I love the fact that you just have the train noise in the background....no music, etc. I've taken many Amtrak long distance trips and the sounds of the train rolling along with the horn blaring from time to time brought back many memories. A great video. Many thanks!
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed watching it! My previous train videos had music- but most people didn't like it. I think this video is better with just the sounds of the train. Hopefully you can do another Amtrak trip someday!
@@KarenMcIntosh1 Thank you Karen! I had fun putting this video together- I got inspired to do this trip after watching other videos. I hope you can do one of these Amtrak trips someday!
Very nice video. My wife and I will be in a roomette taking the Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Chicago in May, then staying with family for a week, and then taking the Empire Builder, again in a roomette, back to Seattle. We are flying back from Seattle to L.A., though. I watched this video and your Coast Starlight->Empire Builder->Texas Eagle video yesterday and today. Lots of great sites to be seen, but also lots of very depressing sites going through Philadelphia, Baltimore, and some of the southern states. Graffiti everywhere. So many people have no respect for other people's property. Very sad. Anyway, I've subscribed to your channel, gave thumbs up to the two videos, and I'll be watching your other videos in the coming days and weeks! Good job!
Thank you so much Ed! I'm very happy to hear your wonderful compliments! It was such an amazing experience and I really hope you and your wife will have a perfect trip on these routes! There are definitely many impoverished and dangerous neighborhoods in Philly and Baltimore. Very unfortunate that graffiti is a constant problem and the local governments have seemed to just accept it. But I try to show the reality of everything you will see on these routes. The breathtaking nature, to mundane corn fields and also homeless encampments. Next month I will be doing a cross country train trip from Toronto to Vancouver, going thru the Canadian rockies. I plan to put out a video of that trip as well. Thanks for watching, subscribing and commenting Ed!!
@39:17...What the world!!! LOL! I had to go back and be sure I was not imagining the man on the same bridge waiting for the train to pass over the river. Love the videos! New subbie!
Just amazes me how much land you see that hasn't been touch. I think that's awesome. Ty for the video. Haven't been to the states for ages , this makes me want to come back when covid is over
Thank you very much for taking the time to record and create this video. It was sad to see the major train stations like Union Station in DC so empty. Always jammed with travelers when I needed to go to Washington. So many nice restaurants and shops inside that historical building. Seeing that your trains were almost empty you were able to get great video without having to work around other travelers and noise. I'm looking forward to a trip once the pandemic restrictions lift. Looking to do either the Lake Shore Limited from Boston then the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle or VIA Rail Sleeper train from Toronto to Vancouver. Safe travels to you....
Thanks so much for commenting Jim! It was depressing to see how hard the whole traveling industry has been hit by Covid. The stations and Amtrak trains were so empty- and last October they cut service on these long distance routes to 3 days a week. But it was nice to have no crowds at all- the dining car and observation lounge was mostly empty. It made filming much easier! I hope you get to do one of those long distance routes soon. I've never done a train trip in Canada but that's next on my list!
What a wonderful video and thank you for not putting in endless commentary about the food and cabin tours, and thanks for just getting on the train and going and not doing station tours, so refreshing.
Thanks so much Simon! That's very kind of you. This video is mostly about the scenery- not a travel guide with commentary. I'm not a good speaker with a charming witty personality like other TH-camrs. Glad you enjoyed it!
@@PhotoBug28 mate the scenery was amazing I enjoyed that so much, please keep up the good work I am sure many viewers would like to see more me included.
Thank you! It was a very different travel experience compared to pre-covid. Very few passengers. But I had an incredible trip! Thank you for watching :)
@@ronclark9724 Yes, I believe this started last October when Amtrak cut service on these long distance routes to 3 times a week. I"m sure they were losing money on these mostly empty trains and this was a solution for them.
1) That station in LA is gorgeous, from the outside and on the inside 2) That temperature in LA is about 55 degrees above my upper limit of tolerance 3) It's really annoying to see so many carriers using COVID as an excuse to save a few dollars, and always on meal services. That kind of thing won't be forgotten, should they restart at any point. 4) Dammit! That music is so cheery! The PTSD is on me, today, so well done getting me to smile. 5) Americans have an amazing country to live in. 6) Your locomotives are huge! Thank you for another Really Lovely Video
All very good points! Thanks Michael for all of your comments and for watching my videos. That heat wave in LA was the worst- but luckily I was mostly indoors. I also hate that business are using Covid as an excuse to cut costs- some businesses even use it as an excuse to charge more. I ate at a burger restaurant in Chicago and they charged us a $16 Covid sanitizing fee to wipe down 1 table! I'm glad you liked the music- most people said to leave it out LOL. I'm very blessed to live in the USA- despite our problems it's generally a wonderful place to live :)
Hahaha, well thank you for watching my videos! I've done most of the long distance routes now so this will probably be the last one- except for maybe a short video of 1 route.
Kudos to you for enduring a trip this long. 23 yrs. ago I went solo 1st class from L.A.-N.Y. during peak season. There were mechanical problems in N.M. & missed my connection in Chicago to N.Y. Amtrak put me up in a nice hotel in Chicago but wasn't able to get me in a roomette on the next train to N.Y. the following day. Amtrak arranged for a flight to N.Y. in coach. I wasn't happy with flying & didn't want to sleep in an Amtrak coach seat for a night. After that experience I've learned to spend an extra night at connecting points to avoid conundrums like this. It costs more but it's worth it to rest between connections to recharge. Railroads used to provide its 1st class passengers with transcontinental sleeper cars in Chicago or N.O. who would continue on to points East or South without needing to leave their accommodations. It entailed RR employees & equipment switching at odd hours so this convenient feature was discontinued. Too bad you missed experiencing your train crossing Lake Pontchartrain just outside N.O. Too bad you were finding yourself ordering the same food everyday, but you didn't take this journey for the food. I'm sure this trip will be unforgettable-unlike flying.
@@georgemcdowell8302 Thank you for sharing your experience! That's very good to know. There's always the chance of missing a connection if you don't stay overnight in the connecting city. But I thought a 6hr 40 minute layover would leave enough room for delays- and then we arrived 6hr 45 mins late, what are the odds?!! It was also a big disappointment that we arrived in New Orleans late- so it was complete darkness passing over Lake Pontchartrain. I was really looking forward to that view. And I definitely got tired of eating the same frozen microwave meals over and over. The traditional dining would have been a great experience. But I still had wonderful trips on these routes!
You're welcome! I usually travel on a small budget since I don't make much money. These Amtrak trips were pretty expensive, but I saved up for it. I'm very grateful to be able to do this! Thank you for watching :)
Brilliant as a guy who lives in the UK I need to come over The railway views you show does bring the best ( and worst) of the great country you live in.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! There is such a beautiful variety of landscapes you will see. And seeing the bad places is not so bad when you are speeding by from the comfort and safety of the train. Hope you can cross the pond and see it for yourself!
As if riding the trains in Europe don't reveal the bad areas. Unfortunately, mansions and golf courses are not built next to railway tracks. Usually industrial and warehouse areas are. As well as the shady side of downtown/high street areas.The new hotels and shopping malls are adjacent to freeways in America, not railway tracks. However, Amtrak does show the older industrial areas of towns, even the rural towns. You do get to see what industry grew the town or city. Whether it is a state capitol, university, steel mill, lumber mill, refinery, meat packer, etc.
@@ronclark9724 Very true. You can get a fascinating glimpse into what industry thrived these areas, and once those industries died the surrounding communities often never recovered. But Amtrak also has so many beautiful scenic areas that can only been seen from the train.
Looks like the Southwest Chief was running a bit late into Newton, KS. Usually gets there around 2:45 a.m. This is my closest Amtrak station. Nice video.
love the video Steve, sad to see the train so empty though, were from Adelaide , South Australia. we did the Southwest Chief back in 2017,best money id ever spent, would do it again in a heartbeat
Hi Steve! Glad to hear that you had a great trip on the southwest chief! That's a very long way from South Australia- so luckily you were not disappointed! Glad you enjoyed the video!
@@PhotoBug28 weve been over to the U.S 6 times in the last 7 years... and as soon as this little problem is sorted out, ill be back again. stay safe over there, see you soon.
Very nice video! I've watched a lot of these Amtrak rail trip videos, and this is one of the best, covering a route (or combination of routes) I'd like to experience. Really enjoyed the look at the interior of LA Union Station...so far my favorite of the handful I've visited is Chicago, but LA appears to be no slouch! You offer a good variety of scenery without becoming obsessed with any one place or area, and easily read graphics informing the viewer of the current location. Some sights I don't think I've seen before in similar videos of the SW Chief route, which I really appreciated. Sorry to see the dining experience has fallen off so far from my trip a couple of years ago, but I'm hoping that by the time I hit the rails again, they will have returned to real meals, because the food was surprisingly good (the only minor flaw was watery grits at breakfast one morning). Thanks for a nice train trip video!
Thank you so much for the wonderful compliments! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I tried to make it a little different from other Amtrak videos on TH-cam. LA and Chicago Union Station are among the most impressive- but I think the Chicago Station is a little more larger and grand. The end of traditional dining is a big drawback. I hope it will return someday. But Amtrak was already discontinuing traditional dining on some routes before Covid happened. They said that millenials would rather eat alone and be on their phone rather than share tables with strangers. I still enjoyed the trip regardless. Thanks for watching!
@@PhotoBug28 Yes, I heard about the discontinuation of "real" dining on some routes...I know they did on the City of New Orleans, which I have to take to Chicago or New Orleans, wherever I'm going, since it's the only Amtrak passenger service we have here in Memphis. I guess for Millennials eating with strangers would be awkward, but I thought it added to the trip. I hope they restore regular dining on some of the cross-country routes, although as you say, I'll enjoy the trip in any case.
@@PhotoBug28 Unfortunately, Amtrak noticed that those riding in coach refused to pay for a diner meal. They prefer buying a gasoline station microwaved sandwich and a small bag of chips in the Sightseeing Lounge. Amtrak pays their diner staff union railroad wages, far too much for competitive pricing for diner meals. Amtrak a long time ago did away with the Burlington Prime Rib and the Great Northern Loaded Baked Potato, once known on the Empire Builder as the Idaho Star. Millennials prefer Lays Potato Chips...
@@ronclark9724 That's very interesting history! I guess the traditional dining was the most obvious target for cutting non essential costs- especially when millennials would rather eat in privacy and be on their phones. I wish I could have experienced those traditional dinners before they were discontinued
@@PhotoBug28 I am a millennial myself, and I had experienced traditional dining sever times until 2019, and on my recent trip I experienced flexible dining, and it was crap, I much prefer traditional dining, my experience debunks the myth of millennials prefer flexible dining lol
Hi there from a new subscriber. Interested in train travel lately. Watching this video now. It is great content! Really like your format: awesome camerawork, inset maps, captions w/place & time, and best of all, no narration (not interested if the delay was a bummer, or beef dish was subpar). I came by for the sights and sounds. Very nice job delivering that.
