I remember that after I came to terms with the reasons why Amtrak was the way it is, I looked for ways to make the ride a little more comfortable. I bought a fishing vest with lots of pockets and I crammed them with all sorts of imaginative modern devices.

I bought a little immersion heater that I could make tea with. You get a cup of water, stick the device in the cup and plug it in. In a few minutes you have hot water and you can make tea. I used it once and never used it again. Once I brought a CD player and lots and lots of CD's. I remember worrying about whether anybody would steal it, whether the batteries would wear out, and why on earth I'd want to listen to CD's I've already listened to innumerable times before.

That fishing vest drove me wacky trying to figure out what pocket I had my tissues in, my itinery, my tickets, it was crazy. I worried about crushing my CD player and my headphones.

These days I try to pack light. I bring along my Alphasmart3000 (www.alphasmart.com) to keep a record of my thoughts enroute. Its batteries last 700 hours. I also bring along a compact paperback book. I recommend "Angela's Ashes" and "Tis" by Frank McCourt for those looking for a good book. I shun all other electrical devices.

Traveling by train no longer necessitates the need for distractions. Traveling by train has become a time of reflection. In a very real sense, traveling by train is one of the few times in my life when I feel truly free from all the weight and pain of life.

[This message has been edited by Chucky (edited 04-12-2003).]

Besides clothes, I now carry a laptop (download pictures and write a journal), 2 sets of NiMH AA batteries with charger, digital camera, lens filters, video camera, tripod, GPS, card reader, cell phone with charger, and my Texas Eagle travel mug.

The only thing I'm missing is a scanner.......

Eliminate all light sources in your room (lights, TV, pilots, door, etc.) and focus on the outdoors.

If the window's dirty, hell, get out and clean it at a service stop.

You're as bad as I am- counting hours until departure! I love the feeling too.
Bring some music to listen to and paper and pencil to record your thoughts, train consist, etc. I don't worry about lots of electric gadgetry but I have to listen to a certain piece or two (of music) while traveling. The story is too long to type about here.

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F40PH #757099-8
March 29, 1976-August 17, 2001
Requietum in pacis

It has a nice surreal feel to the moonlit scene out of our window, and cruising through a town is illuminating.

We acquire our "night vision" within about 5 minutes (if we are traveling through the countryside).

I highly recommend some nighttime window watching!

13 days and a wake up!

I was amazed how good the TV reception was in places! I was so glad I brought it as I was watching a war update and discovered our POW's had been found! What great news and it was wonderful to see all the live images! Plus, we didn't miss much of American Idol, Leno or the Today Show.

Looking out the window at night was relaxing for a time but after it became cloying, it was nice to kick back with an adult beverage and watch a movie each evening. The seats in the lounge are endurable in daylight hours for sightseeing, but, watching a movie in the lounge car is a joke and the audio quality is abysmal. The couple in the sleeper directly across from us had the same idea as they enjoyed a movie on their laptop each night. We noticed other in compartment movie viewing going on in the car behind us. The TV also had an AM/FM radio, never turned it on. Also brought a cell phone, never turned it on. Brought a scanner, listened to that at each stop, wouldn't bring it again though, we found it torpid. We managed everything for our trip in 2 carry-on bags that fit perfectly under the sleeping car seats.

Both going and coming our rooms were on Superliner One's. I found the closet quite handy and prefer it to the newer models with only a hanging bar. Both were showing their age, but they were clean and comfortable.

Our crew was #1, both east and westbound, since we were in Chicago only one day we had them both ways. They all gave premium service!
The food was world-class and there was a different menu each way.

The most wonderful sightseeing was by far in our very own home state of California. Everywhere else seemed over brown and a magnet for wrecked cars and discarded major home appliances.

We had a very pleasant trip and would do it again. Next time I think we'd like to try one of the other east-west routes.

We did, however, miss the Parlor car found on the Coast Starlight. THAT is the BEST lounge car.

[This message has been edited by Room Service (edited 04-17-2003).]

What about stowing your electronic gear (CD player or laptop) in the sleeper while out and about in the diner, etc.? How safe is that? Any tips for security?

Thanks.

Absolutely no problems, ever. Anyone that sees us or walks by our open sleeper compartment will see our laptop, camera, video camera, and cell phone, all attached to the power strip, and we have never "lost" anything.

Last July, the cops escorted a coach passenger off the Southwest Chief. He'd been caught opening other travelers' bags during the night.

Later that day, another unlucky passenger was relieved of his Discman and wallet. And during one of my recent Lake Shore Limited expeditions, somebody's laptop disappeared.

Sleeping cars aren't 100% theft-free either. Even conscientious sleeper attendants can't monitor everyone who enters the car (including "strangers" who don't belong) 24 hours a day. And some sleeper attendants are far from conscientious.

The solution? NEVER leave valuables (cell phone, Walkman, wallet, purse, camera, etc.) in plain view on your empty seat -- or in your sleeping compartment -- when you head for the toilet, diner, or cafe car. Stow it out of sight or take it.

When you stash your luggage on an overhead rack or on a communal Superliner shelf, make it difficult for "unauthorized persons" to rummage through your stuff when you're asleep or not around. Lock your bags, and then position them so the zippers or locks face the car wall.

Thefts occur on Greyhound buses, American Airlines 747s, and even Amtrak trains. You don't have to be paranoid. Just use common sense.