It's not so great. Unless you have a compartment there is no dining car. Noise from the horn keeps me up all night. scenery is ok. Short trips are beautiful. They have breakdowns a lot and derail often. Very very so so.
Funny you should mention Steve Goodman and Johnny Cash. The first concert I ever went to was Johnny Cash and he insisted that Steve Goodman get up and perform The City of New Orleans and he reluctantly did (he did not like to perform in public). That was the last concert Goodman would attend as he died of Leukemia shortly after that. Also, that little lounge in the Transition car was supposed to be a more private lounge area for sleeping car passengers when the cars were built, but passengers were never allowed in the cars for several years until they finally started selling the Roomette space in the cars several years later.
J'ai été 4 fois aux USA dans les années 80. J'ai tout essayé: le "road trip" avec des potes, le Greyhound (un must), les avions bien-sûr... Mais jamais le train (qui m'avait été fortement déconseillé)... Je crois que j'ai fait une connerie, à voir tes vidéos... J'aurais du essayer. Mais, à l'époque, c'était vraiment déconseillé. Et à vrai dire entendre toutes les 5mn le klaxon de la loco m'aurait tapé sur les nerfs. Si j'y retourne, je m'inspirerai de ton expérience et je tenterai. En tout cas, j'adore tes vidéos.
My dad worked for Amtrak for about 30 years. He Spent a good amount of time as a sleeping car attendant and this was his primary route for several years, we're from new orleans. Ive been on this route quite literally around 25 times dating back to the mid 90s. While its a shame at the regression of the service and the cars, to this day, a sleeping car trip is one of my favorite past times in life.
Just made the first leg today myself, i didnt think it was so bad. Tracks were rough around champaign but the car and seat were about as expected and clean and newer
Ha ha your "woke up briefly in Memphis Tennessee" shows a view of the Champaign Illinois terminal! 🙂 I live only a few blocks from it and get to hear the "all aboard" horn from the southbound CONO every night just before I go to sleep!
On my bucket list is an multi-day Amtrak train in a sleeper. However, I have heard so many good things about the "real" dining cars, I will NOT go on a train without one.
Funny you mention the on time performance. CN has the worst Amtrak handling of all the Class 1’s but the Illinois senator Durbin keeps threatening to remove CN’s status if they fall below a certain level. And of course Amtrak pads the schedule extremely generously.
I can tell you that you woke up in Gilman, Illinois. Gilman has a tiny Amtrak shelter. The CONO does not stop here. The Illini and Saluki make stops here everyday. These two trains go from Chicago to Carbondale and return.
I really wish this video had a voice over. I found myself taking my eyres off the scenery just to read the information presented, tho expertly presented. It didn’t stop me from watching but it did detract from a video about a scenic travel experience.
Awesome ride on Amtrak CONOs #58 from New Orleans to Chicago the Amtrak CONOs route is the second Amtrak route to have the Chargers right after the Amtrak Empire Builder route.
Took the CONO back in October. Stayed in a Roomette. The staff were very kind and helpful. Due to mobility issues due to a fall, meals were brought to my room. It arrived a half hour early to Chicago, and returned to New Orleans nearly an hour early!
I took this train back in the late 50's with my mother and 3 younger brothers. What I remember best is when the train stopped at the Missouri border, we were going south, and a conductor went through the train telling the "colored" people that they had to move to back of the train. My mother took my youngest brother in her arms and us 3 older kids trailed behind, along with the "colored" and a few other "whites" followed the conductor the last car. The car was obviously an older model with vertical painted wooden cladding and slatted wooden benches.
I love Amtrak City of New Orleans route, it’s overnight train leaving Chicago’s famous Union Station, stops my hometown Memphis, Tennessee Central Station to its destination New Orleans, most Amtrak has a lot rail cars but city of New Orleans isn’t big train but is very enjoyable and Mississippi scenery and farmland is unique! Amtrak City of New Orleans is legendary!
Sunset Limited used to run to Florida (really was the only true one seat/sleeper compartment cross country service) but after a Hurricane damaged the tracks, the freight company decided it was cheaper to repair their track without the rating for passenger rail. Congress is trying to remedy this, but the rail company complains that there’s “no room” in the schedule for Amtrak, even though people in the area (who want passenger service) have recorded video of how few trains a day actually use the line! That’s awful.
The railroad trestle around the thirteen minute mark used to be the bridge that trains would go over at Manchac, LA. The current structure features a drawbridge that lifts when not in use, and has concrete construction as well. The old bridge was taken out of service around 1972 when the new one was finished being built. Hope this helps and safe travels!
New Orleans deserves way more service than proposed. the local ones should be more frequent while the City of New Orleans and Sunset limited should get extend east to Florida. Given amtrak owns this station they really need to rebuild the platforms for the floor height of superliners
The Sunset Limited SHOULD be a DAILY train, none of this TRICE WEEKLY nonsense... It would be great if the train continued on to Orlando, but alas, Amtrak needs six more train sets to do that and go daily... Amtrak does NOT have six more Superliner train sets unfortunately...
Thanks for posting this! As a New Orleans native who doesn't drive anymore(health issues) I love to see the options that exist if I want to take a trip! Well done👍🙂
I think the dining experience has improved since your trip in early 2021. The dining cars have been reopened on the long-distance Amtrak trains, and most of the Western long-distance routes have returned to the "traditional dining" menus. (Don't know if the CONO has traditional dining now, though, but at least its dining car should be open for current passengers.)
Aren’t the dining cars (if they have them) only for sleeping car passengers now? That’s what I understood when I last checked. I remember in the past I’ve just walked in and had a meal.
@@bretlir That's the rule now; however, back in the day, coach passengers could buy meals in the dining car (but sleeping car passengers still had priority). If there is a separate cafe car on the train, that is open to all passengers, and they can all buy snacks, drinks and light meals there. (A lot of coach passengers opt to bring food with them on the train instead, though.)
