I’m really impressed with the communication that Amtrak consistently has given you guys when there are delays. Sorry you guys didn’t make it but great video as always!
Yeah. They are hit or miss. Last year I was on the westbound Southwest Chief when the train had to stop in Kansas City in the middle of the night. There wildfires ahead. Obviously not their fault, but the communication was completely broken down. We were sitting there with absolutely no guidance all night. The station attendants did stay, but they knew nothing. The conductors knew nothing and the phone lines were jammed, so you couldn't get through. It was awful. After the fact, they took good care of us, but that was a horrendous night.
I think if there's one thing we've learned over the past few months its that the freight train companies really are messing everything up with their incompetence, and Amtrak definitely trying their best to work around this!
That would have been nice to have when we were taking the Texas eagle home from start to finish. Had to find out on Twitter that they planned to bus us the last hour and a half to the last stop.
@@mikeydude750 To be fair this accident was caused by a rockslide, though I do agree that freight companies are really being cheap and complacent about how bad their safety standards are.
Jeb, I met you at the Union Station for this trip! And let me tell you. That whole delay was an absolute nightmare! 2 times, we were told there were buses coming and both time they cancelled. Then they gave us the ultimatum to either stay in West Virginia or head back to Chicago like you said. I also decided to get a rental car and road tripped it back as well. It was awesome meeting you and glad you guys made it back as well!
Maybe next time you're doing transcontinental rail, you could take the southern route combo of the Sunset Limited & Crescent. The only East-West route in the US that doesn't terminate in Chicago
Crescent goes to NOLA arrives at night. Then SL leaves in the morning next day. Hotel by train station is walking distance from station. I’m planning on doing that myself.
@@Sangnjoe I also have had thoughts about doing this routing at some point, although probably in the distant future several years away. However, I would be traveling West to East, and spending 2 or 3 days in New Orleans, before continuing my travels
I was thinking the same thing. I hope to take a transcontinental rail trip myself one of these days, and it's going to be through Chicago. I'm very interested to see some of the alternatives.
Trust me, you are so very blessed not to have been involved in that derailment. As a firefighter, derailing passenger trains and bus crashes are the stuff of nightmares because of the injuries.
I saw the video of this one and it's amazing that the freight crew survived it. And an Amtrak would have been even worse. I knew a guy who worked for Metrolink the light railway in SoCal that also operates out of LA Union and he was on ML's response teams to accidents they've had. And the injuries are almost always severe internal injurires, spinal and TBIs. And the issues of shared tracks is also faced by the commuter trains including both UP and BNSF in SoCal. Which is how Metrolink had some of its devastating accidents. Working with trains is hard work and often dangerous. Delays happen but that's to try to keep people safe. Thankfully the three workers involved in this crash survived.
I have been riding Amtrak long hauls since 2007. My motto has become "It's not just a trip, it is an adventure!" That has kept my spirits up through assorted misadventures. I must add that in all those years the problems were never caused by Amtrak. It has been freight companies, weather etc. I'll never tire of riding, though. It is a wonderful way to travel.
I travel on Amtrak a few times per year. I will agree, they have excellent service and it is rarely ever their fault for major delays. The worst delay I ever had was due to a small town police department blocking the tracks for 5 hours.
I enjoy it too, but I about the only one in my family who does. My husband isn't a fan at all. I got my son to take a three day transcontinental Amtrak trip with me once, and he liked it but wouldn't necessarily want to do it again. I guess it's not for everybody, but I'm down for a train trip any time!
I hope the driver and conductor involved in the derailment will recover okay. That's a pretty unfortunate situation but I'm glad Amtrak was diligent in communicating with you guys.
I will always stick up for Amtrak as much as possible, those people and crews deal with so very much. I hope that our Amtrak Trains keep on trucking and fight through whatever they have to keep going. Thank you for all that you guys do. I also pray that America's People and transportation/water ways are protected going forward. Think we all just hit our first Road Trippin experience together.
'I hate driving... I hate driving. The only thing I hate more than driving is waiting!' Priceless. Great video, only you could make me look forward to a youtube video of a drive through West Virginia. Well done.
I don't like driving, but I do like getting where I am going. The trains are expensive and they suck. You don't save anything when you take trains or busses long distance and traval more then a day. Meals, possible hotels, etc. We do need more and better transportation in America.
So sorry to hear you didn't make it Jeb! I went cross country with Amtrak this summer and it's an incredible experience. We took the Lake Shore Limited to CHI, then the Zephyr to SF, then took the Starlight to LA. We stayed multiple days in each location in case of massive delays like what happened to you. We were extremely fortunate where our only delay was getting into SF about 3.5ish hours late which actually turned into a benefit as we saw a spectacular sunset over San Francisco Bay as we got there.
@@valeriecallaghan I just took the Zephyr this past week, oh my god it was amazing. about 3 hours late because of a derailment (the "bomb cyclone" in SF on Tuesday knocked over a tree) so 55 hours total and I can't believe I wasn't bored at any point. There was constantly stuff to see. Recommend around this time of year because of the snow on the rocky mountains and the sierras. My train was sold out almost a month in advance.
@Jon Doe yes! That is another trip on my bucket list!! Thank you! My first Amtrak experience was several years ago when my son graduated from Basic training. I didn't want to fly so I took the train so I wouldn't miss it. (Boston to San Antonio) and I absolutely loved it! Now I'm hooked and hope to see the whole country by train. Thank you for recommending the Zephyr!!
Last January my wife and I went from Philadelphia to San Francisco on Amtrak. The route was PHL to NYC (regional rail), NYC to CHI (Lakeshore Limited), and CHI to SF (California Zephyr). We highly recommend taking that route if you want to go cross country by train.
Hi Paul. I'm curious, were any of your connections made the same day? For example, did you arrive in CHI on the Lakeshore Limited and catch the California Zephyr the same day? Some experts I watch on TH-cam warn against same day connections because certain trains run late and cause people to miss their connections. I know Amtrak will get you a hotel if it is a guaranteed connection and both trains are made on the same reservation. So, just curious how you handled it. Thanks.
@@edeinhorn6016 Yes, the connections were the same day. We had sufficient time between the arrival of the Lakeshore Limited and the departure of the California Zephyr to take a shower in the Lounge.
@@PaulHtmnn In that case, I'm very happy for you. My wife and I will be in a roomette on the California Zephyr (first time ever) leaving Chicago to Emeryville on May 16th. Looking forward to the portion thru the Rockies! We are also taking the Texas Eagle from Los Angeles to Chicago leaving L.A. on May 3. Last year we took the Southwest Chief to Chicago and the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle. The Empire Builder had great scenery, too, but I've watched enough TH-cam videos to expect the Zephyr scenery to be even nicer! Thanks for replying to my question.
This video definitely shows how things can go VERY wrong on Amtrak sometimes. It feels so wild to me as a brit, because we complain about delay all the time, of as little as a few minutes - But then you see insane delays like this, and it certainly gives you perspective on how lucky we are. I'd love to see you two reattempt it though! Have a wonderful weekend Jeb and Suzanne!
The US rail system outside of the Northeast corridor is wholly unreliable and almost always late. It’s really an indictment on our sub par infrastructure.
@@Originalman144 I think the key problem is freight railroads owning the very track Amtrak runs on for the most part. Here, our track is owned by government body Network Rail, meaning that passenger trains get the priority they need to run properly (Well, when they do anyway)
sadly it's a catch 22. Not enough demand to expand, no expansion to raise demand. Also stems in the ?vast distances one would have to cover for trackage. And last but not least, The us is a very car centric place. Cost is another thing/ Costs thousands to do the amtrak trip, few hundred to fly in a few hours across the country. Europe is more condensed, not as many wide open spaces without population
America's rail network is like a 3rd world nation or even worse. The trains just don't have delays. They will straight up cancel and leave passengers stranded to fend for themselves. Amtrak should really just close these sketchy routs, end transcontinental service and focus on what is sustainable such as the Northeast corridor.
I love travel. Planes, trains, and especially automobiles. I'm a professional driver and grew up with parents who were brought up on opposite coasts. I've done dozens of cross country drives.
Ever since I came across your channel, I simply got addicted to the videos! As a tourist, I really enjoy traveling to your country and exploring the beautiful cities and landscapes you can find only in America. Thx for sharing your travel experiences and your point of view with us! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you for posting the video even though Amtrak didn't take you all the way, but at least they stopped before the landslide, from the start of the video I was thinking, what canceled it until you mentioned March 1st...and then the news of the landslide directly, lmao. Love these videos Jeb!
