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Due to my ever present need to make myself anxious I have been monitoring the timeliness of the Sunset Limited which I will be taking in January. I already see that I will arrive in NOL in the middle of the night and am curious as to where I will go then. I guess I will see if my hotel will be available to take me in at 4:00 am. But, a greater puzzle is this. I will take the Thruway coach from Galveston to Houston to return home on the Sunset Limited. The #1 is due in Houston at 9:15 or 9:50 pm, depending on your source of info. It is arriving between 9:08pm (wow!) and 3:13 am (boo)the past few trips. I looked at the Houston station info to see if they had one of those lounges you all speak about. They don't. Instead I found that the station is only open from 4:00 pm to midnight on Mondays. That is the day of the week I am heading there. So the question is: if the station closes at midnight and the train arrives at 3:13 am, where do I get to wait for my train? Does someone work overtime and staff the station because the train has not yet arrived? Please tell me they do.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Check with your hotel because if you don't check in by midnight, they may cancel your reservation or charge you a penalty.
The station will be open and staffed at least 30 minutes prior to arrival, whenever that is. However, I don't know if someone is there on a continuous basis from 9 PM to whenever the train arrives.
January is usually a very slow period as far as freight traffic is concerned. However, because of this, host RR's shut down large sections of track for maintenance, and this may delay you even more than usual! Check out http://paul.internetforall.com/thumbnails.php?album=8 Unfortunately, I traveled during the time UP shut down their LA Sub, leaving only the Alhambra Sub (mostly single-track) as the only route in and out of LA.
I'd avoid the Sunset altogether. Not only is it very late, but it's unpredictable. You don't know if you are going to be on-time or 6+ or 12+ hours late, as I have experienced and as you see through the arrival status.
Posts: 286 | From: Knee deep in the retention tank | Registered: Jan 2006
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Paul, I looked at several of your albums and loved them. You only commented on the lateness of the Sunset Limited on the January trip; I looked at two others and they looked great. I couldn't get it to do a slideshow with your comments remaining and I loved the comments. So I went file by file. If I want to take a train to New Orleans and come back from Houston I can't avoid taking the Sunset Limited. I certainly will talk to the New Orleans hotel and hope they can take us in the middle of the night. My first trip is next month on the Coast Starlight (I know, late, late, late). I loved your album of same. Can't wait for the adventure.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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You will not be left high and dry waiting for the Sunset in Houston; when the train is late, the station staff stays overtime until the train departs. The open/closed times posted on the Amtrak web site are the minimum times that the station is open (when the train is on time).
Perhaps I'm a glutton for punishment, but I'd disagree with PaulB and take the Sunset. Yes, it will probably be late--we were 6 hours late into LA and 4 hours late back into Houston eastbound. Even so, I enjoyed the trip.
Check out the Texas Eagle web page--it can make you up a jim-dandy trip guide for your segment west of San Antonio.
-------------------- --------Eric H. Bowen
Stop by my website: Streamliner Schedules - Historic timetables of the great trains of the past! Posts: 413 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: Mar 2006
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Eric, good info, the Texas Eagle page is great. I guess we really are on the Texas Eagle once we get to San Antonio. And I feel reassured about the closing times at Houston. By the way, the west bound came in on time, even a bit early, yesterday. There's always hope.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Oh, Vicki--some further advice about catching the Sunset in Houston, from someone who recently got back from making the trip with six family members of the feminine persuasion....
Use the restroom BEFORE you arrive at the station in Houston. Trust me on this. The facilities on the train itself are usually maintained to an OK standard, but the station...well, the ladies in our group were none too pleased.
-------------------- --------Eric H. Bowen
Stop by my website: Streamliner Schedules - Historic timetables of the great trains of the past! Posts: 413 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: Mar 2006
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Advice appreciated Eric. This does continue to sadden me concerning the status of trains in the US. I just hope Amtrak lasts long enough for me to get these two train trips done.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Why wouldn't the New Orleans hotel register you at that hour? It is not like they close up and go home. So long as you call them from the train and advise them that you are running late, you should be OK, no?
Posts: 255 | Registered: Nov 2001
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I don't know, I have never tried to check in to a hotel at 4:00 am. But I will certainly be calling them. I plan to call before I even leave LAX to let them know what the recent arrival times have been. It is a small hotel in the French Quarter but I think they did have 24 hour desk service. May I presume there will be taxi cabs waiting for passengers no matter what time we arrive?
