Amtrak now expects you to use your smartphone to hail a Lyft ride for local transportation: http://blog.amtrak.com/2017/08/amtrak-lyft-can-go-places/ https://blog.lyft.com/posts/amtrak-lyft
How about that? I can only hope Barstow, has the needed Uber drivers to make this happen. Kind of sounds like the same thing. Oh, there are car rental places in Barstow. Taxi's too. After all it was a number of years back they actually got plumbing and city water installed. Flush toilets...what's this world coming to? Had to shut down my outhouse. Oh the smell of.....fresh (yep that stuff) in the morning. Just after coffee!!
With my feline tribe on board, I don't miss a thing! Just kidding about Barstow. They are quite the up and coming desert community. I still think of it as my home, away from home.
Just a quick observation. It is the Eastbound trains that are having difficulty getting through on the old Santa Fe. They leave Chicago on time or close enough to call it such. Arrive in LaPlata, MO pretty close to on time but not always. It's when they get to Kansas City and it doesn't matter if it's MO or KA. That's where they start running an hour late. From there it gets worse until like today's #3 due into Barstow at 9:26 a.m. at 5 hrs 46 mins., late. While the East bounds are getting through on the same route in better time. On the chatter box they are blaming all kinds of things and unless someone has a definitive answer or can speak with some authority such as a BNSF official, station attendant, engineer who just got off the train and/or dispatcher. You can pick up on problems listening to a scanner but it's a incomplete picture at best. I pretty much take it all with a large salt lick. It's speculation until someone who does know... and can tell us. Again, as if I need to say this. This is what will eventually kill Amtrak. Me? I wouldn't care if I was allowed a couple of extra hours riding a train. As long as I can eat, sleep, pee and yes poop. Perhaps an occasional shower. My needs are met Besides those days of needing to rush around, busy, busy, busy and being paid to be on time...are over. Unless it's one my granddaughters music programs or graduations. No more get me to the church on time, moments. What would you expect a retired mortician/funeral director to say? No this isn't a Twix candy bar commercial. Is it me or is our commercials getting dumber?
Good one Ken. Amtraks #3 is due into Barstow, Ca. at 9:41 a.m., at 6hrs 1 min late. Here's yet another opportunity to catch it in the Daylight. Last I checked it was leaving Lavic, Ca. at 54 mph.. You can catch it on Virtual Railfan's Life Rail Cam, Barstow, Ca.
I logged on at 9:45am Barstow time, either #3 got in and out super quick or is even later now. Nice TOFC/COFC rolled through an 9:47am.
Well, #3 came on the camera at 9:58 but didn't come to a stop at the station until 10:04. Departed at 10:15.
BNSF Fan, That's the problem with Amtrak's Track Your Train, there are times the projected or estimated arrival time gets changed due to the dispatcher putting them in behind a slow freight or everything grinds to a halt. On the BNSF, I believe everything is now double tracked between Chicago and Los Angeles. There is a section Amtrak still uses, the old Santa Fe Main line through La Junta, CO.. It is single track and runs through Dodge City, over Raton Pass and down into Albuquerque. They've had maintenance issues and some slow orders. Usually #3 WB and #4 EB meet each other. Wouldn't I love to be there and capture that on film. I think it was Wednesday, when #3 stalled out on the grade out of Needles, CA., some where near Goffs. That was the day a BNSF pumpkin pulled it into Barstow, CA., and it was over 7 hours late. Or was it later? There was talk about them turning #3 the SWC at Kansas City, but I can't confirm that. All the trains I tracked, last weekend and through this week, kept right on coming. A lot of stops and delays. The news media was carrying tornado warnings for some of Kansas. Speculated issues with flash floods, signal failures, locomotives stalling out and more. Entirely to much time on my hands since... my move to Idaho. Three surgeries and recovery time. I've been bored silly. So, why not track Amtrak?
