Honestly I think war movies that are fun tend to be the most realistic. Like in OPERATION DUMBO DROP. Why should war movies be downers. I like these other fun war movies. 1941. THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY. BILOXI BLUES. CATCH-22. THE DIRTY DOZEN. FATHER GOOSE. FORREST GUMP. GOOD MORNING VIETNAM. KELLY'S HEROES. MASH. MISTER ROBERTS. NO MAN'S LAND. OPERATION PETTICOAT. THE SECRET WAR OF HARRY FRIGGS. THREE KINGS. WHAT PRICE GLORY.
Three weeks isn’t enough to “speak” a language. Just be aware of that, you’ll know some phrases and be able to kinda converse but not well It takes years to decently speak a language. Just be aware of that and have fun learning
Absolutely beautiful I'm an Air Force veteran and a Long haul truck driver. Me and my wife are going to do a bunch of Amtrak cross-country vacations before we even do a cruise ship! Absolutely spectacular!
Why do people feel the need to announce their military service where it's not even relevant? Wait I know...because getting a "thank you for your service" in the comments for the world to see boosts your ego. You probably have a bumper sticker too right? Only the silent and non-validation seeking people get my respect.
Enjoy. I have done a few of them, and they are wonderful. On many they have guides that give great insights. Oh yeah, and trust me on this, try the steak in the dining car.
The amount of money that Amtrak charges they should have updated, beautiful sleepers. Their trains are disgusting. I have seen other trains from other countries where you could literally eat off the floor. Amtrak needs to do better, a lot better. They charge a ridiculous amount for what you get.
I couldn't agree with you more. But that's what happens when one company has a monopoly on a particular service. No competition equals complacency, bad service, and poor quality. And people are clamoring for government control healthcare. As if the government hasn't prove time and time again its inability to manage anything.
@jorgevillavicencio427 Amtrak is virtually the only intercity passenger service because the private railroads all wanted to get out of the passenger business, and dumped their passenger services on the government at the end of the 1960s. If not for Amtrak, we would have no intercity passenger rail service at all, except maybe in a few small parts of the country. TLDR: They have no competition because almost nobody else wants to be in this business.
Most of the profits go to shareholders and special interests. A clear sign the USA is declining and falling behind in service and technology. The. Trains speed and service is definitely 1990's😊
@@j2b348 Are you talking about Amtrak's profits? Most of the time they don't make a profit. And their only shareholder is the U.S. government. If you're talking about the freight railroads, yes -- they are completely oriented around shareholder profits, and it's had a very destructive effect on every aspect of rail transportation.
Enjoyed your video. Well done. Just finished my own long distance Amtrak trip last week, New Orleans to Charlotte, NC on the Crescent, Charlotte to Raleigh, NC a short 3-4 hour trip on the Carolinian and finally Raleigh to Tampa on the Silver Star. Roomettes on first and third legs of my trip. 54 hours with both layovers totaling just over 15 hours. Note delays on third leg added 3 extra hours. I agree about the top bed rattling being irritating 😝 but the food was great, the attendants awesome and the travel enjoyable. Been traveling Amtrak for 40 years.
I have traveled a lot by train. Travel by train is scenic and if you like leisurely atmosphere is worthwhile. But the cars need a major upgrade with spaces and creature comfort. Advertise vacation packages. More upper berth space. Equal to the lower.
I roade aboard the Crescent in nNovember 2017. I stayed in a Viewliner. I am a hard core rail fan. I can hear the crescent pass through my town here in NJ everyday ON TIME too.
Long time Amtrak afficiado here. I used to reside in Charlottesville VA and would ride to NYC yo transfer to the Vermonter. Now Greensboro NC is my home and im pleasantly surprised that i can travel directly to Charlottesville via The Crescent
Just completed a trip on the Silver Meteor and Capitol Limited. My first in a sleeper. I was in a Viewliner I and II - I must say I prefer the Viewliner II. I loved the traditional dining. My next trip is going to be out west to California. Still have to figure the sleeping arrangements - I sleep inclined and that was a bit difficult in a roomette. But still enjoyed it tremendously - looking forward to my next trip!
@daniellucas, the Superliners you are facing in a trip to California have a lot less headroom in the upper bunks than Viewliners. I don't know how you are arranging inclined sleeping in a Viewliner, but on a Superliner, I think you want the lower bed, for sure. I haven't seen Superliner accommodations in person, but the lower bunks seem to be similar to Viewliners, both in bedrooms and roomettes.
@@catreader9733 Thanks - I am really looking forward to my trip out west. I sleep in the lower berth - even if I do not good a good sleep - it is still a very enjoyable trip.
The bit at 5:51 made me realize how sad it is that there's no direct passenger rail connection between Atlanta and Orlando. That's gotta change. Currently, you have to take Crescent up north to VA, then transfer to the Silver Service.
Rail travel is the only way to go,very scenic, comfortable,fun and most of the scenery is beautiful.From penn station to Niagara Falls , especially in the fall and winter,love Amtrak💯👍🏼❤️
The word "bayou" is thought to originate from the Choctaw word bayuk, which means "small stream". After first appearing in the 17th century, the term is found in 18th century accounts and maps, often as bayouc or bayouque, where it was eventually shortened to its current form. The Bayou Bartholomew is the longest bayou in the world. It’s so large, it stretches across both Arkansas and Louisiana, is 375 miles long, and boasts more than 100 different types of fish. The first settlements of the Bayou Têche and other bayous were founded by the Louisiana Creoles. The term Créole was originally used by French Creoles to distinguish people born in Louisiana from those born elsewhere. Creoles are people of multiracial European, African, and Native American descent. Many in Louisiana are descendants of Acadians who were forcibly expelled from what's now maritime Canada by the British. Many went to France before later settling in Louisiana after the then Spanish Province of Louisiana government encouraged them to settle there to populate with more Catholic settlers. This subset of Creoles of Acadia descent are the Cajuns! Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans opened in 1954 and was built just west of the older New Orleans Union Station to consolidate the city's passenger rail operations. Previously, New Orleans had been served by five stations-Union Station, the Southern Railway Terminal, T&P Station, Louisiana & Arkansas Station, and Louisville & Nashville Station. New Orleans is derived from the original French name La Nouvelle-Orléans, which was given to the city in honor of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, who served as Louis XV's regent from 1715 to 1723. The French city of Orléans itself is named after the Roman emperor Aurelian, originally being known as Aurelianum.
The Roomette was *cozy* and *quiet.* I found it very calming, especially during the worst days of Covid - as I’d be less likely to get it *and then give it to my aged parent.*
Been riding Amtrak for over three decades. Every kind of accommodation. Ridden every VIA Rail route too, trains in Europe, Russia, Australia, China, other countries too. I love Amtrak.
@@RonGersteinOnce you get beyond the district, most of the tracks are not underground and operate largely at grade level. The Silver line has substantial overhead trackage around Dulles International Airport and at the stations.
Just rode the Acela from Boston to Wilmington. We reached 150mph for an entire 4 minutes! We were an hour and a half late with several delays which, unfortunately, the crew rarely bothered to mention over the PA system. The train is old, worn and just uninspiring. The NEC tracks are horrible and I found the majority of the freight tracks in the journey from Wilmington to San Diego smoother than the NEC. The NEC is a money pit that management tries to hold up as the premier train in the US. The Pacific Surfliner line is in far better shape and is constantly being improved and double tracked. As a retired Amtrak Conductor, I find the hype over the NEC embarrassing and the Acelas an incredible waste of money. Sad. And the fact that Traditional Dining is still in the distant future shows that management either doesn’t care or is completely inept. There’s no excuse for still serving the marginal meals in Flexible Dining.
