posted
On Saturday I’m leaving for Washington, DC, departing Emeryville, changing Chicago, via New Orleans where I’ll be staying for a couple of nights (Emeryville-Chicago-New Orleans-Washington). I’ve been looking lately at the arrival times of the Zephyr into Chicago and at least 90% of the time it’s been way, way too late for me to make my connection to The City of New Orleans. About half of the time it’s been eight hours late or more.
I’ve taken the Zephyr several times before and have noticed that, in the past, there has been a practice of pulling NOL-bound passengers off of super-late Zephyrs at (I think) Galesburg and bussed somewhere to hook up with The City. I wonder if anyone has any experience with this sort of thing or any other advice about it. Assuming that this is the way that it is done, I’ve a couple of questions: first, how does this basically work; and, what happens if the Zephyr is so late that the possibility to connect this way is no longer possible; finally, any other words to the wise would be greatly appreciated.
And, of course, on top of that, there seems to be a hurricane brewing in the Caribbean that just may meet me in New Orleans and throw another kink into this whole plan. Ah, the joys of travel. But, I’ve resigned myself to relax and enjoy the scenery and a cocktail or two.
Thanks for your advice.
Posts: 2 | From: California | Registered: Aug 2006
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posted
Welcome to the forum! Nice to see another fellow Californian in the membership pool.
I can't speak regarding your specific situation, but if this is a "guaranteed connection" Amtrak is obligated to get you there one way or another. Bussing passengers from late trains to connect to another is a common practice, informally known as "bustitution." It works, but it isn't nearly as fun as being on the train. If you don't want to risk bustitution, its best to plan an overnight stay in Chicago. It might actually be a nice way to break up the journey and place your feet on solid ground for awhile.
In the unlikely event a bus connection is impossible, Amtrak's practice has usually been to put you up in a hotel and put you on the next day's train. In some cases they may opt to fly you to your destination.
Perhaps someone else can provide information specific to your connection.
posted
From the Zephyr to the City of New Orleans, usual busing is from Galesburg to Champaign-Urbana, both staffed stations. If you have checked baggage, it's put on the bus for you, then transferred to the baggage car at C-U.
If your train is running too late for that to happen, then Amtrak provides hotel accomodations in Chicago, also meals & transportation to your hotel from Union Station & back. Used to be a cash allowance for the meals & transport, not sure how they do it now.
If it's a hotel situation, many times station personnel from Chicago will board the Zephyr enroute & take take of all the paperwork before you arrive Chicago. Otherwise, you'll be directed to an area at the station where this will be done. The only problem that MIGHT arise is if you're traveling sleeper on the City & the next day's sleepers are sold out there. They may offer you a flight to New Orleans in lieu of having to travel coach. At any rate, I think they'll do their best to accomodate you.
Hopefully none of this will come to pass & your trip will go smoothly. For you, I think it will anyway as you seem to have a really good attitude about it. I've come across many passengers over the years who looked forward to a late train so they'd have a free night in Chicago.
Posts: 73 | Registered: Aug 2006
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posted
My one experience of missing the CNO from the Zephyr went as follows.
We'd been losing time due to track work, crews running out of time, hitting a car, and waiting for more crews to be ferried to the train. We were over 7 hours late before we'd even entered Iowa, so Amtrak had plenty of notice to get things organised. They sent a couple of people down to Burlington where they boarded just after we'd finished our free extra meal (tinned stew). They saw each person individually to see what their requirements were, and were given a choice based on those requirements. For most it was a simple choice of three: - Continue on your own and claim back the unused portion of your ticket later - Catch Greyhound from Chicago - Stay at Amtrak's chosen hotel, bed and breakfast, and travel the following day. Air transportation wasn't offered - I think that's only used in exceptional circumstances.
I *think* a couple of passengers may have been given a taxi from Galesburg to the more northern points on the CNO's route.
As the Greyhound would have me travelling through the night down to Memphis, I opted for travelling the following day.
For this, Amtrak gave me a voucher to exchange for cash at the Chicago ticket office. It wasn't much, just enough for a taxi and lunch, maybe $15. We had to make our own way to the hotel using the cash provided, where there was a long line of people checking in. Nevertheless, it didn't take long and I was in an "average" room - it had seen better days, put it that way.
Because we were so late, missing all the peak time traffic, and there is a lot of padding between Naperville and Chicago, we only arrived just over 6 hours late. Still late enough to miss all the eastbound departures though. I was lucky enough to get a sleeper the following day as a replacement for the sleeper I missed. Not everybody was so lucky.