@@DOSBoxMom When Amtrak charges coach passengers $45 for a meal in the diner, no wonder very few coach passengers dine in the diner... That flexible dining pre prepared heated frozen food entree isn't worth $45....
I was always waiting for a CONO review from you, amazing work as always! Btw at 24:53 you’re not in Memphis, that’s Champaign-Urbana, Illinois (my home station)! You can see the sign that reads “Illinois Terminal” which is the name of the station 😅
I discovered your channel within the past few days, I have been searching for a City of New Orleans Amtrak video from you. This is uploaded at a perfect time! I am already excited to watch this.
The fact that they still haven't brought back full dining service on the City of New Orleans and missing the Lounge car on occasion will keep me from getting on this train. Amtrak needs to get it together...and FAST!!!
Presently Amtrak is doing a Superlliner fleet refurbishment program and chose to pull Sightseer Lounges from the Texas Eagle and Capitol Limited and diners from the City of New Orleans, the one night Superliner trains than pull them from the Western trains running through more scenery... To refurbish cars cars have to be pulled from service...
Yeah, I have to go from Cincinnati to Chicago to get anywhere...makes so sense there is not Cincinnati to Louisville to St Louis type route. I have to go to Raleigh to get to Atlanta I think.
@@Trucker_Rich86 I live in Georgia and would like to see Amtrak provide service from Savannah Ga or even Jacksonville Florida to Macon Ga and on to Atlanta Ga then on to Chattanooga and Nashville and connect with the CONO or better yet have the new service serve stops not currently being served by Amtrak on into Chicago. (the kitty's pal-allen from Ga)
@@Trucker_Rich86 Unfortunately Amtrak has only so many train sets of rolling stock and locomotives... Just to run this City of New Orleans train on a daily basis, Amtrak needs THREE train sets... To run those trains heading west daily from Chicago Amtrak needs SIX train sets for each train route...
I really want to ride that route. As limited as rail travel in the US is, it's still a great way to explore the country. I pretty much know my way around downtown Chicago.
24:46 that is most definitely not Tennessee, that is Champaign Urbana, a stop I am intimately familiar with lol. The best tea shop in town is just about 2 blocks away to the left out of your image.
I took this trip in a few times when I was a kid in the late 60s and early 70s, and it was a blast. The sleeper compartments were clean and comfortable (and seemed big, because I was a kid), they had Pullman restaurant cars with great food served on china, and the observation car was a great place to see America as we passed through all the farmland, forests, towns, and cities along the way. The adults hung out in the bar car, drinking and smoking. (all the smoke wasn't as much fun). Overall, it remains a fond memory. My last trip was in the 1990s, it wasn't very pleasant, service had degraded, and the train was dirty. I would definitely try it again on the newer trains. I love train travel, it's a shame we don't use it as extensively as they do in other countries.
I’ve sat in sidings for a few hours before waiting for either 58 or 59 to get by. I make runs between Jackson, MS and Fulton, KY, based out of Memphis on CN. Cool video my friend.
I travelled on the Eastbound Calif Zephyr in late Sept. A couple months before my trip they made a change in car and roomette number. I asked my attendant if she knew why, and was told I was now on a transition sleeper. As you said, all roomettes on the upper level. The front half of the car was staff accommodations, they were still short on staff and didn’t need a whole car. I was interested when she told me the “transition” was the ability to move forward on the lower deck to baggage car or engine. I met a guy at dinner who was going to New Orleans and he was aware that they were still not using traditional dining, probably, again, because of insufficient staff, the same reason coach passengers still can’t eat in the diner on cross-country trips with the traditional dining menu. Thanks as always for a great trip report!
Another great video! BNSF generally tries to prioritize the Southwest Chief -- we used to watch the dispatching process on ATCS Monitor, and it's quite a dance back and forth around the freights -- but something often comes up. Heavy freight traffic, or the Fort Madison bridge opens to allow a barge to pass on the Mississippi, or a bottleneck forms at the single-track Sibley bridge.... They do what they can.
It's a shame they didn't have one of their Dash 8's in the lead. It's the rarest occasion since the crews say they're uncomfortable but it has happened before. I've seen it twice on the silver trains, but 9.9999/10 they always trail behind a P42.
Fully agree with all our comments - especially about bringing back traditional dining on all long distant Amtrak trains (it's one of the many unique features/benefits of going by train across America). I was fortunate enough to catch this train when it did have traditional dining with my son but we went from Chicago to NO. Further, yes the Superliner is another unique feature, I especially enjoy the bedroom but you are right it is usually very expensive but it is a very comfortable way to travel. It is unfortunate that the crew you got was not very customer focused as my experience on CONO & the South West Chief the crew was exceptional. Thank you for sharing.
Keep in mind this was during the pandemic and many of the Amtrak employees were furloughed when business dropped significantly with services reduced to trice weekly....
Another excellent and entertaining (and informative) video! Glad you woke up in time to see Memphis, my hometown...although there isn't much to see from the train at Central Station, or on the way in, because you have to weave through what seems like miles of the BNSF freight yards. The station itself has been refurbished and remodeled and is very nice, although not on par with Chicago Union or The Moynihan in NYC. It was a dump when I last traveled on Amtrak, several years ago and prior to COVID. There's a little bit to see when you leave, but once clear of downtown Memphis, you start getting into light industry and then some rural scenery that would be better viewed in daytime. One stretch of tough track woke me up but then it was great until I got up around sunrise. Thanks again for sharing this adventure!
Thank you for reviewing the City! It's the only Amtrak train we've ridden, and only between Jackson and NOLA. It was a fantastic experience for us, and since we lived in Jackson, extremely convenient!