Thank you for compliments, and for subscribing! There's plenty of Amtrak videos with commentary so I wanted to do something different and make videos with just the scenery. Glad you enjoyed it!
@@PhotoBug28 Sure, I’ll check out your other videos. FYI, what drew me was Lakeshore Limited in title. I grew up in NW Ind. Near us was the stretch of track from IN to IL that used to be called the South Shore Line - orange electric cars that ran along lake, by the steel mills to the Chgo Loop. Great kiddo memories riding to the city at Christmastime. Now it’s Amtrak! Had no idea. Thanks again Steve. Keep the great content coming.
@@ShinagawaLily What a cool story! I grew up in a very mundane housing tract. When we stayed with relatives who lived next to a railroad track we used to run out to the balcony to see the train pass by. Even though it was a small 2 car commuter train we thought it was the coolest thing ever. I never got to ride on a train until I was in my teens. I hope to do more Amtrak trips soon!
Enjoyed the video. Time stamps were helpful figuring what time of day it was. Day one, day two, would be helpful as well. Being from Raleigh, NC, I was hoping there would be at least a night shot as you passed through but I knew it would be late at night! I liked the train sounds more than the music on the last video! I travel by RV and take excursion train rides. soon, I'll park the RV and start traveling the rails. It's fun seeing all the stations, been to a lot of them sightseeing.
Thank you for your feedback! I should have indicated the days: Day 1, 2. I don't know why I didn't think of that. I would have liked to put in more night shots, but the night shots on the iPhone are not good quality- usually low resolution and grainy, especially when you are moving. Other TH-camrs have more professional equipment with low light lenses for night shots. Maybe someday I should invest in one of those. On this video I had to cut out a lot of audio because of a loudmouth passenger near me, saying the most idiotic things LOL. So instead of having no audio at all I added in some music. I would absolutely love to travel the country by RV- and have ultimate freedom to be on your own schedule and not have to book hotels. I can't afford an RV ob my own but I'd like to get a few people to do it with me and split the cost :)
Thanks for sharing your trip. Last year, family time conflicts cancelled our train plans and this year was Covid. I'm really needing to get on the train and go. Amtak, you need to return, baggage check, to your MI routes. No baggage check really cramps my style. Wish I could afford to travel in a sleeper, I've always traveled coach. My dream trip is to travel all the way around the US. Maybe one day.
Awww that's a shame! I'm sorry you had bad luck 2 years in a row! I agree that they should return baggage check. The sleeper cars are expensive- even for the cheapest roomettes. It was hard for me to afford but I saved up- and it was really needed for such a very long trip. I plan to do some shorter Amtrak trips in coach. Thank you for watching Terrie!
You're welcome! The crescent was kind of boring- between DC and New Orleans it was mostly trees and bushes in front of the windows. I wish I skipped this part LOL
Like the idea of the overlay maps so everyone can see what your talking about. These videos must have taken you a whole lot of time to edit and add all the info!
I'm glad you liked the maps! Yes it definitely took a lot of extra time to add them- but I wanted the video to be a little different from the other Amtrak videos on TH-cam
Definitely! I thought the same too. This trip gave me a whole new perspective on the country. Hope you can do a similar trip like this. Thank you for commenting!
I know your delays messed up your plans, but the room and view from that hotel was pretty cool! I envy you taking a wonderful train ride like that, I was going to take a simple ride from SYR NY to Buffalo NY but that got messed up by Covid. BUT next year will be better!
Definitely! The hotel was amazing- considering that I usually stay in the cheapest hotels. They also gave us a meal voucher and I got a $200 Amtrak voucher for the delay. The only hassle was that I had to push everything else back a day: my Crescent train trip, my NYC hotel and my flight home- which was cost me more money. But luckily I'm not working and have lots of free time due to Covid. I hope next year things will improve so you can enjoy your train trip in Upstate NY!
Your videos really make me want to do a trip like this, too... I had already looked into it a few years back, but gotta admit I severely underestimated the sheer size of the US and the time it would take to do such a trip, especially when you want to get off the train somewhere and see things there. But it's still not off of my bucket list, so... one day...
Hello 🙋 again Steve. I'm so disappointed you didn't include continuous music in this one. I hope you didn't listen to the idiots who told you they didn't like the music. Like several comments said, You can hit the mute button or turn down the sound! Be your own man - whatever you want to do! You bring quality to your efforts! I think I have a somewhat qualified opinion! #1) I have a degree in music and taught it for over 25 years. #2) l've ridden trains since 1962 and Amtrak since it's inception (May 1971). #3) I've been on every Amtrak route and your presentations are the best I've ever seen. Keep up the good work and let's hear your 🎵 🎼music!🎶🎷🎻Sincerely, David in Chicago 🇺🇸
I appreciate that very much! I believe that music is very important to set the mood and the tone of a video. And I put a variety of different music to appeal to different tastes- while choosing mostly neutral, relaxing or upbeat music. But still people seemed to hate it, it's not like I put in gangster rap- which would not go well with an Amtrak video. So on my newer video I made a compromise and only added a little music for the intro and transitions. I also enjoy hearing all the sounds of the train- but on my last video I had the problem with a loudmouth passenger talking about politics and saying so many dumb things. So I had to cut out large portions of the audio. I tried to strike a balance between what I like, and what viewers would like. Thanks so much for your advice- it's very helpful for me!
@@Cal90208 Yes I would like to upload 2 different videos of this trip. But it will take some time- I've been busy moving but I hope to make time for it!
Steve, let me help you with your geography, you state Buffalo when in fact the train was arriving in Rochester. The iconic Kodak Hdq was in the background ! Beforehand as the train was passing through Bflo it was depressing to see the remains of the once great Central Terminal. I have many great childhood memories of that station !
Thank you so much for the correction! There was bound to be a mistake here and there. I wish I got to see the Central Terminal when it was open. Thanks Bobby for watching and commenting!
@@PhotoBug28 Steve, no problem, just giving you a little ribbing, nothing more. FWIW, back in the early days of my RR career in Rochester I rode the Inaugural 'Lakeshore Ltd' back in '75
@@bobbyb2014 That's very cool! I didn't know when the Lakeshore limited started service but I was guessing in the 1960's. I'm sure working in for the RR you probably have many interesting stories and experiences!
@@PhotoBug28 Actually it did, goes back to it's NYC roots over a hundred years ago, the 1975 run was Amtraks re-introduction of the train after it was taken off I believe 20 years earlier
Steve, thanks for great video. Just retired and want to travel and make train videos here and abroad. Can I get advice and tips on equipment I'll need? Iphone or cam corder? Thanks!
You're welcome! I used my iPhone for the whole video. The newest iPhones (11 or 12) have excellent video quality. I have it set to 1080pixles at 60 frames per second. I have also used a Canon Powershot SX60HS. It's a point and shoot camera that is good for beginner photographers like me and it has a very good zoom!
Enjoy the video ,in 2019 I went to los Angeles by train from fayetteville north carolina, it started with the silver meteor from fayetteville to washington DC ,then the capital limited to chicago then the southwest chief to los Angeles ,I really enjoyed it
Hi John, that sounds like an amazing trip! I'd love to do the Silver service/ palmetto from FL to NY- I haven't done that region yet. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Oh wow! This is just a phenomenal video! I wonder why you didn’t take the direct Sunset Limited route from LA to NOLA... is it because the train leaves so late or you want to explore some new routes?
Thank you for the compliment! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I decided not to take the Sunset Limited back to LA because I had just done the Texas Eagle 2 weeks before- which is the same route from San Antonio. Rather than spending the extra money and time repeating the same route it was cheaper and faster to fly home from New Orleans. Thank you for watching!
Wow, nice train trip. I agree the actual background is better than a lot of the stock music people choose, or the music is simply way too loud. At some point, a train trip is in order.
I was going to NYC in October but Nevada residents were on the covid list, So I only went to Washington DC. Most everything was closed in DC so I rented a bicycle. Bike is a good way to tour DC. In April Im going from LA to NOLA on the Sunset Limited for 2 days then NOLA to NYC on the Crescent, for 2 days then back to LA on first the Lakeshore Limited to Chicago then The Southwest Chief.
It's a shame that you missed out on NYC- but Washington DC s a very interesting city. A bike is definitely a great way to see the city! It sounds like you are doing the same routes I did but in reverse order. That's going to be many many hours on the train but I loved it! I hope you enjoy your trip in April :)
Steve felicidades excelente video , muy lindos Paisajes . Si pudiera detallar o contar que se sirve de comida durante el viaje y si hay opciones de comprar algo más y que tan caros son los precios de lo que venden. ? Gracias y que Dios lo bendiga.
Por supuesto. Las comidas que ves en el video no están a la venta, solo están incluidas en las cabañas privadas. Hay una pequeña cafateria en el tren que vende comida, snacks, bebidas. Los precios son un poco caros. Lo siento, no tengo una lista de precios o un menú, pero creo que puedes encontrar uno buscando en Google :)
great video, love the sound of just the train, i've been trying to plan something like this with my dad as a "birthday/fathers day" thing for him but never can find trains that arrive/depart about the same times without a huge layover any advice? the sad part is I live in Yuma Az so it's a challenge and I'm sure adds up more departing/arriving at Old Town San Diego. Any and all help is appreciated 👍🏼
Hi David! Back when I did these long distance Amtrak trips- these route ran daily. So I did have to stay overnight in Seattle, Chicago and New York. These long distance routes schedules don't match up to where you can just catch the next train a couple hours later. Even when I had an 8 hour layover, our train arrived 8 hours and 5 minutes late- so I had to spend an extra night in Chicago and be rebooked on the train the next day. Long delays of several hours is pretty common. So even if you had a short layover theres a chance you will miss it. I would check out route maps and schedules on the Amtrak website to see if any routes work from you. The website is pretty easy to navigate. Good luck to you and thanks so much for watching!
You left out the tunnel and the "white cliffs" on one of the rivers on the Crescent; also crossing Lake Pontchartrain shortly before entering New Orleasn. ???
I know- I was really disappointed about missing these highlights. Our train was hours behind schedule, and we crossed Lake Pontchartrain it was complete darkness. I tried to film video but it was unusable- too dark to see anything. Maybe next time!
Hello Steve, I live in North Yorkshire, U.k. I love watching either car rides or train rides around America, the scenery is so magnificent, but I watched your video with my husband tonight, it was brilliant, thank you very much for putting it on so that people like myself can see what your Country is like. What was the name of the bridge just before the train got to Manhattonville, I like to follow routes on my map but couldn't find that particular bridge. Thank you very much again.