I love driving. Drove 3. 5 million miles. Love riding on trains. Love flying on planes. The biggest thing I hate. Is having to ride on buses. Stay Safe out There 🇺🇸 👍🙏
I went to college at Marshall University which is in Huntington WV. Idk if your familiar with the movie We Are Marshall and the plane crash that killed our football team!!! Huntington has alot of great history!! As you were driving by I seen my college apartment!!! Glad you guys were able to make it to Greensboro safe!!
Really enjoy your trip reports. Thank you for emphasizing safety and the shoutout for the railroad folks. I'm sorry your trip got cut short, that's really a bummer. Suggestion for a new cross-country itinerary: GSO-NOL (Crescent), NOL-LAX (Sunset Ltd), LAX-SEA (Coast Starlight).
Well Thank God that you both are safe. THE SKIES DONT SEEM SO BAD, COMPARED TO SLOW TRAINS BAD MEALS, AND BEAUTIFUL SCENERY, OR A LONG DRIVE. MY son left West Virginia last summer and drove 10 hours to Myrtle Beach Airport to meet me and my daughter, who slept in, got breakfast, drove to Dulles international, boarded a tiny United jet, with a sweet flight attendant,who brought me a coke to take my. Heart medicne with. By the time i finished my coke, we were landing at Myrtle where my son had Just Arrived to meet our flight. IT WAS HEAVEN! Be Safe you and your wife are like family to me.
I recommend taking the Carolinian from Raleigh to Washington DC and then take the capital limited from Washington to Chicago and then take the Empire builder from Chicago to Seattle
I was kind of surprised at the way you handled the train delay. You are always so upbeat and positive, wish you and Suzanne had capitalized on this road trip for 4 hours and explored a nice place for dinner so we could learn about it. Stopping for a Chic-Filet? Next time, make the most of it, show us a great place to eat and relax after all the unexpected changes.
The misadventures of your cross-country rail journey took me back to 1966 when my Mom planned a cross-country roundtrip by Trailways bus as a graduation gift, but mostly I think as an excuse to visit her mother in California. Great, crazy trip! Very memorable! Airlines were on strike, so the buses were crowded and delayed from departure. Then Greyhound bus went on strike as we were heading home, so Trailways recruited additional drivers. In the middle of the night, from Oklahoma City to Amarillo, Mom awoke and said, "This isn't Route 66." So the bus driver, in the middle of a thunder and lightening storm managed to turn the bus around on little more than a farm-track road in the middle of God knows where. Sunrise, approaching Amarillo, the driver got on the mic to say this wasn't his regular route and did anyone know the way into the Amarillo Trailways bus terminal. A big Texas woman, about 50 I guess, stepped up to the front of the bus and directed us smoothly into Amarillo. I can still hear the rough scrabble in her voice when I think back. Last leg of the trip was an unscheduled, protracted stop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania standing on the sidewalk with all the other passengers, longingly on watch for the Philadelphia bus. So near and yet so far, Mom and I, though exhausted, joked about the stories we could tell! I can almost hear her voice now after all these years.
IROPS on Amtrak are rough, partly because the trains often go through some fairly remote territory where making arrangements for alternative transportation is difficult (trying to find buses on short notice is harder than it looks). In that part of the country, there isn't a lot of alternative track that's up to anywhere near passenger standard (CSX has even fairly recently floated the idea of downgrading major parts of the Cardinal's route with the decline of coal traffic). I was honestly expecting the Capitol Limited for the eastern leg (and maybe the Crescent to Greensboro, though getting in at zero-dark-thirty), for more Superliner action (though far less scenic than the Cardinal).
Not just the track standards, they'd also need to find engineers who were qualified on the track they were detouring over. And then get those engineers to the train. And, since those engineers don't know how to run Amtrak engines, the Amtrak engineer would need to stay on duty. And that Amtrak engineer is legally obligated to stop working after 12 hours on duty, so at that point the train is immobilized by law until you can get another Amtrak engineer to the train. Railroad detours are fun times.
@@sturmovik1274 one of the most notable detours I can think of a few years back was the Lake Shore Limited running on the ex-Nickel Plate west of Sandusky (both the ex-Nickel Plate and the (ex-New York Central) Water Level Route are NS, which simplified getting a pilot for the detour (I think this was during Wick Moorman's tenure at AMTK, he being formerly at NS, so may have called in favors...)
I had to rewind this moment like three times to fully comprehend what Amtrak proposed (and provided) as a solution (i.e., return to the point of departure / origin). Absolutely mind-boggling sometimes.
Wow! Jeff, sexy logs there oops! I mean legs while on the top bunk bed. That's still impressive that you got updates and buses were arranged then they had to backtrack to Chicago then a refund. That is great customer service, even if time was wasted everybody was safe. I'm so impressed!
Great video Jeb & Suzanne! I’m so sorry about the train plan failure! Also I think at 11:31 you should try the Amtrack route from Seattle to LA California on the Coast Starlight then LA to New Orleans Louisiana on the Sunset Limited then New Orleans to New York City to Greensboro on Amtrack’s Crescent Route! Sound good??? Also I despise driving as well! Especially long term driving or road trips! I’d much rather use the plane, the train or even the bus or a boat!!
That actually the route or plan to take if I do a cross country amtrak trip! Except for a stop in Atlanta to see a friend and up to Washington DC to get on the Silver Star for home near Jacksonville, FL
I think it was great that, as an experienced traveler, you were proactive once faced with an uncertain delay. There is usually some kind of option available when your travel plans are interrupted, even if it means driving. Thanks for giving us a good example of taking charge of an unfortunate situation.
Noel Phillips had a similar cross country attempt, except by Greyhound bus. He ended up having to fly AMA-DFW-LGA I guess because of some bad weather affecting his bus trip
I enjoy watching Noel, and I found this particular video pretty memorable. Needless to say, turned me completely off of long-distance bus travel for the foreseeable future.
I did Southwest Chief/Coast Starlight/Empire Builder/Capitol Limited and finally Silver Meteor to Miami to see the country without car, I did stop at various places and from LA I trained down to San Diego and back to LA to continue the crossing. It was a great trip for 4 weeks in 2021 Summer.
Another entertaining video. Thanks, Jeb and Suzanne. For the next "across America" trip, maybe start in NYC and take the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago, then take the City of New Orleans to, where else, NOLA. From there take Sunset Limited to L.A. Just a thought. BTW, I truly love your videos. You two make a fantastic couple. Props to you both!
I did LA->NYC via Southwest Chief and Lakeshore Limited last year, and am doing the reverse in about 2 weeks. I can't wait! Also on my list is Sunset Limited & Crescent.
Every time I see Union Station, it takes me back to when I was a little girl. We visited my grandma in the summer. My grandma lived in Gary Indiana. My aunt would pick us up in Chicago. Sometimes we would take the South Shore to Gary. Thank, you guys, for the memories !! By the way, I am 71 yrs old.
Edit: I forgot to mention how impressed I am with Amtrak’s new suites! You should travel on Japan Airlines in their amazing business class and then try out a bunch of Japanese bullet trains
I live in NJ and my personal DREAM Amtrak cross-country route would be the *Lake Shore Limited* from NY to Chicago and then the *Southwest Chief* from Chicago to LA. Curious what you’d think!
Great video. Amtrak was really good with the communications/updates. But, as long as Amtrak has to share rails with freight trains (and a freight industry that is not properly regulated), these delays will continue to occur. It's a shame that in this country we can't come together to get a better, hi-speed, rail system.
Thanks for modeling "how to make the best of travel issues". As mush as we hate delays and changes, once our trips are over we find that some of the most indelible memories and best stories are from the delays... Oh and that second city in Indiana ends with a "leer" sound. :) Keep traveling!
I was going to suggest a cross-country RV trip for the future, but that amount of driving might actually make Jeb go crazy. Are there any major Amtrak lines you haven't covered yet? My other suggestion would be New York to Los Angeles, but I think you've done each of those lines separately. Maybe the Alaskan railroad this summer.
I want to do Atlanta to NYC to Montreal sometime. I am really intrigued by the idea that I can take a train all the way to Canada, and I'm thinking a trip in the fall through upstate NY would be really cool!
Its always quite sad to see a beautiful machine that isn't moving but honestly as a foreigner I hear a lot of flak given about Amtrak but watching your channel has shown me that their services, while they could be far better (Such as being double tracked and electrified) aren't actually abysmal and compared to my own home (NZ) surprisingly good and I only wish that NZ had services similar to it to minimize my need for a vehicle.