Been in the roomette for 3 trips, the private toilet is the absolute best, just bring your own airspray and your good, there is no better feeling than having plenty of time when you leave New Orleans with a hangover and more
Superb, brilliant narration...the sojourn comes alive! I have taken the Crescent several times during my stay in the United States, with 'break-journey' at different locations, rather than a single-shot journey. The video is informative, brings out aspects surrounding the journey "inside-out": in that, the inside configurations, and the scenery outside. It is heartening that people in the States, like those in my own country (India) have started taking the train. Like they used to advertise..."See America at the "see" level" ! Bravo, 'Lone Star' ! Please keep up the Good Work ! I cannot help but compare: Just like Peter Masella brings aviation alive, with the intricacies elucidated, Lone Star is a terrestrial analogue of Peter !!!
The Crescent is a direct descendant of the Southern Railway’s Southerner, a streamlined passenger train that ran from 1941 to 1970. The name, however, comes from the Crescent, another Southern route, which took a more coastal route to New Orleans via Mobile. These two routes were combined into the Southern Crescent in 1970. Amtrak took over the train in 1979 and simplified the name to “Crescent.” The name “Crescent” refers to one of New Orleans’s nicknames, the Crescent City, referring to the bend of the Mississippi River as it flows through the city! Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans opened in 1954 and was built just west of the older New Orleans Union Station to consolidate the city's passenger rail operations. Previously, New Orleans had been served by five stations, Union Station, the Southern Railway Terminal, T&P Station, Louisiana & Arkansas Station, and Louisville & Nashville Station! While it stops at Trenton after Newark Penn on its way to New Orleans, on the way back, it stops at Metropark before Newark Penn! Metropark is named such because it was one of two park-and-ride infill stations proposed in the 1960s for use by the new Metroliners. Capital Beltway Metropark in Lanham, Maryland and Garden State Metropark in Iselin, Woodbridge Township near the interchange of Route 27 and Garden State Parkway were the two proposed, with both later shortened to Capital Beltway and Metropark respectively. Capital Beltway station closed in 1983 when New Carrollton station opened! Because of Metropark, a large business park grew, called "the first Edge City in the world to grow from a parking lot". Today, besides being an Acela stop and other Amtrak services, Metropark is among the busiest NJT stations, and many Staten Islanders from the South Shore of Staten Island drive out to Metropark for their commute to Manhattan. The Metroliners were the predecessor of the Acela, operating from 1969 to 2006. Service originally ran with Budd Metroliners, self-powered electric multiple unit cars designed for high-speed service. These proved unreliable and were replaced with locomotive-hauled trains in the 1980s. When the Acela was introduced in 2000, due to equipment troubles, the Metroliners stayed in service until 2006 when the Acela fully replaced them.
Thank you for the great history...my brother and I grew up shuttling between Savannah and Wilson, NC on the engine 52 train, which is now the sentinel of the Train Museum in Savannah. Wonderful childhood memories of train crew members singing to us, making us laugh. They were special people. 😊
For prepacked food during travel, it looks very good. As for the bumps, try riding in a semi on the interstates across the northeast. Anything not tied, velcroed, or taped down turns into flying debrie. 😂😂😂
Glad to see you back in the comments! Sorry it's been a while, but I assure you the wait will be worth it in the long run. Can't wait to share some really incredible rides on the Shinkansen plus many more sleeper trains!
As well as the Amfleet II coaches that ride with the Viewliner I sleepers... However, presently Amtrak is still refurbishing the Superliner long distance fleets and the Amfleet I short distance regional coaches... The pandemic has been over for a few Yeats now, Amtrak has had plenty of time to retrain and recruit new diner staff that were furloughed during the pandemic...
If I recall correctly, Amtrak is currently designing the refresh for the V1s, with actual refurb work expected to begin this year. (Though knowing Amtrak it likely wont begin until early next year)
I saw a video of a rider's viewpoint on the new Venture coach cars. They look more a bit more like aircraft seating, including less cushioning, significantly shorter seat pan, narrower, less leg room, and less recline; the rider liked the seats less than on Amfleet (not sure which version), but he said the coach chasses rode much more smoothly. I ride Amfleet coaches on the more part of the Northeast Corridor*; the trackage is so rough, I don't know whether I would prefer more smoothness under foot or under butt. The cars are holding up pretty well on the several trains I ride, and I doubt that even a new Venture coach or Viewliner II can be quiet or smooth. *No dedicated tracks; I think it's all Norfolk Southern where I ride.
@@catreader9733 Yes, it used to be Southern Railways and well maintained. Norfolk and Southern is more about profits and investors than maintenance and not blocking passenger service. There is the old conflict !
When I lived in Boston and had to be in New York, I always took the Amtrak Acela first class. I did not know why there were fights. Seemed even then a thing of the past. My experience on the train refrained me from even considering a longer trip. 1400 miles would take one day back here in Europe. And in quieter and well kept trains.
Rode Atl to Chattanooga in late 50s dad was Southern R R conductor, in summer months old guys and I mean old took vacation so for about 2 weeks he could get off freights. Enjoyed show.
Another "Well Done!" The quality of the audio (new microphone?) and the mixing with music blending in this video was stellar! I had a good laugh when you showcased and discussed the Acela, especially with that period electronic drum sound, "dush dush," in the background. The drums and train were period matched. Very enjoyable!
Thanks a ton! I haven't gotten a new mic (yet), but I have been adjusting the balance every now and then, so good to know this one sounds better. I didn't even notice the Acela/music time sync lol. Anyway glad you enjoyed and thanks as always for stopping by!
The Crescent is practically the Texas Eagle’s eastern cousin in that it’s a very similar journey time and has been one of the least favored routes by management, running it without a dining car, thereby eliminating a lounge space altogether! The Crescent did just have a dining car restored, but it still serves reheated meals and coach passengers are barred from entering it!
Yet the Crescent runs through the heart of Dixie with inferior Amtrak services. Running through Charlotte and Greenville during the wee hours of the morning through three plus million metros... Amtrak should be ashamed...
I agree that the Cresent has gone down in quality compared to years past. It had a full service dinner open to both sleeping car and coach passengers. Amtrak should return to full dinning car service on all long distance trains. The train should also have a full size Amfleet dinette/ lounge car to provide a space for passengers to socialize and relax in other than their coach seats or sleeping car. This is really needed if you are not allowing coach passengers to use the dinning car. But with advanced reservations and pre paid meal cost, I feel they should be able to accommodate coach passengers in the dinning car.
I don’t know why they don’t like this train. It always did good business between Washington DC and Atlanta. It was a good overnight train between these two cities. Today since it has been down graded it usually runs with as low as two coaches and two sleeping cars. With a full service dinner and lounge I am sure they could fill more coach seats as well as sleepers. But you know the newest Amtrak directors only seem interested in the northeast trains as well as state supported shorter distance trains. Long distance trains especially here in the east that serve Chicago, Atlanta, and northern Florida could still do good business due to the overnight schedule serving these cities. However it needs good marketing and advertising to make it work.
The Amtrak experience hit rock bottom when Dining Car service was removed on all over-night trains east of the Mississippi just prior to 2020. Service is so bad now in the "snack-car" that if you order a mixed drink (I always enjoyed a Bloody-Mary at my seat or in my Roomette) the Amtrak attendant will just throw all the ingrediencies into a carboard box along with a cup of ice expecting you to mix everything yourself. Ridiculous.
