LD’s still have it. experience them while they exist!!!
@@jmaxxofficial7015 Unfortunately it does appear airline preprepared box meals will be the wave of Amtrak's diner's future... The prices on the menu are so high now no one in coach comes to the diners anymore, causing huge losses for Amtrak...
@@ronclark9724 you do have an airline guy running Amtrak
Let sodexo handle this
The video travelling the causeway was pretty neat. Kind of a "ship odyssey" if one didn't know better. Agree on the dining car experience and the mingling with other passengers. It is part of the charm of train travel.
To me, that is the scariest part of the entire trip lol ..
FYI: Amtrak offered a transcontinental vintage sleeping car from L.A. on the Sunset Ltd to NY on the Crescent with an overnight layover at the NO Terminal. Thru sleeping car passengers could remain on board overnight in their roomettes/bedrooms eliminating the need for hotels or stays in the terminal. The sleeping car was at the head end of the consist of the Sunset Ltd. Passengers needed walk up the stairs of the then Coach Dorm (presently named Transitional Sleeper) to access the 2nd level & then on thru 6 cars to get to dining car. That feature ended in the late 80's as they probably didn't think it was cost effective to keep it. We were paying for meals onboard then.
Back during the heydays of railroads, the Southern Crescent used to have a branch from Meridian to Dallas. Those going to Houston did as they do now, make a connection with the Sunset Limited in New Orleans. Atlanta's grand station is no longer, now its a federal building downtown. Peachtree station is sufficient for the Crescent, but alas, it isn't suitable for a Greyhound terminal for a city the size of Atlanta. And frankly the Birmingham station should be condemned by the health department, there is black mold up there. The folks in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City demand more and more Amtrak services blind to the poor horrible services Amtrak provides in the Deep South. The temporary station in Houston is worst than the one in Atlanta, only sufficient for the Sunset Limited, not suitable for a Greyhound terminal... And the Yankees wonder why there isn't much political support for Amtrak?
I love these videos, showing "The Backyards of America."
Sorry to be so late, love your Amtrak ride videos especially going thru the down south from New Orleans, Alabama, And Georgia
For the best sleep on anything moving, put your feet towards the direction of travel.
Andrew Armstrong, I wonder why that would be true? On the surface, it seems nonsensical, but maybe there is a hidden validity.... Do you have any insight into why this would be true?
If the train brakes, your feet hit the wall in front of it instead of your head? That's just my guess though
Nice videos
The causeway, wow never seen a train go over water so close to the waters surface great watch thanks
Causeway was weird like ur on top of the water, so cool I bet it would look strange in between cars
I appreciate the comments, but they would read better if you did not sprinkle 'text message' abbreviations, such as 'ur' into your otherwise typed out text.
Bit of luck. Saw this on side bar of screen watching old football. A pleasure to have you "on the rails" again. With a change in Washington we might get the windows washed again.
Thank you enjoyed the train ride take care
You mentioned the Amtrak App indicated you would be at your destination on time but you were currently running an hour or more late. Amtrak builds padding into their schedules, usually between the last few cities of the trip. They also build padding into some extended station stops. An example is the schedule between Los Angeles and Fullerton. Eastbound it's scheduled for 20 minutes, but Westbound at the end of the trip it's scheduled for over an hour. Almost all long distance trips have padding build in.
The last 3-4 stops are only drop offs no passengers get on them. The half hour to hour long station stops are usually to load fuel onto the trains.
I like your train videos it's was awesome
i am glade when you went on that train sep was nice weather i saw you in the window going to watch the sev video train ride :)
Bruce Sumter, I can't figure out what you are trying to say
I have a suggestion on scanner use on Amtrak. Program all 97 AAR channels into your scanner according to the corresponding channel numbers on your scanner. This way you are sure to have them all no matter what train you are one. You can label the appropriate Amtrakntrain number and/or name on a particular frequency entry if you choose to do so.
Still can not get over the idea that Amtrak are killing off the Dining Service on the CoNO. One of the things people like is the pleasure of having a cooked meal on the train.
Unfortunately the price on the menu is getting so high no one in coach is dining in the diner anymore. Just pre paid fare included sleeper passengers are... Most in coach are balking at the cafe prices as well, and are bringing snacks aboard...
Once again, CEO Anderson is single-handedly dismantling Amtrak.
Linda Ballard, there is no need for you to leave your opinion on every train video. Once would be too much!
@@youtuuba Ok fine. I did not mean to post twice, it was a mistake. No worries. I am unsubscribing. There are better Amtrak video channels out there.
