We checked bags on four long distance trains in June and had no problems at all.
FTW-CHI-BOS (connecting in CHI)
PHL-CHI
CHI-FTW
Your mileage may vary.
Cheers,
Mark
1) Biggest Mistake in the World Dept.: Making the uneducated assumption that every station
you're going through handles checked bags. Many do
not. In fact, if you are headed to a 'smaller locale', (ie.
MOT or WSP), chances are good that you will NOT
be checking bags.
2) The Nobody Told Me Dept: You are an adult and responsible for your own actions. Unlike
airlines, not every place served by Amtrak has personnel on
duty. Some places, (ie. NDL or ALP), are places where the
train stops to take on or discharge passengers. Nothing else
occurs. When booking an Amtrak trip, ask the Res Agent
what are the baggage restrictions, if any. Don't rely on a
Res Agent to volunteer the info. Many do, but a lot do not.
3) Shoot the Messenger Dept: Try to keep your rage and venom down to a minimum when
the Res Agent tells you there is no checked baggage to your
destination. The Res Agent has no control over who staffs what
stations or what staffed stations do or not handle checked bags.
Vent at your congressmen, your senators, your president,
David Gunn, 60 Massachusetts Ave and let them know that
you're traveling to *insert city here* and how it is just a damn
shame that *insert city here* is a) unstaffed, b) staffed but not
not handling bags or c) staffed & handling checked bags but
because of staffing cutbacks is closed on the night you arrive
and now you are limited to carry-on bags only.
4) Tales of the Hound Dept: Many non dedicated Amtrak Thruway Bus connections (ie.
Greyhound, Trailways, Frontier) DO NOT handle checked
bags. Even though you may be starting someplace that DOES
handle checked bags (ie. LAX, MTZ, CHI) if your down line
connection is to a bus, better check those baggage restrictions.
5) Carry-on Bags Dept: The latest Amtrak Decree: Carry-on bags should conform to the
following dimensions: 28"x 24" x 14" and weigh under 50 lbs. Stay
tuned though, like anything with Amtrak that could change by to-
morrow.
6) Free Tip Dept: Pack half the clothes and bring twice the money.
7) He Didn't Help Me Dept: On board train personnel (ie. Conductors, assistant Conductors,
Lounge Attendant) are not REQUIRED to assist the traveling
public with their carry-on bags. Some do, many more do/will
not. Don't be surprised/pissed/angry/filled with an righteous-
holier-than-thou attitude when the OBS picks up your bag and
puts it right back down and tells you "It's too heavy." Know
what? He's right, it is too heavy. SEE #3---Don't use your
cell phone to call and complain to a Res Agent that no one
will help you with your bags, Res Agents can't help you.
8) Allied Van Lines Dept: Amtrak is not a moving company! They do not exist to transport
your household goods (ie. desktop computers, televisions). If you
find yourself relocationg from NPN to OLW, hire a moving co.
9) The NE corridor Dept: Ironic as it is, the area in the country with the most Amtrak service
has almost no trains that handle checked baggage. There are a few
that do, but there aren't many.
10) It Never Ends Dept: Feel free to add more baggage info, I'm sure I've forgotten
something.
------------------
---The Amtrak Mole
---All your PCs are belong to trash
[This message has been edited by TheAmtrakMole (edited 08-04-2002).]