I appreciate your positivity. I really do. Your videos are good. But the positive spin you put on these popular videos about Amtrak is promoting a failing railroad that consistently fails to deliver on its promises. The best example from this video is when your wife said "it's not Amtrak's fault" after booting you off the train. Amtrak is most certainly responsible for its business arrangements with the freight companies it contracts with. It would be like saying it's not United Airlines fault a plane ride was cancelled because of a broken plane part provided by a contractor. The condition of the rails are shoddy, Amtrak's on time service is dismal, their food is awful and much of their equipment is very old. I get it! You love trains. But an Amtrak ride is an overpriced and unreliable deal.
In contrast to the host, I happen to love driving and my wife and I take road trips when ever we can. We like the freedom of going where and when we feel like it. Also, it gives us a chance to see some of those off the beaten track places where you can usually find great diners.
I heard about the landslide in West Virginia. I think it covered the tracks for about 1/4 of a mile. Landslide are just nature and you should never underestimate the power of nature. Washington station learn that lesson the hard way. In a small town( which is no longer there) a westbound freight train and an eastbound passenger train was forced to stop due to bad weather and a massive snow drifts. All of sudden a massive cornice broke off starting an avalanche. The avalanche came through the town and slammed into the two trains. One engine was completely knocked over while the other one was carry 200 feet downhill almost to the creek
I would suggest perhaps during the late summer/early autumn (Before winter weather massacres Amtrak schedules...) perhaps doing either the Lake Shore Limited (NY to CHI) or Capitol Limited (WAS-CHI) then any of the western trains to California. Another different option could be the Crescent to New Orleans, then the entire Sunset Limited route to LA through South Texas.
Jeb has a stellar watch collection, kudos. Great to see his wife's confidence grow in front of the camera, it is no easy task, esp if it's not something you are use to or a natural at, I'd be rubbish at it. :) Great content as usual guys. :)
As a 63 year old man, I also hate driving. When I was a NYC teacher, I drove every day. Now that I’m retired, I hardly ever drive. I live just 4 minutes, by foot, to an LIRR station that has trains directly to Penn or the new GCM. In additional, I have rail access to JFK, and Amtrak’s North East Corridor.
The next time you do something like this, do some sort of four corner thing. Start in Miami, ride north to NY on a Silver Service, ride from NY to Boston on the Acela, hop the Downeaster up to Brunswick, ME and back, take the Lake Shore Limited from Boston to Chicago, take the Empire Builder to Seattle, then Amtrak Cascades to Vancouver, BC. After returning to Seattle, take the Coast Starlight to LA and from there hop the Pacific Surfliner to San Diego and back. From LA, take the Sunset Limited to New Orleans, and hop the Crescent back to Greensboro.
If Your Going West Start in New York to Chicago and get on Empire builder!! If u and Mrs Brooks are going East Start in LA and Ride to New Orleans and get on the Carolina back to Greensboro Love the channel ❤️
I did High Point NC to Irvine CA pre covid. Carolinian to Washington, Capitol Limited to Chicago, Southwest Chief to LA and Pacific Surfliner to Irvine. Not many delays and it was summer time. Better weather. Now I fly to Chicago and take westbound trains from there.
I feel you❣️ Amtrak’s motto should be:”We will arrive there… eventually… one day… not in a hurry!” But we still love it;) in two weeks me and my 6 year old will embark on a month-long journey to cross the country counter clock-wise: from New Orleans to NYC- then to Boston- then to Chicago- then to Denver- then to Salt Lake- then to San Francisco - then to LA and San Diego- then to San Antonio - and back to New Orleans! I bought two Amtrak passes for $299 each when they were on sale this year(usually they are $500 each!).
I’m with you, Jeb. I hate both driving/road trips and waiting. But I admire your perspectives and how you did not blame Amtrak. Still very much enjoyed this video.
I am so impressed with you both being positive through this experience. It makes the video a true joy to watch. Looking forward to your cross-country via Amtrak attempt number 2!
See, I’m just the opposite… I love road trips, and I live driving! I would have been almost as excited to be driving, honestly. But to each their own. Glad you guys are safe and made it home okay.
You guys should come to Canada, starting in Halifax, get on the VIA Rails Ocean train to Toronto. Then get on board the VIA rail Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver.. or Toronto to Jasper and transfer to the Skeena a day time train over 2 days, which will take you from Jasper to Prince Rupert BC. We love all your videos, thank you so much for everything you do to bring us this information. Cheers!
The single level Viewliners (which to my knowledge are really only required for New York and Boston routes due to lower tunnel clearances) are more comfortable sleeping accommodations than the bi-level Superliners when traveling with 2 people in the same compartment. You mentioned 2 reasons - the additional headroom for the upper bunk as well as the top bunk having its own window. The third advantage is the much lower height of the top bunk and therefore shorter, easier, and less precarious ladder climb to access it. Not to mention, for people with limited mobility, when booking a standard bedroom on a Viewliner you don't have to navigate (and haul your bags up) that narrow staircase that is found on a Superliner bi-level car where the five standard bedrooms are all on the second floor level. If you're traveling solo, there's a tradeoff. On the Viewliner you can leave the top bunk set up for sleep the entire trip including for naps during the day and use the lower couch for routine stuff day or night. On the other hand with a Superliner I'd take advantage of the top bunk by using it for luggage storage and enjoy the extra floor space and headroom below without your travel bags cluttering up the area.
Hey Jeb. As a veteran Amtrak rider, I’ve got two suggestions for you for when you and Suzanne (hope I got the spelling right) attempt the cross country Amtrak trip again. First suggestion (going through Chicago) is the Carolinian to New York City, the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago and the California Zephyr to Emeryville. Second suggestion (avoiding Chicago) is the Carolinian to DC, the Crescent to New Orleans and the Sunset Limited to Los Angeles. Good luck!
I love driving, seeing America at a slower pace than 500 mph& 35,000 ft. Just drove home (buisness trip) from Spartanburg SC to Milwaukee WI. Smokies was a great drive and my pace is more fun than a ridge mass transportation schedule. Of coutse plans and trains have thier usefulness too. Nice going on that rental car to get home.
I live in Clifton forge so when I saw it on the route I was super excited to watch! But it was a huge bummer when yall did get make it to clifton or Charlottesville. Definitely try this route again! The mountains here are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen, and on the way out of clifton when you go under the 2nd bridge after the yard/station while yall turn, look for the American flag on the mountain side. It's always there and it's a nice scene, I remember watching the guy put it there. Beautiful scenery, definitely try again, you won't be disappointed!
I have done several Coast to Coast trips on Amtrak and would recommend the California Zephyr from Emeryville to Chicago and then the Lakeshore Limited to Boston. One time on the east bound Zephyr we were held in a small Kansas town for 12 hours because the westbound Zephyr was stuck in a snowbank east of town. Once we got moving again and farther down the line we hit a pick up truck that had been abandoned at a crossing . No injuries, but another six hours before we were on our way again. We were over 18 hours late arriving in Chicago. Everybody got vouchers and thank God I was in a Roomette. They kept us fed and reasonably comfortable and it allowed me an extra night in my room rather than spending a night on the floor at union station in Chicago, lol. I did feel bad for the coach passengers, though.
The two reasons I have been watching ALL YOUR TRAIN VIDEOS is I hope to tour the Country by train as I am getting Older... I also came down with a head banger of a Virus 8 days before Christmas and found your videos actually rather soothing. I have already put 345,000 miles on my Toyota Tacoma TRD driving from San Diego to Seattle and then across the top of the Country to Portland Maine and then down via the Southern Route back to San Diego and visiting hundreds of places in between 6 times... Just put the engine on Cruise at 70 mph, sit back and relax. I was looking for a way to Escape California in 2005 and finally after 8 years settled in West Georgia where my property taxes on a half acre, 3 bedroom home are $228.00 a year due to not having any children in school and being over 65. Georgia also does not tax 99% of my retirement... With children in school it would be around $1,800. instead of the $6,000 - $8,000 in San Diego. So glad I escaped California.. Georgia is a Free State but the Left is actually paying people to come live here to ruin it....
Sorry to hear about your unfortunate experience on the Cardinal. I went through a similar situation on the Texas Eagle on September 14, 2021. I was on my from Chicago to San Antonio, after getting off an ON TIME Cardinal. I was alerted ahead of time from Amtrak that the train was only going as far as Fort Worth and that transportation was going to be provided. It well in spite of. I waited in Fort Worth for about 15-20 minutes. There were 2 buses. 1 was an express to San Antonio, which arrived there 3 hours ahead of the train schedule. My return trip drama was on September 23. After getting off an on time Texas Eagle, the Cardinal left Chicago on time, I was heading home to Philadelphia, until it got to Indianapolis, IN. We sat there for about 5 hours or more due to a derailed freight train. To make matters worse, after we got moving, we stopped again for a STALLED FREIGHT TRAIN near the Cincinnati, OH train station. we sat in the freight yard for about 7 hours or more. Even after THAT train cleared, the freight company held us even longer. I was scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia at 8:30 Friday night. My actual arrival time was 5:30 Saturday morning. Hopefully both of our next Amtrak adventures go more smoother. Glad you and your wife are safe.