Saturday night and I don't know what to tell you. #3 into Flagstaff is running 3 hrs 38 mins late or later by now. #4 out of LAUPT is starting off 1 hr 8 mins late or later by now. When I started this thread it wasn't my intention to rattle tattle on Amtrak. Just one of the joys I have when I can watch the SWC, going in either direction, arrive and depart from the various trains stations. All courtesy of Virtual Railfan and various sponsors of the live rail cams. Wishing I was on board. I don't know if you've noticed. Something caught my eye on the last car of the WB #3 SWC. A girl dancing inside the sleeper, in front of the door window. Your asking how I knew it was a girl? How could I miss...the obvious. On yet another train I noticed in the window of the family compartment on the lower deck, a lady pressed up against the window. All I can say is someone was having fun. You never know what you are going to see on a train trip across America. Sure would breakup the monotony. The chatter box is always interesting to tune into. Live chat. They keep that censored. Something about a family show. On a less exciting note: I also enjoy watching freight trains snake their way over Tehachapi Pass, Ca. It would be cool if they'd put a live rail cam on either of Caldwell, I.D., or Nampa, I.D., former Union Pacific's Depots. No Amtrak to see through here. This the route of some of Union Pacific's finest passenger trains. Have fun railfanning.
Monday, Memorial Day and the forecast is for intermittent rain. Must have a broken wire. Oh sorry, that's a different subject. For most communities Memorial Day marks the start of summer. Fireworks can be viewed (see Cincinnati,OH) , dances in the honky tonks, activities in the veterans of war auditoriums and national guard armories. Various service club's putting on different feeds and activities. Boating, boat shows, fishing contests, picnic's, live music in the city square under the gazebo. For others a quiet time in reflection as they visit the graves of those who've moved on, placing flags and flowers on loved ones graves. Attend services put on by the local VFW. Family barbecue's, yard & garage sales, block parties. A visit downtown to the local mall to check out the latest offerings. Out to a favorite restaurant for either breakfast, brunch or dinner. A shout out to the neighbors. Parades, rodeo's, horse racing, some local hot rod races, car shows, pine derby, foot races, sprints and the ever growing marathons. Some blocked off streets making it difficult for locals to get into and out of their homes. Train watching and tail gate parties. Maybe not so much anymore but I've done that. Security, these days is paranoid and not so foamer friendly. I'm a foamer and I'm proud of it. So Kiss my...okay...I think you can finish that. Thinking about those who are on the move whether as passengers in the family car, by train air and/or by water. Wishing the safe travels. Amtrak is still running late for the most part. Although, I've seen some very accidentally on purpose, close to on time trains, right in the middle of the late ones. For Example...uhh...err...let me think...Okay...maybe not. No, just fooling. There's been several east bound trains that stayed pretty close to the schedule. Yes, I've wondered out loud...WHY????? The westbound trains had some serious issues getting down the rails. Lot's of delays. Let me not be foolish. I know why! But that's another story for another day and time. Just stay tuned in. Today, let's make the best of it and enjoy what we have and can do.. or not. "Don't tell me what kind of day to have", courtesy of DGAS. Stay ! Be safe!
The above is a grand poo-paa...oop's. That was supposed to go on the thread, "BarstowRick Moves To Nampa, Idaho". Oh it don't much matter as I was still thinking about Amtrak and the habitual...well...problems. Can I call it a conundrum? Do I dare say when they are late they blow it out big and are really late? No, I better not. Tonight the trains are once again running late. #3 WB out of Chicago must have gotten started late. Arriving at Laplata, MO., 1 hr 43 mins late. #3 WB into Flagstaff is doing better only 23 mins late. No word on Barstow,CA., yet! The arrival schedule is for 9:38 p.m. That's right off of Amtrak's Track Your Train. I can't make this up. Just in #4 SWC is headed for Barstow just six minutes late. In the world of things that isn't half bad. However, #3 due into Flagstaff, AZ., is now running 48 mins late. New arrival time is 9:20 p.m AZ Mtn time. I do watch the California Zephyr and again noted the WB trains are the ones having difficulty getting through on time. You know, the problem of running late. WB Amtrak trains tend to do better. Wondering if we are seeing a pattern here? I found several videos on You Tube where the presenter's talk about their experience riding in the sleeper cars. Comments are real and worth noting if you are planning a trip on Amtrak. The sleeper quarters are small but no worse the riding in a mobile home. And you don't do your own cooking. Although you might wish you had. I hear bus traffic and riders on such are complaining that buses aren't running on time. How about air travel? If you want to sit and wait, wait some more and watch people go by then try connecting with another flight. Layovers. Try getting into Boise, Idaho. They will delay your flight almost every-time. So it isn't just Amtrak. Prompting the question, "What are they thinking?" Or "Have we lost sense of (common sense) in what personal service is all about?" Do we need a renewed definition of what "On Time" means? I'll let you answer that. Edited add on: I personally saw to it the aforementioned trains all came and and departed. Say what? What? While others go to these sights to visit. I go there to watch the trains come and go. What would you expect from a devoted rail-fan? Did! Note an extra car, a sleeper and diesel on #4 as it left Barstow, Ca. None of them are running empty. What a way to end the day!
