posted
I'm happy to report there is hope for better service on the Silver Service Trains. My wife and I left Rocky Mount, NC on a beautiful spring day on the Silver Star, train 91 in car 9111, roomette 6. What a great trip.
We boarded at about 7:45pm, maybe 15 minutes late - and arrived in Orlando the next morning a few minutes before the scheduled 10:17 arrival. Amazing. What struck me on this trip was the sense of urgency that all Amtrak employees on the train seemed to have about on time departure from each station. No loitering on the platform for pictures and many smokers had to discard cigarettes after only a few puffs. Never in all my Amtrak trips have I seen such a concern for good timekeeping.
The service was very good. An excellent dinner (the braised beef was outstanding - helped with a bottle of the cabernet) and great cheesecake with strawberry topping. Unfortunately it was one of those 'renovated' diners that is mostly cheap plastic inside. We were seated at one of the end tables so I did enjoy gazing at the print hung on the bulkhead wall titled 'Chicago-LaSalle St. station, c. 1947,New York Central System).
Our sleeper, like most Viewliners, was in need of a thorough overhaul. Fortunately the problems seemed to be all cosmetic as everything 'worked'. Just threadbare carpets, missing velcro strips on on the curtains, and many dings and dents in the plastic walls showed a lack of regular maintenance.
I asked Walter, our excellent veteran attendant to wake us with coffee at Jacksonville arrival (scheduled for 7am). Thinking we would be late I was sure I would sleep in. Not so. At 6:58 there was a knock on the door with the coffee. Raising the shade we were stopped in the station at Jax. Breakfast was enjoyable but the omelet was just ok. Hot coffee and another beautiful day made all seem right with the world. I think breakfast is my favorite meal in the diner. We passed several freights on the single track main south of Jacksonville, but did not slow down.
The dining car crew were as good as the sleeping car attendant. Everyone was trying to do a good job and I did not see any of that indifferent attitude that seems to plague Amtrak.
As we were pulling into Orlando, I called Avis and and the car arrived shortly after we walked into the station (I noticed there was quite a line for the in-station Hertz counter) .We had an enjoyable few days in Key West area. Too bad Mr. Flagler's railroad doesn't still run as driving US 1 wasn't fun, even though it's very scenic.
On our return we boarded in West Palm Beach (Avis dropped us off at the station) and had a good time watching the Tri-Rail trains.
Because we had a couple hours before train time, a friendly local bus driver dropped us off at the nearby new City Place mall. Something for everyone there, but certainly not your average mall. It was the new style with stand alone building along 3 or 4 city blocks. Very upscale with Ruth's Chris steakhouse, Bang and Olufsen electronics, Imax theater etc.
West Palm is a good base for exploring south Florida and the Tri-Rail system. The night before our departure we stayed at Mr. Norman's not so favorite Marriott Fairfield on Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach. Great location and less than $100. I also thoroughly enjoyed going to a minor league baseball game in a nice new stadium a few miles north of Palm Beach - the Palm Beach Cardinals beat the Sarasota Reds in the bottom of the ninth.
Our return trip was a mirror of the trip down. On time train and good service. I talked to our equally good attendant, Alan. He confirmed what I was thinking. Amtrak and CSX are working very hard to get the train on time. I can attest to that as I almost got left in Tampa where I checked out the station. My wife as well as Alan were slightly frantic as I boarded the last coach since the train was about to leave. Alan said he asked the conductor to hold the train and he gave the right answer - we'll leave on time.
I do wonder why Amtrak runs 3 sleepers on the southbound Star, but northbound they run on the Meteor with only 2 on the Star. The Meteor of course has the opposite situation. The Meteor, presumably because of its shorter schedule, is the more popular train. It was sold out on both days we traveled. The Star was not sold out but had a good crowd.
After an on time arrival in Rocky Mount, we spent a nice morning watching the action (well, my wife worked on her quilting) before taking the Palmetto to Florence, to retrieve our car. As we were getting off the train in Florence, I overheard the CSX dispatcher calling the new train crew standing on the platform: 'P098, are y'all ready to go yet'. Maybe there is hope for Amtrak service on the east coast.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks for the trip report on a train I've never taken.
I do have one question: How did you manage to get a wake-up call in your sleeper with a cup of coffee???? I've never heard of this before, nor have I seen it. I'm shocked that this happened. Did you tip heavily in advance or something??
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
Dear Smity..youjust ask for it. very nicely of course. I have done it more than once. In fact one time the attendent told me that he didn't have the coffee ready yet so he went down to the diner and appropriated a cup there.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Palmland: Glad to hear your trip was so nice. The Silver Star has long been my favorite Florida train. Thanks for heeding my advice about Avis as they give excellent service in both Orlando and WPB and you avoid the busy crowd that can hit Hertz at stations. You are right about the basbeall games in Jupiter, FL...the PB Cardinals are fun to watch at that nice ballpark. Just over 6 weeks til our big rail trip northward.
Posts: 561 | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
So glad you had a nice trip--thank you for the report.