Hi Gwen! Thank you so much for your wonderful compliment! I'm very glad you enjoyed the video. I had the pleasure of visiting York which has one of the greatest rail museums.I believe the bridge that we passed just before Manhattanville was the George Washington bridge but I'm not quite sure about that. I hope all is well in Yorkshire!!
@@PhotoBug28 Thank you for your reply Steve, we are only about 30 miles away from York and have been to the Railway Museum two or three times when the children were smaller. It is 1st June 2023 and we have watched this video again, you don't do a lot of talking like some presenters do, you just write up where places are and that is good, and you don't spend time showing all the train off like some do, I just love the scenery, and now we are going to start watching, this afternoon, South West Chief, Lake Shore and Crescent - again, and again, Thank you so much.
@@gwenpaxton1802 That's wonderful! I know this video lacks the commentary that people find entertaining and informative- I just don't have a charming on screen personality, and I don't like my voice. So I just put informative captions instead. But I'm so glad you enjoyed watching this video! I really appreciate your support Gwen!!
@@deesalkelly3069 Thank you so much! I've been called iron guts before, because of the many strange things I've eaten on my travels: rodents, insects, kangaroo, camel, horse, bear, starfish, whale, puffin, dog, you name it!
Thanks for posting this and your other long distance train videos. Gives a great look at the varying landscapes for each route. I know Amtrak struggles to remain on schedule, how did things go for you? Did you generally have to overnight in the hub cities or were you able to go from one main train to the next? And.. I have to ask, did you win a huge Amtrak gift card in a draw or something :), as all the videos seem to be during Covid (based on the food offering) so I assume all your trips were taken in short succession.
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed the videos. On this trip there was a 6hr 40 min layover between the SW Chief and Lake Shore Lmdt. But we had 2 long delays due to a mechanical problem and we arrived 6hr 45 minutes late, so I missed the Lake Shore Lmdt by 5 minutes. We were told the train would wait for us, but they didn't. Amtrak put is in a very nice hotel and I was rebooked on the same train the next day. I took a bunch of Amtrak trips all in 2 months because I'm furloughed from my job so I have lots of free time and I was very bored. I couldn't really do my normal trips with so many things being closed. So it was the perfect time to see the whole country by rail and not worry about things being closed. It worked out great and I loved all the trips. The only boring part was on the Crescent between Washington DC and New Orleans- 80% of the route was trees and bushes in front of the window blocking everything for many hours straight. LOL
@@PhotoBug28 The east and south surprise many with lots of trees, especially along railroad right of way. While most of the railway gangs that built the railroads cleared ten feet on each side of the tracks more than a century ago, nature has grown back and returned...
@@ronclark9724 I see, I didn't know that. I thought that the residents of these towns purposely planted trees along the train tracks to block the sight and noise of the train.
@@PhotoBug28 Unfortunately most of America is NOT Southern California desert... Those living in a desert may have to fight off the flies, but those living in the Deep South have to fight off chiggers, ticks, and mosquitoes that will suck every drop of your blood out of you...
I considered doing that- but I had just done the Texas Eagle a couple weeks earlier. Which from San Antonio to LA is the same route so I didn't really want to repeat it again so soon.
Steve disculpe ya vi que muestra algo de comida en su video. Pregunta solo le dan una porción por alimento o si t0iene hambre puede solicitar más. ? Y usted en lo personal en que categoría sugiere viajar para un viaje largo ? Gracias de antemano por su informacion.
Las comidas eran un poco pequeñas si tienes un apetito más grande como yo. No sé si te darán comidas extra, nunca pregunté. Pero creo que vi a otro pasajero pedir 2 comidas y ¡estuvo bien! Desde el menú de desayuno puede pedir tantos artículos como desee. Si viaja una distancia muy larga con 1 o 2 personas, reservaría una pequeña cabaña llamada "Roomette". Es la cabina más asequible y muy cómoda.
@@PhotoBug28 Buenos días Steve, muchas gracias por toda su información es usted muy amable, que Dios lo bendiga. Y por favor continúe compartiendo nos sus vídeos tan interesantes, que para quienes estamos imposibilitados para viajar , nos hace sentir la sensación como si fuéramos en ese cómodo y bonito tren, Gracias.
24:57 here in LA they will hold trains if a connecting passengers train is delayed. Unsure of the circumstances required to hold the train, but they have done it here.
That's good to know! We were told the connecting train would wait for us, but for whatever reason they didn't- even though we were just a few minutes away. Big inconvenience it caused everyone.
@@PhotoBug28 I agree, I think they should have kept the train. Also quick question, how was it using the toilet in the viewliner roomette? I've never travelled in a viewliner yet, and am curious to know someones perspective on using that toilet.
@@Cal90208 Using that toilet was a little strange- because it was right next to my head where I slept- and it smelled bad. LOL. And there was one time where the cabin attendant came to deliver a meal and I was using the toilet and had to tell him to come back later. But it was convenient to have my own sink and toilet instead of going downstairs for it :)
How do you take video without window reflections? We are taking Amtrak from San Antonio to Virginia in April via New Orleans and I'd love to document our trip.
It's really nice for you to identify just WHERE we are at!!! Your4 map's you keep popping up are worthless as they are too small to read, and it would have been nice to know where the scene of those boats were with the long bride in the background... and I'm sure the bridge had /has a name!!!!
I see Amtrak accommodated you when you were late into Chicago, but how did they assure you that you would still have a room on the train the next day? Did they add a car for displaced passengers?
Luckily they had no problem rebooking me on the same train the next day- because there were so few passengers at the time- there were a few unsold cabins left. If this happened during peak season or before Covid then that could have been a big problem! But it was a very nice hotel they took us too, and we got a meal voucher- plus a $150 Amtrak credit.
@@PhotoBug28 Thank you for your response. We are traveling in a few weeks and have a five hour plus connection between the Southwest Chief and the City of New Orleans, but the Southwest Chief has been running late recently by several hours...
You're welcome Linda! Long delays are common on those long distance Amtrak routes. Freight trains have priority over Amtrak- and there is often heavy freight traffic. But Amtrak is usually very good about accommodating passengers that missed their connection. I hope that you have a wonderful trip without any delays!
@@PhotoBug28 Yes. I have been traveling via Amtrak for over 30 years. I know all about delays, and normally we schedule connections with a ton of margin. Oh well, it will all turn out OK. Thank you for your video and consultation.
With what a PIA flying has become, ridership on trains is making more since now if you have the time. Just to take a simple flight to go to my dads funeral, I'd have to prove I've had my shots, pay extra for bags, show my passport (which has expired) and the new type drivers license, go through TSA which will not even allow me to bring a full tube of tooth paste, be told to stand 6' apart in the airport, wear a mask, only to have to sit elbow to elbow once I got on the plane. WTH!
I definitely agree! I really enjoyed the ease of taking the train instead of flying. I'm sorry for the loss of your father. Hope all is well- and thank you so much for watching and sharing your thoughts!
I loved your video. I'm just starting to plan my train travel and I'm going to do the Southwest Chief and Lakeshore Limited in the Fall...meet my son in NY and fly back home to Vegas from Maryland. Next year I plan a few more train trips including Coast Starlight,, California Zephyr and one from Anchorage to Fairbanks and one to Churchill Montreal. Love the quality of your video but can you do me a favor and give me a thumbs up or thumbs down on the food when you're showing it. 🙂
That's amazing! You're doing some of Amtrak's best routes. I hope you have an incredible trip! Thank you so much for the compliment. That's a great idea to add a thumbs up or thumbs down when I show the food. The food was unfortunately all thumbs down- it was frozen reheated meals. A low quality substitute for the traditional dining service.
The cost for 2 people in a roomette for all 3 routes was about $1,315. A regular coach ticket would have been less than half that price. It's not the cheapest way to travel but I think it was definitely worth it!
Don't have a go at Amtrak about limited food service. In Europe (shorter distances I acknowledge) there is virtually nothing served beyond sandwiches and bottles of water.
Yes- the limited food options such right now. I hope Amtrak will return the full service dining car someday. But I still managed to enjoy these trips- without good food LOL
Thanks so much! I just used my iPhone 11 for this whole video. It has image stabilization which I think helped a lot. Because most of the trip the train cars bounce up and down, and from side to side. Very hard to hold the camera still!
@@johnbledsoe5453 Yes it was a lot of fun! Here is what I paid for 2 people in a roomette sleeper cabin: Coast Starlight $432, Empire Builder $527 and Texas Eagle $623. A coach seat is about a third of that price. The prices vary a lot depending on the season and how for in advance you book.
@@PhotoBug28 - thanks. Not too bad. It sounds like fun. I’m hoping to do both of your trips. Perhaps, a different combination. I would like to do a cross Canada rail trip after the pandemic. Right now, a lot of the cross Canada route is suspended due to the pandemic.
@@johnbledsoe5453 That sound amazing! There are so many combinations of Amtrak routes depending on what region you like the most- and which schedule/ price is better for you. It's a little expensive for a sleeper cabin, but I thought it was worth the price. Ive never done a train trip in Canada but its at the top of the list- once their service returns to normal.
@@jonesyokc Definitely. It would be an expensive trip unless you are willing to stay in a regular coach seat for the whole trip. Maybe you can save up and do this trip someday :)
@@PhotoBug28 I made really good money. Just need to get a new job. So much Covid turmoil. Then again once I get a new job I won't have the time to take such a trip.
@@PhotoBug28 I priced it out in Feb 2021 and you can do it with sleeper rooms for $3586 round trip. Will need to figure in two nights of hotel stays. You'd start Feb 9 and be back Feb 20th. Long trip.
as a travel log, i would have liked it better if there were notations like heres chicago, we are now in "where ever! sliding into I ndiana and so on. we have a tendency to think, wheres that? what am i looking at, or screw this im taking a nap!
You're right- I could have put a lot more personality and humor into the captions. Other TH-camrs have a lot more witty entertaining personalities. But I'll try to make it more interesting in my next video!
Prices vary depending upon when you travel and how early you book. For the cheapest fares, don't travel during holidays and during the summer school vacations. Even delaying a journey a day or two can significantly create savings, so shop wisely over a number of days.
There was a locomotive problem- and it took hours to get permission and send another one to us. The second delay was because a truck had a minor collision with a bridge pillar. We had to wait another 2 hours for an inspector to show up and inspect the bridge to make sure it was safe for the train to pass over it. Also freight traffic were common delays- they have first priority when sharing the rails with Amtrak
@@deesalkelly3069 That's a good suggestion- I should have added an explanation to the end of the video since I'm sure people want to know what caused such a long delay. I'll see if I can add a subtitle or caption without having to delete and re-upload the video again!
Luckily I am not a pick eater- the meals were like Lean Cuisine/ Stouffers. But it's definitely a disappointing downgrade from the traditional dining service.