I saw video of that derailment crash on YT and it was really bad (22 cars). Amazing the crew on that train survived! And the track was badly damaged. A passenger train would have been devastating! I know with metrolink (SoCal's light rail) trains when they break down it takes quite a while to get alternate transportation. for them. I hope you do your cross country trip soon. I LOVE watching your train videos. They're fun and educational. I hope to do some more Amtrak traveling myself. Coast Starlight and Zeph trains as well as the Rocky Mountaineer.
My daughters and I LOVE your videos, and we actually are planning on taking the Empire Builder from Portland to Chicago this October. I love Amtrak, but had a similar misadventure back in 2003, when the Crescent I was on struck a dump truck on the tracks outside of Manassas, VA. We made the national news, and it took another 8 hours for me to travel to Philadelphia (my final destination).
Darn!! I was looking forward to your stop in Harpers Ferry, WV. My mom lived there, and I took Amtrack several times from Jacksonville, Florida. It's such a special, beautiful and historical town. My trip had a six hour layover in DC, which allowed for sightseeing and some good food. Glad you made it home safely and quickly.
I guess I've been lucky, the worse delay I've had was an hour on the Texas eagle. On the Zephyr it was so early I jumped off at Richmond and caught the BART into town. I was in the hotel before the coaches had left Emeryville. You really need to come and do a few Train trips in Europe
Yes… i can understand what you had to go through. I also live in Greensboro and ride Amtrak a lot out of Greensboro… but here is a trick to save money if you are up driving. When I have taking the train from Greensboro and changing in either Charlottesville or Washington to get to Chicago… so I drive 3.5 hours north on 52 to Beckley and catch the west board Capitol in a town called Prince…. This is a great money saver and you don;t have to get up early to catch the train out of Greensboro. The train out of Prince (if it is on time leaves 6:30 and parking is free…. My car has not been stolen or broken into yet and I have been doing this… when the weather is good.. for the past 8 years. … try it you will like it…
The Southwest Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles is an absolutely amazing and sometimes stunning train trip as it flies across Kansas at over 90 mile an hour overnight and then crawls very slowly through narrow canyon walls you could almost touch if the windows opened through New Mexico. And the Union station in Kansas City along the way is an absolute marvel of earl 20th century architecture and engineering, it is the third biggest train station in the country (because of its location) and is absolutely spectacular inside, soaring murals and giant windows casting shafts of light across huge multi-colored marble tile floors. And it's across the street from the nation's official World War I memorial a museum which is equal to anything in d.c. , an incredible thing to see if you have the time. I would recommend taking your favorite route to Chicago and then taking the Southwest Chief, it is really amazing and I have always been impressed with the Amtrak service in its roomettes, it is for me the only way to travel if somebody has the time. And often the upgrade from a seat to a room at is extremely affordable at check-in, that's the way I've always done it!
I have gone around quite a bit of the US by train. Next will be from Pomona CA to New Orleans to Clemson SC, then Delaware to Syracuse to Chicago to Fargo to Whitefish to Seattle and back down to Ventura CA. Will be visiting in each place mentioned. Love the train. Grew up riding the train as my Dad worked for the Great Northern. We used to ride the single passenger coach on the fast mail train between Whitefish and Minot. Great memories.
My son and I did this trip a couple of years ago. After seeing Idaho, I'm sorry we slept through it. We loved the trip and would gladly do it again. We had a roomette and it was a little tight but much better than coach. Thanks so much for this great video!
I went to law school in North Carolina and grew up near Huntington, so I’ve made that drive you made (for the most part) a fair amount. It was always raining in West Virginia, it seemed.
I've used amtrack to get to university a few times and you really have to be flexible with your plans and have a back up in place. Every time there has been a delay employees have always been incredibly helpful throughout the entire process.
So funny and humorous felt like I was watching a favor soap. I look forward to watching trains, planes and yes when you rented a car to get home from Chicago. You both are the story makers love you both.
Coincidentally I took both the Empire Builder and Cardinal Limited trains to visit two friends recently. I took the Empire Builder from Milwaukee to visit one friend in Yakima, Washington in the summer and I took the Cardinal Limited from Chicago (took the Hiawatha from Milwaukee to get to Chicago) to visit another friend who lives near DC in Church Falls, Virgina in the fall. I ended up taking the Capitol Limited in the way back to Chicago to try two different trains on that last trip. I still prefer the double level Superliner (like on Empire Builder and Capitol Limited) vs the single level viewliner (like on the Cardinal Limited).
Jeb, The longest uninterrupted Amtrak trip I ever took (without an overnight stay in a hotel) was in March of 1981. MSP-SEA, SEA-LA: 3,176 miles and 70:44 hours. All Coach. Empire Builder and the Coast Starlight. Stayed pretty much on time all the way through.
Been there/done that. I did a three day Amtrak trip to from Atlanta to Denver which followed a similar route - Atlanta to Washington DC to Chicago to Denver. I enjoyed every minute of it, including the several hours each in DC and Chicago to do a little sightseeing and then sleeping away the long hours between cities. But for the return journey, I only made it as far as Denver to Chicago before the rest of the trip was canceled (due to a washed out track from heavy rains, I think) and I ended up flying home from O'Hare. Actually it wasn't so bad after all, since I did the whole train trip one way, and didn't necessarily need to see everything again going home (the only reason I was taking the train both ways was because I was traveling with different people each time, and they both wanted to experience the journey.)
Suzanne is such a good sport with a positive outlook. Her input makes the trip that much more enjoyable. How would I do this trip? Fly into LAX, take the Coast Starlight to Seattle; take the Cascades to Vancouver; take the Canadian (Via Rail) from Vancouver to Toronto, then catch a train from Toronto to Montreal, then take the Ocean all the way out to Halifax, grab the shuttle to Yarmouth and take the Cat (ferry) from Nova Scotia to Bar Harbor; grab a flight from Bar Harbor to Boston and fly home.
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I’m really impressed with the communication that Amtrak consistently has given you guys when there are delays. Sorry you guys didn’t make it but great video as always!
From experience it depends on the day. Sometimes Amtrak doesn’t communicate or train staff doesn’t communicate to passengers when there are delays
Yeah. They are hit or miss. Last year I was on the westbound Southwest Chief when the train had to stop in Kansas City in the middle of the night. There wildfires ahead. Obviously not their fault, but the communication was completely broken down. We were sitting there with absolutely no guidance all night. The station attendants did stay, but they knew nothing. The conductors knew nothing and the phone lines were jammed, so you couldn't get through. It was awful. After the fact, they took good care of us, but that was a horrendous night.
I think if there's one thing we've learned over the past few months its that the freight train companies really are messing everything up with their incompetence, and Amtrak definitely trying their best to work around this!
That would have been nice to have when we were taking the Texas eagle home from start to finish. Had to find out on Twitter that they planned to bus us the last hour and a half to the last stop.
@@mikeydude750 To be fair this accident was caused by a rockslide, though I do agree that freight companies are really being cheap and complacent about how bad their safety standards are.
Jeb, I met you at the Union Station for this trip! And let me tell you. That whole delay was an absolute nightmare! 2 times, we were told there were buses coming and both time they cancelled. Then they gave us the ultimatum to either stay in West Virginia or head back to Chicago like you said. I also decided to get a rental car and road tripped it back as well. It was awesome meeting you and glad you guys made it back as well!
Thanks for saying hi! I’m so sorry about that whole experience. Glad you made the best of it, too!!
@@GreenerGrass Jeb, you should Skip AMTRAK and take The Canadian, Vancouver to Toronto!
@@bodyloverz30except the canadian has worse OTP than amtrak - its regularly 8+ hrs late
Bahahaha!
@@honajtransit8+hrs late usually? That’ll be a no for me if I were traveling
Maybe next time you're doing transcontinental rail, you could take the southern route combo of the Sunset Limited & Crescent. The only East-West route in the US that doesn't terminate in Chicago
Crescent goes to NOLA arrives at night. Then SL leaves in the morning next day. Hotel by train station is walking distance from station. I’m planning on doing that myself.
@@Sangnjoe I also have had thoughts about doing this routing at some point, although probably in the distant future several years away. However, I would be traveling West to East, and spending 2 or 3 days in New Orleans, before continuing my travels
@@TheWolfHowling same but want to do it this year with a visit to Anaheim in September
Next time fly. Nothing amtrac says is meaningful. Let them die or nationalize.