@stillplayswithtrains From 3 years old, I had an N gauge 🚂 train set, which my Daddy assembled on a big board with tiny cars & train tracks and a body of 🌊 and 🏢🏫 ⛽ 🚉 buildings like a church and gas station and 🌲 🌴🌳 trees and 🏠🏡 houses. My Daddy and brother had HO ⚖️ scale 🚆🚂 trains. Sorry 😐 Amtrak is now downright tacky. I have been through 14 states between early 1970's: last year of Santa Fe and First year of Amtrak 🚆🧳 through 2002. I have been shocked seeing all the graffiti and homeless encampments from West Coast Amtrak You Tube train channels. Have a 🙂👍 nice Labor Day Weekend.✨🕊️
Great to see you take this trip! I took the Crescent northbound and southbound a few weeks ago, on either side June 1st. My return trip was indeed complete with the dining car and I got to enjoy both flexible dining meals of dinner and breakfast there. Funnily enough, the northbound train had a very similar issue with coupling the ACS-64 in Washington DC - it took them three tries and a little ribbing between the crew to get everything all lined up. Additionall, you mentioned that the Viewliner I sleepers don't have name placards, but I did find on the TrainWeb site that your sleeper car number 62046 is listed as "Tranquil View". On my trip south, the name of my Viewliner I sleeper "Mystic View" was only present on the outside of the sliding vestibule door. I would have never known otherwise.
Hey! Great to see you stopping by! Glad you could experience the Crescent first hand. It's certainly not Amtrak's flashiest route, but it's a great experience nonetheless. Funny the coupling thing still seems to be an issue lol. Also I saw the name thing listed on TrainWeb as well. From the pictures on there, it looks like the V1s actually had their names listed on the placards up until around 2009ish. Not sure why they were removed, as that's always a fun piece of info to see.
if you are just into taking train rides. do the darango silverton and stay over nite and take the bus back to durango colorado. fun and loads of seeing stuff
Birmingham intermodal station is a definite upgrade from the previous musty underground hole it used to have. My only gripe is that I wish they could have removed the steps from the platform and built an escalator. Those steps are brutal to traverse up and down with baggage.
On trains, you can walk almost anywhere , visit club or lounge cars or observation car. No one has to sit for hours unless they want to. Only airplanes trap passengers.
Birmingham is apparently one day hoping to introduce lightrail and commuter rail service which may explain the spur being built at the platform stub end.
Please explain that Amtrak doesn’t own the tracks; the freight companies do. That’s why the freight trains always get priority over Amtrak. Also, it’s funding comes from Congress; so blame your Congress person for the fact that it’s not as up-to-date as it could be.
Thank you for repeating this. We have to educate people that services like Amtrak do not just happen...the Public must show support for it , because it is needed by so many people, and enjoyed by so many others.
honestly, do we need to have more tracks when train is not widely used as cars and planes. i think he doesnt needs to explain why freight trains get priorities.
I had a sleeper car from Chicago to san Antonio the year just before they ended the dining car......... It was nothing fancy bit it was a cool experience and the food wasnt terrible. 3 meals a day were included and you had free range of the menu. They did not include an alcoholic beverage though. I heard they switched to a more airline meals with food trays......... Im not sure what is the better option but what the were doing before was great.
Fantastic video documentary. So helpful for me an elderly larger passenger doing this same trip in November. Loved the descriptions. Wondering if there is a general use disabled toilet on the train and or shower room
I Really like your Video. After showing the many features on Amtrak I'm looking forward to traveling on the Southern Cresent at a future date. I booked my Cousins trip on the Cresent several years Ago . He was traveling home to Meridian Mississippi. He said it was A fantastic trip. I really looking forward to Traveling on the Southern Cresent. Thank you.
My mom took the Cresent from northern VA to southern MS. It was a horrible experience for her back. The most beautiful scenery is passed during the night and the rails are so rough. The sleeper car is on the very end of the train, making it an even rougher experience. I wouldn’t call it first class by any means.
Very informative!! During the '80's, Amtrak had a heritage sleeper car that went from L.A.-NYC which was placed behind the baggage car going East to N.O. I had to walk up interior stairs to get to the 2nd level & several cars to get to the Superliner Dining car. I didn't mind it. I could stay on board overnight in both directions in N.O. without the hassle of renting a hotel room or hanging out in the station. When I awakened the next morning, my sleeper car had already been switched onto the Northbound Cresent & underway. There were no complimentary meals on any of Amtrak's trains for any passenger, but fares were cheaper. There was a full-service dining car & separate lounge cafe car then & the food was good. Amtrak even had a Slumber Coach (spartan version of a Roomette) between NYC & Atlanta. With cutbacks, services were slowly eliminated. It was a huge disappointment when Amtrak eliminated the transcontinental thru sleeper car. I remember when the Viewliner I Sleeper cars were new. I still prefer the old single level heritage cars where murphy beds would let down over toilets in Roomettes. Getting up at night to void was a hassle unless I was in a Bedroom where the toilet & sink was enclosed with no shower. I can only reminisce.
In 2001, getting stuck up north while on vacation on 9/11, my partner and I managed to get tickets from Ohio to Florida (possible back then), as well as the last roomette from NYC to Fl. It was a safe trip home after the chaos of the week, despite the roomette being small and with a toilet you would never want to use next to your bed. Lol. Two of us made it work, but the trip was quite boring, since this was before smart phones and such. The dining car offered several options back then with the meals served on plates, not plastic microwave ware... and the area was used during the off dining hours as the smoking area...yeah, times have changed! Lol
I took an Acela "first class" from NYC to Boston recently. It didn't feel like a first class experience. Food was also similar to low end airline coach.
Metuchen, NJ is derived from Chief Matouchin of the Raritan people who first lived in the area. Atlanta was founded in 1837 as the end of the Western & Atlantic Railroad line and was first named Marthasville in honor of the then-governor's daughter. It was nicknamed Terminus for its rail location, and then changed soon after to Atlanta, the feminine of Atlantic, as in the railroad! Charlottesville, Virginia is named after Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage in September 1761 until her death in 1818. Charlotte, North Carolina is named after the same person. The footage at 10:06 is the train crossing the Susquehanna River, which at 444 miles (715 km) long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the United States. The Susquehanna River is one of the oldest existing rivers in the world, being dated as 320-340 Myr, older than the mountain ridges through which it flows Gainesville, Georgia was given the name "Gainesville" at the suggestion of Justice John Vance Cotter in honor of Gen. Edmund P. Gaines who was one of the Army's senior commanders during its formative years in the early to mid-1800s, and was a veteran of the War of 1812, Seminole Wars, Black Hawk War, and Mexican-American War. As commander of Fort Stoddert in 1807, he detained Aaron Burr, and Gaines subsequently testified at Burr's trial for treason. During the War of 1812, Gaines advanced through the ranks to colonel as commander of the 25th Infantry Regiment and he fought with distinction at the Battle of Crysler's Farm. Gaines was promoted to brigadier general during the war, and received a brevet promotion to major general. Gaines' post-war service included diplomacy with and military engagements against various tribes of Native Americans, though Gaines later opposed Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy. The Gainesville in Florida was named after the same person.
@@peregrino9154 It means there is no short order cook onboard the train in a diner. Considering the cost of the ride in a sleeper accommodation, surely Amtrak can serve "diner" food, not microwaved pre-prepared frozen food entrees... I recall my first train ride during the early 1960s on the Burlington Texas Zephyr on a trip to see my grandparents living in Denver from Houston. A route I wish Amtrak would bring back into service. Burlington offered a T-bone steak for dinner... Amtrak needs to UP their game...
Nice video. Nice room tours. Did I miss the part where you explained why the trip was "disappointing"? When the first word of your title is "DISAPPOINTING", I was hoping for an explanation of why that is. Maybe in future videos you can spend a minute or two at the end of each video with a summary of what you liked and what you didn't like about the journey, the train, the staff, or whatever else makes sense for you to include.
They just added the dining car back on the train last week. Oh and Brightline in Florida is considered high speed rail so its not just Acela anymore. Great video!
I heard! Glad it's back, but also sucks it's still flex meals. At least it's a step in the right direction! And Brightline isn't just considering HSR, they're building it! They broke ground on the LA-LV line earlier this year, and hopefully the line will be open in 2028!
@@LonestarTrips They're also building Merced to Bakersfield high speed rail line in California! When going down the 99 or the San Joaquins you can see some of the bridges and viaducts!