You're my inspiration Youtuba.......I'm doing the Crescent south from Baltimore in March/2021..Then I will be picking up the Sunset Ltd to the SW Chief back to Chicago and back to Maryland with the Cardinal....How've you been doing? I suppose by now you've ridden all of main lines in the U.S...it's now 2020...deep into the pandemic. The train is a safer way to go with strict adherence to protocols, and social distancing....I've seen the conductor de-board a passenger who refused to wear their mask...and that's great because they were putting everybody else at risk....Take Care...Stay Safe...
It was a great trip, even in the pandemic. Next trip will be the Crescent to NOL for a few days, the City of NO to Chicago, then the Empire Bldr again. A few days in Seattle, then down to Frisco, then east on the Zephyr to meet up with the Cardinal….That will be it for Amtrak till I do my transcontinental on VIA.
At 1:46:00...you can hear conductor say, "ya'll look good 19"....that is the south bound Southern Crescent (train 19)meeting the northbound.
The lady who challenged being on a video just because a stranger happened to swing his smartphone at her, was right.
Being in public didn't mean she had to appear on somebody's video or picture without her consent. A simple matter of civility.
Alphonso Zorro, you are consistently making up your own rules. Nobody in a crowd gathering can reasonably expect that they will not be inadvertently caught in another person's photo or video. That woman had no right to insist that others exclude her.
Regardless, it is polite to try and avoid focusing on strangers, or dwelling on them, without their consent, and being a polite person, I do try to avoid doing that.
But this one woman objected to even having a corner of her head caught for a split second as I panned my camera past where she was sitting. That was unreasonable of her, and I would have every right to refuse to honor her argument.
However, being a polite person, I told her that IF any part of her was visible in my video, I would surely delete that part. As it turned out, my camera was aiming over her head, so I did not need to exclude her.
As for YOUR misinformed and baseless criticisms, YOU have regularly violated polite behavior with some of the things you have written about my channel.
youtuuba u tell em, 👍
Well done.
top speed on NS nola-atl for PAX is 79mph. @2:08:00, Birmingham spare tracks are no longer in service. Haven't been for years (since the new station was in the middle of being built). All the switches were pulled at the north and south ends of the station. There used to be about a dozen or so private cars housed (and maintained) on those spare tracks. They have since been relocated. Sad to see what has become of the platform. That was my stomping grounds for 15 years.
I like how you use the “cheater plug” to elevate the power adapter on your power strip.
What fun
Don't know what camera you use, but a polarizing filter would help cut down any glare/reflection you have in filming. I do love your videos.
Noticed your GPS was set for auto travel. If you are able to change that to off-road travel, you'll be able to follow the Amtrak route better.
Patricia Harper, it depends on the model of GPS. On the GPS I have used for a while, the map stops scrolling when in anything other than 'auto' mode. So I need to have it in 'auto' mode in order to chart the progress of the train. This (being in 'walking' or 'pedestrian' mode) has the side effect of sometimes having the location icon appear on a road nearby where the train is, rather than where the train actually is. I find this to rarely be an issue. My older GPS had a 'bicycle' mode that showed true location regardless if nearby roads, while still scrolling the map properly.
This reminds me of riding on the left side of the Southwest Chief #3. All of the stations, highlights, and action are on the other side of the train. 😕
that causeway ride...OMGGGG🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️
Gawd, you're killing me with this Pon-chaR-train thing. The first 'R" is silent. It's pronounced Pon-cha-train. You seem to be a pretty intellegent type of guy. Google "how to pronounce Ponchartrain", and you will see they leave out the first "R", meaning it is silent.I live in the suburbs of Detroit, and Detroit was originally called Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit when it was founded in 1701 by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac , so I'm pretty familiar with the name Ponchartrain.
David Brewer, I AM intelligent, and I also know enough not to trust everything I randomly find on Google. There is a lot of unreliable information online. I looked up several authoritative sources to see how the name is pronounced. The consensus was that the 'r' is usually silent, and I already admitted that I got that wrong on the video. However, lots of authoritative sources say that Pont is preferred over Pon, even though Pon is very popular. Furthermore, when I have talked to locals about the lake, I was getting about half each way on the pronunciation. So lay off me with your absolutist stuff about there is no way but your preferred way.
Random notes:
Window glare is definitely better on the west side... I wonder if they clean the windows better on the lounge/dining cars.
Lake Ponchartrain ride seems nice and fast, but rather bumpy. Also made me wonder how often the route gets cancelled due to water overflow - random bad weather or just hurricanes/etc?