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Vicki, I am known in the family for being a long term worrier. I prefer to call it concern but whatever may I make a suggestion? Get the phone number of several taxi companies in NO. Then if there are no taxis waiting you can call and get one. I know it is "unsettling" not to be sure of conditions in the wee hours. But then too you may arrive on time. Why not call the hotel and explain your concern and hear what their solution is. Anything you can do ahead of time to ward off concerns is to the good.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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Train Lady, you are absolutely correct, be prepared with taxi phone numbers. Why didn't I think of that? I may arrive on time? That looks pretty doubtful. I am glad I will have the Coast Starlight experience first, I will learn from that.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Do check with the hotel --- advise them you are arriving by Amtrak which tends to run very, very late, very often (they may already be aware of that). Ask what their policy is about late arrivals. Ask also what taxi company they do business with and ask for the number of the taxi company. (I have never yet run into a hotel that does not have a working relationship with a local cab company.) If you keep them advised (cell phones are a godsend in these cases) they will work with you. All travel has a few "bumps in the road". Often the bumps make for some of the most lasting memories of a trip.How we react to the bumps will color those memories, so go as prepared as possible without becoming obsessive -- then relax -- enjoy the ride -- and know that even in the worst of circumstances some humor can be found (we just need to look for it.) I took the Coast Starlight this past Spring and it is a beautiful trip. Have camera at the ready - it has some of the best scenic moments of any train. Have Fun !!!
Dee
Posts: 460 | From: North Central CT | Registered: May 2004
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Since Amtrak or Katrina stopped east of NOL, the Sunset is not late as much as before Katrina. At least not in this section of the trip. However a lot of rail construction is happening now and miles of new ties stacks are along the Lafayette Sub. I dont know when but once that project starts, expect a bottle neck.
Posts: 562 | From: Beaumont Texas | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Originally posted by train lady: Vicki, I am known in the family for being a long term worrier. I prefer to call it concern but whatever may I make a suggestion? Get the phone number of several taxi companies in NO. Then if there are no taxis waiting you can call and get one. I know it is "unsettling" not to be sure of conditions in the wee hours. But then too you may arrive on time. Why not call the hotel and explain your concern and hear what their solution is. Anything you can do ahead of time to ward off concerns is to the good.
Cell phones make what used to be hard less so. On a July trip I was able t call the Henry Clay Inn in Ashland, VA and arrange for my room key to be left in the 'late-arrival' box when CSX delayed everything 3-6 hours.
-------------------- 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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Vicki (and everyone else) - have I missed something? Check your timetables again -- the eastbound Sunset Ltd is curently scheduled to arrive in New Orleans at 4 PM -- NOT 4 AM!!!! Unless that train has been consistently running 12 hours late lately??? (which I suppose IS still possible)
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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Well #2 should run around 1-2 hours late through El Paso then loose more time leaving San Anotnio. There is recovery time built in the schedule in SAS. But between San Antonio and Houston.... there's a black hole. UP can swallow #2 hole and then you find yourself arriving at 4am but most of the time UP is nice (They don't want another rally like what's going on with the Starlate) and you'll only loose about an hour. Most of the time #2 makes it to NOL by 8pm. Just expect your arrival time to be somewhere between 7 and 8pm.
posted
The last three arrivals of the #2 in NOL have been at 12:18 am, 4:20 am and 4:40 am. I have been monitoring same with great interest. I also just received my tickets LAX to NOL in the mail but did not receive the return tickets Galveston to HOS to LAX. Should I worry about that or do they just process these things separately? Not going until January so there is plenty of time to receive them.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Vicki-- It has been my experience that the tickets all arrive together if you booked together. If that was the case then I would call and question. If you booked the second section of the trip on a later date then would wait a week and then ask questions if they do not arrive in the mail.
Dee
Posts: 460 | From: North Central CT | Registered: May 2004
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The return tickets arrived today. I did book them the same day but did it as two one way routes. I guess that made it two separate processes. Also got my list of New Orleans taxis printed out. This lateness is sure causing a lot of trouble and it certainly does not encourage new riders. That's a real shame.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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