Good old Amtrak with its filthy windows that only see water when it rains. I guess I was the rarity with 3 of 4 HOT trains. The Eagle was HOT, The Zephyr was HOT, the Coast Starlight was the only one that wasn't hot and the Eagle from LA to Dallas was HOT.
Amtrak runs these trains nearly all day every day, with maybe a few hours of cleaning at the terminus stations two or three days later... There aren't any train car washes on the routes between terminus stations... Get real, Amtrak trains run through snow, rain, and dust storms... Amtrak isn't a commuter train that sits overnight every night for hours that are available for car washes... Not to mention washing train cars during the winter below freezing... As for room temperature I find the Amtrak trains too cold for my liking winter or summer...
I've been to/thru New Orleans for business many times (sadly) and the VERY BEST thing out it is leaving it as any other city where a 'minority' is the actual majority such as also Detroit Michigan, Atlanta Georgia, Watts and Compton California for some places.
A note about the CONO's on time performance: For the past several years CN had been attempting to merge with Kansas City Southern, albeit unsuccessfully as the Surface Transportation Board points out they already own roughly parallel trackage, and for competitive reasons it would be better for Canadian Pacific to merge with KCS instead (which is what eventually happened). Despite this CN still gave it their all. One of the many things the STB considers when looking at mergers is the effect of passenger rail performance. I'm pretty sure no passenger trains run on KCS trackage, but many believe that CN giving the CONO consistent priority was an attempt to make themselves look better in front of the STB. They do not show such kindness to Via rail as I'm sure you'll find out if you ever end up riding more Via rail in the future.
Currently trying to book a round trip on the Canadian, but CN forced them to adopt a ridiculous twice-weekly schedule that makes it nearly impossible! Also seen 5/6 cancelled many times coming in or out of Prince Rupert. Usually gets stuck outside town, and they have to hire cabs for the passengers! Via’s winter sleeping car deals are hard to ignore though.
@@Spanderson99 I've booked a one way Canadian trip. The Black Friday deal really was impressive, 25% off the regular fare with cancellation options. Compared with the Sleeper Plus deals where it's 50% off with no refunds or cancellations. And yes, the lateness is noted on the Via Website when booking, advising not to book onward travel for the day of arrival!
While I've ridden in Amtrak roomettes, I've never done it in a bedroom, but at the price you paid, I'd do the same! The one time I had to use "flexible" dining on my recent trip, on board the Crescent, I went for the braised beef, which was very good, though still not as good as the flatiron steak in the traditional diner. I know you love the blondie, but I can assure you that the brownie is just as good! Thanks for the video.
Great trip, great scenery, and finally early arrival for Amtrak Long Distance Train. Something disappointed maybe about the staff, grumpy and unhelpful, but I think it's bit random.
Certainly the Johnny Cash version is classic but my favorite version is by Arlo Guthrie. I have always wanted to take this train because of the song! Thanks for this trip Thibault.
My favorite version is by the late great Steve Goodman who died of leukemia in 1984. Legendary chicagoan and folk musician friend of John prine who wrote the song his version is fantastic
Arlo made the song famous. John Prine was a national treasure. Sam Stone summed up the Vietnam veteran situation in the most poignant and apolitical way.
When I was little I got to ride the actual Illinois Central City of New Orleans. And thanks for mentioning the iconic song. Goodman wrote a number of tunes about Illinois.
Service, delays, etc. vary a lot on Amtrak. Many of the delays are not Amtrak's fault. Overall I've found the Crescent's crews to be the friendliest and most helpful and one of the CZ's the worst. A laid-back attitude and no close connections really help when traveling on Amtrak. It also helps if you just like trains! It's a shame and wasteful that the dining cars are not being used with full dining service for all passengers on the eastern long distance trains. Poor management. They bought new dining cars and then refused to use the kitchens in them. Hopefully that has or will change.
If there were real bullet trains running on tracks dedicated to that kind of service, a train could leave New Orleans at 9 AM and be in Chicago in time for dinner. A lot of people - particularly families traveling with children, seniors, young people on vacations or just looking for excursions - might take a deal like that. Planes may be faster, but they're not always the better way to travel.
And I would like to add another great comment about simply railway because I really miss traveling on amtrak and I am proud 👏 of their 50th anniversary I feel 😢 sad that I was not able to be there to celebrate with them and I am not going to give up on my family railroad that I travel on and love so much that will be in my life and heart ♥️.
Your comment about being impressed by the superliners: I agree. However, my understanding is that they will be refurbished (happening now) but will not be replaced. Replacements with all be single level---really too bad. I have traveled the supers several times and love them, if a bit old!
Amtrak is expected to order a new bi-level sleeper fleet to replace the Superliners soon, as they were given the funds with the infrastructure bill. Presently Amtrak is considering the offers from manufacturers... How many cars and which manufacturer will be revealed soon... However, don't expect any of the new fleet to enter into service before 2030, and the last before 2035...
I have a cruise in New Orleans in April. I thought about taking the Amtrak from Cincinnati - Chicago - New Orleans instead of flying but it is so long lol
Now you know why during the 1960s the USPS terminated the railroads mail contracts choosing to FLY the mail long distances and truck the mail short distances... No longer are there a dozen or more mail cars on a American passenger trains consists... Hours instead of days, overnight deliveries, etc...
Note the locomotive was built in the late 1990s, the Superliner I sleeper car was built in the late 1970s to early 1980s. Notice the "stainless steel" body of the Superliner car didn't have any rust even though it was most likely twice as old....
The sound of the train horn is totally what I expect from American railways and in my ideal sleeper travel world that is my utopian way to fall asleep, great post, ps you’d have to spoon to sleep two in that bed 😇
Do Amtrak's long distance trains ever reach their 130kph (80mph) speed limit? They always see so be traveling slowly.🤔 In it's prime the CONO (Illinois Central) in 16hrs.