Last chef service: did you deliberately schedule this to try to get in before the service was discontinued?
Maybe the "sink down" light is to verify the circuit for remote monitoring rather than for your benefit.
Once you get into the Alabama hills, this is a pretty scenic trip, even allowing for the views of light-industrial/grafitti America
Lo-Res Gamer, I am sure that the windows are the same on both sides off the train; the glare depends on the angle of the sun....sunny side had glare, shieldexmd side does not.
I had no idea about the "last supper" until I was in the train.
Another viewer suggested that the "sink down" lamp is likely for alerting a passenger on the upper bunk that the sink is out and cannot be used as a step to climb down.
I wanted to do a train ride one of these days with a true dinner car, but that seems to being phased out. I might as well take a plane now.
Christopher Rilea, taking a long distance train trip just for the diner car experience would not be very wise. But as near as I can tell, the long distance western trains will still have the full diner car experience, with hot prepared meals....at least for the time being.
If you really want this experience, don't put it off.
@@youtuuba only the lines on east coast went to the dumbass new diner system. i am workin on a detailed letter about that stupid ass idea.
@@macdunlap6257 www.amtrak.com/onboard/meals-dining/flexible-dining.html
@@andrewarmstrong7310 yep. flexible crap but only on s few eastcoast runs. all the long haul runs still have the true diner. amtraks excuse for the changd is typical of government. millenials? really? they rarely ride in sleeper cars. use amtrak regularly and therr are very few of these wussy millenials
Christopher Rilea, if you take a Chicago/west coast train you can have steak and a potato with sour cream for dinner. On a “short distance” train you’ll have a TV dinner for dinner. Staring out the window at trees can be boring. A real restaurant-type meal in a dining car was something to look forward to.
Regarding the cleanliness issue, I have made it a point of carrying Lysol spray with me and wetting down the hard and carpet surfaces near the roomette toilet. This also includes the floor under and around the seats, which I’ve noticed can pretty grimy. Every sleeper car attendant I’ve encountered has said this is a good policy.
I bring the alcohol wipes with me to wipe just about everything I handle...
They have to have Viewliner, single decker cars on the Crescent because it has to be able to fit into New York Penn Station, which double decker cars are unable to fit in there due to height clearance issues.
Kansas City Southern Fan, I don't think I implied otherwise, but I also probably did not explain in the video why the Viewliners are used on this route (or on any route for that matter).
It mainly has to do with switching over to electric locomotives in Washington DC
@@johnmclaurinmclaurin924 it has to do with low clearance issues on the east coast. Even the intermodal/container loads have to be single stacked.
Many from the larger end of line metro areas such as Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles take their metropolitan lounges for granted. They aren't everywhere. Nor is New Orleans one of the larger end of line metros...
Ron Clark Yes, two months ago I was a through coach passenger and paid $30 for the Met Lounge in Chicago. It was $25 two years ago for coach lounge but the coach lounge closed. For the extra $5 I got a towel and shower.
Either lounge has/had baggage check, snacks and drinks. The Amtrak lady who staffed the lounge was very nice.
We were told a red cap would take us to the track# but nope.
I live in AL so it was kind of a surprise about the TALAPOOSA River being dry or NOT much to it. The COOSA River is not far away from me and is not very wide. Sorry about the Birmingham Platform. Maybe by NOW the platform is in better shape??
I read your comment in part 1 about Amtrak discontinuing hot food on some routes. That will unfortunanly deter even more people from travelling by train. The experience here in Canada is somewhat mixed. Short haul intercity trains offer airline style-at-your-seat meals which are so-so, and rather awful sandwich cart selections in coach. The "Ocean" Montreal to Halifax has catered meals that are surprisingly good prepared off the train but served in a dining car. The Canadian Toronto to Vancouver still has chef-prepared meals on the train in a proper Budd diner that are excellent and superior to anything I experienced on Amtrak. Meals are included on both the Ocean and Canadian in sleeper class. Coach passengers can buy food in the lounge car similar to Amtrak's service. VIA rail also introduced a luxury "Prestige" service a few years ago on the Canadian that is popular with those with deep pockets. Amtrak should take note!
Tony D, I am sure that AMTRAK is well aware of the comparisons with other trains in regards to meal services. But, they also know that they are not in any kind of competition with other train services or routes. They have a mandate to provide passenger rail services within the continental USA where other regional services are lacking. That mandate does not include providing chef-prepared hot meals in diner cars, as much as passengers might wish otherwise. And Congress is not being very friendly with AMTRAK's budget, and the Trump adminstration's arrogance towards such lowly things as passenger rail has not helped either. The current AMTRAK CEO has a tough job, no doubt, wrestling with a difficult situation, reduced budget, and conflicting passions and antipathy from the traveling public.