I was thinking the same thing. I hope to take a transcontinental rail trip myself one of these days, and it's going to be through Chicago. I'm very interested to see some of the alternatives.
Trust me, you are so very blessed not to have been involved in that derailment. As a firefighter, derailing passenger trains and bus crashes are the stuff of nightmares because of the injuries.
I saw the video of this one and it's amazing that the freight crew survived it. And an Amtrak would have been even worse. I knew a guy who worked for Metrolink the light railway in SoCal that also operates out of LA Union and he was on ML's response teams to accidents they've had. And the injuries are almost always severe internal injurires, spinal and TBIs. And the issues of shared tracks is also faced by the commuter trains including both UP and BNSF in SoCal. Which is how Metrolink had some of its devastating accidents. Working with trains is hard work and often dangerous. Delays happen but that's to try to keep people safe. Thankfully the three workers involved in this crash survived.
I have been riding Amtrak long hauls since 2007. My motto has become "It's not just a trip, it is an adventure!" That has kept my spirits up through assorted misadventures. I must add that in all those years the problems were never caused by Amtrak. It has been freight companies, weather etc. I'll never tire of riding, though. It is a wonderful way to travel.
I travel on Amtrak a few times per year. I will agree, they have excellent service and it is rarely ever their fault for major delays. The worst delay I ever had was due to a small town police department blocking the tracks for 5 hours.
I enjoy it too, but I about the only one in my family who does. My husband isn't a fan at all. I got my son to take a three day transcontinental Amtrak trip with me once, and he liked it but wouldn't necessarily want to do it again. I guess it's not for everybody, but I'm down for a train trip any time!
Yeah, must keep telling ourselves about "adventures" when dealing with that disgrace of an organization that is Amtrack.
Well, when they don't own the track, that helps with not blaming them. But that also sucks for Amtrak to be held hostage by the fright trains.
I hope the driver and conductor involved in the derailment will recover okay. That's a pretty unfortunate situation but I'm glad Amtrak was diligent in communicating with you guys.
I will always stick up for Amtrak as much as possible, those people and crews deal with so very much. I hope that our Amtrak Trains keep on trucking and fight through whatever they have to keep going. Thank you for all that you guys do. I also pray that America's People and transportation/water ways are protected going forward. Think we all just hit our first Road Trippin experience together.
'I hate driving...
I hate driving.
The only thing I hate more than driving is waiting!'
Priceless. Great video, only you could make me look forward to a youtube video of a drive through West Virginia. Well done.
Thanks for sticking with us! 🤣
Said a road rage killer..🎉😂
I don't like driving, but I do like getting where I am going. The trains are expensive and they suck.
You don't save anything when you take trains or busses long distance and traval more then a day. Meals, possible hotels, etc.
We do need more and better transportation in America.
I THOUGHT HE WAS SAYING OUTLOUD WHAT I WAS THINKING
More than driving, more than waiting, I bet he'd hate the Greyhound. We've had drivers lost! And people using drugs on the bus.
So sorry to hear you didn't make it Jeb! I went cross country with Amtrak this summer and it's an incredible experience. We took the Lake Shore Limited to CHI, then the Zephyr to SF, then took the Starlight to LA. We stayed multiple days in each location in case of massive delays like what happened to you. We were extremely fortunate where our only delay was getting into SF about 3.5ish hours late which actually turned into a benefit as we saw a spectacular sunset over San Francisco Bay as we got there.
That is the same trip I hope to do!
@@valeriecallaghan I just took the Zephyr this past week, oh my god it was amazing. about 3 hours late because of a derailment (the "bomb cyclone" in SF on Tuesday knocked over a tree) so 55 hours total and I can't believe I wasn't bored at any point. There was constantly stuff to see. Recommend around this time of year because of the snow on the rocky mountains and the sierras. My train was sold out almost a month in advance.
@Jon Doe yes! That is another trip on my bucket list!! Thank you! My first Amtrak experience was several years ago when my son graduated from Basic training. I didn't want to fly so I took the train so I wouldn't miss it. (Boston to San Antonio) and I absolutely loved it! Now I'm hooked and hope to see the whole country by train. Thank you for recommending the Zephyr!!
Did you hop on to go back
Last January my wife and I went from Philadelphia to San Francisco on Amtrak. The route was PHL to NYC (regional rail), NYC to CHI (Lakeshore Limited), and CHI to SF (California Zephyr). We highly recommend taking that route if you want to go cross country by train.
Hi Paul. I'm curious, were any of your connections made the same day? For example, did you arrive in CHI on the Lakeshore Limited and catch the California Zephyr the same day? Some experts I watch on TH-cam warn against same day connections because certain trains run late and cause people to miss their connections. I know Amtrak will get you a hotel if it is a guaranteed connection and both trains are made on the same reservation. So, just curious how you handled it. Thanks.
@@edeinhorn6016 Yes, the connections were the same day. We had sufficient time between the arrival of the Lakeshore Limited and the departure of the California Zephyr to take a shower in the Lounge.
@@PaulHtmnn In that case, I'm very happy for you. My wife and I will be in a roomette on the California Zephyr (first time ever) leaving Chicago to Emeryville on May 16th. Looking forward to the portion thru the Rockies! We are also taking the Texas Eagle from Los Angeles to Chicago leaving L.A. on May 3. Last year we took the Southwest Chief to Chicago and the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle. The Empire Builder had great scenery, too, but I've watched enough TH-cam videos to expect the Zephyr scenery to be even nicer! Thanks for replying to my question.
This video definitely shows how things can go VERY wrong on Amtrak sometimes. It feels so wild to me as a brit, because we complain about delay all the time, of as little as a few minutes - But then you see insane delays like this, and it certainly gives you perspective on how lucky we are. I'd love to see you two reattempt it though! Have a wonderful weekend Jeb and Suzanne!
The US rail system outside of the Northeast corridor is wholly unreliable and almost always late. It’s really an indictment on our sub par infrastructure.
@@Originalman144 I think the key problem is freight railroads owning the very track Amtrak runs on for the most part. Here, our track is owned by government body Network Rail, meaning that passenger trains get the priority they need to run properly (Well, when they do anyway)
sadly it's a catch 22. Not enough demand to expand, no expansion to raise demand. Also stems in the ?vast distances one would have to cover for trackage. And last but not least, The us is a very car centric place. Cost is another thing/ Costs thousands to do the amtrak trip, few hundred to fly in a few hours across the country. Europe is more condensed, not as many wide open spaces without population
America's rail network is like a 3rd world nation or even worse. The trains just don't have delays. They will straight up cancel and leave passengers stranded to fend for themselves. Amtrak should really just close these sketchy routs, end transcontinental service and focus on what is sustainable such as the Northeast corridor.
@@Originalman144 You nationalise at Government valuation, and you nationalise their sorry butts.
I love travel. Planes, trains, and especially automobiles. I'm a professional driver and grew up with parents who were brought up on opposite coasts. I've done dozens of cross country drives.
Ever since I came across your channel, I simply got addicted to the videos! As a tourist, I really enjoy traveling to your country and exploring the beautiful cities and landscapes you can find only in America. Thx for sharing your travel experiences and your point of view with us! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you for all the joy both you and Suzanne project! You are both a wonderful part of my day.
Thank you for posting the video even though Amtrak didn't take you all the way, but at least they stopped before the landslide, from the start of the video I was thinking, what canceled it until you mentioned March 1st...and then the news of the landslide directly, lmao. Love these videos Jeb!
I love driving. Drove 3. 5 million miles. Love riding on trains. Love flying on planes. The biggest thing I hate. Is having to ride on buses. Stay Safe out There 🇺🇸 👍🙏
I absolutely love driving across the country. It is very therapeutic to me. That being said, I would love to try traveling via rail sometime.
I went to college at Marshall University which is in Huntington WV. Idk if your familiar with the movie We Are Marshall and the plane crash that killed our football team!!! Huntington has alot of great history!! As you were driving by I seen my college apartment!!! Glad you guys were able to make it to Greensboro safe!!
I graduated from Marshall as well.
*you're
*saw
Really enjoy your trip reports. Thank you for emphasizing safety and the shoutout for the railroad folks. I'm sorry your trip got cut short, that's really a bummer. Suggestion for a new cross-country itinerary: GSO-NOL (Crescent), NOL-LAX (Sunset Ltd), LAX-SEA (Coast Starlight).