On certain straightaways, yeah. Recently when I took the Coast Starlight, there was a notable stretch north of Burbank and a stretch south of Tacoma where we hit 80 or so.
Because I think that's a government law that governs Amtrak's at 80 plus since they don't own the tracks most of the freight railroads don't want to keep the tracks up to let Amtrak go 120 mph smoothly...
This is Isaiah wiley from myrtle Beach south Carolina saying that I am proud of amtrak p42 genesis locomotives and I am going to really miss them because when I was in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania with my dad 👨 we go to the amtrak station around 11 and watch the capital limited pull into the station and when I saw the train I saw the best part the headlights of the p42 coming into the station with the train that is what I am going to miss the most of the amtrak p42 genesis locomotives and if someone were to give me a amtrak poster with a train on it it would be greatest Christmas gift ever.
I rode this route from Chicago to NOLA A few years ago. At aaround midnight, You cross the Ohio River. I managed to see that from the coach car I was in.
Thanks for mentioning Steve Goodman, a legendary Chicago folk singer. He also did a couple other songs that were world famous, well at least in Chicago 😂. Try A Dying Cub Fan’s Last Request and The Lincoln Park Pirates. The latter is about a north side towing company notorious for towing cars illegally and damaging them. He is sorely missed.
I have heard that the Magnolia Room (New Orleans' version of the Metropolitan Lounge for sleeping car passengers; I hope I have the name right) is not as nice as similar lounges at other Amtrak hub cities. Did you find that to be the case on your trip?
I was there last week to catch the Crescent. It’s a very dreary room with old furniture and limited food and beverage selection. Nothing like the best Metro Lounges at NYC and Chicago.
@simply railway can you take the Bergen line in Norway? i promise its worth the time. the nature is beautiful but on the way back to Oslo can you go of at myrdal station and take the most beautiful railway line in the world the flåm railway. its worth the trip!
I've never seen the interior of Amtrak's Transitional Sleeper cars. Now I know how the stairway is situated-unlike the stairways which were in their Dorm Cars which once belonged on ATSF's El Capitan where the 2nd floor center aisle ran straight onto the stairway to the 1st level without landings.
it would be nice for us to see how different things are in amtrak routes going out of covid. Specially in the use of food services. Great work, congrats
For most of 2011-2020 I was a semi-regular on the northernmost 2 hours of this journey, and for most of that decade and most previous decades, CN was notoriously one of the *worst* about ontime performance and priority dispatching for Amtrak, which given the state of the nation really is a low bar to miss. But maybe they've cleaned up their act in the last few years?
@@SimplyRailway After writing the comment I did recall reading a couple years ago about Amtrak making formal complaints to the relevant bureaucrats, it went to arbitration or something and CN paid a fine? Or something? So maybe they really *did* clean up their act? At any rate, it was such a strange thing for me to see in the video after a decade of CN bullshit xD
@@SimplyRailway Wait found this gem on Wikipedia: "The first report card, issued in March 2018, includes one A (given to Canadian Pacific) and two Fs (given to Canadian National and Norfolk Southern). Amtrak's 2020 host report card gives Canadian Pacific and Canadian National an A, BNSF and CSX a B, Union Pacific a C+, and Norfolk Southern a D-." So yes CN absolutely has performed a complete and total about-face in just two years to become the best on the whole network. Damned impressive culture shift among their dispatchers.
Your videos make me want to go on a train trip across America
It's not so great. Unless you have a compartment there is no dining car. Noise from the horn keeps me up all night. scenery is ok. Short trips are beautiful. They have breakdowns a lot and derail often. Very very so so.
I went from Miami to New York. 👍
Funny you should mention Steve Goodman and Johnny Cash. The first concert I ever went to was Johnny Cash and he insisted that Steve Goodman get up and perform The City of New Orleans and he reluctantly did (he did not like to perform in public). That was the last concert Goodman would attend as he died of Leukemia shortly after that. Also, that little lounge in the Transition car was supposed to be a more private lounge area for sleeping car passengers when the cars were built, but passengers were never allowed in the cars for several years until they finally started selling the Roomette space in the cars several years later.
J'ai été 4 fois aux USA dans les années 80. J'ai tout essayé: le "road trip" avec des potes, le Greyhound (un must), les avions bien-sûr... Mais jamais le train (qui m'avait été fortement déconseillé)...
Je crois que j'ai fait une connerie, à voir tes vidéos...
J'aurais du essayer.
Mais, à l'époque, c'était vraiment déconseillé. Et à vrai dire entendre toutes les 5mn le klaxon de la loco m'aurait tapé sur les nerfs.
Si j'y retourne, je m'inspirerai de ton expérience et je tenterai.
En tout cas, j'adore tes vidéos.
My dad worked for Amtrak for about 30 years. He Spent a good amount of time as a sleeping car attendant and this was his primary route for several years, we're from new orleans.
Ive been on this route quite literally around 25 times dating back to the mid 90s. While its a shame at the regression of the service and the cars, to this day, a sleeping car trip is one of my favorite past times in life.
Just made the first leg today myself, i didnt think it was so bad. Tracks were rough around champaign but the car and seat were about as expected and clean and newer
Ha ha your "woke up briefly in Memphis Tennessee" shows a view of the Champaign Illinois terminal! 🙂 I live only a few blocks from it and get to hear the "all aboard" horn from the southbound CONO every night just before I go to sleep!
Glad I'm not the only one that noticed that! It's definitely an early morning catching the CONO in Champaign for a ride to Chicago!
On my bucket list is an multi-day Amtrak train in a sleeper. However, I have heard so many good things about the "real" dining cars, I will NOT go on a train without one.
Funny you mention the on time performance. CN has the worst Amtrak handling of all the Class 1’s but the Illinois senator Durbin keeps threatening to remove CN’s status if they fall below a certain level. And of course Amtrak pads the schedule extremely generously.