@@deesalkelly3069 LOL! I know- these meals are definitely not a suitable replacement for the traditional dining service, especially considering the cost of these sleeper cabins. I made sure to bring plenty of snacks on this trip.
They are doing the same in Europe as well. The train companies have learned how to reduce food costs from the airlines. Get used to pre-prepared airline microwaved food or boxed food. As Amtrak noted before the pandemic, those riding in coach refuse to pay $40 for a single meal in the diner. It appeared almost all of the sleeper car passengers were the only ones dining in the diner with their meals included into their fares. As fewer and fewer dined in the diner, Amtrak couldn't cover their costs of their diner employees. Amtrak employees are railroad union workers, they are not paid peanuts like at fast food restaurants. Ten years ago Amtrak dished the dish washer, and lately have dished the diner cook. Now they have dished the diner waiter or waitress during this pandemic.
not in the near future. Before 2020 they had menus online or on an app somewhere but I read somewhere on reddit that they stopped updating it recently.
@@PhotoBug28 Wow, the Lake Shore Ltd, the Crescent and the western trains are just about empty? Amazing! I rode the Silver Star roundtrip from Columbia SC (where I live) to Orlando FL a couple weeks before Christmas, and my train both ways was far from empty, just about all the rooms were taken and the coaches were more then 50% full, if Amtrak says it is capping coach capacity on its trains, its not enforcing it on the Silver Service, the Silver Service trains and from what ive heard the auto train are doing remarkably well ridership wise, the Silver Star has 3 sleepers (it would always have 2 sleepers whenever I would ride it in 2019 and prior) and its sister train has just as many sleepers, but that train has had that many sleepers for quite a while, and the silver star had 5 coaches when I rode it both ways last month (a 6th coach has since been added to both silver service trains) the star would have 4 coaches when I would ride it in 2019 and prior, and a couple times I rode it when it only had 3 coaches, in 2019 and prior the star would only have 5 coaches during thanksgiving and christmas now no fewer then 5 coaches has become a year round thing on both silver service trains apparently, its sister train, the silver meteor would have in 2019 and prior 5 coaches in summer in addition to the holidays, and the silver service and auto trains were the only trains amtrak left alone frequency wise in October when the other trains were slashed from 7 days a week to 3 days a week
@@mikesanders878 Thank you Mike for the interesting information! I have never rode on the Silver Service trains or the Auto Train. I've done a couple marathon Amtrak trips but I'm really not experienced. It was nice to have mostly empty trains on all the trips I took. I have only been on Amtrak during Covid so I don't know what the regular crowds were like- but I am sure they are very full. We'll see if Amtrak will make a full comeback. Thank you for commenting!
@@PhotoBug28 Cant speak for the Crescent, LSL, Capital LTD Cardinal, or any of the western routes, but in 2019 and prior both silver trains and the palmetto (ive ridden all 3, not just the star) were always 100% full from 2013 to 2019, at least in coach, I only did coach in 2019 and prior, and ive ridden several of the short distance routes in the northeast and those were also full in 2019 and prior, hopefully Amtrak will make a full comeback, now that "Amtrak Joe" is now our president its even more likely, and the Dems now in control of both the house and senate is also good, trump in the white house made me nervous when it came to the possible future of amtrak, trump wanted to axe the cross country routes, thankfully those routes are still here, there were even plans to bus bridge the SW chief, thankfully that route is still intact, the future of amtrak is much more secure now with the new administration, and the language that requires food and beverage service to break even has been stripped (the reason why flexible dining was implemented) so its more likely traditional dining will return, fingers crossed it does indeed happen
Seeing the USA from Amtrak is a real shocker! Drab, dreary, cities that are just plain old and run down. Out of control graffiti spray painted all over. Empty old factories just standing there run down. I do admire the natural scenery such as trees, rivers, streams etc. But the majority of the cities are just plain run down and falling apart. Sorry for being critical, but I am giving my honest opinion. I'll be happy to return to Asia!
You are absolutely right! Traveling thousands of miles across the country you will see beautiful landscapes- to small mundane towns- to really bad neighborhoods. This video is to show it all and summarize everything you see on these routes. Philly and Baltimore have some really terrible neighborhoods. And on Coast Starlight up the California Coast you will see many shanty towns and homeless encampments along the railroad line. Something most people don't think of when California comes to mind. Sometimes it good to see these kind of places rather than close your eyes to the realities of the world. Thanks for commenting!
As if European cities don't have graffiti sprayed on everything. They do. My local market had some tagger painting porn on his back wall, he had it painted over in a day or two. The tagger even had the gaul to ask why he painted over his art, the market owner replied, It is my building. I can paint it any color I wish. Why don't you buy your own building? My nephew is a painter, he will be willing to paint your building any color you wish...
I know- it wasn't possible to film all of them in 1 trip- because I spent time sleeping, eating, napping instead of filming. And because of the long delays some of the cities I wanted to film at- we arrived in the middle of the night while I was sleeping.
Hi Rodney- yes that would give the video a whole different level of interest and add more personality too it, and maybe some humor. But I hate hearing myself talking on video. I don't have a charming witty personality that viewers want to see- so this video just focuses on the scenery. But I'm not opposed to recording some of my commentary for a future video!
The price for 2 people in a roomette cabin with meals included: Southwest Chief $553, Lake Shore Limited $350 Crescent $412. So the total was $1,315 for 2 people. A coach seat would have been about a third of that cost. Definitely not the cheapest way to travel. But I had a great trip and I'm glad I did it.
@@tyroniousyrownshoolacez2347 Keep in mind with the sleeper accommodations, they charge for the room and then the person at a coach fare. So if two share the same roomette, the price of the second person is a coach fare who can share your room. Two persons in a roomette is a better value than one person...
It's not that good. The whole experience is not worth the time or money. From October 6, 2020 to July 11, 2021 I traveled on 4 of the 5 cross country amtrak routes in a roomette. Air conditioning is the biggest problem next to on board sewer system. If you compare the price of flying, amtrak is not worth the money. About 50% of the amtrak employees are rude and unhelpful. Inter city routes like, New york to Washington DC are great and that's what amtrak should stick with. These cross country trains need to go.
Thanks for sharing your experience! It is definitely not cheap to travel in a roomette. Luckily I didn't have any problems with the air conditioning or sewer. Most of the employees on my trains were very nice- but I did have 1 rude one.
!["สนธิ" ห่วงมีขบวนการปกป้อง "ทนายตั้ม" : [THE MESSAGE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2GQNp3EoMc0/mqdefault.jpg)
No music, just natural sounds, thank you!
Loved the all views and no talking!
Thank you Joseph!!
I love the fact that you just have the train noise in the background....no music, etc. I've taken many Amtrak long distance trips and the sounds of the train rolling along with the horn blaring from time to time brought back many memories. A great video. Many thanks!
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed watching it! My previous train videos had music- but most people didn't like it. I think this video is better with just the sounds of the train. Hopefully you can do another Amtrak trip someday!
I agree-thanks for putting this together. It’s a wonderful video. I hope to travel cross country round trip from NY soon.
@@KarenMcIntosh1 Thank you Karen! I had fun putting this video together- I got inspired to do this trip after watching other videos. I hope you can do one of these Amtrak trips someday!
@@PhotoBug28 for sure no music ...if I watch a video with distracting music, I immediately turn it off so thanks
@@soniadowney7427 Definitely! No more distracting music in my future videos
Very nice video. My wife and I will be in a roomette taking the Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Chicago in May, then staying with family for a week, and then taking the Empire Builder, again in a roomette, back to Seattle. We are flying back from Seattle to L.A., though. I watched this video and your Coast Starlight->Empire Builder->Texas Eagle video yesterday and today. Lots of great sites to be seen, but also lots of very depressing sites going through Philadelphia, Baltimore, and some of the southern states. Graffiti everywhere. So many people have no respect for other people's property. Very sad. Anyway, I've subscribed to your channel, gave thumbs up to the two videos, and I'll be watching your other videos in the coming days and weeks! Good job!
Thank you so much Ed! I'm very happy to hear your wonderful compliments! It was such an amazing experience and I really hope you and your wife will have a perfect trip on these routes!
There are definitely many impoverished and dangerous neighborhoods in Philly and Baltimore. Very unfortunate that graffiti is a constant problem and the local governments have seemed to just accept it. But I try to show the reality of everything you will see on these routes. The breathtaking nature, to mundane corn fields and also homeless encampments. Next month I will be doing a cross country train trip from Toronto to Vancouver, going thru the Canadian rockies. I plan to put out a video of that trip as well. Thanks for watching, subscribing and commenting Ed!!
Love this, feel like I'm there.
Thanks so much Marilyn! Glad you enjoyed it!
Beautiful!!!!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to film, edit and share with us.
Thanks so much! It was my pleasure!
@39:17...What the world!!! LOL!
I had to go back and be sure I was not imagining the man on the same bridge waiting for the train to pass over the river.
Love the videos! New subbie!
Yeah I was very surprised to see that too. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and thanks so much for subscribing!
@@PhotoBug28 My pleasure to support!
Thank you for your work and the content.😉
@@e.s.7520 You're very welcome!
I enjoy all of what you post, Steve! Thanks for keeping us in the loop!😊
Thanks so much Jon! I appreciate that.
@@PhotoBug28 how much this whole trip does it get boring at times on those trains
Just amazes me how much land you see that hasn't been touch. I think that's awesome. Ty for the video. Haven't been to the states for ages , this makes me want to come back when covid is over
Thanks so much Chris! I definitely agree. I hope you can make another trip over here someday!
BRILLIANT! THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING.
You're very welcome Issie!
Thank you very much for taking the time to record and create this video. It was sad to see the major train stations like Union Station in DC so empty. Always jammed with travelers when I needed to go to Washington. So many nice restaurants and shops inside that historical building. Seeing that your trains were almost empty you were able to get great video without having to work around other travelers and noise. I'm looking forward to a trip once the pandemic restrictions lift. Looking to do either the Lake Shore Limited from Boston then the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle or VIA Rail Sleeper train from Toronto to Vancouver. Safe travels to you....
Thanks so much for commenting Jim! It was depressing to see how hard the whole traveling industry has been hit by Covid. The stations and Amtrak trains were so empty- and last October they cut service on these long distance routes to 3 days a week. But it was nice to have no crowds at all- the dining car and observation lounge was mostly empty. It made filming much easier! I hope you get to do one of those long distance routes soon. I've never done a train trip in Canada but that's next on my list!
Nice video of Amtrak scenery to different states
What a wonderful video and thank you for not putting in endless commentary about the food and cabin tours, and thanks for just getting on the train and going and not doing station tours, so refreshing.
Thanks so much Simon! That's very kind of you. This video is mostly about the scenery- not a travel guide with commentary. I'm not a good speaker with a charming witty personality like other TH-camrs. Glad you enjoyed it!