SWest Chief! Raton to Flagstaff!!😂❤
Well Thank God that you both are safe. THE SKIES DONT SEEM SO BAD, COMPARED TO SLOW TRAINS BAD MEALS, AND BEAUTIFUL SCENERY, OR A LONG DRIVE. MY son left West Virginia last summer and drove 10 hours to Myrtle Beach Airport to meet me and my daughter, who slept in, got breakfast, drove to Dulles international, boarded a tiny United jet, with a sweet flight attendant,who brought me a coke to take my. Heart medicne with. By the time i finished my coke, we were landing at Myrtle where my son had Just Arrived to meet our flight. IT WAS HEAVEN! Be Safe you and your wife are like family to me.
Hey Jeb! Thank you for posting the best travel videos. I am sorry that you guys didn’t make it 😢
I recommend taking the Carolinian from Raleigh to Washington DC and then take the capital limited from Washington to Chicago and then take the Empire builder from Chicago to Seattle
I was kind of surprised at the way you handled the train delay. You are always so upbeat and positive, wish you and Suzanne had capitalized on this road trip for 4 hours and explored a nice place for dinner so we could learn about it. Stopping for a Chic-Filet? Next time, make the most of it, show us a great place to eat and relax after all the unexpected changes.
The misadventures of your cross-country rail journey took me back to 1966 when my Mom planned a cross-country roundtrip by Trailways bus as a graduation gift, but mostly I think as an excuse to visit her mother in California. Great, crazy trip! Very memorable! Airlines were on strike, so the buses were crowded and delayed from departure. Then Greyhound bus went on strike as we were heading home, so Trailways recruited additional drivers. In the middle of the night, from Oklahoma City to Amarillo, Mom awoke and said, "This isn't Route 66." So the bus driver, in the middle of a thunder and lightening storm managed to turn the bus around on little more than a farm-track road in the middle of God knows where. Sunrise, approaching Amarillo, the driver got on the mic to say this wasn't his regular route and did anyone know the way into the Amarillo Trailways bus terminal. A big Texas woman, about 50 I guess, stepped up to the front of the bus and directed us smoothly into Amarillo. I can still hear the rough scrabble in her voice when I think back. Last leg of the trip was an unscheduled, protracted stop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania standing on the sidewalk with all the other passengers, longingly on watch for the Philadelphia bus. So near and yet so far, Mom and I, though exhausted, joked about the stories we could tell! I can almost hear her voice now after all these years.
Another video that was amazing as always. Have a great weekend Jeb and Suzanne!
I was on Empire Builder from Seattle Washington. Loved it. From there to PETERSBURG Va. Best trip I ever had.
IROPS on Amtrak are rough, partly because the trains often go through some fairly remote territory where making arrangements for alternative transportation is difficult (trying to find buses on short notice is harder than it looks). In that part of the country, there isn't a lot of alternative track that's up to anywhere near passenger standard (CSX has even fairly recently floated the idea of downgrading major parts of the Cardinal's route with the decline of coal traffic).
I was honestly expecting the Capitol Limited for the eastern leg (and maybe the Crescent to Greensboro, though getting in at zero-dark-thirty), for more Superliner action (though far less scenic than the Cardinal).
Not just the track standards, they'd also need to find engineers who were qualified on the track they were detouring over. And then get those engineers to the train. And, since those engineers don't know how to run Amtrak engines, the Amtrak engineer would need to stay on duty. And that Amtrak engineer is legally obligated to stop working after 12 hours on duty, so at that point the train is immobilized by law until you can get another Amtrak engineer to the train.
Railroad detours are fun times.
@@sturmovik1274 one of the most notable detours I can think of a few years back was the Lake Shore Limited running on the ex-Nickel Plate west of Sandusky (both the ex-Nickel Plate and the (ex-New York Central) Water Level Route are NS, which simplified getting a pilot for the detour (I think this was during Wick Moorman's tenure at AMTK, he being formerly at NS, so may have called in favors...)
I like your sleeping T-Shirt about Vermont 05:49 - I have been there in September/October during Indian Summer and it was fantastic 🍁🍂
12:56 this is absolutely crazy 😮I can’t imagine what this would have felt like to those still onboard the train
I had to rewind this moment like three times to fully comprehend what Amtrak proposed (and provided) as a solution (i.e., return to the point of departure / origin). Absolutely mind-boggling sometimes.
@@notpopeye I was just thinking what if I was travelling with kids and had a delay like that--with no car. I think I'd be wishing Id called a cab toO!
Wow! Jeff, sexy logs there oops! I mean legs while on the top bunk bed. That's still impressive that you got updates and buses were arranged then they had to backtrack to Chicago then a refund. That is great customer service, even if time was wasted everybody was safe. I'm so impressed!
Great video Jeb & Suzanne! I’m so sorry about the train plan failure! Also I think at 11:31 you should try the Amtrack route from Seattle to LA California on the Coast Starlight then LA to New Orleans Louisiana on the Sunset Limited then New Orleans to New York City to Greensboro on Amtrack’s Crescent Route! Sound good??? Also I despise driving as well! Especially long term driving or road trips! I’d much rather use the plane, the train or even the bus or a boat!!
good idea but there would be no point in taking the cardinal because the crescent stops at greensboro
@@chicagolandrailfan143 Even Better!
That actually the route or plan to take if I do a cross country amtrak trip! Except for a stop in Atlanta to see a friend and up to Washington DC to get on the Silver Star for home near Jacksonville, FL
I think it was great that, as an experienced traveler, you were proactive once faced with an uncertain delay. There is usually some kind of option available when your travel plans are interrupted, even if it means driving. Thanks for giving us a good example of taking charge of an unfortunate situation.
Noel Phillips had a similar cross country attempt, except by Greyhound bus. He ended up having to fly AMA-DFW-LGA I guess because of some bad weather affecting his bus trip
I enjoy watching Noel, and I found this particular video pretty memorable. Needless to say, turned me completely off of long-distance bus travel for the foreseeable future.
I did Southwest Chief/Coast Starlight/Empire Builder/Capitol Limited and finally Silver Meteor to Miami to see the country without car, I did stop at various places and from LA I trained down to San Diego and back to LA to continue the crossing. It was a great trip for 4 weeks in 2021 Summer.
Another entertaining video. Thanks, Jeb and Suzanne. For the next "across America" trip, maybe start in NYC and take the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago, then take the City of New Orleans to, where else, NOLA. From there take Sunset Limited to L.A. Just a thought. BTW, I truly love your videos. You two make a fantastic couple. Props to you both!
I appreciate how you’re critical
Without being entitled or spoiled
It wasn’t an ideal experience, but it’s part of travel and we were just grateful our train was safe!
I did LA->NYC via Southwest Chief and Lakeshore Limited last year, and am doing the reverse in about 2 weeks. I can't wait! Also on my list is Sunset Limited & Crescent.
Every time I see Union Station, it takes me back to when I was a little girl. We visited my grandma in the summer. My grandma lived in Gary Indiana. My aunt would pick us up in Chicago. Sometimes we would take the South Shore to Gary. Thank, you guys, for the memories !! By the way, I am 71 yrs old.
Edit: I forgot to mention how impressed I am with Amtrak’s new suites!
You should travel on Japan Airlines in their amazing business class and then try out a bunch of Japanese bullet trains
I live in NJ and my personal DREAM Amtrak cross-country route would be the *Lake Shore Limited* from NY to Chicago and then the *Southwest Chief* from Chicago to LA. Curious what you’d think!
That's exactly how I did it, coach, rt, in 2019. It's a terrific trip. NJT NE Corridor to Penn Sta, and you're on your way!
Great video. Amtrak was really good with the communications/updates. But, as long as Amtrak has to share rails with freight trains (and a freight industry that is not properly regulated), these delays will continue to occur. It's a shame that in this country we can't come together to get a better, hi-speed, rail system.
Thanks for modeling "how to make the best of travel issues". As mush as we hate delays and changes, once our trips are over we find that some of the most indelible memories and best stories are from the delays...
Oh and that second city in Indiana ends with a "leer" sound. :)
Keep traveling!
I was going to suggest a cross-country RV trip for the future, but that amount of driving might actually make Jeb go crazy.
Are there any major Amtrak lines you haven't covered yet? My other suggestion would be New York to Los Angeles, but I think you've done each of those lines separately. Maybe the Alaskan railroad this summer.
I want to do Atlanta to NYC to Montreal sometime. I am really intrigued by the idea that I can take a train all the way to Canada, and I'm thinking a trip in the fall through upstate NY would be really cool!
Its always quite sad to see a beautiful machine that isn't moving but honestly as a foreigner I hear a lot of flak given about Amtrak but watching your channel has shown me that their services, while they could be far better (Such as being double tracked and electrified) aren't actually abysmal and compared to my own home (NZ) surprisingly good and I only wish that NZ had services similar to it to minimize my need for a vehicle.