@@shreychaudhary4477 The project you're referring to is California High Speed Rail, but still a huge step forward for the US! It's gonna be an awesome next couple years for rail in America!
Freight appears to be a major thorn in Amtrak's side.! Where I'm from, freight has secondary precedence to passenger, and mostly runs at night to further demonstrate that point. Another point is crossings. Crossings are fundamentally dangerous, and severely curtail any aspirations of 'higher speed'. To achieve that, all crossings have to be closed (blocked and fenced-off) and replaced by bridges under or over. Unless Amtrak own the track, I can't see that much can be done to change the status quo.
So glad I discovered your channel! Very helpful information and well presented. I wished the roomettes were a wee big bigger and that the 2 chairs could swivel to face the window. I haven't taken the Crescent yet and have it on my list.
Back in the 2000's I use to read around in trains regularly. Pricing unfortunately got out of control, though. If it was a few hour dollars cheaper I'd do it all over again.
Enjoyed your video. I did 3 train rides last year. In 2022, I rode NYC to MIA during July. It was going well until ac went out in GA. Train was delayed 3 hours which was a disaster. I did receive full refund.
Then, it wasn't really a disaster after all, was it ? I have always found Amtrak to be fair. When a problem was found on the rail system outside New Orleans, we were provided either dinner and overnight accommodations, or the bus for those with deadlines, etc. No one complained.
hi there, at 13:51 when you say you're pulling into Charlottesville; the footage being shown is actually from Manassas, VA. i know what my city looks like, i could walk to that location in about 10 minutes.
It's great! But their placement opposite the captains chair means you need a long charging cable to use a device while plugged in. But it's a small price to pay for more power!
In case a viewer is not familiar with the Washington DC Metro, when the narrator said "WuhMotta", he is pronouncing WMATA, the defacto acronym for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The system includes busses, as well as the Metro.
when i was 7 years old in 1967 i loved traveling by train , especially the dining car ,they served the best meals actually on china with silverware and real glass ware ,my my how things have changed and unfortunately not for the better
Train cruising in the USA has potential. Americans should look into it. The USA is huge enough for this train cruise. But I can say that the target customers should have a lot of patience because this travels takes time and a lot of unplanned things might pop up suddenly.
The "Acela" train looks like it's from 1960s or 1970s Japan. And the Crescent to New Orlenas looks like a vintage 1950s, 1960s conveyance. Have you seen the trains of today in Europe, Japan, China, anyone? BTW -- just why do you need TWO diesel locomotives -- to pull one short train of only a few carriges?
Although I've taken quite a few overnight trains on Amtrak, all in bedrooms of various types, I've never ventured much past the platform or adjoining station on stops. But I've long wondered if there are occasionally stops of long enough duration to venture a bit beyond the station, or even go for a short run (which having shower facilities on board if you have a room makes much more practical). Are there any routes that have stops of at least 20 or 30 minutes or even longer, which is enough time to try this, that are not in he middle of the night? Seems like a fun thing to do plus a way to break up the monotony of a long route. Plus, I'm the sort of person who likes to cut it close for the thrill of it. 😄
Chicago always has a 3 hour period for roaming around . We always take the river boat excursion. Denver has a hold over..not that long. The trains need servicing periodically; cleaning, water,etc.
@@sarahhearn-vonfoerster7401 In Chicago you have to change trains if you're continuing on through as I don't know of any Amtrak line that goes through Chicago and doesn't either begin or terminate there. But yes, you do get several hours between trains to roam around and explore. I've done that three times. Twice I went up the former Sears and now Willis Tower (it was very foggy the first time so I went back on my next pass-through), and once we just walked around and had lunch. I've also done this several times driving cross-country. But mostly I was wondering how many Amtrak stops are long enough to get in a decent if brief run or brisk walk, without worrying about missing the train. If you're in a sleeper you don't have to worry about being all sweaty the rest of the trip as you can shower. It's a bucket list goal of mine.
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Honestly I think war movies that are fun tend to be the most realistic. Like in OPERATION DUMBO DROP. Why should war movies be downers. I like these other fun war movies.
1941.
THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY.
BILOXI BLUES.
CATCH-22.
THE DIRTY DOZEN.
FATHER GOOSE.
FORREST GUMP.
GOOD MORNING VIETNAM.
KELLY'S HEROES.
MASH.
MISTER ROBERTS.
NO MAN'S LAND.
OPERATION PETTICOAT.
THE SECRET WAR OF HARRY FRIGGS.
THREE KINGS.
WHAT PRICE GLORY.
How much does it cost? I wanna go to Colorado in a sleeper car.
Three weeks isn’t enough to “speak” a language. Just be aware of that, you’ll know some phrases and be able to kinda converse but not well
It takes years to decently speak a language.
Just be aware of that and have fun learning
Absolutely beautiful I'm an Air Force veteran and a Long haul truck driver. Me and my wife are going to do a bunch of Amtrak cross-country vacations before we even do a cruise ship! Absolutely spectacular!
Thank you for your service.
Sounds good buddy, enjoy. 🙂
Why do people feel the need to announce their military service where it's not even relevant? Wait I know...because getting a "thank you for your service" in the comments for the world to see boosts your ego. You probably have a bumper sticker too right? Only the silent and non-validation seeking people get my respect.
@@evoz4489 only jerks with zero understanding of service for your country would comment as you did
Enjoy. I have done a few of them, and they are wonderful. On many they have guides that give great insights. Oh yeah, and trust me on this, try the steak in the dining car.
I love traveling by train. I've ridden on Amtrak a couple of times & enjoyed it each time. We need more Amtrak. Our country was made for rail travel.
Amtrak isn't the solution to American train travel
@@jcspotter7322 No, but it will do until we fully revive proper passenger rail.
The amount of money that Amtrak charges they should have updated, beautiful sleepers. Their trains are disgusting. I have seen other trains from other countries where you could literally eat off the floor. Amtrak needs to do better, a lot better. They charge a ridiculous amount for what you get.
Most Americans don't travel overseas.. they have no idea.
I couldn't agree with you more. But that's what happens when one company has a monopoly on a particular service. No competition equals complacency, bad service, and poor quality. And people are clamoring for government control healthcare. As if the government hasn't prove time and time again its inability to manage anything.
@jorgevillavicencio427 Amtrak is virtually the only intercity passenger service because the private railroads all wanted to get out of the passenger business, and dumped their passenger services on the government at the end of the 1960s. If not for Amtrak, we would have no intercity passenger rail service at all, except maybe in a few small parts of the country.
TLDR: They have no competition because almost nobody else wants to be in this business.
Most of the profits go to shareholders and special interests. A clear sign the USA is declining and falling behind in service and technology. The. Trains speed and service is definitely 1990's😊
@@j2b348 Are you talking about Amtrak's profits? Most of the time they don't make a profit. And their only shareholder is the U.S. government.
If you're talking about the freight railroads, yes -- they are completely oriented around shareholder profits, and it's had a very destructive effect on every aspect of rail transportation.
I wish Amtrak came through my town. I’ve never taken a train ride, but would love to experience it.
You ain't missing anything
It is worth traveling to a departure point. Pick one with a grand station. It is memorable. Happy traveling.
Enjoyed your video. Well done. Just finished my own long distance Amtrak trip last week, New Orleans to Charlotte, NC on the Crescent, Charlotte to Raleigh, NC a short 3-4 hour trip on the Carolinian and finally Raleigh to Tampa on the Silver Star. Roomettes on first and third legs of my trip. 54 hours with both layovers totaling just over 15 hours. Note delays on third leg added 3 extra hours.
I agree about the top bed rattling being irritating 😝 but the food was great, the attendants awesome and the travel enjoyable. Been traveling Amtrak for 40 years.
Love your expression of appreciation . That's the way I feel, too !