@@PhotoBug28 mate the scenery was amazing I enjoyed that so much, please keep up the good work I am sure many viewers would like to see more me included.
Thank you for a wonderful tour. Excellent coverage.
Thank you so much Judith!!
Another relaxing scenic video 😊👍🏾
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed this video! It was refreshing to see during the pandemic with all the travel restrictions we have to deal with.
Thank you! It was a very different travel experience compared to pre-covid. Very few passengers. But I had an incredible trip! Thank you for watching :)
Enjoyed my trip , Thanks .
Great! You're welcome :)
I'm so glad the Southwest still runs but it sure was eerie and sad to see the train empty and cities like Albuquerque quiet. Great video, stay safe.
Yes, I agree. I believe the these trains are getting more passengers lately. Thank you for the compliment! Stay safe too :)
@@PhotoBug28 The trains are running slightly fuller as service has been cut by more than half... Thrice weekly is not daily service...
@@ronclark9724 Yes, I believe this started last October when Amtrak cut service on these long distance routes to 3 times a week. I"m sure they were losing money on these mostly empty trains and this was a solution for them.
How much does this trip costs
@@williamedmonds625 Hi William- it was $1,315 total for 2 people in a cabin for all 3 routes. A coach seat would have been less than half that price.
I hope to follow in your footsteps :-)) Thanks for sharing!!!
Thank you Miss Eliza! I appreciate it :)
@@PhotoBug28 when I take this route I wanna be stranded too 😆😉
@@babeudoo LOL! It's not always a bad thing if you're not on a strict time schedule. For me it worked out pretty well :)
1) That station in LA is gorgeous, from the outside and on the inside
2) That temperature in LA is about 55 degrees above my upper limit of tolerance
3) It's really annoying to see so many carriers using COVID as an excuse to save a few dollars, and always on meal services. That kind of thing won't be forgotten, should they restart at any point.
4) Dammit! That music is so cheery! The PTSD is on me, today, so well done getting me to smile.
5) Americans have an amazing country to live in.
6) Your locomotives are huge!
Thank you for another Really Lovely Video
All very good points! Thanks Michael for all of your comments and for watching my videos. That heat wave in LA was the worst- but luckily I was mostly indoors. I also hate that business are using Covid as an excuse to cut costs- some businesses even use it as an excuse to charge more. I ate at a burger restaurant in Chicago and they charged us a $16 Covid sanitizing fee to wipe down 1 table! I'm glad you liked the music- most people said to leave it out LOL. I'm very blessed to live in the USA- despite our problems it's generally a wonderful place to live :)
Thank you for showing Erie, PA!! It's my home city and I've used that station quite a few times
Very cool! I'd love to go back and see more of that region and walk around Erie. Thanks Mike for commenting!
Great video! Excellent camera work and a sound tract that complements and does not distract. I’m more than ready to do this circuit!
Thank you so much for the wonder compliment! I really hope you can do a train trip like this someday!
Damn I just finished your other one and I see this.. I’ll watch this as soon as possible!
Hahaha, well thank you for watching my videos! I've done most of the long distance routes now so this will probably be the last one- except for maybe a short video of 1 route.
Kudos to you for enduring a trip this long. 23 yrs. ago I went solo 1st class from L.A.-N.Y. during peak season. There were mechanical problems in N.M. & missed my connection in Chicago to N.Y. Amtrak put me up in a nice hotel in Chicago but wasn't able to get me in a roomette on the next train to N.Y. the following day. Amtrak arranged for a flight to N.Y. in coach. I wasn't happy with flying & didn't want to sleep in an Amtrak coach seat for a night. After that experience I've learned to spend an extra night at connecting points to avoid conundrums like this. It costs more but it's worth it to rest between connections to recharge. Railroads used to provide its 1st class passengers with transcontinental sleeper cars in Chicago or N.O. who would continue on to points East or South without needing to leave their accommodations. It entailed RR employees & equipment switching at odd hours so this convenient feature was discontinued. Too bad you missed experiencing your train crossing Lake Pontchartrain just outside N.O. Too bad you were finding yourself ordering the same food everyday, but you didn't take this journey for the food. I'm sure this trip will be unforgettable-unlike flying.
@@georgemcdowell8302 Thank you for sharing your experience! That's very good to know. There's always the chance of missing a connection if you don't stay overnight in the connecting city. But I thought a 6hr 40 minute layover would leave enough room for delays- and then we arrived 6hr 45 mins late, what are the odds?!! It was also a big disappointment that we arrived in New Orleans late- so it was complete darkness passing over Lake Pontchartrain. I was really looking forward to that view. And I definitely got tired of eating the same frozen microwave meals over and over. The traditional dining would have been a great experience. But I still had wonderful trips on these routes!
New subscriber Steve. Awesome video and great content. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much TK! That's very kind of you :)
wow i envy you, being able to afford and do this travel, ty for sharing this video
You're welcome! I usually travel on a small budget since I don't make much money. These Amtrak trips were pretty expensive, but I saved up for it. I'm very grateful to be able to do this! Thank you for watching :)
I enjoy all the video, Virtual Holiday for me .... Thank You
I'm so glad you enjoyed the video! I also love watching Amtrak TH-cam videos and getting inspired by other people's experiences
Brilliant as a guy who lives in the UK I need to come over The railway views you show does bring the best ( and worst) of the great country you live in.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! There is such a beautiful variety of landscapes you will see. And seeing the bad places is not so bad when you are speeding by from the comfort and safety of the train. Hope you can cross the pond and see it for yourself!
As if riding the trains in Europe don't reveal the bad areas. Unfortunately, mansions and golf courses are not built next to railway tracks. Usually industrial and warehouse areas are. As well as the shady side of downtown/high street areas.The new hotels and shopping malls are adjacent to freeways in America, not railway tracks. However, Amtrak does show the older industrial areas of towns, even the rural towns. You do get to see what industry grew the town or city. Whether it is a state capitol, university, steel mill, lumber mill, refinery, meat packer, etc.
@@ronclark9724 Very true. You can get a fascinating glimpse into what industry thrived these areas, and once those industries died the surrounding communities often never recovered. But Amtrak also has so many beautiful scenic areas that can only been seen from the train.
Looks like the Southwest Chief was running a bit late into Newton, KS. Usually gets there around 2:45 a.m. This is my closest Amtrak station. Nice video.
Yes it was running late- very observant! I'm glad you liked the video!
Awesome, thanks for posting
You're welcome Dan!
love the video Steve, sad to see the train so empty though, were from Adelaide , South Australia. we did the Southwest Chief back in 2017,best money id ever spent, would do it again in a heartbeat
Hi Steve! Glad to hear that you had a great trip on the southwest chief! That's a very long way from South Australia- so luckily you were not disappointed! Glad you enjoyed the video!
@@PhotoBug28 weve been over to the U.S 6 times in the last 7 years... and as soon as this little problem is sorted out, ill be back again. stay safe over there, see you soon.
@@stevebartley3695 Wow! You're a seasoned world traveler then! I hope things will be back to normal this year so we can travel again. Take care!
Very nice video! I've watched a lot of these Amtrak rail trip videos, and this is one of the best, covering a route (or combination of routes) I'd like to experience. Really enjoyed the look at the interior of LA Union Station...so far my favorite of the handful I've visited is Chicago, but LA appears to be no slouch! You offer a good variety of scenery without becoming obsessed with any one place or area, and easily read graphics informing the viewer of the current location. Some sights I don't think I've seen before in similar videos of the SW Chief route, which I really appreciated. Sorry to see the dining experience has fallen off so far from my trip a couple of years ago, but I'm hoping that by the time I hit the rails again, they will have returned to real meals, because the food was surprisingly good (the only minor flaw was watery grits at breakfast one morning). Thanks for a nice train trip video!
Thank you so much for the wonderful compliments! I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I tried to make it a little different from other Amtrak videos on TH-cam. LA and Chicago Union Station are among the most impressive- but I think the Chicago Station is a little more larger and grand. The end of traditional dining is a big drawback. I hope it will return someday. But Amtrak was already discontinuing traditional dining on some routes before Covid happened. They said that millenials would rather eat alone and be on their phone rather than share tables with strangers. I still enjoyed the trip regardless. Thanks for watching!
@@PhotoBug28 Yes, I heard about the discontinuation of "real" dining on some routes...I know they did on the City of New Orleans, which I have to take to Chicago or New Orleans, wherever I'm going, since it's the only Amtrak passenger service we have here in Memphis. I guess for Millennials eating with strangers would be awkward, but I thought it added to the trip. I hope they restore regular dining on some of the cross-country routes, although as you say, I'll enjoy the trip in any case.
@@PhotoBug28 Unfortunately, Amtrak noticed that those riding in coach refused to pay for a diner meal. They prefer buying a gasoline station microwaved sandwich and a small bag of chips in the Sightseeing Lounge. Amtrak pays their diner staff union railroad wages, far too much for competitive pricing for diner meals. Amtrak a long time ago did away with the Burlington Prime Rib and the Great Northern Loaded Baked Potato, once known on the Empire Builder as the Idaho Star. Millennials prefer Lays Potato Chips...
@@ronclark9724 That's very interesting history! I guess the traditional dining was the most obvious target for cutting non essential costs- especially when millennials would rather eat in privacy and be on their phones. I wish I could have experienced those traditional dinners before they were discontinued
@@PhotoBug28 I am a millennial myself, and I had experienced traditional dining sever times until 2019, and on my recent trip I experienced flexible dining, and it was crap, I much prefer traditional dining, my experience debunks the myth of millennials prefer flexible dining lol
Hi there from a new subscriber. Interested in train travel lately. Watching this video now. It is great content! Really like your format: awesome camerawork, inset maps, captions w/place & time, and best of all, no narration (not interested if the delay was a bummer, or beef dish was subpar). I came by for the sights and sounds. Very nice job delivering that.
Thank you for compliments, and for subscribing! There's plenty of Amtrak videos with commentary so I wanted to do something different and make videos with just the scenery. Glad you enjoyed it!
@@PhotoBug28 Sure, I’ll check out your other videos. FYI, what drew me was Lakeshore Limited in title. I grew up in NW Ind. Near us was the stretch of track from IN to IL that used to be called the South Shore Line - orange electric cars that ran along lake, by the steel mills to the Chgo Loop. Great kiddo memories riding to the city at Christmastime. Now it’s Amtrak! Had no idea. Thanks again Steve. Keep the great content coming.
@@ShinagawaLily What a cool story! I grew up in a very mundane housing tract. When we stayed with relatives who lived next to a railroad track we used to run out to the balcony to see the train pass by. Even though it was a small 2 car commuter train we thought it was the coolest thing ever. I never got to ride on a train until I was in my teens. I hope to do more Amtrak trips soon!
That is amazing Amtrak put you up for the night in Chicago. Turned out well with a day of sightseeing on them. Class Act Amtrak is.