I appreciate your positivity. I really do. Your videos are good. But the positive spin you put on these popular videos about Amtrak is promoting a failing railroad that consistently fails to deliver on its promises. The best example from this video is when your wife said "it's not Amtrak's fault" after booting you off the train. Amtrak is most certainly responsible for its business arrangements with the freight companies it contracts with. It would be like saying it's not United Airlines fault a plane ride was cancelled because of a broken plane part provided by a contractor. The condition of the rails are shoddy, Amtrak's on time service is dismal, their food is awful and much of their equipment is very old. I get it! You love trains. But an Amtrak ride is an overpriced and unreliable deal.
In contrast to the host, I happen to love driving and my wife and I take road trips when ever we can. We like the freedom of going where and when we feel like it. Also, it gives us a chance to see some of those off the beaten track places where you can usually find great diners.
I heard about the landslide in West Virginia. I think it covered the tracks for about 1/4 of a mile.
Landslide are just nature and you should never underestimate the power of nature. Washington station learn that lesson the hard way.
In a small town( which is no longer there) a westbound freight train and an eastbound passenger train was forced to stop due to bad weather and a massive snow drifts. All of sudden a massive cornice broke off starting an avalanche. The avalanche came through the town and slammed into the two trains. One engine was completely knocked over while the other one was carry 200 feet downhill almost to the creek
I would suggest perhaps during the late summer/early autumn (Before winter weather massacres Amtrak schedules...) perhaps doing either the Lake Shore Limited (NY to CHI) or Capitol Limited (WAS-CHI) then any of the western trains to California. Another different option could be the Crescent to New Orleans, then the entire Sunset Limited route to LA through South Texas.
Another fun and adventurous video. Tough break with the last part. Look forward to more vids!
This is what I call an adventure. Have gone through these types of situations multiple times and just had fun. We do NOT LIVE IN A PERFECT WORLD.
Jeb has a stellar watch collection, kudos. Great to see his wife's confidence grow in front of the camera, it is no easy task, esp if it's not something you are use to or a natural at, I'd be rubbish at it. :)
Great content as usual guys. :)
Very entertaining and fun to watch. Thanks for posting this.
As a 63 year old man, I also hate driving. When I was a NYC teacher, I drove every day. Now that I’m retired, I hardly ever drive. I live just 4 minutes, by foot, to an LIRR station that has trains directly to Penn or the new GCM. In additional, I have rail access to JFK, and Amtrak’s North East Corridor.
Indeed appreciate your valuable vlogs, Jeb, a thank you is not enough!
The next time you do something like this, do some sort of four corner thing. Start in Miami, ride north to NY on a Silver Service, ride from NY to Boston on the Acela, hop the Downeaster up to Brunswick, ME and back, take the Lake Shore Limited from Boston to Chicago, take the Empire Builder to Seattle, then Amtrak Cascades to Vancouver, BC. After returning to Seattle, take the Coast Starlight to LA and from there hop the Pacific Surfliner to San Diego and back. From LA, take the Sunset Limited to New Orleans, and hop the Crescent back to Greensboro.
If Your Going West Start in New York to Chicago and get on Empire builder!!
If u and Mrs Brooks are going East Start in LA and Ride to New Orleans and get on the Carolina back to Greensboro
Love the channel ❤️
I did High Point NC to Irvine CA pre covid. Carolinian to Washington, Capitol Limited to Chicago, Southwest Chief to LA and Pacific Surfliner to Irvine. Not many delays and it was summer time. Better weather. Now I fly to Chicago and take westbound trains from there.
There's this really awesome rest-stop on I-64 in WV called Tamarack. Stopped there ages ago. It's an attraction unto itself.
True, its in Beckley, WV
I feel you❣️ Amtrak’s motto should be:”We will arrive there… eventually… one day… not in a hurry!” But we still love it;) in two weeks me and my 6 year old will embark on a month-long journey to cross the country counter clock-wise: from New Orleans to NYC- then to Boston- then to Chicago- then to Denver- then to Salt Lake- then to San Francisco - then to LA and San Diego- then to San Antonio - and back to New Orleans! I bought two Amtrak passes for $299 each when they were on sale this year(usually they are $500 each!).
Have a great trip!
I’m with you, Jeb. I hate both driving/road trips and waiting. But I admire your perspectives and how you did not blame Amtrak. Still very much enjoyed this video.
Amtrak is a great way to view the backyards of America
The drive through West Virginia & North Carolina is just scenic as the cancelled train trip . Thank you for sharing
Jen, you look just like an old dad measuring the beds. Pretty cute.
Your trip is apart of this historic time of train derailments. So glad you two are safe! I’ve enjoyed this series!
I am so impressed with you both being positive through this experience. It makes the video a true joy to watch. Looking forward to your cross-country via Amtrak attempt number 2!
Home sweet home is a good conclusion to this adventure, in spite of the bumps along the way. Thanks for letting us tag along, Jeb and Suzanne! 😊
Jeb not only hates driving, he also hates windshield wipers since the "bird friendly" feature was there 4 hours later...🤣🤣🤣...love your channel sir!
See, I’m just the opposite… I love road trips, and I live driving! I would have been almost as excited to be driving, honestly. But to each their own. Glad you guys are safe and made it home okay.
A Jeb Brooks RailroadRoad journey.Thanks for sharing. Greetings from Australia.
You guys should come to Canada, starting in Halifax, get on the VIA Rails Ocean train to Toronto. Then get on board the VIA rail Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver.. or Toronto to Jasper and transfer to the Skeena a day time train over 2 days, which will take you from Jasper to Prince Rupert BC.
We love all your videos, thank you so much for everything you do to bring us this information. Cheers!
The single level Viewliners (which to my knowledge are really only required for New York and Boston routes due to lower tunnel clearances) are more comfortable sleeping accommodations than the bi-level Superliners when traveling with 2 people in the same compartment. You mentioned 2 reasons - the additional headroom for the upper bunk as well as the top bunk having its own window. The third advantage is the much lower height of the top bunk and therefore shorter, easier, and less precarious ladder climb to access it. Not to mention, for people with limited mobility, when booking a standard bedroom on a Viewliner you don't have to navigate (and haul your bags up) that narrow staircase that is found on a Superliner bi-level car where the five standard bedrooms are all on the second floor level.
If you're traveling solo, there's a tradeoff. On the Viewliner you can leave the top bunk set up for sleep the entire trip including for naps during the day and use the lower couch for routine stuff day or night. On the other hand with a Superliner I'd take advantage of the top bunk by using it for luggage storage and enjoy the extra floor space and headroom below without your travel bags cluttering up the area.
Hey Jeb. As a veteran Amtrak rider, I’ve got two suggestions for you for when you and Suzanne (hope I got the spelling right) attempt the cross country Amtrak trip again. First suggestion (going through Chicago) is the Carolinian to New York City, the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago and the California Zephyr to Emeryville. Second suggestion (avoiding Chicago) is the Carolinian to DC, the Crescent to New Orleans and the Sunset Limited to Los Angeles. Good luck!
Yes you got it right!✅ Appreciate the suggestions, can’t wait to try it again!
I love driving, seeing America at a slower pace than 500 mph& 35,000 ft. Just drove home (buisness trip) from Spartanburg SC to Milwaukee WI. Smokies was a great drive and my pace is more fun than a ridge mass transportation schedule. Of coutse plans and trains have thier usefulness too. Nice going on that rental car to get home.
I live in Clifton forge so when I saw it on the route I was super excited to watch! But it was a huge bummer when yall did get make it to clifton or Charlottesville. Definitely try this route again! The mountains here are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen, and on the way out of clifton when you go under the 2nd bridge after the yard/station while yall turn, look for the American flag on the mountain side. It's always there and it's a nice scene, I remember watching the guy put it there. Beautiful scenery, definitely try again, you won't be disappointed!
I have done several Coast to Coast trips on Amtrak and would recommend the California Zephyr from Emeryville to Chicago and then the Lakeshore Limited to Boston.
One time on the east bound Zephyr we were held in a small Kansas town for 12 hours because the westbound Zephyr was stuck in a snowbank east of town. Once we got moving again and farther down the line we hit a pick up truck that had been abandoned at a crossing . No injuries, but another six hours before we were on our way again. We were over 18 hours late arriving in Chicago. Everybody got vouchers and thank God I was in a Roomette. They kept us fed and reasonably comfortable and it allowed me an extra night in my room rather than spending a night on the floor at union station in Chicago, lol.
I did feel bad for the coach passengers, though.