❤️
I have traveled a lot by train. Travel by train is scenic and if you like leisurely atmosphere is worthwhile. But the cars need a major upgrade with spaces and creature comfort. Advertise vacation packages. More upper berth space. Equal to the lower.
Interesting video. I traveled by train from Baltimore to Washington DC back in the sixties when I was a kid visiting various interesting sites.
I roade aboard the Crescent in nNovember 2017. I stayed in a Viewliner. I am a hard core rail fan. I can hear the crescent pass through my town here in NJ everyday ON TIME too.
I hope to take the Viewliner up to Canada this Fall...gorgeous trip by train.
Long time Amtrak afficiado here. I used to reside in Charlottesville VA and would ride to NYC yo transfer to the Vermonter. Now Greensboro NC is my home and im pleasantly surprised that i can travel directly to Charlottesville via The Crescent
Also in Greensboro. Love our Depot early in the wee hours...every departure is exciting.
Just completed a trip on the Silver Meteor and Capitol Limited. My first in a sleeper. I was in a Viewliner I and II - I must say I prefer the Viewliner II. I loved the traditional dining. My next trip is going to be out west to California. Still have to figure the sleeping arrangements - I sleep inclined and that was a bit difficult in a roomette. But still enjoyed it tremendously - looking forward to my next trip!
@daniellucas, the Superliners you are facing in a trip to California have a lot less headroom in the upper bunks than Viewliners. I don't know how you are arranging inclined sleeping in a Viewliner, but on a Superliner, I think you want the lower bed, for sure. I haven't seen Superliner accommodations in person, but the lower bunks seem to be similar to Viewliners, both in bedrooms and roomettes.
@@catreader9733 Thanks - I am really looking forward to my trip out west. I sleep in the lower berth - even if I do not good a good sleep - it is still a very enjoyable trip.
You'll love it...I sleep inclined, too. They will provide extra pillows for you.
The bit at 5:51 made me realize how sad it is that there's no direct passenger rail connection between Atlanta and Orlando. That's gotta change. Currently, you have to take Crescent up north to VA, then transfer to the Silver Service.
Rail travel is the only way to go,very scenic, comfortable,fun and most of the scenery is beautiful.From penn station to Niagara Falls , especially in the fall and winter,love Amtrak💯👍🏼❤️
The word "bayou" is thought to originate from the Choctaw word bayuk, which means "small stream". After first appearing in the 17th century, the term is found in 18th century accounts and maps, often as bayouc or bayouque, where it was eventually shortened to its current form. The Bayou Bartholomew is the longest bayou in the world. It’s so large, it stretches across both Arkansas and Louisiana, is 375 miles long, and boasts more than 100 different types of fish. The first settlements of the Bayou Têche and other bayous were founded by the Louisiana Creoles. The term Créole was originally used by French Creoles to distinguish people born in Louisiana from those born elsewhere. Creoles are people of multiracial European, African, and Native American descent. Many in Louisiana are descendants of Acadians who were forcibly expelled from what's now maritime Canada by the British. Many went to France before later settling in Louisiana after the then Spanish Province of Louisiana government encouraged them to settle there to populate with more Catholic settlers. This subset of Creoles of Acadia descent are the Cajuns!
Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans opened in 1954 and was built just west of the older New Orleans Union Station to consolidate the city's passenger rail operations. Previously, New Orleans had been served by five stations-Union Station, the Southern Railway Terminal, T&P Station, Louisiana & Arkansas Station, and Louisville & Nashville Station. New Orleans is derived from the original French name La Nouvelle-Orléans, which was given to the city in honor of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, who served as Louis XV's regent from 1715 to 1723. The French city of Orléans itself is named after the Roman emperor Aurelian, originally being known as Aurelianum.
My grandmother's family were of French-Acadian descent in Savannah; others went on to Louisiana. Your essay is very accurate and enjoyable.
thank you for this video! Living in italy it's my dream to do a trip on an amtrak sleeper, hopefully I'll do it in the future
I'm glad you could experience the journey vicariously through my videos, and I too hope you'll be able to ride with Amtrak in the future!
The Roomette was *cozy* and *quiet.*
I found it very calming, especially during the worst days of Covid - as I’d be less likely to get it *and then give it to my aged parent.*
I down voted this video at 21:00
Been riding Amtrak for over three decades. Every kind of accommodation. Ridden every VIA Rail route too, trains in Europe, Russia, Australia, China, other countries too. I love Amtrak.
Amtrak is a fantastic operator, despite being underfunded for almost its entire existence.
Well good for you
Wow. Must be a ton of liars on the webs
@@gnlout7403 I finger popped my corn spitter so roughly I was juicing out poo drippings for a week!
@@gnlout7403
Impatient A-type personalities, probably, definitely not laid back train people.
That shot of the WAMTA is such a lucky catch!
Yeah the timing was incredible! Not sure I'll ever see that again.
The fact he called it a subway pisses me off
@@kzooaviationbut most routes are underground
@@RonGersteinOnce you get beyond the district, most of the tracks are not underground and operate largely at grade level. The Silver line has substantial overhead trackage around Dulles International Airport and at the stations.
Wmata.... That was the yellow line train in DC going to Virginia...
Just rode the Acela from Boston to Wilmington. We reached 150mph for an entire 4 minutes! We were an hour and a half late with several delays which, unfortunately, the crew rarely bothered to mention over the PA system. The train is old, worn and just uninspiring. The NEC tracks are horrible and I found the majority of the freight tracks in the journey from Wilmington to San Diego smoother than the NEC. The NEC is a money pit that management tries to hold up as the premier train in the US. The Pacific Surfliner line is in far better shape and is constantly being improved and double tracked. As a retired Amtrak Conductor, I find the hype over the NEC embarrassing and the Acelas an incredible waste of money. Sad.
And the fact that Traditional Dining is still in the distant future shows that management either doesn’t care or is completely inept. There’s no excuse for still serving the marginal meals in Flexible Dining.
Been in the roomette for 3 trips, the private toilet is the absolute best, just bring your own airspray and your good, there is no better feeling than having plenty of time when you leave New Orleans with a hangover and more
Superb, brilliant narration...the sojourn comes alive! I have taken the Crescent several times during my stay in the United States, with 'break-journey' at different locations, rather than a single-shot journey. The video is informative, brings out aspects surrounding the journey "inside-out": in that, the inside configurations, and the scenery outside. It is heartening that people in the States, like those in my own country (India) have started taking the train. Like they used to advertise..."See America at the "see" level" ! Bravo, 'Lone Star' ! Please keep up the Good Work ! I cannot help but compare: Just like Peter Masella brings aviation alive, with the intricacies elucidated, Lone Star is a terrestrial analogue of Peter !!!
Glad you could use the video of you passing by hopefully one day I’ll get around to going on more long distance Amtrak trips
Thanks a ton for the footage of both the Acela and the Crescent. Was awesome to have some flyby shots.
Thanks from viewers, too (at least this one); the run-by footage adds another POV.
This is great! I am so excited I will be riding in a sleeper roomette on the Crescent next month!
I'm sure you'll love it! Traveling by train is such a relaxing experience. Enjoy!
The Crescent is a direct descendant of the Southern Railway’s Southerner, a streamlined passenger train that ran from 1941 to 1970. The name, however, comes from the Crescent, another Southern route, which took a more coastal route to New Orleans via Mobile. These two routes were combined into the Southern Crescent in 1970. Amtrak took over the train in 1979 and simplified the name to “Crescent.” The name “Crescent” refers to one of New Orleans’s nicknames, the Crescent City, referring to the bend of the Mississippi River as it flows through the city! Union Passenger Terminal in New Orleans opened in 1954 and was built just west of the older New Orleans Union Station to consolidate the city's passenger rail operations. Previously, New Orleans had been served by five stations, Union Station, the Southern Railway Terminal, T&P Station, Louisiana & Arkansas Station, and Louisville & Nashville Station!