For the hardcore rail-fan or rail buff you most likely know what it's like to ride in one of Amtrak's sleeper type cars. For the rest of us...dream on! Here's a video you might appreciate. A Tour! This looks comfortable enough.
I'd like to see a complete downtown-to-downtown comparison in time and cost (and cuisine) between the Amtrak ride and an airline flight. For a mid-June, mid-week trip, the travel time for Amtrak is just over 8 hours and the fare is $71/$102 for coach/business. Since the stations are in downtown, there is minimal additional cost (in time or money) to reach your destination. According to kayak, the flight time is about an hour and a half. Airfare is about $450. But TSA recommends arriving at the airport two hours before scheduled departure time. Travel time from DC to Dulles would add another hour to the journey and cab fare is about $60. Travel time from GSO to Greensboro would add another half hour to the journey and cab fare is about $25. So, for this trip, Amtrak takes 8 hours and costs no more than about $100 while the end-to-end trip via airline could actually take 5 hours and cost over $500.
Thank you for this analysis. Before I retired, it always saddened me to hear the argument that airfare was so much cheaper and faster than rail, while the speaker ignored the added time/cost outside of the flight time, actual cost of last minute bookings, and incompatible flight schedules. I regularly traveled between Slidell, LA and Alexandria, VA on the Crescent. When asked why I chose the s-l-o-o-w train, I replied with a similar analysis. Train w/sleeper: 24 hours each way @ $750 R/T (1990 fares). Air: 5+ hours with changes each way @ $1250 R/T (last minute booking), but required two nights at DC hotels due to incompatible flight schedules, $200 each night. Total for trip by air, $1650. Finance manager said "Oh, have a nice trip."
KTLA out of Los Angeles, Ca. tried an experiment. To set the stage. This took place prior to 9-11, sometime in the late 80's.. I'm sure this wasn't at my request or suggesting. As they were having on time traveling problems as far back as I can remember. I did have the ear of a train buff or better said time honored Railfan, who worked for KTLA. I suggested they take a team of two people. One that would drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco and the other would fly. I know we kind of left out the train. Well, the train is obvious and is pretty much in a set pattern. The driving team was to drop off the flying team at the L.A.X. airport and then meet back together at the San Francisco Airport. The question who would get there first? I didn't catch the first airing. It was my son that brought it to my attention. So, I have an easy out here. According to the reporter. The trip took place between Los Angeles International and San Francisco International airports. Can you guess who got to their destination first? Don't get ahead of me here. Okay, I'll cut to the chase. You may not believe this! The driving team was waiting at the airport for the flying team. What? There was mitigating circumstances. The flight was delayed, something that happens all to often. Ask the people who try to fly into Boise, Portland, or Seattle. Never mind the hours needed to be there for an early check in. The fact, the driving team dropped off the flying team... you'd think that would of slowed them down. They dropped off the competing team at the L.A.X., and took I-5 to get out of town. They then cut back to the 101 via Paso Robles, Ca. That may have helped them. It can get congested on the 101 up to about San Luis Obispo, Ca. The same thing can happen starting at about San Jose, Ca. up to the S.F.I airport. Wish I had documentary on said experiment but I don't. Film at 11:00, which I did catch declared it a tie. The driving team spent less money, weren't near as comfortable, ate in the car. While the flying team was majorly stressed out from all the wait time, a puny sandwich to eat. Factor this in, having to wait a reasonable amount of time. Is there such a thing? To get their luggage. This meant walking from the plane, through the concourse to find the baggage pick-up and then back again to the...waiting driving team. Go figure. Did you see that coming? I'm watching #4 SWC, EB, on my smarter then me phone, touch sensitive screen. Arriving in LaPlata, MO., almost three hours late. What? Did you expect traveling to be easy and predictable? That would be nice.
One error noted above. A real oop's. The WB Amtrak trains are the ones having difficulty getting through on time. The EB Amtrak trains are doing better but can find themselves competing with the WB trains. For latest arrivals. Maybe we need to come up with a middle finger kitty cat paw, kind of reward for trains running over 3 hours late? Perhaps not. I don't believe this has anything to do with Amtrak but more to do with the hosting railroads. I may get into this more if there's enough generated interest.