The two reasons I have been watching ALL YOUR TRAIN VIDEOS is I hope to tour the Country by train as I am getting Older... I also came down with a head banger of a Virus 8 days before Christmas and found your videos actually rather soothing. I have already put 345,000 miles on my Toyota Tacoma TRD driving from San Diego to Seattle and then across the top of the Country to Portland Maine and then down via the Southern Route back to San Diego and visiting hundreds of places in between 6 times... Just put the engine on Cruise at 70 mph, sit back and relax. I was looking for a way to Escape California in 2005 and finally after 8 years settled in West Georgia where my property taxes on a half acre, 3 bedroom home are $228.00 a year due to not having any children in school and being over 65. Georgia also does not tax 99% of my retirement... With children in school it would be around $1,800. instead of the $6,000 - $8,000 in San Diego. So glad I escaped California.. Georgia is a Free State but the Left is actually paying people to come live here to ruin it....
Sorry to hear about your unfortunate experience on the Cardinal. I went through a similar situation on the Texas Eagle on September 14, 2021. I was on my from Chicago to San Antonio, after getting off an ON TIME Cardinal. I was alerted ahead of time from Amtrak that the train was only going as far as Fort Worth and that transportation was going to be provided. It well in spite of. I waited in Fort Worth for about 15-20 minutes. There were 2 buses. 1 was an express to San Antonio, which arrived there 3 hours ahead of the train schedule. My return trip drama was on September 23. After getting off an on time Texas Eagle, the Cardinal left Chicago on time, I was heading home to Philadelphia, until it got to Indianapolis, IN. We sat there for about 5 hours or more due to a derailed freight train. To make matters worse, after we got moving, we stopped again for a STALLED FREIGHT TRAIN near the Cincinnati, OH train station. we sat in the freight yard for about 7 hours or more. Even after THAT train cleared, the freight company held us even longer. I was scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia at 8:30 Friday night. My actual arrival time was 5:30 Saturday morning. Hopefully both of our next Amtrak adventures go more smoother. Glad you and your wife are safe.
Definitely you should do the empire builder but from Portland Union Station or Amtrak Cascades to Seattle
Avis RSA in Maine here. Glad you chose us when you had to go to Plan B! I do love Amtrak
I saw video of that derailment crash on YT and it was really bad (22 cars). Amazing the crew on that train survived! And the track was badly damaged. A passenger train would have been devastating! I know with metrolink (SoCal's light rail) trains when they break down it takes quite a while to get alternate transportation. for them. I hope you do your cross country trip soon. I LOVE watching your train videos. They're fun and educational. I hope to do some more Amtrak traveling myself. Coast Starlight and Zeph trains as well as the Rocky Mountaineer.
Now Amtrak did a really good job communicating and problem solving.. salute
My daughters and I LOVE your videos, and we actually are planning on taking the Empire Builder from Portland to Chicago this October. I love Amtrak, but had a similar misadventure back in 2003, when the Crescent I was on struck a dump truck on the tracks outside of Manassas, VA. We made the national news, and it took another 8 hours for me to travel to Philadelphia (my final destination).
I can learn from your positive outlook.
Darn!! I was looking forward to your stop in Harpers Ferry, WV. My mom lived there, and I took Amtrack several times from Jacksonville, Florida. It's such a special, beautiful and historical town. My trip had a six hour layover in DC, which allowed for sightseeing and some good food. Glad you made it home safely and quickly.
Rail nice - I see what you did there :) - enjoy the train videos as always!
I guess I've been lucky, the worse delay I've had was an hour on the Texas eagle. On the Zephyr it was so early I jumped off at Richmond and caught the BART into town. I was in the hotel before the coaches had left Emeryville. You really need to come and do a few Train trips in Europe
Yes… i can understand what you had to go through. I also live in Greensboro and ride Amtrak a lot out of Greensboro… but here is a trick to save money if you are up driving. When I have taking the train from Greensboro and changing in either Charlottesville or Washington to get to Chicago… so I drive 3.5 hours north on 52 to Beckley and catch the west board Capitol in a town called Prince…. This is a great money saver and you don;t have to get up early to catch the train out of Greensboro. The train out of Prince (if it is on time leaves 6:30 and parking is free…. My car has not been stolen or broken into yet and I have been doing this… when the weather is good.. for the past 8 years. … try it you will like it…
The Southwest Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles is an absolutely amazing and sometimes stunning train trip as it flies across Kansas at over 90 mile an hour overnight and then crawls very slowly through narrow canyon walls you could almost touch if the windows opened through New Mexico.
And the Union station in Kansas City along the way is an absolute marvel of earl 20th century architecture and engineering, it is the third biggest train station in the country (because of its location) and is absolutely spectacular inside, soaring murals and giant windows casting shafts of light across huge multi-colored marble tile floors.
And it's across the street from the nation's official World War I memorial a museum which is equal to anything in d.c. , an incredible thing to see if you have the time.
I would recommend taking your favorite route to Chicago and then taking the Southwest Chief, it is really amazing and I have always been impressed with the Amtrak service in its roomettes, it is for me the only way to travel if somebody has the time.
And often the upgrade from a seat to a room at is extremely affordable at check-in, that's the way I've always done it!
I have gone around quite a bit of the US by train.
Next will be from Pomona CA to New Orleans to Clemson SC, then Delaware to Syracuse to Chicago to Fargo to Whitefish to Seattle and back down to Ventura CA. Will be visiting in each place mentioned. Love the train. Grew up riding the train as my Dad worked for the Great Northern. We used to ride the single passenger coach on the fast mail train between Whitefish and Minot. Great memories.
I live in Indiana and I wish I could sleep through most of it. The only reason I love it is because I no longer have to live in Illinois.
My son and I did this trip a couple of years ago. After seeing Idaho, I'm sorry we slept through it. We loved the trip and would gladly do it again. We had a roomette and it was a little tight but much better than coach. Thanks so much for this great video!
Thanks for watching! Never really know what you’ll see on Amtrak!
I went to law school in North Carolina and grew up near Huntington, so I’ve made that drive you made (for the most part) a fair amount. It was always raining in West Virginia, it seemed.
I've used amtrack to get to university a few times and you really have to be flexible with your plans and have a back up in place. Every time there has been a delay employees have always been incredibly helpful throughout the entire process.
So funny and humorous felt like I was watching a favor soap. I look forward to watching trains, planes and yes when you rented a car to get home from Chicago. You both are the story makers love you both.
So cool that your where I live Huntington wv. I love all your videos. Thanks for sharing.
*you're
I lived in Huntington while attending Marshall.
Coincidentally I took both the Empire Builder and Cardinal Limited trains to visit two friends recently. I took the Empire Builder from Milwaukee to visit one friend in Yakima, Washington in the summer and I took the Cardinal Limited from Chicago (took the Hiawatha from Milwaukee to get to Chicago) to visit another friend who lives near DC in Church Falls, Virgina in the fall. I ended up taking the Capitol Limited in the way back to Chicago to try two different trains on that last trip. I still prefer the double level Superliner (like on Empire Builder and Capitol Limited) vs the single level viewliner (like on the Cardinal Limited).
Jeb, The longest uninterrupted Amtrak trip I ever took (without an overnight stay in a hotel) was in March of 1981. MSP-SEA, SEA-LA: 3,176 miles and 70:44 hours. All Coach. Empire Builder and the Coast Starlight. Stayed pretty much on time all the way through.
Still looked like an awesome train trip. Good thing you got the car though... 👍👍👍
Been there/done that. I did a three day Amtrak trip to from Atlanta to Denver which followed a similar route - Atlanta to Washington DC to Chicago to Denver. I enjoyed every minute of it, including the several hours each in DC and Chicago to do a little sightseeing and then sleeping away the long hours between cities. But for the return journey, I only made it as far as Denver to Chicago before the rest of the trip was canceled (due to a washed out track from heavy rains, I think) and I ended up flying home from O'Hare. Actually it wasn't so bad after all, since I did the whole train trip one way, and didn't necessarily need to see everything again going home (the only reason I was taking the train both ways was because I was traveling with different people each time, and they both wanted to experience the journey.)
Suzanne is such a good sport with a positive outlook. Her input makes the trip that much more enjoyable. How would I do this trip? Fly into LAX, take the Coast Starlight to Seattle; take the Cascades to Vancouver; take the Canadian (Via Rail) from Vancouver to Toronto, then catch a train from Toronto to Montreal, then take the Ocean all the way out to Halifax, grab the shuttle to Yarmouth and take the Cat (ferry) from Nova Scotia to Bar Harbor; grab a flight from Bar Harbor to Boston and fly home.