If passengers stop riding AMTRAK because of cut-backs in diner service, it may well result in a total discontinuance of certain rail services altogether.
An ugly situation.....
Many long haul runs - effective October 2019 - East and southeast of Chicago have removed the dining car - per the new Amtrak CEO. In December 2019 I had pretty bad food on the Lakeshore Ltd BUT December 2017 the food was fine and did run with dining car -same train.
If you don't like the airline preprepared meals on Amtrak you can always fly. Their food isn't any better...
looks like they were going 80 thru bessemer listen to the wheels rolling over all those switches , i wonder if we will ever see 110 mph trains like on the empire corridor between ny penn and albany down here in the southland i bet more people would ride
Beautiful and well kept passenger terminal for the supposedly poorest state, MS. All is relative, it seems.
Correction: The third poorest, not the poorest; LS not MS.
LA not LS.
The Amtrak map CLEARLY shows the route going through Slidell!
*SATURDAY JUNE 13 2020 4:18 PM CDT*
Youtuuba, your videos are "ok", however, the chatter is a bit over the top. I don't want to hear a play-by-play announcement, or eyewitness news report throughout this trip.
Now, on "The Elevator Channel", that guy uses subtitles most of the time, cutting back on the excessive chatter.
Anyway, stay safe out there. 😷
Shauntrail Skinner, I am glad that you generally like my train videos, but your comment about the chatter is going to fall on deaf ears. If you look at the comments, most of them reveal that the majority of my train video subscribers LIKE the way I do them, and they LIKE hearing me describe the play-by-play, and they LIKE the fact that my videos are more like "being there". So I am not going to change anything about how I make my train videos because a small minority don't like my spoken narration. BTW, I also watch train videos made by others, including Paul's Trip Reports or whatever he calls them, the Elevator Channel and others. I appreciate they way they do theirs, but mine are different, and indeed mine are pretty much unique on RUclips for the great detail I include in them. They are not going to please everyone, but since I ultimately make them for myself, I don't much care.
@@youtuuba Like many or most of your subscribers, I looooove your narration on your videos, just as I looooove hearing the sounds of the train, the sounds of other passengers in the dining car and all of the radio sounds. All so authentic, and with all of those views rolling by -- wow! I feel like I'm there on the train, too. Thank you for ALL of your videos!
I will be very careful not to schedule travel on Viewliner Roomettes. Can’t handle that “periphery of the in room toilet” situation you spoke of. Nope.
Unhealthy arrangement. Better a toilet in the corridor.
@@alphonsozorro7952 There is a public rest room at one end of the sleeper car. I never use the one in a Viewliner roomette...
We were on the 1996 inaugural trip of the Crescent. They gave each passenger memento including some special mugs that we still have. I prefer the Superliner cars to the Viewliners for some odd reason.
I really enjoy your videos. I have a GPS that I've used on AMTRAK, but I'm thinking of getting a scanner. Could you post the requirements for the scanner that will receive AMTRAK radio signal used by trains as far as you know. I appreciate it, and Happy Rails
Van U'Ren, the requirements for what? Assuming that you are still talking about a scanner, I already have two videos about this very thing. I am not going to make a third video about it. Go to my channel and use the search for "scanner".
For those who watch H&G TV, the town of Laurel, Ms. is featured on "Home Town."
That cemetery was to say the least,most depressing.
They should have hidden it from view.
The part about the lady not wanting to be filmed made me laugh
An hour late on Amtrak is "on time". I have been 4 and 5 hours late on the Texas Eagle several times. I was 9 hours late on the southbound Coast Starlight thus missing all of the coast views because we traversed them in darkness. Pulled into Los Angeles station about 5 am and to make matters worse the baggage handlers chose that time to take an hour coffee break before unloading our luggage from the baggage car. I have a long history of riding long distance trains dating back to steam as a child in the 1940's and as a teenager in the 1950's. Today's long distance train service sucks compared to the mid 1900's.
The lake Pontchartrain crossing was interesting, is the train loud when you ride it? Noticed in Birmingham is sounded loud when you were outside.
I heard that the new viewliner cars do not have the toilet.
And no sink.
Andrew Armstrong Wrong. They will still have a sink.