Biggest problem are the bottlenecks
Down in Memphis and especially Jackson Mississippi there's so many clusters on that CN line
I can tell you that you woke up in Gilman, Illinois. Gilman has a tiny Amtrak shelter. The CONO does not stop here. The Illini and Saluki make stops here everyday. These two trains go from Chicago to Carbondale and return.
🎶I’m the train they call the city of New Orleans/I’ll be gone 500 miles when the day is done…🎵
🎶Dealin' card games with the old men in a club car..🎵
Simply railway makes the best amtrak TH-cam videos ever because they are there when I miss train travel with my dad 👨.
I really wish this video had a voice over. I found myself taking my eyres off the scenery just to read the information presented, tho expertly presented. It didn’t stop me from watching but it did detract from a video about a scenic travel experience.
Can see why it's called the Sunset Limited, that sunset looked stunning
Awesome ride on Amtrak CONOs #58 from New Orleans to Chicago the Amtrak CONOs route is the second Amtrak route to have the Chargers right after the Amtrak Empire Builder route.
Took the CONO back in October. Stayed in a Roomette. The staff were very kind and helpful. Due to mobility issues due to a fall, meals were brought to my room. It arrived a half hour early to Chicago, and returned to New Orleans nearly an hour early!
That dinner roll looks wicked.
6:38 All aboard! The Amtrak train is now departing from New Orleans!
I took this train back in the late 50's with my mother and 3 younger brothers. What I remember best is when the train stopped at the Missouri border, we were going south, and a conductor went through the train telling the "colored" people that they had to move to back of the train. My mother took my youngest brother in her arms and us 3 older kids trailed behind, along with the "colored" and a few other "whites" followed the conductor the last car. The car was obviously an older model with vertical painted wooden cladding and slatted wooden benches.
I love Amtrak City of New Orleans route, it’s overnight train leaving Chicago’s famous Union Station, stops my hometown Memphis, Tennessee Central Station to its destination New Orleans, most Amtrak has a lot rail cars but city of New Orleans isn’t big train but is very enjoyable and Mississippi scenery and farmland is unique! Amtrak City of New Orleans is legendary!
Sunset Limited used to run to Florida (really was the only true one seat/sleeper compartment cross country service) but after a Hurricane damaged the tracks, the freight company decided it was cheaper to repair their track without the rating for passenger rail. Congress is trying to remedy this, but the rail company complains that there’s “no room” in the schedule for Amtrak, even though people in the area (who want passenger service) have recorded video of how few trains a day actually use the line! That’s awful.
They just reached an agreement on this, I forget what it entails fully but this may soon return
The freight rail company .. is CSX?
@B Sm pretty much, yeah. Though the line between Mobile and Jacksonville is now owned by different railroad, CSX sold it off after Katrina, I believe.
The railroad trestle around the thirteen minute mark used to be the bridge that trains would go over at Manchac, LA. The current structure features a drawbridge that lifts when not in use, and has concrete construction as well. The old bridge was taken out of service around 1972 when the new one was finished being built. Hope this helps and safe travels!
New Orleans deserves way more service than proposed. the local ones should be more frequent while the City of New Orleans and Sunset limited should get extend east to Florida.
Given amtrak owns this station they really need to rebuild the platforms for the floor height of superliners
The Sunset Limited SHOULD be a DAILY train, none of this TRICE WEEKLY nonsense... It would be great if the train continued on to Orlando, but alas, Amtrak needs six more train sets to do that and go daily... Amtrak does NOT have six more Superliner train sets unfortunately...
Thanks for posting this! As a New Orleans native who doesn't drive anymore(health issues) I love to see the options that exist if I want to take a trip! Well done👍🙂
I really appreciate his videos too.
I think the dining experience has improved since your trip in early 2021. The dining cars have been reopened on the long-distance Amtrak trains, and most of the Western long-distance routes have returned to the "traditional dining" menus. (Don't know if the CONO has traditional dining now, though, but at least its dining car should be open for current passengers.)
I was told by an Amtrak employee in August that the CONO is flexible dining with no dining car :(
Pretty sure the CONO lost its dining car completely in the fall.
Aren’t the dining cars (if they have them) only for sleeping car passengers now? That’s what I understood when I last checked. I remember in the past I’ve just walked in and had a meal.
@@bretlir That's the rule now; however, back in the day, coach passengers could buy meals in the dining car (but sleeping car passengers still had priority). If there is a separate cafe car on the train, that is open to all passengers, and they can all buy snacks, drinks and light meals there. (A lot of coach passengers opt to bring food with them on the train instead, though.)
@@DOSBoxMom When Amtrak charges coach passengers $45 for a meal in the diner, no wonder very few coach passengers dine in the diner... That flexible dining pre prepared heated frozen food entree isn't worth $45....
I was always waiting for a CONO review from you, amazing work as always! Btw at 24:53 you’re not in Memphis, that’s Champaign-Urbana, Illinois (my home station)! You can see the sign that reads “Illinois Terminal” which is the name of the station 😅
I discovered your channel within the past few days, I have been searching for a City of New Orleans Amtrak video from you. This is uploaded at a perfect time! I am already excited to watch this.
The fact that they still haven't brought back full dining service on the City of New Orleans and missing the Lounge car on occasion will keep me from getting on this train. Amtrak needs to get it together...and FAST!!!
Presently Amtrak is doing a Superlliner fleet refurbishment program and chose to pull Sightseer Lounges from the Texas Eagle and Capitol Limited and diners from the City of New Orleans, the one night Superliner trains than pull them from the Western trains running through more scenery... To refurbish cars cars have to be pulled from service...
Thanks for the shout out to Steve Goodman, who wrote the song. He died way too young. Check out his song called "The Dutchman". It's pure poetry.
I wish more Amtrak routes were as reliable... nice trip, Thanks Thibault!!!