While it stops at Trenton after Newark Penn on its way to New Orleans, on the way back, it stops at Metropark before Newark Penn! Metropark is named such because it was one of two park-and-ride infill stations proposed in the 1960s for use by the new Metroliners. Capital Beltway Metropark in Lanham, Maryland and Garden State Metropark in Iselin, Woodbridge Township near the interchange of Route 27 and Garden State Parkway were the two proposed, with both later shortened to Capital Beltway and Metropark respectively. Capital Beltway station closed in 1983 when New Carrollton station opened! Because of Metropark, a large business park grew, called "the first Edge City in the world to grow from a parking lot". Today, besides being an Acela stop and other Amtrak services, Metropark is among the busiest NJT stations, and many Staten Islanders from the South Shore of Staten Island drive out to Metropark for their commute to Manhattan. The Metroliners were the predecessor of the Acela, operating from 1969 to 2006. Service originally ran with Budd Metroliners, self-powered electric multiple unit cars designed for high-speed service. These proved unreliable and were replaced with locomotive-hauled trains in the 1980s. When the Acela was introduced in 2000, due to equipment troubles, the Metroliners stayed in service until 2006 when the Acela fully replaced them.
Thank you for the great history...my brother and I grew up shuttling between Savannah and Wilson, NC on the engine 52 train, which is now the sentinel of the Train Museum in Savannah. Wonderful childhood memories of train crew members singing to us, making us laugh. They were special people. 😊
The Southern Crescent is mentioned in the REM song “Driver 8”. I’ve always wanted to travel by train… just once!!!
Love this! I've been watching so many of your videos lately that whenever I read something, I hear it in your voice.
Ha! Thanks so much for your support, and I'm so glad you enjoy the content!
Hope there's a cure.
Looks like fun. Like to see the Northwest Run Thur Western Montana and Idaho..Middle of nowhere. BIGFOOT SIGHTINGS NEAR THE TRACKS. FUN. GREAT VID.
You got a great voice! Its very easy to listen to you and get all the info I need without the 1001 fluff pieces other reviewers take on.
The filming and the editing is great. But the voice is just grating.
You managed your expectations really well--essential when traveling by Amtrak! It ain't the Orient Express, folks, but it's fun!
Really like your videos. Informative and easy to listen to. Keep up the good work!
For prepacked food during travel, it looks very good. As for the bumps, try riding in a semi on the interstates across the northeast. Anything not tied, velcroed, or taped down turns into flying debrie. 😂😂😂
Yay I been waiting for you to upload another great amazing riding the rails! 😊
Glad to see you back in the comments! Sorry it's been a while, but I assure you the wait will be worth it in the long run. Can't wait to share some really incredible rides on the Shinkansen plus many more sleeper trains!
I've done the Cardinal, and the Silver Star.....loved them both! The Crescent is definitely on my list..
The Crescent line....the HAPPIEST place on Amtrak
Seeing the buttercake is making me miss them from my trip on the Silver Meteor last month. Those things are addicting.
They’re soooooo good. The brownie is nice, but that butter cake is on a whole other level!
Hopefully Amtrak could start refreshing the Viewliner 1s. They need some love.
As well as the Amfleet II coaches that ride with the Viewliner I sleepers... However, presently Amtrak is still refurbishing the Superliner long distance fleets and the Amfleet I short distance regional coaches... The pandemic has been over for a few Yeats now, Amtrak has had plenty of time to retrain and recruit new diner staff that were furloughed during the pandemic...
If I recall correctly, Amtrak is currently designing the refresh for the V1s, with actual refurb work expected to begin this year. (Though knowing Amtrak it likely wont begin until early next year)
I saw a video of a rider's viewpoint on the new Venture coach cars. They look more a bit more like aircraft seating, including less cushioning, significantly shorter seat pan, narrower, less leg room, and less recline; the rider liked the seats less than on Amfleet (not sure which version), but he said the coach chasses rode much more smoothly. I ride Amfleet coaches on the more part of the Northeast Corridor*; the trackage is so rough, I don't know whether I would prefer more smoothness under foot or under butt. The cars are holding up pretty well on the several trains I ride, and I doubt that even a new Venture coach or Viewliner II can be quiet or smooth.
*No dedicated tracks; I think it's all Norfolk Southern where I ride.
@@ronclark9724
They are doing a remarkable job on the Chicago to Emeryville and up to Seattle runs. Very patient and helpful.
@@catreader9733
Yes, it used to be Southern Railways and well maintained. Norfolk and Southern is more about profits and investors than maintenance and not blocking passenger service. There is the old conflict !
When I lived in Boston and had to be in New York, I always took the Amtrak Acela first class. I did not know why there were fights. Seemed even then a thing of the past. My experience on the train refrained me from even considering a longer trip. 1400 miles would take one day back here in Europe. And in quieter and well kept trains.
Good to see the Thomasville NC mention … I’m definitely taking this train ride soon.
Rode Atl to Chattanooga in late 50s dad was Southern R R conductor, in summer months old guys and I mean old took vacation so for about 2 weeks he could get off freights. Enjoyed show.
Another "Well Done!" The quality of the audio (new microphone?) and the mixing with music blending in this video was stellar! I had a good laugh when you showcased and discussed the Acela, especially with that period electronic drum sound, "dush dush," in the background. The drums and train were period matched. Very enjoyable!
Thanks a ton! I haven't gotten a new mic (yet), but I have been adjusting the balance every now and then, so good to know this one sounds better. I didn't even notice the Acela/music time sync lol. Anyway glad you enjoyed and thanks as always for stopping by!
The Crescent is practically the Texas Eagle’s eastern cousin in that it’s a very similar journey time and has been one of the least favored routes by management, running it without a dining car, thereby eliminating a lounge space altogether! The Crescent did just have a dining car restored, but it still serves reheated meals and coach passengers are barred from entering it!
Yet the Crescent runs through the heart of Dixie with inferior Amtrak services. Running through Charlotte and Greenville during the wee hours of the morning through three plus million metros... Amtrak should be ashamed...
I agree that the Cresent has gone down in quality compared to years past. It had a full service dinner open to both sleeping car and coach passengers. Amtrak should return to full dinning car service on all long distance trains. The train should also have a full size Amfleet dinette/ lounge car to provide a space for passengers to socialize and relax in other than their coach seats or sleeping car. This is really needed if you are not allowing coach passengers to use the dinning car. But with advanced reservations and pre paid meal cost, I feel they should be able to accommodate coach passengers in the dinning car.
Better catering than on Cardiff to Birmingham (and Nottingham)!
Why don’t they like that route?
I don’t know why they don’t like this train. It always did good business between Washington DC and Atlanta. It was a good overnight train between these two cities. Today since it has been down graded it usually runs with as low as two coaches and two sleeping cars. With a full service dinner and lounge I am sure they could fill more coach seats as well as sleepers. But you know the newest Amtrak directors only seem interested in the northeast trains as well as state supported shorter distance trains. Long distance trains especially here in the east that serve Chicago, Atlanta, and northern Florida could still do good business due to the overnight schedule serving these cities. However it needs good marketing and advertising to make it work.
The Amtrak experience hit rock bottom when Dining Car service was removed on all over-night trains east of the Mississippi just prior to 2020. Service is so bad now in the "snack-car" that if you order a mixed drink (I always enjoyed a Bloody-Mary at my seat or in my Roomette) the Amtrak attendant will just throw all the ingrediencies into a carboard box along with a cup of ice expecting you to mix everything yourself. Ridiculous.