Yes exactly. It worked out great! Thank you Stephen for commenting :)
Great video Steve I really enjoyed it
That's great to hear! Thank you again Jim for your support :)
Enjoyed the video. Time stamps were helpful figuring what time of day it was. Day one, day two, would be helpful as well. Being from Raleigh, NC, I was hoping there would be at least a night shot as you passed through but I knew it would be late at night! I liked the train sounds more than the music on the last video! I travel by RV and take excursion train rides. soon, I'll park the RV and start traveling the rails. It's fun seeing all the stations, been to a lot of them sightseeing.
Thank you for your feedback! I should have indicated the days: Day 1, 2. I don't know why I didn't think of that. I would have liked to put in more night shots, but the night shots on the iPhone are not good quality- usually low resolution and grainy, especially when you are moving. Other TH-camrs have more professional equipment with low light lenses for night shots. Maybe someday I should invest in one of those. On this video I had to cut out a lot of audio because of a loudmouth passenger near me, saying the most idiotic things LOL. So instead of having no audio at all I added in some music. I would absolutely love to travel the country by RV- and have ultimate freedom to be on your own schedule and not have to book hotels. I can't afford an RV ob my own but I'd like to get a few people to do it with me and split the cost :)
Great one and thank you!
Thanks for sharing your trip. Last year, family time conflicts cancelled our train plans and this year was Covid. I'm really needing to get on the train and go. Amtak, you need to return, baggage check, to your MI routes. No baggage check really cramps my style. Wish I could afford to travel in a sleeper, I've always traveled coach. My dream trip is to travel all the way around the US. Maybe one day.
Awww that's a shame! I'm sorry you had bad luck 2 years in a row! I agree that they should return baggage check. The sleeper cars are expensive- even for the cheapest roomettes. It was hard for me to afford but I saved up- and it was really needed for such a very long trip. I plan to do some shorter Amtrak trips in coach. Thank you for watching Terrie!
very nice n ever been on the crecent or lake shore limited ty for sharing
You're welcome! The crescent was kind of boring- between DC and New Orleans it was mostly trees and bushes in front of the windows. I wish I skipped this part LOL
One incredible trip !
Thank you Earl! I loved it :)
I like the no music, but a little talk about inside train would be nice.
Most viewers asked for the same. I agree though!
111 degrees.... doesn't make me miss home too much. Look at that apocalyptic sun. It looks angry af!
That's for sure LOL!
Regular dinning is now back!
That's wonderful news! I've been waiting for this! Gives me a reason to do another Amtrak trip soon :)
Like the idea of the overlay maps so everyone can see what your talking about. These videos must have taken you a whole lot of time to edit and add all the info!
I'm glad you liked the maps! Yes it definitely took a lot of extra time to add them- but I wanted the video to be a little different from the other Amtrak videos on TH-cam
It's pretty crazy how many towns and cities are actually in the USA. I'm planning a trip similar to this soon. Ty for sharing 👍
Definitely! I thought the same too. This trip gave me a whole new perspective on the country. Hope you can do a similar trip like this. Thank you for commenting!
@@PhotoBug28 right on my friend 👍
Thanks. I needed that.
You're welcome!
I know your delays messed up your plans, but the room and view from that hotel was pretty cool! I envy you taking a wonderful train ride like that, I was going to take a simple ride from SYR NY to Buffalo NY but that got messed up by Covid. BUT next year will be better!
Definitely! The hotel was amazing- considering that I usually stay in the cheapest hotels. They also gave us a meal voucher and I got a $200 Amtrak voucher for the delay. The only hassle was that I had to push everything else back a day: my Crescent train trip, my NYC hotel and my flight home- which was cost me more money. But luckily I'm not working and have lots of free time due to Covid. I hope next year things will improve so you can enjoy your train trip in Upstate NY!
I love your videos.
Thank you so much Judith!
Your videos really make me want to do a trip like this, too... I had already looked into it a few years back, but gotta admit I severely underestimated the sheer size of the US and the time it would take to do such a trip, especially when you want to get off the train somewhere and see things there. But it's still not off of my bucket list, so... one day...
Great to hear!! I'm glad you liked the video. It's a big commitment to travel such a far distance. I hope you will get to do it someday!
Wonderful!
Thank you!
Hello 🙋 again Steve. I'm so disappointed you didn't include continuous music in this one. I hope you didn't listen to the idiots who told you they didn't like the music. Like several comments said, You can hit the mute button or turn down the sound! Be your own man - whatever you want to do! You bring quality to your efforts! I think I have a somewhat qualified opinion! #1) I have a degree in music and taught it for over 25 years. #2) l've ridden trains since 1962 and Amtrak since it's inception (May 1971). #3) I've been on every Amtrak route and your presentations are the best I've ever seen. Keep up the good work and let's hear your 🎵 🎼music!🎶🎷🎻Sincerely, David in Chicago 🇺🇸
I appreciate that very much! I believe that music is very important to set the mood and the tone of a video. And I put a variety of different music to appeal to different tastes- while choosing mostly neutral, relaxing or upbeat music. But still people seemed to hate it, it's not like I put in gangster rap- which would not go well with an Amtrak video. So on my newer video I made a compromise and only added a little music for the intro and transitions. I also enjoy hearing all the sounds of the train- but on my last video I had the problem with a loudmouth passenger talking about politics and saying so many dumb things. So I had to cut out large portions of the audio. I tried to strike a balance between what I like, and what viewers would like. Thanks so much for your advice- it's very helpful for me!
@@PhotoBug28 Can you upload two versions? One with and one without? Or is that too time consuming
@@Cal90208 Yes I would like to upload 2 different videos of this trip. But it will take some time- I've been busy moving but I hope to make time for it!
@@PhotoBug28 Ah, alright!
Steve, let me help you with your geography, you state Buffalo when in fact the train was arriving in Rochester. The iconic Kodak Hdq was in the background ! Beforehand as the train was passing through Bflo it was depressing to see the remains of the once great Central Terminal. I have many great childhood memories of that station !
Thank you so much for the correction! There was bound to be a mistake here and there. I wish I got to see the Central Terminal when it was open. Thanks Bobby for watching and commenting!
@@PhotoBug28 Steve, no problem, just giving you a little ribbing, nothing more. FWIW, back in the early days of my RR career in Rochester I rode the Inaugural 'Lakeshore Ltd' back in '75
@@bobbyb2014 That's very cool! I didn't know when the Lakeshore limited started service but I was guessing in the 1960's. I'm sure working in for the RR you probably have many interesting stories and experiences!
@@PhotoBug28 Actually it did, goes back to it's NYC roots over a hundred years ago, the 1975 run was Amtraks re-introduction of the train after it was taken off I believe 20 years earlier
@@bobbyb2014 Oh I see. Very interesting info. Thanks Bobby!
Awesome video!! Sad to see the Chief so empty.
Thanks Eric! Yeah the empty train cars was depressing. They did cut service to 3 times a week instead of daily- to the Chief is more full now.
Steve, thanks for great video. Just retired and want to travel and make train videos here and abroad. Can I get advice and tips on equipment I'll need? Iphone or cam corder? Thanks!
You're welcome! I used my iPhone for the whole video. The newest iPhones (11 or 12) have excellent video quality. I have it set to 1080pixles at 60 frames per second. I have also used a Canon Powershot SX60HS. It's a point and shoot camera that is good for beginner photographers like me and it has a very good zoom!
Enjoy the video ,in 2019 I went to los Angeles by train from fayetteville north carolina, it started with the silver meteor from fayetteville to washington DC ,then the capital limited to chicago then the southwest chief to los Angeles ,I really enjoyed it
Hi John, that sounds like an amazing trip! I'd love to do the Silver service/ palmetto from FL to NY- I haven't done that region yet. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
So viel Verspätung... Aber ich wäre trotzdem gerne mitgefahren! Sehr schönes Video.
Vielen Dank fürs Zuschauen!
Oh wow! This is just a phenomenal video! I wonder why you didn’t take the direct Sunset Limited route from LA to NOLA... is it because the train leaves so late or you want to explore some new routes?
Thank you for the compliment! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I decided not to take the Sunset Limited back to LA because I had just done the Texas Eagle 2 weeks before- which is the same route from San Antonio. Rather than spending the extra money and time repeating the same route it was cheaper and faster to fly home from New Orleans. Thank you for watching!
Ok :)
This my dream trip
I hope you can do it someday!
@@PhotoBug28 definitely going try 😊
Wow, nice train trip. I agree the actual background is better than a lot of the stock music people choose, or the music is simply way too loud. At some point, a train trip is in order.
Thank you Scott! I agree. I hope you get the chance to do a train trip someday!
I was going to NYC in October but Nevada residents were on the covid list, So I only went to Washington DC. Most everything was closed in DC so I rented a bicycle. Bike is a good way to tour DC. In April Im going from LA to NOLA on the Sunset Limited for 2 days then NOLA to NYC on the Crescent, for 2 days then back to LA on first the Lakeshore Limited to Chicago then The Southwest Chief.
It's a shame that you missed out on NYC- but Washington DC s a very interesting city. A bike is definitely a great way to see the city! It sounds like you are doing the same routes I did but in reverse order. That's going to be many many hours on the train but I loved it! I hope you enjoy your trip in April :)
Steve felicidades excelente video , muy lindos Paisajes . Si pudiera detallar o contar que se sirve de comida durante el viaje y si hay opciones de comprar algo más y que tan caros son los precios de lo que venden. ? Gracias y que Dios lo bendiga.
Por supuesto. Las comidas que ves en el video no están a la venta, solo están incluidas en las cabañas privadas. Hay una pequeña cafateria en el tren que vende comida, snacks, bebidas. Los precios son un poco caros. Lo siento, no tengo una lista de precios o un menú, pero creo que puedes encontrar uno buscando en Google :)
great video, love the sound of just the train, i've been trying to plan something like this with my dad as a "birthday/fathers day" thing for him but never can find trains that arrive/depart about the same times without a huge layover any advice? the sad part is I live in Yuma Az so it's a challenge and I'm sure adds up more departing/arriving at Old Town San Diego. Any and all help is appreciated 👍🏼
Hi David! Back when I did these long distance Amtrak trips- these route ran daily. So I did have to stay overnight in Seattle, Chicago and New York. These long distance routes schedules don't match up to where you can just catch the next train a couple hours later. Even when I had an 8 hour layover, our train arrived 8 hours and 5 minutes late- so I had to spend an extra night in Chicago and be rebooked on the train the next day. Long delays of several hours is pretty common. So even if you had a short layover theres a chance you will miss it. I would check out route maps and schedules on the Amtrak website to see if any routes work from you. The website is pretty easy to navigate. Good luck to you and thanks so much for watching!