I went down to FL twice this winter and was on the Silver Star a total of 3 times (once coach NYP to Raleigh, once sleeperette Raleigh to WPB, once sleeperette WPB to DC) and the Meteor 2. The trains were close to on time on all southbound trips; northbound, the time I was changing trains in DC, we were only about 1/2 hour late into Richmond but then were delayed behind a broken train and backing up to pick up passengers from it (a Regional) in Richmond and got in about 2 hours late. The other northbound (Meteor) was about an hour late by the time we got to the Carolinas but made up the time so that by the time so that by the time we got to NYP (I was taking this one all the way) we were nearly on time!
The best crew I had, both sleeperettes and dining car, was on a southbound Meteor AND northbound Silver Star--I had the same Miami-based crew on both (they go down on the Meteor and up on the Silver Star!). On my other trips the crew was not bad, except they did not attempt to accommodate coach passengers NYP to Raleigh for dinner in the diner--not enough seats and staff! (I could have had "takeout" at my coach seat but opted to dine on the fruit, cookies, and water I had with me instead.)
I agree breakfast is the best meal. Not just foodwise, but because having breakfast on the train is just very pleasant for me. If I ever do travel coach overnight, I still always have breakfast! On the new menus, I've found the cheese omelet is erratic but usually quite good; ditto the French toast. Even the sausage (I get the one with the apple) is sometimes good and sometimes not. But most often good. I think sometimes things get dried out in the microwave? Also, there is no more strawberry topping for the French toast on many trains (inc FL, I think) but I did get it on some western ones. And of course, when I'm being a "good girl," there is the Continental.
Question: How much do you tip your sleeping car attendant when he also brings you coffee? I think $5/night/person, as mentioned here, is too little in that case.
BTW, I did have one trip, I think it was Silver Star, where the coffee pot in the sleeper car was recently repaired and working!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Smitty, we were very fortunate to have a good crew. Walter, on the southbound trip, seemed happy to do anything we wanted and often appeared to check on us. He was definitely of the old school, and the Pullman Company would have been proud of his work. He also took our bags on boarding and stowed them in our rooms including one in the small overhead storage space. Before getting off he went to all rooms to collect luggage and had them off and waiting on the platforms before passengers got off. This is how it should be done.
Alan, on the northbound trip, was equally attentive but somewhat flustered at times. We waited until we were up and sitting in our room before asking for coffee that he was happy to get from the diner - next car. The coffee maker in our car was not working, although it was on the southbound trip.
Sojourner- I generally tip $5 per person ($10 total) for a short one night trip and double that on a transcon trip. On this one, Walter got $20 and Alan $15.
SilverStar - I did forget to thank you for your excellent suggestions. Certainly improved our trip and as I said I'd like to do this one again with more time in Palm Beach area. One disturbing note. In Key West I was reading the Miami paper one morning. Big article about the failure to get funding for Tri-Rail for next year. If they don't get sufficient funding, they expect to eliminate weekend service and cut the 50 weekday trains by 60%. They said they need to find a way to get beyond the yearly funding battle, perhaps by a rental car tax. Sound like the same battle that Amtrak faces.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
sounds as if you had a great trip both transportationwise and Palm Beachwise.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
| IP: Logged |
And isn't Key West fantastic? I just loved it there!
Do you know there is a ferry from Fort Meyer to Key West, or was? I'd like to tray that some time.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
It was a pleasure to read your favorable report about crew service and dining service. And I am very happy to hear CSX is making an effort to keep the Silver Service on time. Thanks, Fred
Posts: 498 | From: New Hope, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Sojourner - Key West was fun. The new ferry terminal is very impressive - and it is within walking distance of most of downtown. It's also right next to the small but good Flagler/FEC museum.
During the winter they also offer ferry service to Marco Isl. and Miami (passengers only - no auto on all trips). Miami would be a better spot to connect to Amtrak than Ft. Myers. This is certainly a trip that could be done without a car (and without resorting to Greyhound or very expensive air fares). The ferry we saw was very large and should be a smooth trip - I think the schedule called for a about 4 hours from Ft. Myers.
We were there to plan our son's wedding and had a great time seeing the Casa Marina hotel where the festivities will occur. Flagler knew how to build hotels (although it was built by the FEC, I think it was actually after his death.)
It was a little disconcerting in the very quaint, small (if crowded) town to see the 'Disney Magic' cruise ship arrive. It dwarfed the town. A far cry from the days when the train and ship to Havanna were the primary modes of transportation. It was kind of cool to see the original Pan American airlines office for their Clipper sea planes that I think started in the 30's.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
I did not know about the Miami ferry and don't remember hearing about it when I visited the terminal--is it new? I think I have to try it soon. I wonder to where in Miami it goes and comes--and how far from the train station, hotels, etc.
Is the Flagler Museum the building with the little shop and the wonderful posters about traveling to Havana on the old ferry and whatnot? I've forgotten the name of that place but it was near the ferry and I enjoyed stopping there. Bought a cool CD of train songs there, as I recall, and I forget what else.