Yeah, I have to go from Cincinnati to Chicago to get anywhere...makes so sense there is not Cincinnati to Louisville to St Louis type route. I have to go to Raleigh to get to Atlanta I think.
@@Trucker_Rich86 I live in Georgia and would like to see Amtrak provide service from Savannah Ga or even Jacksonville Florida to Macon Ga and on to Atlanta Ga then on to Chattanooga and Nashville and connect with the CONO or better yet have the new service serve stops not currently being served by Amtrak on into Chicago. (the kitty's pal-allen from Ga)
I think the silver star silver meteor swerve that stop or near there.
@@Trucker_Rich86 Unfortunately Amtrak has only so many train sets of rolling stock and locomotives... Just to run this City of New Orleans train on a daily basis, Amtrak needs THREE train sets... To run those trains heading west daily from Chicago Amtrak needs SIX train sets for each train route...
And there's a wonderful song called "The Panama Limited", written by Bukka White. Tom Rush is one of many who have covered it.
I really want to ride that route. As limited as rail travel in the US is, it's still a great way to explore the country. I pretty much know my way around downtown Chicago.
I used to work for Amtrak, a lot of the crews out of Chicago are on the surly side. The conductors sit downstairs in the Trans Dorm car.
24:46 that is most definitely not Tennessee, that is Champaign Urbana, a stop I am intimately familiar with lol. The best tea shop in town is just about 2 blocks away to the left out of your image.
Oh dang, you're right! Thanks for correcting me. I trusted my Iphone Photo location on this.
@@SimplyRailway If your train was truly on time, then that would have been about 06:00 in the morning, only 2.5 hours before reaching Union Station
I took this trip in a few times when I was a kid in the late 60s and early 70s, and it was a blast. The sleeper compartments were clean and comfortable (and seemed big, because I was a kid), they had Pullman restaurant cars with great food served on china, and the observation car was a great place to see America as we passed through all the farmland, forests, towns, and cities along the way. The adults hung out in the bar car, drinking and smoking. (all the smoke wasn't as much fun). Overall, it remains a fond memory. My last trip was in the 1990s, it wasn't very pleasant, service had degraded, and the train was dirty. I would definitely try it again on the newer trains. I love train travel, it's a shame we don't use it as extensively as they do in other countries.
Across the United States. America is a Continent
I’ve sat in sidings for a few hours before waiting for either 58 or 59 to get by. I make runs between Jackson, MS and Fulton, KY, based out of Memphis on CN. Cool video my friend.
I travelled on the Eastbound Calif Zephyr in late Sept. A couple months before my trip they made a change in car and roomette number. I asked my attendant if she knew why, and was told I was now on a transition sleeper. As you said, all roomettes on the upper level. The front half of the car was staff accommodations, they were still short on staff and didn’t need a whole car. I was interested when she told me the “transition” was the ability to move forward on the lower deck to baggage car or engine.
I met a guy at dinner who was going to New Orleans and he was aware that they were still not using traditional dining, probably, again, because of insufficient staff, the same reason coach passengers still can’t eat in the diner on cross-country trips with the traditional dining menu. Thanks as always for a great trip report!
Another great trip. (And what a steal on the price!)
I especially enjoy your long Amtrak journeys. You have inspired me to plan one for 2023.
You simply have done a fantastic job with your videos. I watch a lot of Amtrak videos however, yours is just absolutely the best. Thank you so much.
Another great video!
BNSF generally tries to prioritize the Southwest Chief -- we used to watch the dispatching process on ATCS Monitor, and it's quite a dance back and forth around the freights -- but something often comes up. Heavy freight traffic, or the Fort Madison bridge opens to allow a barge to pass on the Mississippi, or a bottleneck forms at the single-track Sibley bridge.... They do what they can.
It's a shame they didn't have one of their Dash 8's in the lead. It's the rarest occasion since the crews say they're uncomfortable but it has happened before. I've seen it twice on the silver trains, but 9.9999/10 they always trail behind a P42.
Yay - comfy train seats! I used to love train travel here in the UK, but at least for me it's been spoilt by ironing board seating.
Fully agree with all our comments - especially about bringing back traditional dining on all long distant Amtrak trains (it's one of the many unique features/benefits of going by train across America). I was fortunate enough to catch this train when it did have traditional dining with my son but we went from Chicago to NO. Further, yes the Superliner is another unique feature, I especially enjoy the bedroom but you are right it is usually very expensive but it is a very comfortable way to travel. It is unfortunate that the crew you got was not very customer focused as my experience on CONO & the South West Chief the crew was exceptional. Thank you for sharing.
Keep in mind this was during the pandemic and many of the Amtrak employees were furloughed when business dropped significantly with services reduced to trice weekly....
25:02 : Morning from Illinois - Hello from Gilman, IL!
Another excellent and entertaining (and informative) video! Glad you woke up in time to see Memphis, my hometown...although there isn't much to see from the train at Central Station, or on the way in, because you have to weave through what seems like miles of the BNSF freight yards. The station itself has been refurbished and remodeled and is very nice, although not on par with Chicago Union or The Moynihan in NYC. It was a dump when I last traveled on Amtrak, several years ago and prior to COVID. There's a little bit to see when you leave, but once clear of downtown Memphis, you start getting into light industry and then some rural scenery that would be better viewed in daytime. One stretch of tough track woke me up but then it was great until I got up around sunrise. Thanks again for sharing this adventure!
Thank you for reviewing the City! It's the only Amtrak train we've ridden, and only between Jackson and NOLA. It was a fantastic experience for us, and since we lived in Jackson, extremely convenient!
Nice job Thib! And coming from now a local From Louisiana that Part on the bayou is the best even on i10 part!
I used to live in Carbondale IL, now back in Scotland
Really enjoyed this video, cheers!
As always a very good upload that sources great information, thank you.
