I reckon I passed my first night with about five, maybe six full hours of sleep. Wow. I didn't think it would be that easy.
I followed some pieces of advice from past travelers and packed an eye mask (found for a couple of dollars in the Pharmaprix on ave. Mont Royal and Blvd. Saint Laurent in Montreal) and ear plugs (again, you can pick them up for a few dollars in your local pharmacy). With pink foam ear plugs and a black mask, you do look a bit wierd, but I slept like a babe for most of the night.
Amtrak will give you a rather meagre pillow, so an inflatable one is a good bet. If you sweet talk your coach attendant, you might be able to get another, and then it's just a matter of placing them and rolled up sweaters etc in strategic places to cushion your sleep.
I woke up at about 06:00. The coach was pretty quiet, with maybe one passenger for each pair of seats... many, like me, had been able to get a good couple of hours sleep in. Back home, I would normally wake up around 06:00, so I'm happy to un-mask, un-plug and un-fold my contorted body and watch the foggy morning creep past. We were maybe thirty minutes behind schedule when I went to sleep last night. Assuming we hadn't lost much more time, we should therefore be getting close to Toledo, Ohio.
I walked down through the coaches to the cafe car. Unfortunately, the look on the lead conductor's face who was there told me that we had lost some more time.
"So, how far behind are we now?" I ask in a bright, naive, British-guy-on-holiday tonne of voice.
"'bout three hours now. Couple of freight trains broke down near Cleveland last night. We should be getting into Cleveland soon."
And so the Amtrak dream continues. As I've mentioned before, and as most rail passengers know, Amtrak doesn't own many stretches of track. In fact, about 95% of the train lines that they provide service on belong to privately owned freigh companies. So if a freight train breaks down, runs late, or just doesn't clear the line as fast as it is scheduled to, Amtrak have to wait. That's the problem of being a company that is effectively stuck between being a government owned service and a private company.
I'm not phased, however, and make my way to the restaurant for breakfast. After all, I'm not making a rushed connection in Chicago, and after all the reason for this trip is the experience of the ride, not necessarily the destinations. If you're in a hurry, take a plane. If you want to see the scenery, take the train.
I'm one of the first in to the restaurant in the morning. The Lead Service Attendant is there, a friendly man who has the air of someone who has been doing this for a while. He's joined by two attentive and extremely polite assistants.
My budget for this trip is limited - after train travel (which covers my accomodation for half of the trip) I'm on just C$30 or about US$25. So on any one day, I ought to limit myself to having just one restaurant car meal. Other meals come in the form of tupperware boxes I'll be preparing at each big city layover.
Amtrak's menu isn't the world's most sophisticated, but it does what it does very well. As we pull away from Cleveland, I order pancakes. They come with coffee (weak, but I'm used to the quantity making up for that everywhere over here by now) and juice. Leaving Cleveland our train runs alongside the tracks of the city's light rail line. Just as I'm pouring syrup and melting butter on my three hot, soft pancakes (hey, I'm making up for the caffeine shortfall, ok?) I can't help but feel a bit awkward. A two car transit train is alongside us for a few minutes, and about a half dozen workers, all black, are on their way to their first shifts. I make eye contact with one, and feel less than comfortable sitting at my table, with shining cutlery and soft lighting.
Our trains parts as the Lake Shore Limited starts to accelerate, but I'm reminded of many differences in this world.
*j*
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Train 49: Welcome on board
After just a few cross border trips on Amtrak's Adirondack, Vermonter and Maple Leaf, this easily takes the biscuit as the biggest train I've been on in this country. I'm sure that will change in the next few days, but the excitement is still fresh. I'm seated at the back of the train in one of the four coach carraiges. They're very similar to the other north-eastern 'Amfleet' trains I've ridden in, built in the seventies when Amtrak knew that they were going to soon feel the pressure from the ever popular and ever more affordable airlines. So the carraiges seemed to have been designed with the very intention of luring airline passengers. They're finished on the outside with a silver corrugated steel or aluminium, with small windows punched along each side. Their cross section curves in at the top and bottom, so inside the slight curvature of the body reminds you of being in an aeroplane.
But that's the end of the comparison, because this is much more comfortable than flying. The seats in coach class are comparable with an airline's business class (and to think the fares are comparable with Greyhound...). The seats recline further than on other short distance trains, and there's a hard wearing footrest which folds up to help you get as close to horizontal as you need to be for a good night's rest. The seat in front will, of course, recline towards you, but that's hardly a problem because when I'm sitting in my seat, I can't even touch it with an outstretched hand.
