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Just got back from my trip to Austin a few hours ago and had a great time! Snack-Coach wasn't bad after all.
Left ELP around an hour late, and hit a long speed restriction in Tornillo,TX but other wise sped at track speed to Alpine. Left Alpine 1 hour 35 mins down and started the trip to Sanderson leaving there about 1hr and 25 mins down. Then there came a problem, a pipe busted under my parents bedroom causing lots and lots of water to seep up through the carpet the car attendant shut off the water and told my parents they could move to room B if they wanted to, which they did. Lost a little time to Del Rio but we were at dinner when we made the smoke stop. The new "Diner Lite" program really didn't take a toll on us. The food was delicious and didn't taste like it came out of a microwave so I really don't know why people complain so much. We arrived SAS 2 hours down suprisingly ahead of the TxEagle which arrived about 1hr late. Evelyn Henry and Warren Harding were on the 2 track in the station so I think that made switching a little diffucult. Otherwise, we connected up to the Eagle and roared out of SAS into San Marcos 5 mins early before finally arriving our final destionation of Austin, TX 30 minutes early at 10:01am.
The absence of the Sightseer didn't bother me because I had fun playing in the top level of the redone Snack-Coach, which felt like our own private car because no one ever walked through the car except the conductors. And I even asked one and he said that this was the Lounge.
Consist Train #2/422 March 11, 2006 Engine-162 Engine-159 Trans-Dorm Sleeper-Oklahoma Diner Snack-Coach-35009 (Redone upper level) Coach Baggage-..Redone Coach-..Redone Coach Sleeper-32070 Redone, and our Sleeper to Austin
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Thanks for the report. I'm glad to hear the food was tasty.
I'm curious, what was "redone" on the upper level of the snack coach? I take it the coach was standing in for a lounge car and was not actually in revenue service.
SunsetLtd Member # 3985
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Had the new blue interior and had these cool blue leg rests. There were signs all over the place saying that this was not in use as a Coach and that the Lounge was downstairs in this car but no one took advantage of the seating upstairs as a lounge.
Mr. Toy Member # 311
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Another curiosity question: were the coach seats all facing the same direction, or were some rows turned to allow four facing seats? If seats were oriented like any other coach I can see why people weren't taking advantage of it.
I saw that done once on a Superliner coach that was doing substitute duty on the Capitol Corridor, which does push-pull. Every other row was turned so that half the seats would face forward on any given trip.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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The following is adapted from my response to Mr. Sunset's topic over at Trainorders.
I'm quite pleased to learn the trip was not a disaster and that your family has not instantly joined the "never again" crowd.
I'm further pleased to learn that you and family have decided that Diner Lite is perfectly adequate. Likely those around here who have provided most of the adverse commentary "knew it when". Apparently, since this being your "maiden voyage" on an LD you did not, and it would appear the same case with your Mother and Father. There is simply no point of my letting loose with a 'well you should have been aboard to have the steak I had in the Audobon Room Diner as we raced accross Texas back in 1963 (or even in the Pride of Texas during 1970)" as Diner Lite is what is being served up at the direction of both Congress and the Administration.
While my knowledge of VIA Rail matters is quite limited (haven't been near it in over 25 years), I understand that they to are phasing in "Diner Lite" on some of their LD's. With of course exceptions and that principally being Amtrak and VIA LD's, it would appear that 'from scratch' on-board food preparation is largely confined to 'the emerging world' (I think third world is an "outterm' nowadays).
SunsetLtd Member # 3985
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All of the seats were facing forwards and I thought a lot of people would take advantage because the tru-coach and the coach in front of it were still in the old orange pattern. They also had a certain smell coming from the air ducts that people hated so I don't know why they didn't come forward to the Snack-Coach?
The problem with the flight back home was it was overbooked and they wanted us to give up our seats so other people could take them, and my family didn't get to sit together and I got stuck next to some old guy who snored the whole way back. Plus there was choppy skies and we were shaking continuesly. Lets just say my mom said never again. (Plus a few other words about how my dad booked a horrible flight etc..) My parents did say that this was the best Sunset trip yet and next year my dad wants us to take the Starlight to Seattle again! He just loves that Parlour Car.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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From my response to your topic over at trainorders:
All told, pleased to learn the trip was "thumbs up'; I presumr your flights home were without incident.
I removed that from the posting here simply because Trainorders.com holds the rights to the material you and I submitted there. As soon as one clicks "post' at their site, the material is their property and no longer yours or mine. Therefore, I adapted my posting here.
But sorry to learn such was not the case. Neverthelss, it would appear from your report that the flight did not appeal to your Mother. Apparently, she has no more use for air travel than do you.
Disclaimer; I'm no airfan; last flight for me was November 2002; next one will likely not be until there is another family emergency.
Mr. Toy Member # 311
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Going OT I know, but I find it interesting that my last flight was also in November 2002. I used to be a huge airfan, but my interest has waned somewhat. Overall that flight to The Islands was reasonably pleasant. But I hadn't flown for a long time, and things had changed in the airline world. I really felt like we were in a cattle car. The squeezed 2-5-2 seating of the 777, had me thinking I'd rather spend 2 nights in a spacious Superliner coach seat than 4 hours in a can. The flight attendants on the westbound flight were as surly as the 1970s Amtrak conductors, while the snack sized plate of rubber chicken was far worse than the TV dinners Amtrak served in the mid '80s. It didn't make me say "never again" to air travel, but it is something I now prefer to avoid.
PaulB Member # 4258
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Oh no, Mr. Toy! Did you get the infamous "middle seat" on the 777?
Mr. Toy Member # 311
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Fortunately, no. My wife and I had the two on the right side.
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