@stillplayswithtrains From 3 years old, I had an N gauge 🚂 train set, which my Daddy assembled on a big board with tiny cars & train tracks and a body of 🌊 and 🏢🏫 ⛽ 🚉 buildings like a church and gas station and 🌲 🌴🌳 trees and 🏠🏡 houses. My Daddy and brother had HO ⚖️ scale 🚆🚂 trains. Sorry 😐 Amtrak is now downright tacky. I have been through 14 states between early 1970's: last year of Santa Fe and First year of Amtrak 🚆🧳 through 2002. I have been shocked seeing all the graffiti and homeless encampments from West Coast Amtrak You Tube train channels. Have a 🙂👍 nice Labor Day Weekend.✨🕊️
You really should take the Amtrak Vermonter during October for spectacular scenery.
I definitely want to. Not sure when I'll be able to make that happen, but it's on the to-do list.
Leaf Peeper
Hasn’t the Vermonter been discontinued?
Great to see you take this trip! I took the Crescent northbound and southbound a few weeks ago, on either side June 1st. My return trip was indeed complete with the dining car and I got to enjoy both flexible dining meals of dinner and breakfast there. Funnily enough, the northbound train had a very similar issue with coupling the ACS-64 in Washington DC - it took them three tries and a little ribbing between the crew to get everything all lined up. Additionall, you mentioned that the Viewliner I sleepers don't have name placards, but I did find on the TrainWeb site that your sleeper car number 62046 is listed as "Tranquil View". On my trip south, the name of my Viewliner I sleeper "Mystic View" was only present on the outside of the sliding vestibule door. I would have never known otherwise.
Hey! Great to see you stopping by! Glad you could experience the Crescent first hand. It's certainly not Amtrak's flashiest route, but it's a great experience nonetheless. Funny the coupling thing still seems to be an issue lol. Also I saw the name thing listed on TrainWeb as well. From the pictures on there, it looks like the V1s actually had their names listed on the placards up until around 2009ish. Not sure why they were removed, as that's always a fun piece of info to see.
I keep forgetting that the Crescent travels on the NEC
Amtrak Lounges are *CHILL!*
Well done! Great presentation. Your video gives me greater urge to take a cross country rail trip.
Sooo happy to get a video from you..
Sorry it was a longer wait than usual, but I should be back to weekly, or at least mostly weekly uploads!
if you are just into taking train rides. do the darango silverton and stay over nite and take the bus back to durango colorado. fun and loads of seeing stuff
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I'm taking Amtrak for short distances (i.e., NOLA to Atlanta). I'm looking forward to longer Amtrak travels.
Birmingham intermodal station is a definite upgrade from the previous musty underground hole it used to have. My only gripe is that I wish they could have removed the steps from the platform and built an escalator. Those steps are brutal to traverse up and down with baggage.
my grandmother lives in Meridian and we like to go see the Amtrak pull into Union Station. I might’ve saw your train pass that day.
I'd say that it is First Class for it it were Second you'd be sat bolt upright in a seat for 27 hours!
On trains, you can walk almost anywhere , visit club or lounge cars or observation car. No one has to sit for hours unless they want to. Only airplanes trap passengers.
When I was in college I took the crescent from NO TO DC. No sleeper cabin. It was about 26 hours and countless stops in every small town.
That must have been very interesting, then.
Well done video
Glad to see all the other comments from Amtrak travelers.
Birmingham is apparently one day hoping to introduce lightrail and commuter rail service which may explain the spur being built at the platform stub end.
Please explain that Amtrak doesn’t own the tracks; the freight companies do. That’s why the freight trains always get priority over Amtrak. Also, it’s funding comes from Congress; so blame your Congress person for the fact that it’s not as up-to-date as it could be.
His congress person is surely anti-train.
Thank you for repeating this. We have to educate people that services like Amtrak do not just happen...the Public must show support for it , because it is needed by so many people, and enjoyed by so many others.
@@misterhat5823 no, she’s pretty good. I think she is just uneducated. Thanks for saying this. I’ll contact her office and try to educate her.
honestly, do we need to have more tracks when train is not widely used as cars and planes. i think he doesnt needs to explain why freight trains get priorities.
The law actually states that Amtrak has priority
I had a sleeper car from Chicago to san Antonio the year just before they ended the dining car......... It was nothing fancy bit it was a cool experience and the food wasnt terrible. 3 meals a day were included and you had free range of the menu. They did not include an alcoholic beverage though. I heard they switched to a more airline meals with food trays......... Im not sure what is the better option but what the were doing before was great.
Fantastic video documentary. So helpful for me an elderly larger passenger doing this same trip in November. Loved the descriptions. Wondering if there is a general use disabled toilet on the train and or shower room
I Really like your Video. After showing the many features on Amtrak I'm looking forward to traveling on the Southern Cresent at a future date. I booked my Cousins trip on the Cresent several years Ago . He was traveling home to Meridian Mississippi. He said it was A fantastic trip. I really looking forward to Traveling on the Southern Cresent. Thank you.
So cool....I desperately want to go across the country and take a train through Europe.
My mom took the Cresent from northern VA to southern MS. It was a horrible experience for her back. The most beautiful scenery is passed during the night and the rails are so rough. The sleeper car is on the very end of the train, making it an even rougher experience. I wouldn’t call it first class by any means.
Very informative!! During the '80's, Amtrak had a heritage sleeper car that went from L.A.-NYC which was placed behind the baggage car going East to N.O. I had to walk up interior stairs to get to the 2nd level & several cars to get to the Superliner Dining car. I didn't mind it. I could stay on board overnight in both directions in N.O. without the hassle of renting a hotel room or hanging out in the station. When I awakened the next morning, my sleeper car had already been switched onto the Northbound Cresent & underway. There were no complimentary meals on any of Amtrak's trains for any passenger, but fares were cheaper. There was a full-service dining car & separate lounge cafe car then & the food was good. Amtrak even had a Slumber Coach (spartan version of a Roomette) between NYC & Atlanta. With cutbacks, services were slowly eliminated. It was a huge disappointment when Amtrak eliminated the transcontinental thru sleeper car. I remember when the Viewliner I Sleeper cars were new. I still prefer the old single level heritage cars where murphy beds would let down over toilets in Roomettes. Getting up at night to void was a hassle unless I was in a Bedroom where the toilet & sink was enclosed with no shower. I can only reminisce.
I wish they had made coaches as part of the Viewliner II order. The mismatched train rubs me the wrong way.
In 2001, getting stuck up north while on vacation on 9/11, my partner and I managed to get tickets from Ohio to Florida (possible back then), as well as the last roomette from NYC to Fl. It was a safe trip home after the chaos of the week, despite the roomette being small and with a toilet you would never want to use next to your bed. Lol. Two of us made it work, but the trip was quite boring, since this was before smart phones and such. The dining car offered several options back then with the meals served on plates, not plastic microwave ware... and the area was used during the off dining hours as the smoking area...yeah, times have changed! Lol
I took an Acela "first class" from NYC to Boston recently. It didn't feel like a first class experience. Food was also similar to low end airline coach.
Metuchen, NJ is derived from Chief Matouchin of the Raritan people who first lived in the area. Atlanta was founded in 1837 as the end of the Western & Atlantic Railroad line and was first named Marthasville in honor of the then-governor's daughter. It was nicknamed Terminus for its rail location, and then changed soon after to Atlanta, the feminine of Atlantic, as in the railroad! Charlottesville, Virginia is named after Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage in September 1761 until her death in 1818. Charlotte, North Carolina is named after the same person. The footage at 10:06 is the train crossing the Susquehanna River, which at 444 miles (715 km) long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the United States. The Susquehanna River is one of the oldest existing rivers in the world, being dated as 320-340 Myr, older than the mountain ridges through which it flows
Gainesville, Georgia was given the name "Gainesville" at the suggestion of Justice John Vance Cotter in honor of Gen. Edmund P. Gaines who was one of the Army's senior commanders during its formative years in the early to mid-1800s, and was a veteran of the War of 1812, Seminole Wars, Black Hawk War, and Mexican-American War. As commander of Fort Stoddert in 1807, he detained Aaron Burr, and Gaines subsequently testified at Burr's trial for treason. During the War of 1812, Gaines advanced through the ranks to colonel as commander of the 25th Infantry Regiment and he fought with distinction at the Battle of Crysler's Farm. Gaines was promoted to brigadier general during the war, and received a brevet promotion to major general. Gaines' post-war service included diplomacy with and military engagements against various tribes of Native Americans, though Gaines later opposed Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy. The Gainesville in Florida was named after the same person.