Good old Amtrak with its filthy windows that only see water when it rains.
I guess I was the rarity with 3 of 4 HOT trains. The Eagle was HOT, The Zephyr was HOT, the Coast Starlight was the only one that wasn't hot and the Eagle from LA to Dallas was HOT.
Amtrak runs these trains nearly all day every day, with maybe a few hours of cleaning at the terminus stations two or three days later... There aren't any train car washes on the routes between terminus stations... Get real, Amtrak trains run through snow, rain, and dust storms... Amtrak isn't a commuter train that sits overnight every night for hours that are available for car washes... Not to mention washing train cars during the winter below freezing... As for room temperature I find the Amtrak trains too cold for my liking winter or summer...
Great report!! Good accommodations. Lounge looked good.
Thanks Thibault😀💚
Are you kidding??? Arlo Guthrie's "City of New Orleans" is the best, hands down!!!
Agreed.
Those COVID prices...so good! I'm happy to have the service restored, but the space and price were nice while it lasted!
I've been to/thru New Orleans for business many times (sadly) and the VERY BEST thing out it is leaving it as any other city where a 'minority' is the actual majority such as also Detroit Michigan, Atlanta Georgia, Watts and Compton California for some places.
A note about the CONO's on time performance: For the past several years CN had been attempting to merge with Kansas City Southern, albeit unsuccessfully as the Surface Transportation Board points out they already own roughly parallel trackage, and for competitive reasons it would be better for Canadian Pacific to merge with KCS instead (which is what eventually happened). Despite this CN still gave it their all. One of the many things the STB considers when looking at mergers is the effect of passenger rail performance. I'm pretty sure no passenger trains run on KCS trackage, but many believe that CN giving the CONO consistent priority was an attempt to make themselves look better in front of the STB. They do not show such kindness to Via rail as I'm sure you'll find out if you ever end up riding more Via rail in the future.
Currently trying to book a round trip on the Canadian, but CN forced them to adopt a ridiculous twice-weekly schedule that makes it nearly impossible! Also seen 5/6 cancelled many times coming in or out of Prince Rupert. Usually gets stuck outside town, and they have to hire cabs for the passengers! Via’s winter sleeping car deals are hard to ignore though.
@@Spanderson99 I've booked a one way Canadian trip. The Black Friday deal really was impressive, 25% off the regular fare with cancellation options. Compared with the Sleeper Plus deals where it's 50% off with no refunds or cancellations.
And yes, the lateness is noted on the Via Website when booking, advising not to book onward travel for the day of arrival!
Keep this for another 30 years. Good luck.
While I've ridden in Amtrak roomettes, I've never done it in a bedroom, but at the price you paid, I'd do the same! The one time I had to use "flexible" dining on my recent trip, on board the Crescent, I went for the braised beef, which was very good, though still not as good as the flatiron steak in the traditional diner. I know you love the blondie, but I can assure you that the brownie is just as good! Thanks for the video.
Great trip, great scenery, and finally early arrival for Amtrak Long Distance Train. Something disappointed maybe about the staff, grumpy and unhelpful, but I think it's bit random.
Certainly the Johnny Cash version is classic but my favorite version is by Arlo Guthrie. I have always wanted to take this train because of the song! Thanks for this trip Thibault.
My favorite version is by the late great Steve Goodman who died of leukemia in 1984.
Legendary chicagoan and folk musician friend of John prine who wrote the song his version is fantastic
Arlo made the song famous. John Prine was a national treasure. Sam Stone summed up the Vietnam veteran situation in the most poignant and apolitical way.
@@jamesreilly606 learn about Steve Goodman. Fantastic boys silenced way too soon who wrote the song and a whole lot other great ones
Amazing Train Travel
I wish they had a Direct route from Miami to Chicago and West from Miami to LA! Great video!
When I was little I got to ride the actual Illinois Central City of New Orleans. And thanks for mentioning the iconic song. Goodman wrote a number of tunes about Illinois.
The route between Shornur Junction to Kallai is astonishing👌
Nice trip through Nouvelle France!
El reportaje.. me ha gustado bastante. Un saludo desde Spain.
Service, delays, etc. vary a lot on Amtrak. Many of the delays are not Amtrak's fault. Overall I've found the Crescent's crews to be the friendliest and most helpful and one of the CZ's the worst. A laid-back attitude and no close connections really help when traveling on Amtrak. It also helps if you just like trains!
It's a shame and wasteful that the dining cars are not being used with full dining service for all passengers on the eastern long distance trains. Poor management. They bought new dining cars and then refused to use the kitchens in them. Hopefully that has or will change.
If there were real bullet trains running on tracks dedicated to that kind of service, a train could leave New Orleans at 9 AM and be in Chicago in time for dinner. A lot of people - particularly families traveling with children, seniors, young people on vacations or just looking for excursions - might take a deal like that. Planes may be faster, but they're not always the better way to travel.
The City of New Orleans is certainly one of Amtrak's great trains, but I'd have to argue that Arlo Guthrie's version of the song is best!
I am fond of Wille Nelson's version... The song has been recorded by many...
The Arlo Guthrie version of City of New Orleans is the best.
And I would like to add another great comment about simply railway because I really miss traveling on amtrak and I am proud 👏 of their 50th anniversary I feel 😢 sad that I was not able to be there to celebrate with them and I am not going to give up on my family railroad that I travel on and love so much that will be in my life and heart ♥️.
Your comment about being impressed by the superliners: I agree. However, my understanding is that they will be refurbished (happening now) but will not be replaced. Replacements with all be single level---really too bad. I have traveled the supers several times and love them, if a bit old!
Amtrak is expected to order a new bi-level sleeper fleet to replace the Superliners soon, as they were given the funds with the infrastructure bill. Presently Amtrak is considering the offers from manufacturers... How many cars and which manufacturer will be revealed soon... However, don't expect any of the new fleet to enter into service before 2030, and the last before 2035...