When you board and Amtrak train and the conductor takes your ticket, you will have a small slip of paper with a three letter code for your destination station stuck in the rail of the luggage rack above your head. After some guess work and cross reference to my timetable, I'm guessing everyone around me will be getting off at Utica, Syracuse and Buffalo, all before midnight, hopefully giving me the chance to expand across two seats later on.
And indeed, most people are using this Friday train to go home for the weekend, or to visit family after a long week at work. Next to me is a gentleman who works for the quality control department in a bank, and who is going home after four days in New York City. We talk a little about my trip, and he points out landmarks as we rush past in the suddenly dark night (such as Palatine Bridge, the place of the Lifesaver Mints factory).
We arrive at Utica quite quickly, and we bid each other farewell. Another friendly conversation and acquaintance has been made for me by the train.
As Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo-Depew stations pass us by, the occupants of the train change, and after Syracuse the lights are dimmed and PA announcements cease. I decide to give the sleeping in Amtrak coach class experience a try.
*j*
But that's the end of the comparison, because this is much more comfortable than flying. The seats in coach class are comparable with an airline's business class (and to think the fares are comparable with Greyhound...). The seats recline further than on other short distance trains, and there's a hard wearing footrest which folds up to help you get as close to horizontal as you need to be for a good night's rest. The seat in front will, of course, recline towards you, but that's hardly a problem because when I'm sitting in my seat, I can't even touch it with an outstretched hand.
When you board and Amtrak train and the conductor takes your ticket, you will have a small slip of paper with a three letter code for your destination station stuck in the rail of the luggage rack above your head. After some guess work and cross reference to my timetable, I'm guessing everyone around me will be getting off at Utica, Syracuse and Buffalo, all before midnight, hopefully giving me the chance to expand across two seats later on.
And indeed, most people are using this Friday train to go home for the weekend, or to visit family after a long week at work. Next to me is a gentleman who works for the quality control department in a bank, and who is going home after four days in New York City. We talk a little about my trip, and he points out landmarks as we rush past in the suddenly dark night (such as Palatine Bridge, the place of the Lifesaver Mints factory).
We arrive at Utica quite quickly, and we bid each other farewell. Another friendly conversation and acquaintance has been made for me by the train.
As Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo-Depew stations pass us by, the occupants of the train change, and after Syracuse the lights are dimmed and PA announcements cease. I decide to give the sleeping in Amtrak coach class experience a try.
*j*
First connection: Schenectady, NY
There's something pleasing about the name Schenectady. This is a town that was meant to be where people change trains. It just sounds right. I have a "Schenection" to make.
The Adirondack arrives nearly seventy minutes late. However, I have plenty of time until the westbound Lake Shore Limited stops here just after 19.15hr. We have had a beautiful run down the western shore of Lake Champlain: once it has crossed into New York state, the Adirondack is without a doubt one of the most beautiful railway lines I've ridden on. The track climbs up out of Plattsburgh, and before you realise it you are riding high above the lake, twisting and turning through blasted rock cuttings in the side of the hill.
Below me us to the right, the water of Lake Champlain was stretching out in a overlaying mist of blues and greens. At the rocky shore below us, it was nearly clear over the rocks. I spent much of the time in the cafe car, enjoying the wider view afforded by not having such big seats, and chatted from time to time with other passengers... the English-Chinese student returning going to Poughkeepsie before heading on to family in Connecticut; the friendly French Quebecois who talked about how much he missed the long discontinued night service between Montreal and New York ('The Montrealer' or 'Le Montrealais').
I hopped off the platform at Schenectady with the increasingly style and deftness of someone who is working out how to travel with two rough equally weighted bags. Good thing I did't bring the laptop, I reckon I would have been off balance.
Schenectady is a tidy little town, and a good example of the peaceful middle America I'm happy to experience for a few hours between trains. The station is small, with the tracks up on a raised embankment through the town centre, and with a small one-box station below. After leaving my bags safe in the station with the friendly attendant (definitely a good mood day for Amtrak staff) I head out to stretch my legs on a short tour of the town. Schenectady's biggest feature is that it's the home of General Electric, and also of Thomas Edison. Although as my USA By Rail handbook explains, that's not how he started life:
Just behind the station you'll find the Edison Exploratorium (I think that means museum) but's only available to visit by appointment, according to a sign in the window. I walk for an hour or two, buy some stamps from a stubborn vending machine that doesn't like my dollar bills, and then look for a place to sit down for a while. While exploring the smaller tree lined streets on the other side of the station, I find a small saloon called Slick's Bar and Restaurant. It's more bar and restaurant, though Slick seems to be doing good business with his sandwiches. I'm assuming it was Slick that I saw, because his hair was indeed particularly slick.