Tysm 😊👍 for the history lesson.✨🕯️🕊️✨
Gainesville, GA is my hometown and I have always wanted to take a train trip
The "Crescent" is leaving initial terminal dirty with no diner from initial terminal.
It's filthy, and it seems like Amtrak keeps disregarding it in favor of its other routes, much like the TX eagle.
"leaving dirty"? No diner from initial terminal"? What does that mean?
@@peregrino9154 It means there is no short order cook onboard the train in a diner. Considering the cost of the ride in a sleeper accommodation, surely Amtrak can serve "diner" food, not microwaved pre-prepared frozen food entrees... I recall my first train ride during the early 1960s on the Burlington Texas Zephyr on a trip to see my grandparents living in Denver from Houston. A route I wish Amtrak would bring back into service. Burlington offered a T-bone steak for dinner... Amtrak needs to UP their game...
Nice video. Nice room tours. Did I miss the part where you explained why the trip was "disappointing"? When the first word of your title is "DISAPPOINTING", I was hoping for an explanation of why that is. Maybe in future videos you can spend a minute or two at the end of each video with a summary of what you liked and what you didn't like about the journey, the train, the staff, or whatever else makes sense for you to include.
Would be nice to see a detailed description of the sleeper unit.
Did you watch the video?
I’ve ridden that line from Atlanta to New Orleans ❤
Thanks for the video, I was just looking for something to watch about traveling on Amtrak trains ❤
Glad I could be of service!
I actually rode on an Amtrak on the same route a few years ago. I left New York and got off in Mississippi. It was a pretty cool trip.
That’s an awesome train report video.
Glad y'all traveled in March
It feels like an oven when you reach NOLA!!
Brilliant, thanks for the post.
Glad you enjoyed!
So cool to see you pass through Thomasville NC. My hometown!!
It all looks very old-fashioned compared with many other countries.
You'd think they would have put lock points to hold a wheel chair in place in the Handicap units.
Stew looked Awesome
Great review of the bedrooms
Thanks, glad they were appreciated.
Happy Saturday to you and forever happy travels, my very soon to be Austin (well, technically Cedar Park) neighbor
Happy Saturday and an early welcome to the Austin area! I absolutely love Austin, and I'm sure you will too.
They just added the dining car back on the train last week. Oh and Brightline in Florida is considered high speed rail so its not just Acela anymore. Great video!
I heard! Glad it's back, but also sucks it's still flex meals. At least it's a step in the right direction! And Brightline isn't just considering HSR, they're building it! They broke ground on the LA-LV line earlier this year, and hopefully the line will be open in 2028!
@@LonestarTrips They're also building Merced to Bakersfield high speed rail line in California! When going down the 99 or the San Joaquins you can see some of the bridges and viaducts!
Technically, by FRA designation, anything over 79mph is considered “high speed.”
@@shreychaudhary4477 The project you're referring to is California High Speed Rail, but still a huge step forward for the US! It's gonna be an awesome next couple years for rail in America!
@@ZenkoTheGreat12 The FRA considers 79 to up to 90 as conventional rail. 90-125 is usually considered Higher-Speed rail, and 125+ is High Speed.
Freight appears to be a major thorn in Amtrak's side.!
Where I'm from, freight has secondary precedence to passenger, and mostly runs at night to further demonstrate that point.
Another point is crossings.
Crossings are fundamentally dangerous, and severely curtail any aspirations of 'higher speed'.
To achieve that, all crossings have to be closed (blocked and fenced-off) and replaced by bridges under or over.
Unless Amtrak own the track, I can't see that much can be done to change the status quo.
Looks like trains from former Sovjet Union
"I said, couple to the Crescent" that's a great funny blooper with the coupling trouble.
Yeah, even the crew working the connection were laughing about it
Great video. Felt like I was there!
Glad you could "join" me on the ride!
So glad I discovered your channel! Very helpful information and well presented. I wished the roomettes were a wee big bigger and that the 2 chairs could swivel to face the window. I haven't taken the Crescent yet and have it on my list.
Back in the 2000's I use to read around in trains regularly. Pricing unfortunately got out of control, though. If it was a few hour dollars cheaper I'd do it all over again.
Enjoyed your video. I did 3 train rides last year. In 2022, I rode NYC to MIA during July. It was going well until ac went out in GA. Train was delayed 3 hours which was a disaster. I did receive full refund.
Then, it wasn't really a disaster after all, was it ? I have always found Amtrak to be fair. When a problem was found on the rail system outside New Orleans, we were provided either dinner and overnight accommodations, or the bus for those with deadlines, etc. No one complained.
hi there, at 13:51 when you say you're pulling into Charlottesville; the footage being shown is actually from Manassas, VA. i know what my city looks like, i could walk to that location in about 10 minutes.
Two outlets? Woo hoo! We only get one on the Sunset Limited.
It's great! But their placement opposite the captains chair means you need a long charging cable to use a device while plugged in. But it's a small price to pay for more power!
In case a viewer is not familiar with the Washington DC Metro, when the narrator said "WuhMotta", he is pronouncing WMATA, the defacto acronym for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The system includes busses, as well as the Metro.
Fantastic vid
Much appreciated!
when i was 7 years old in 1967 i loved traveling by train , especially the dining car ,they served the best meals actually on china with silverware and real glass ware ,my my how things have changed and unfortunately not for the better
Amtrak should get new double decker siemens trains to replace the viewliners and superliners when they get old
They’re currently in the process of sourcing replacements for both!
Look like fun. Thanks!
Train cruising in the USA has potential. Americans should look into it. The USA is huge enough for this train cruise. But I can say that the target customers should have a lot of patience because this travels takes time and a lot of unplanned things might pop up suddenly.
The "Acela" train looks like it's from 1960s or 1970s Japan. And the Crescent to New Orlenas looks like a vintage 1950s, 1960s conveyance. Have you seen the trains of today in Europe, Japan, China, anyone? BTW -- just why do you need TWO diesel locomotives -- to pull one short train of only a few carriges?
Although I've taken quite a few overnight trains on Amtrak, all in bedrooms of various types, I've never ventured much past the platform or adjoining station on stops. But I've long wondered if there are occasionally stops of long enough duration to venture a bit beyond the station, or even go for a short run (which having shower facilities on board if you have a room makes much more practical). Are there any routes that have stops of at least 20 or 30 minutes or even longer, which is enough time to try this, that are not in he middle of the night? Seems like a fun thing to do plus a way to break up the monotony of a long route. Plus, I'm the sort of person who likes to cut it close for the thrill of it. 😄
Chicago always has a 3 hour period for roaming around . We always take the river boat excursion. Denver has a hold over..not that long. The trains need servicing periodically; cleaning, water,etc.
@@sarahhearn-vonfoerster7401 In Chicago you have to change trains if you're continuing on through as I don't know of any Amtrak line that goes through Chicago and doesn't either begin or terminate there.
But yes, you do get several hours between trains to roam around and explore. I've done that three times. Twice I went up the former Sears and now Willis Tower (it was very foggy the first time so I went back on my next pass-through), and once we just walked around and had lunch. I've also done this several times driving cross-country.
But mostly I was wondering how many Amtrak stops are long enough to get in a decent if brief run or brisk walk, without worrying about missing the train. If you're in a sleeper you don't have to worry about being all sweaty the rest of the trip as you can shower. It's a bucket list goal of mine.
Thats a small part of Lake Pontchartrain connectioning
St. Tammany Parish/Slidell to New Orleans east then into downtown NOLA