@@ronclark9724 Thanks. Good to hear.
I have a cruise in New Orleans in April. I thought about taking the Amtrak from Cincinnati - Chicago - New Orleans instead of flying but it is so long lol
Now you know why during the 1960s the USPS terminated the railroads mail contracts choosing to FLY the mail long distances and truck the mail short distances... No longer are there a dozen or more mail cars on a American passenger trains consists... Hours instead of days, overnight deliveries, etc...
24:45 Illinois is only in Chicago, not Tennessee!
Creole Shrimp is based on the Louisiana's Jambolaya.
We've driven to NOLA 3X now and we were thinking about a rail trip to NOLA. Thanks for the fine, informative video.
Good idea to soap up the sink, before using!
Wow, that rust went through the chassis!
Note the locomotive was built in the late 1990s, the Superliner I sleeper car was built in the late 1970s to early 1980s. Notice the "stainless steel" body of the Superliner car didn't have any rust even though it was most likely twice as old....
Great report! I would love to do something like this one day. Until then I will just have to watch you do it for me.
This was an awesome experience.
The sound of the train horn is totally what I expect from American railways and in my ideal sleeper travel world that is my utopian way to fall asleep, great post, ps you’d have to spoon to sleep two in that bed 😇
Nice vlog beautiful journey 🌹💯👍
Very nice Video; Very nice Sightseeing!
Do Amtrak's long distance trains ever reach their 130kph (80mph) speed limit? They always see so be traveling slowly.🤔 In it's prime the CONO (Illinois Central) in 16hrs.
On certain straightaways, yeah. Recently when I took the Coast Starlight, there was a notable stretch north of Burbank and a stretch south of Tacoma where we hit 80 or so.
Because I think that's a government law that governs Amtrak's at 80 plus since they don't own the tracks most of the freight railroads don't want to keep the tracks up to let Amtrak go 120 mph smoothly...
This is Isaiah wiley from myrtle Beach south Carolina saying that I am proud of amtrak p42 genesis locomotives and I am going to really miss them because when I was in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania with my dad 👨 we go to the amtrak station around 11 and watch the capital limited pull into the station and when I saw the train I saw the best part the headlights of the p42 coming into the station with the train that is what I am going to miss the most of the amtrak p42 genesis locomotives and if someone were to give me a amtrak poster with a train on it it would be greatest Christmas gift ever.
I’m from New Orleans but I’ve never took the train but I think I will form no on😊
I thought the Sunset Limited went from New Orleans to Benson and Tucson AZ with stops in Los Angeles.
the only problem with that trip is it is too short! You truly lucked out on that Covid-era bedroom pricing.
Probably a good Idea to bring your Own X-Tra T.P. Along with you .....................
Can’t believe you had a transition sleeper. A famous actress used to wave from her house just before you get to Memphis.
I rode this route from Chicago to NOLA A few years ago. At aaround midnight, You cross the Ohio River. I managed to see that from the coach car I was in.
Thanks for mentioning Steve Goodman, a legendary Chicago folk singer. He also did a couple other songs that were world famous, well at least in Chicago 😂. Try A Dying Cub Fan’s Last Request and The Lincoln Park Pirates. The latter is about a north side towing company notorious for towing cars illegally and damaging them. He is sorely missed.
best video keep up the work!
I have heard that the Magnolia Room (New Orleans' version of the Metropolitan Lounge for sleeping car passengers; I hope I have the name right) is not as nice as similar lounges at other Amtrak hub cities. Did you find that to be the case on your trip?
I was there last week to catch the Crescent. It’s a very dreary room with old furniture and limited food and beverage selection. Nothing like the best Metro Lounges at NYC and Chicago.
@@ymvrr Nothing's changed there in 20 years. Sad.
@simply railway can you take the Bergen line in Norway? i promise its worth the time. the nature is beautiful but on the way back to Oslo can you go of at myrdal station and take the most beautiful railway line in the world the flåm railway. its worth the trip!
I've never seen the interior of Amtrak's Transitional Sleeper cars. Now I know how the stairway is situated-unlike the stairways which were in their Dorm Cars which once belonged on ATSF's El Capitan where the 2nd floor center aisle ran straight onto the stairway to the 1st level without landings.
Reminds me of a very similar Amtrak trip I took back in the 90's from Chicago to Austin Texas
it would be nice for us to see how different things are in amtrak routes going out of covid. Specially in the use of food services. Great work, congrats
For most of 2011-2020 I was a semi-regular on the northernmost 2 hours of this journey, and for most of that decade and most previous decades, CN was notoriously one of the *worst* about ontime performance and priority dispatching for Amtrak, which given the state of the nation really is a low bar to miss. But maybe they've cleaned up their act in the last few years?
Yeah, the CONO is the most on time long distance trains on the whole Amtrak network
@@SimplyRailway After writing the comment I did recall reading a couple years ago about Amtrak making formal complaints to the relevant bureaucrats, it went to arbitration or something and CN paid a fine? Or something? So maybe they really *did* clean up their act? At any rate, it was such a strange thing for me to see in the video after a decade of CN bullshit xD
@@SimplyRailway Wait found this gem on Wikipedia: "The first report card, issued in March 2018, includes one A (given to Canadian Pacific) and two Fs (given to Canadian National and Norfolk Southern). Amtrak's 2020 host report card gives Canadian Pacific and Canadian National an A, BNSF and CSX a B, Union Pacific a C+, and Norfolk Southern a D-." So yes CN absolutely has performed a complete and total about-face in just two years to become the best on the whole network. Damned impressive culture shift among their dispatchers.
4:05 - What are you being asked?
( I like reading about these idled Amtrak locomotives. )
Your "Memphis" stop is actually Champaign, Illinois!