@@PhotoBug28 thanks and ur welcome
You left out the tunnel and the "white cliffs" on one of the rivers on the Crescent; also crossing Lake Pontchartrain shortly before entering New Orleasn. ???
I know- I was really disappointed about missing these highlights. Our train was hours behind schedule, and we crossed Lake Pontchartrain it was complete darkness. I tried to film video but it was unusable- too dark to see anything. Maybe next time!
Big downer on Amtrak, lack of shower facilities for those travelling coach. Deters many from using Amtrak.
Hello Steve, I live in North Yorkshire, U.k. I love watching either car rides or train rides around America, the scenery is so magnificent, but I watched your video with my husband tonight, it was brilliant, thank you very much for putting it on so that people like myself can see what your Country is like. What was the name of the bridge just before the train got to Manhattonville, I like to follow routes on my map but couldn't find that particular bridge. Thank you very much again.
Hi Gwen! Thank you so much for your wonderful compliment! I'm very glad you enjoyed the video. I had the pleasure of visiting York which has one of the greatest rail museums.I believe the bridge that we passed just before Manhattanville was the George Washington bridge but I'm not quite sure about that. I hope all is well in Yorkshire!!
@@PhotoBug28 Thank you for your reply Steve, we are only about 30 miles away from York and have been to the Railway Museum two or three times when the children were smaller. It is 1st June 2023 and we have watched this video again, you don't do a lot of talking like some presenters do, you just write up where places are and that is good, and you don't spend time showing all the train off like some do, I just love the scenery, and now we are going to start watching, this afternoon, South West Chief, Lake Shore and Crescent - again, and again, Thank you so much.
@@gwenpaxton1802 That's wonderful! I know this video lacks the commentary that people find entertaining and informative- I just don't have a charming on screen personality, and I don't like my voice. So I just put informative captions instead. But I'm so glad you enjoyed watching this video! I really appreciate your support Gwen!!
I know this says published in November...is that what month you took the trip? Thanks for sharing this great trip!
Hi Brenda- I took that trip in early September. Thanks so much for watching!
another great video - jealous....
got you a new Nickname - 'IRON GUTS KELSO' - so many Amtrak meals and you are still alive - good work
@@deesalkelly3069 Thank you so much! I've been called iron guts before, because of the many strange things I've eaten on my travels: rodents, insects, kangaroo, camel, horse, bear, starfish, whale, puffin, dog, you name it!
@@PhotoBug28 horse - roo and camel = yum...will you be doing canada when they get back up and running???
@@deesalkelly3069 LOL! Yes I can't wait to do those scenic routes in Canada as soon as it becomes possible!
The railroad (BNSF) was in New Mexico and Arizona long before any Interstate was built.
Interesting trivia! Thank you Bruce!
Thanks for posting this and your other long distance train videos. Gives a great look at the varying landscapes for each route. I know Amtrak struggles to remain on schedule, how did things go for you? Did you generally have to overnight in the hub cities or were you able to go from one main train to the next? And.. I have to ask, did you win a huge Amtrak gift card in a draw or something :), as all the videos seem to be during Covid (based on the food offering) so I assume all your trips were taken in short succession.
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed the videos. On this trip there was a 6hr 40 min layover between the SW Chief and Lake Shore Lmdt. But we had 2 long delays due to a mechanical problem and we arrived 6hr 45 minutes late, so I missed the Lake Shore Lmdt by 5 minutes. We were told the train would wait for us, but they didn't. Amtrak put is in a very nice hotel and I was rebooked on the same train the next day. I took a bunch of Amtrak trips all in 2 months because I'm furloughed from my job so I have lots of free time and I was very bored. I couldn't really do my normal trips with so many things being closed. So it was the perfect time to see the whole country by rail and not worry about things being closed. It worked out great and I loved all the trips. The only boring part was on the Crescent between Washington DC and New Orleans- 80% of the route was trees and bushes in front of the window blocking everything for many hours straight. LOL
@@PhotoBug28 The east and south surprise many with lots of trees, especially along railroad right of way. While most of the railway gangs that built the railroads cleared ten feet on each side of the tracks more than a century ago, nature has grown back and returned...
@@ronclark9724 I see, I didn't know that. I thought that the residents of these towns purposely planted trees along the train tracks to block the sight and noise of the train.
@@PhotoBug28 Unfortunately most of America is NOT Southern California desert... Those living in a desert may have to fight off the flies, but those living in the Deep South have to fight off chiggers, ticks, and mosquitoes that will suck every drop of your blood out of you...
So sad seeing these trains running virtually empty. How long can Amtrak survive like this? Is it bye-bye Amtrak post pandemic?
Good question. They reduced service on these long distance routes to 3 times a week instead of daily. I really hope Amtrak can make a strong comeback!
So why didn’t you complete the circuit and take the Sunset Limited?
I considered doing that- but I had just done the Texas Eagle a couple weeks earlier. Which from San Antonio to LA is the same route so I didn't really want to repeat it again so soon.
Steve disculpe ya vi que muestra algo de comida en su video. Pregunta solo le dan una porción por alimento o si t0iene hambre puede solicitar más. ? Y usted en lo personal en que categoría sugiere viajar para un viaje largo ? Gracias de antemano por su informacion.
Las comidas eran un poco pequeñas si tienes un apetito más grande como yo. No sé si te darán comidas extra, nunca pregunté. Pero creo que vi a otro pasajero pedir 2 comidas y ¡estuvo bien! Desde el menú de desayuno puede pedir tantos artículos como desee. Si viaja una distancia muy larga con 1 o 2 personas, reservaría una pequeña cabaña llamada "Roomette". Es la cabina más asequible y muy cómoda.
@@PhotoBug28 Buenos días Steve, muchas gracias por toda su información es usted muy amable, que Dios lo bendiga. Y por favor continúe compartiendo nos sus vídeos tan interesantes, que para quienes estamos imposibilitados para viajar , nos hace sentir la sensación como si fuéramos en ese cómodo y bonito tren, Gracias.
24:57 here in LA they will hold trains if a connecting passengers train is delayed. Unsure of the circumstances required to hold the train, but they have done it here.
That's good to know! We were told the connecting train would wait for us, but for whatever reason they didn't- even though we were just a few minutes away. Big inconvenience it caused everyone.
@@PhotoBug28 I agree, I think they should have kept the train. Also quick question, how was it using the toilet in the viewliner roomette? I've never travelled in a viewliner yet, and am curious to know someones perspective on using that toilet.
@@Cal90208 Using that toilet was a little strange- because it was right next to my head where I slept- and it smelled bad. LOL. And there was one time where the cabin attendant came to deliver a meal and I was using the toilet and had to tell him to come back later. But it was convenient to have my own sink and toilet instead of going downstairs for it :)
@@PhotoBug28 Yea, I think I’d rather have the bedroom when traveling in a view liner..
@@Cal90208 definitely :)
Your windows got very clean.
How do you take video without window reflections? We are taking Amtrak from San Antonio to Virginia in April via New Orleans and I'd love to document our trip.
Or Minimal reflections?
Hi Lesley- you have to put your camera lens right up to the window glass to avoid the reflection. I hope you have a wonderful trip!!
It's really nice for you to identify just WHERE we are at!!! Your4 map's you keep popping up are worthless as they are too small to read, and it would have been nice to know where the scene of those boats were with the long bride in the background... and I'm sure the bridge had /has a name!!!!
Looks like cleaning fluid on windows not properly washed off near beginning of video?
Yes, it left a very noticeable residue but luckily they washed the windows properly the next day
I see Amtrak accommodated you when you were late into Chicago, but how did they assure you that you would still have a room on the train the next day? Did they add a car for displaced passengers?
Luckily they had no problem rebooking me on the same train the next day- because there were so few passengers at the time- there were a few unsold cabins left. If this happened during peak season or before Covid then that could have been a big problem! But it was a very nice hotel they took us too, and we got a meal voucher- plus a $150 Amtrak credit.
@@PhotoBug28 Thank you for your response. We are traveling in a few weeks and have a five hour plus connection between the Southwest Chief and the City of New Orleans, but the Southwest Chief has been running late recently by several hours...
You're welcome Linda! Long delays are common on those long distance Amtrak routes. Freight trains have priority over Amtrak- and there is often heavy freight traffic. But Amtrak is usually very good about accommodating passengers that missed their connection. I hope that you have a wonderful trip without any delays!
@@PhotoBug28 Yes. I have been traveling via Amtrak for over 30 years. I know all about delays, and normally we schedule connections with a ton of margin. Oh well, it will all turn out OK. Thank you for your video and consultation.
With what a PIA flying has become, ridership on trains is making more since now if you have the time.
Just to take a simple flight to go to my dads funeral, I'd have to prove I've had my shots, pay extra for bags, show my passport (which has expired) and the new type drivers license, go through TSA which will not even allow me to bring a full tube of tooth paste, be told to stand 6' apart in the airport, wear a mask, only to have to sit elbow to elbow once I got on the plane. WTH!
I definitely agree! I really enjoyed the ease of taking the train instead of flying. I'm sorry for the loss of your father. Hope all is well- and thank you so much for watching and sharing your thoughts!
I loved your video. I'm just starting to plan my train travel and I'm going to do the Southwest Chief and Lakeshore Limited in the Fall...meet my son in NY and fly back home to Vegas from Maryland. Next year I plan a few more train trips including Coast Starlight,, California Zephyr and one from Anchorage to Fairbanks and one to Churchill Montreal. Love the quality of your video but can you do me a favor and give me a thumbs up or thumbs down on the food when you're showing it. 🙂
That's amazing! You're doing some of Amtrak's best routes. I hope you have an incredible trip! Thank you so much for the compliment. That's a great idea to add a thumbs up or thumbs down when I show the food. The food was unfortunately all thumbs down- it was frozen reheated meals. A low quality substitute for the traditional dining service.
sorry to be nosy , how much did the round trip cost on the train all together , would love to do that
The cost for 2 people in a roomette for all 3 routes was about $1,315. A regular coach ticket would have been less than half that price. It's not the cheapest way to travel but I think it was definitely worth it!
Thank you for being willing to share the cost. I was wondering the same thing. I too would like to take a similar trip. Is that cost per leg or total?
Don't have a go at Amtrak about limited food service. In Europe (shorter distances I acknowledge) there is virtually nothing served beyond sandwiches and bottles of water.
Yes- the limited food options such right now. I hope Amtrak will return the full service dining car someday. But I still managed to enjoy these trips- without good food LOL
Funny! Because Buffalo, NY looks like Rochester, NY
Great video !! What equipment did you use to keep the camera steady ?? Thanks !!!
Thanks so much! I just used my iPhone 11 for this whole video. It has image stabilization which I think helped a lot. Because most of the trip the train cars bounce up and down, and from side to side. Very hard to hold the camera still!
How much did the trip cost?
Looks like fun.