When is part 2 of this gonna be uploaded
Leeds, Al use to be the only place you could buy alcohol back in the bad old days.
"bad" for alcoholics, may be.
I really enjoy your videos. Definitely on my bucket list to do an overnight stay on an Amtrak. In one of your videos you mentioned the cost. Everytime I price a sleeper car it just seems really expensive. Is there a way to get a discounted sleeper than paying full price? Thanks
QR3, I don't know what you consider to be "expensive". You also don't say whether the 'overnight stay' you want is strictly in a sleeper, or if you would consider doing it in coach. Have you called AMTRAK reservations? They can help you find better deals than what you can get by yourself in their website. With few exceptions, my AMTRAK long distance (multi-day) trips in a sleeper Roomette have been less than $600, and often quite a bit less, especially if I have some schedule flexibility on what days I take the trip; the price depends a lot on what days off the week you travel and how full a particular train is.... Moving even one day earlier or later can result in a dramatically lower price.
youtuuba thanks! That was what I was wanting to know! Thanks for the information!
Your mainly traveling on Norfolk southerns tracks
They own the trackeage
Interstate 12 goes thru baton rouge the state capitol of la and Louisiana state university is there as well.
I sure wish the Crescent pulled the dining car again, I'd like to take the northbound Crescent out of Meridian, where I live, and go to New York and get a room on a Viewliner Sleeper car and have a delicious hot meal in the dining car, hopefully the Crescent will have the dining car back on it before too long
Throngs?
Love your videos. I'm due for another cross country train trip, but as my mother's health is getting worse, its harder to get away for any length of time. But often play your videos in the back ground at the office to give me my travel fix. It's sad that the dinner menu's are changing of some of the routes. Yet even with a 'box' lunch the view and pace of train travel is still there to enjoy. One quick question, what GPS are you using? Last trip I used my phone for part of the trip, but also limited other things I could do when I was out of the service route.
With the Crescent crossing the Causeway out of New Orleans, I wonder what it would take in terms of billions to restore the Flagler Causeway to Keywest Florida. Probably a combination of support from Richard Branson, government, and Elan Musk..and only then sadly if Congress could get its act together.
Ever consider accessing a window squeegee while still in the station?
@@billhauck5196 AMTRAK discourages passengers from doing that.
Maybe the sink warning light is for the second occupant in the upper birth so they don't try to come down in the dark.
Jim Perry, that seems like a good guess
I have been meaning to ask, under routine conditions is the temperature of the upper bunk similar to the lower bunk? Does it get hotter or colder than the rest of the roomette? Or is it the same?
No chef cooked hot meals on The Crescent any longer, nooo ... !!!
Going concern?
Maybe the majority of the sleeper passengers were taking their meals in their rooms.
Duane Witte, you make a good point.....it seemed that most of the other sleeper passengers on that trip were fairly elderly, and might have asked to have their meals brought to their rooms.
HGTV has a home improvement show in Laurel Mississippi.
I was thinking that it was a shame he didn't jump over into that empty sleeper roomette at Laurel. I took the Crescent from NOLA to Laurel. Looking out the left hand side of the train coming into Laurel is way more interesting and the "City Beautiful" is very much so. HGTV's "Home Town" has helped but the city has been in a process of revitalisation for a while now. I hope COVID hasn't put a stop to that. I loved Laurel.
Agree from South Africa that the water closet in the compartment is not a good idea! I have never seen it before.
Since Amtrak Management was taken over by former Airline Personnel (Delta) long distance passenger train service including the Diner has nosedived. Management now views long distance service as the proverbial red headed step child.
jasper mcmillan, I doubt that the AMTRAK CEO's former job as an airline executive has much to do with his efforts to make AMTRAK profitable, or at least less of a money losing proposition. He is probably just doing what he was hired to do. The real problem is the disparity between AMTRAK's congressional mandate and the silliness of how they are funded. Like the Post Office, there is a mandate for it to exist and serve the people of the country, but without a clear way to make it earn it keep. Certainly the AMTRAK long distance routes are not profitable, and so the CEO thinks they would be better off discarded. This seems to me to have little to do with whether he worked for an airline of for McDonalds. But it seems that he cannot just cancel those routes altogether, because that would violate the mandate.
You make the best train videos. I love the narration but sometimes the sqawling sound from your scanner is annoying.
Enjoyed the video, of course, It also confirmed what I have always felt about that part of the country. I'm glad I don't live there.
There are areas like Tara in the film Gone with the Wind in the Deep South, but alas not near a railroad track...
25:55 the money shot
What scanner do you use?