When I was in Key West there was a huge Royal Caribbean cruise ship docked there. I agree, it was too big for the port, though didn't look nearly as goofy as the cruise ships (including ours) in the Alaska ports I visited! Nor did the flow of cruise ships, at least a few years ago, seem to spoil Key West the way the cruise ships in Ketchikan seem to have spoiled that city, and to a degree downtown Juneau as well (Skagway was so cool that even the cruise ships couldn't spoil it). But maybe Key West is stricter about the number of ships they let in? There was just 1 when I visited (it was January 2006 I think); in Alaskan ports there were often 3 at one time!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
Tell me, what did you think of the renovations to the Rocky Mount station?
I really, really wish that the city of Rocky Mount could make downtown healthy again......somehow. It's still alive but for the last 10-15 years, even with a gem of a train station now, seems to be 'just hanging on'.
-------------------- 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
| IP: Logged |
posted
Palmland -- great trip report!!!! I too am glad to see that CSX is getting better about OTP with AMTRAK trains on the tracks. It sounds like the Silver Service Viewliner sleepers haven't gotten much better than the last time we were on one, on our 2006 trip. It's only 7 weeks until our big adventure for this year!!!!!! We will leave WPK on the Meteor, but we will be returning on the Star on our final leg. I shy away from leaving WPK heading north on the Star, since I feel it is subject to a lot of delays with its circuitous "Tampa shuffle."
Glad you enjoyed Key West -- the Casa Marina is certainly a beautiful resort!!! And concerning cruise ships, it is a rare day indeed that there aren't at least 2 cruise ships docked at Mallory Dock in KW. I think the dock area can hold a maximum of 4 ot 5 cruise ships, and no cruise ship will EVER be allowed to dock right at the Square during the daily "Sunset celebrations." The ships that are docked right where all the people and street performers are on the Square usually make sure they pull out before sunset, so the throngs of people on the Square can enjoy the sunset celebrations with a clear view.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by RRRICH: .... and no cruise ship will EVER be allowed to dock right at the Square during the daily "Sunset celebrations." The ships that are docked right where all the people and street performers are on the Square usually make sure they pull out before sunset, so the throngs of people on the Square can enjoy the sunset celebrations with a clear view.
So true RRRich. Sunset was about 7:45pm - we were having cocktails on the roof on the Crown Plaza for a great view of the city. Disney Magic sailed at 7:30 accompanied by that great deep whistle ships have. The Disney ships have a cool variation in that the whistle plays the first few notes of 'When you Wish Upon a Star'.
Sojourner- the Miami service is new, but it is seasonal, so check dates.
Notelvis- Sad to say, but Rocky Mount is even more depressing than the last time I was there. A couple years ago there was a restaurant downtown but has since closed as has the eatery in the bus station next door. On our return we had to resort to getting a sandwich from the Star's lounge to eat for our lunch in the station.
I hate to see small towns struggle with their downtown area at the same time new strip malls and Walmarts add to urban sprawl. What's ironic is that the new style malls, like the one I mentioned in WPB are all the rage. They look just like a small town on Main St. USA. Why can't a developer try that in the downtown area? Gut, but save, the old historic buildings to put in trendy stores along with a parking gargage or two would be a lot better than the slow death many towns are going through.
To get off that rant, the Rocky Mount station is great and was very well done. The weather was beautiful so we spent a few hours on the conveniently located benches track side. Almost better than Ashland. Also explored the offices inside that included one for the Nash County RR, the ACL/SCL Historic Society and a somewhat surprised state representative when we wandered into the office.
Hats off to NC for the great job on their stations.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
Sadly, even the sprawl on Rocky Mount's outskirts is starting to age and be replaced by new sparawl further out.
There are a couple of those new malls that I've been to and really been impressed by. One is a few blocks from the Winter Park Amtrak station and the other is in suburban Baltimore located at the northern end of the light rail. How awesome is that?
-------------------- 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
| IP: Logged |
posted
David -- what "new mall" are you talking about near the WPK AMTRAK station? To my knowledge, there are no "malls" in downtown Winter Park!! Just a lot of old quaint high-end shops and restaurants. Unless you mean something WEST of AMTRAK?................
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by RRRICH: David -- what "new mall" are you talking about near the WPK AMTRAK station? To my knowledge, there are no "malls" in downtown Winter Park!! Just a lot of old quaint high-end shops and restaurants. Unless you mean something WEST of AMTRAK?................
Hey Rich,
Yes.......I'm talking west of Amtrak about 6-8 blocks out by the main whatever road (17?). There's a Barnes and Nobles, movie theatre, bunch of other trendy chain restaurants and shops in kind of an 'old downtown' setting. Kind of Winter Park for regular folks.
When I say 'new' I don't mean brand new but newer than the original posh downtown area. I guess I first saw this place in about 2001 or 02 and it had been there for a little while at that time.
-------------------- 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
| IP: Logged |
posted
Ah, yes, now I know what you mean -- Winter Park Village. Yes, that is fairly new, and is on Highway 17-92, several blocks west of AMTRAK. The old mall was a single ugly building, which had maybe one store left in it when I first moved here (in 1993) -- Winter Park Village was completed probably 10 years ago, and it is quite big and nice.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