@@johnbledsoe5453 Yes it was a lot of fun! Here is what I paid for 2 people in a roomette sleeper cabin: Coast Starlight $432, Empire Builder $527 and Texas Eagle $623. A coach seat is about a third of that price. The prices vary a lot depending on the season and how for in advance you book.
@@PhotoBug28 - thanks. Not too bad.
It sounds like fun.
I’m hoping to do both of your trips.
Perhaps, a different combination.
I would like to do a cross Canada rail trip after the pandemic. Right now, a lot of the cross Canada route is suspended due to the pandemic.
@@johnbledsoe5453 That sound amazing! There are so many combinations of Amtrak routes depending on what region you like the most- and which schedule/ price is better for you. It's a little expensive for a sleeper cabin, but I thought it was worth the price. Ive never done a train trip in Canada but its at the top of the list- once their service returns to normal.
Now you need to do one that circles the entire country. I'm thinking LA to Seattle/Seattle to Boston/Boston to Sanford, FL/Sanford, FL to LA
Yes! I was thinking of doing that someday!
@@PhotoBug28 If I could afford it right now, I'd join you. It is something I've wanted to do.
@@jonesyokc Definitely. It would be an expensive trip unless you are willing to stay in a regular coach seat for the whole trip. Maybe you can save up and do this trip someday :)
@@PhotoBug28 I made really good money. Just need to get a new job. So much Covid turmoil. Then again once I get a new job I won't have the time to take such a trip.
@@PhotoBug28 I priced it out in Feb 2021 and you can do it with sleeper rooms for $3586 round trip. Will need to figure in two nights of hotel stays. You'd start Feb 9 and be back Feb 20th. Long trip.
What's the name of the song that was playing AT 48:12. ?????
as a travel log, i would have liked it better if there were notations like heres chicago, we are now in "where ever! sliding into I ndiana and so on. we have a tendency to think, wheres that? what am i looking at, or screw this im taking a nap!
You're right- I could have put a lot more personality and humor into the captions. Other TH-camrs have a lot more witty entertaining personalities. But I'll try to make it more interesting in my next video!
Noisy! How does anyone sleep?
I wore earplugs which helped. Surprisingly I slept pretty well and I'm a light sleeper. I can't sleep thru snoring but I slept thru this :)
Cost of the trip? Looks like fun!
Prices vary depending upon when you travel and how early you book. For the cheapest fares, don't travel during holidays and during the summer school vacations. Even delaying a journey a day or two can significantly create savings, so shop wisely over a number of days.
What happened to your train in Colorado?
There was a locomotive problem- and it took hours to get permission and send another one to us. The second delay was because a truck had a minor collision with a bridge pillar. We had to wait another 2 hours for an inspector to show up and inspect the bridge to make sure it was safe for the train to pass over it. Also freight traffic were common delays- they have first priority when sharing the rails with Amtrak
@@PhotoBug28 is it possible to add that to your video...just asking...even at the end...just suggesting
@@deesalkelly3069 That's a good suggestion- I should have added an explanation to the end of the video since I'm sure people want to know what caused such a long delay. I'll see if I can add a subtitle or caption without having to delete and re-upload the video again!
31:53 thats Rochester not Buffalo I live there!
My mistake- thank you for the correction!
if i win the lottery I am gonna do this
I know this trip is expensive- but hopefully you might manage to afford this without winning the lottery- maybe with just a scratcher LOL
Interesting. I would have a problem with it. Did you eat the hog swill they gave you for food ?
Luckily I am not a pick eater- the meals were like Lean Cuisine/ Stouffers. But it's definitely a disappointing downgrade from the traditional dining service.
@@PhotoBug28 should call it the diet train...in this modern world (and the price) - is that all they can do.....Pizza stops are the answer....
@@deesalkelly3069 LOL! I know- these meals are definitely not a suitable replacement for the traditional dining service, especially considering the cost of these sleeper cabins. I made sure to bring plenty of snacks on this trip.
They are doing the same in Europe as well. The train companies have learned how to reduce food costs from the airlines. Get used to pre-prepared airline microwaved food or boxed food. As Amtrak noted before the pandemic, those riding in coach refuse to pay $40 for a single meal in the diner. It appeared almost all of the sleeper car passengers were the only ones dining in the diner with their meals included into their fares. As fewer and fewer dined in the diner, Amtrak couldn't cover their costs of their diner employees. Amtrak employees are railroad union workers, they are not paid peanuts like at fast food restaurants. Ten years ago Amtrak dished the dish washer, and lately have dished the diner cook. Now they have dished the diner waiter or waitress during this pandemic.
Is there anywhere to read menu on different trips.
not in the near future. Before 2020 they had menus online or on an app somewhere but I read somewhere on reddit that they stopped updating it recently.
It appears train pretty much empty , I suspect because of Covid 19 .
Yes, the low capacity was due to Covid- and very few people traveling at the time.
@@PhotoBug28 Wow, the Lake Shore Ltd, the Crescent and the western trains are just about empty? Amazing! I rode the Silver Star roundtrip from Columbia SC (where I live) to Orlando FL a couple weeks before Christmas, and my train both ways was far from empty, just about all the rooms were taken and the coaches were more then 50% full, if Amtrak says it is capping coach capacity on its trains, its not enforcing it on the Silver Service, the Silver Service trains and from what ive heard the auto train are doing remarkably well ridership wise, the Silver Star has 3 sleepers (it would always have 2 sleepers whenever I would ride it in 2019 and prior) and its sister train has just as many sleepers, but that train has had that many sleepers for quite a while, and the silver star had 5 coaches when I rode it both ways last month (a 6th coach has since been added to both silver service trains) the star would have 4 coaches when I would ride it in 2019 and prior, and a couple times I rode it when it only had 3 coaches, in 2019 and prior the star would only have 5 coaches during thanksgiving and christmas now no fewer then 5 coaches has become a year round thing on both silver service trains apparently, its sister train, the silver meteor would have in 2019 and prior 5 coaches in summer in addition to the holidays, and the silver service and auto trains were the only trains amtrak left alone frequency wise in October when the other trains were slashed from 7 days a week to 3 days a week
@@mikesanders878 Thank you Mike for the interesting information! I have never rode on the Silver Service trains or the Auto Train. I've done a couple marathon Amtrak trips but I'm really not experienced. It was nice to have mostly empty trains on all the trips I took. I have only been on Amtrak during Covid so I don't know what the regular crowds were like- but I am sure they are very full. We'll see if Amtrak will make a full comeback. Thank you for commenting!
@@PhotoBug28 Cant speak for the Crescent, LSL, Capital LTD Cardinal, or any of the western routes, but in 2019 and prior both silver trains and the palmetto (ive ridden all 3, not just the star) were always 100% full from 2013 to 2019, at least in coach, I only did coach in 2019 and prior, and ive ridden several of the short distance routes in the northeast and those were also full in 2019 and prior, hopefully Amtrak will make a full comeback, now that "Amtrak Joe" is now our president its even more likely, and the Dems now in control of both the house and senate is also good, trump in the white house made me nervous when it came to the possible future of amtrak, trump wanted to axe the cross country routes, thankfully those routes are still here, there were even plans to bus bridge the SW chief, thankfully that route is still intact, the future of amtrak is much more secure now with the new administration, and the language that requires food and beverage service to break even has been stripped (the reason why flexible dining was implemented) so its more likely traditional dining will return, fingers crossed it does indeed happen
@@mikesanders878 Yes let's hope so! I think the new administration will be helpful in making that happen. Thanks again for your insight!
Seeing the USA from Amtrak is a real shocker! Drab, dreary, cities that are just plain old and run down. Out of control graffiti spray painted all over. Empty old factories just standing there run down. I do admire the natural scenery such as trees, rivers, streams etc. But the majority of the cities are just plain run down and falling apart. Sorry for being critical, but I am giving my honest opinion. I'll be happy to return to Asia!
You are absolutely right! Traveling thousands of miles across the country you will see beautiful landscapes- to small mundane towns- to really bad neighborhoods. This video is to show it all and summarize everything you see on these routes. Philly and Baltimore have some really terrible neighborhoods. And on Coast Starlight up the California Coast you will see many shanty towns and homeless encampments along the railroad line. Something most people don't think of when California comes to mind. Sometimes it good to see these kind of places rather than close your eyes to the realities of the world. Thanks for commenting!
As if European cities don't have graffiti sprayed on everything. They do. My local market had some tagger painting porn on his back wall, he had it painted over in a day or two. The tagger even had the gaul to ask why he painted over his art, the market owner replied, It is my building. I can paint it any color I wish. Why don't you buy your own building? My nephew is a painter, he will be willing to paint your building any color you wish...
Nice views but all that squeeking noise would drive me nuts.
I might lose some weight being served meals like you showed😒
LOL- I know. I probably lost some wright on this trip too, even though I brought a lot of snacks.
Skipped too many stations and cities!
I know- it wasn't possible to film all of them in 1 trip- because I spent time sleeping, eating, napping instead of filming. And because of the long delays some of the cities I wanted to film at- we arrived in the middle of the night while I was sleeping.
Have thought of talking to your viewers? It would give the vlogg more character
Hi Rodney- yes that would give the video a whole different level of interest and add more personality too it, and maybe some humor. But I hate hearing myself talking on video. I don't have a charming witty personality that viewers want to see- so this video just focuses on the scenery. But I'm not opposed to recording some of my commentary for a future video!
@@PhotoBug28 just a comment help improve your product , thanks for consider my suggestion
@@rodneywright4000 I appreciate your suggestion. Thank you Rodney!
So.....how much $?🤔😏👉
The price for 2 people in a roomette cabin with meals included: Southwest Chief $553, Lake Shore Limited $350 Crescent $412. So the total was $1,315 for 2 people. A coach seat would have been about a third of that cost. Definitely not the cheapest way to travel. But I had a great trip and I'm glad I did it.
@@PhotoBug28 thanks. Really not bad for people.
@@tyroniousyrownshoolacez2347 Keep in mind with the sleeper accommodations, they charge for the room and then the person at a coach fare. So if two share the same roomette, the price of the second person is a coach fare who can share your room. Two persons in a roomette is a better value than one person...
@@ronclark9724 Thanks RC 👉👍, still juggling my options.
It's not that good. The whole experience is not worth the time or money. From October 6, 2020 to July 11, 2021 I traveled on 4 of the 5 cross country amtrak routes in a roomette. Air conditioning is the biggest problem next to on board sewer system. If you compare the price of flying, amtrak is not worth the money. About 50% of the amtrak employees are rude and unhelpful. Inter city routes like, New york to Washington DC are great and that's what amtrak should stick with. These cross country trains need to go.
Thanks for sharing your experience! It is definitely not cheap to travel in a roomette. Luckily I didn't have any problems with the air conditioning or sewer. Most of the employees on my trains were very nice- but I did have 1 rude one.