Geoff M.
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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quote:Originally posted by 1702: From the Zephyr to the City of New Orleans, usual busing is from Galesburg to Champaign-Urbana, both staffed stations. If you have checked baggage, it's put on the bus for you, then transferred to the baggage car at C-U
Welcome to the forum 1702. You wouldn't happen to be identifying yourself with a certain 2-8-0 currently out-of-service at the Great Smoky Mountains Railway would you?
I'd like to point out that the bus operation you mention is part of a regular Thruway Bus route shown in the Amtrak timetables. I believe the operator is Burlington Trailways and the route is from the Quad Cities (Davenport, IA I think) area to Indianapolis making stops at the Amtrak stations in Galesburg, IL, Bloomington-Normal, IL, and Champaign-Urbana, IL along the way.
If the Zephyr is not too late this bus could save connections to the City of NO and the Cardinal.....maybe the Texas Eagle as well but that's iffy......but you get beyond 4.5 hours late (give or take) and even the Burlington Trailways bus can't salvage your connection.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by 1702: From the Zephyr to the City of New Orleans, usual busing is from Galesburg to Champaign-Urbana, both staffed stations. If you have checked baggage, it's put on the bus for you, then transferred to the baggage car at C-U
Welcome to the forum 1702. You wouldn't happen to be identifying yourself with a certain 2-8-0 currently out-of-service at the Great Smoky Mountains Railway would you?
I'd like to point out that the bus operation you mention is part of a regular Thruway Bus route shown in the Amtrak timetables. I believe the operator is Burlington Trailways and the route is from the Quad Cities (Davenport, IA I think) area to Indianapolis making stops at the Amtrak stations in Galesburg, IL, Bloomington-Normal, IL, and Champaign-Urbana, IL along the way.
If the Zephyr is not too late this bus could save connections to the City of NO and the Cardinal.....maybe the Texas Eagle as well but that's iffy......but you get beyond 4.5 hours late (give or take) and even the Burlington Trailways bus can't salvage your connection.
Let's try this again.....yes, that would be the 1702 in question. When I was in high school centuries ago I took pictures of her when she ran on the Warren & Saline River RR in my home state of Arkansas. Now I'm in Hendersonville, NC, & probably live about the same distance from her as I did in Arkansas. Who'da thunk it? I do hope they get her going again....GSMRR's 2006 brochure says she'll be back in service next year.
Most (if not all) busing for misconnects uses charter buses or vans. That way, other than perhaps a rest stop, it's a nonstop trip bridging from one train to another.
Posts: 73 | Registered: Aug 2006
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Your namesake 1702 actually hasn't operated since 2004. Originally they were calling for her to be back up in 2006 and now that's been put off for a year. The GSMR, for whatever reason, is not particularly open with information on the condition of their locomotives. They are also toying with the restoration of Southern Railway #722, a 2-8-0 which last operated at the Tennessee Valley Railway Museum in the early 1980's. My fear is that they will ultimately decide that their ridership is remaining good with the diesels so why bother investing in steam.
Interestingly, some very sharp curves on the old Murphy Branch west of Balsam restricted Southern to use nothing larger than 2-8-0's or small 4-6-2's on the Murphy Branch. Even a modest Mikado (such as the 4501) would have been too long.
One Western North Carolina railfan suggestion I have is visit Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock. Yes the 50's Western TV Show routine with Cowboys and Indians gets a little hokey (it's all in fun.....kids love it) but the two narrow guage locomotives are authentic and meticulously maintained. You can get discount tickets through the end of October ($8.00 off) at branches of the State Employees Credit Union. Just be safe driving up I-26 to Asheville. Exit 49 to exit 31 is the worst stretch of highway this end of the state!
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Thanks for the feedback and advice. I'm headed out tomorrow morning and am ready for whatever comes. I'll post an update under this thread when I get where I'm going to let anyone who is interested know how it went.
Posts: 2 | From: California | Registered: Aug 2006
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quote:Originally posted by QW: Thanks for the feedback and advice. I'm headed out tomorrow morning and am ready for whatever comes. I'll post an update under this thread when I get where I'm going to let anyone who is interested know how it went.
My apologies for 'hijacking' your thread to talk about steam locomotives in the Southern Appalachians.
We look forward to hearing about your trip when you return!
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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