I drank a bottle of Samuel Adams, and watched the CBS Evening News that was on a television screen behind the bar. Tonight's top stories: the average price of gasoline across the States is now $2.86 a gallon (a bargain in the UK); the prices of building materials such as copper and plastic has increased dramatically in the last few months (apparently because of China's economic boom... all I can say is that you should go into any Wal-Mart and you'll see straightaway why there's a boom in China); and also... an exclusive helmet mounted camera view of an Iraqi soldier's duty in Iraq. I kid you not. English readers may remember a BBC news programme called 'The Day Today'. I think I have found it's American twin...
I finish my beer, thank the friendly Mr. Slick, and return through the evening sunshine to the station. The town must have a Wal-Mart or two: the selection of shops on main street is telling, and despite a clean and very attractively finished streetscape of plant pots, benchs and trees, the town is too quiet for a Saturday night.
I collect my bags from behind the counter, and climb the steps to the platform. Up here, free from shade and with just a cool breeze, it's the perfect end to a stroll o a warm spring day. I dip in and out of the copy of 'USA Today' I got from a vending machine, reading with particular amusement the coverage of HRH Elizabeth's 80th birthday. I shan't pollute this blog with my opinion on the matter (ie monarchist / anti-monarchist... if you know me you'll probably know) but I suspect Charles has a long wait ahead of him.
At just after 19.30, the rumble of a train, and the sound of a horn gets my attention. Arriving from New York City is train 49, 'the Lake Shore Limited'. It roars in, pulling a baggage car, a crew dormitory, two sleeper cars, a restaurant, a cafe and lounge car, four coaches and (apparently) a privately chartered car at the back.
I await the doors to open with much anticipation.
*j*
The Adirondack arrives nearly seventy minutes late. However, I have plenty of time until the westbound Lake Shore Limited stops here just after 19.15hr. We have had a beautiful run down the western shore of Lake Champlain: once it has crossed into New York state, the Adirondack is without a doubt one of the most beautiful railway lines I've ridden on. The track climbs up out of Plattsburgh, and before you realise it you are riding high above the lake, twisting and turning through blasted rock cuttings in the side of the hill.
Below me us to the right, the water of Lake Champlain was stretching out in a overlaying mist of blues and greens. At the rocky shore below us, it was nearly clear over the rocks. I spent much of the time in the cafe car, enjoying the wider view afforded by not having such big seats, and chatted from time to time with other passengers... the English-Chinese student returning going to Poughkeepsie before heading on to family in Connecticut; the friendly French Quebecois who talked about how much he missed the long discontinued night service between Montreal and New York ('The Montrealer' or 'Le Montrealais').
I hopped off the platform at Schenectady with the increasingly style and deftness of someone who is working out how to travel with two rough equally weighted bags. Good thing I did't bring the laptop, I reckon I would have been off balance.
Schenectady is a tidy little town, and a good example of the peaceful middle America I'm happy to experience for a few hours between trains. The station is small, with the tracks up on a raised embankment through the town centre, and with a small one-box station below. After leaving my bags safe in the station with the friendly attendant (definitely a good mood day for Amtrak staff) I head out to stretch my legs on a short tour of the town. Schenectady's biggest feature is that it's the home of General Electric, and also of Thomas Edison. Although as my USA By Rail handbook explains, that's not how he started life:
Edison's first job was selling sweets to railroad passengers, monez from which he spent on chemistry sets and building a telegraph system out of scarp metal.
Just behind the station you'll find the Edison Exploratorium (I think that means museum) but's only available to visit by appointment, according to a sign in the window. I walk for an hour or two, buy some stamps from a stubborn vending machine that doesn't like my dollar bills, and then look for a place to sit down for a while. While exploring the smaller tree lined streets on the other side of the station, I find a small saloon called Slick's Bar and Restaurant. It's more bar and restaurant, though Slick seems to be doing good business with his sandwiches. I'm assuming it was Slick that I saw, because his hair was indeed particularly slick.
I drank a bottle of Samuel Adams, and watched the CBS Evening News that was on a television screen behind the bar. Tonight's top stories: the average price of gasoline across the States is now $2.86 a gallon (a bargain in the UK); the prices of building materials such as copper and plastic has increased dramatically in the last few months (apparently because of China's economic boom... all I can say is that you should go into any Wal-Mart and you'll see straightaway why there's a boom in China); and also... an exclusive helmet mounted camera view of an Iraqi soldier's duty in Iraq. I kid you not. English readers may remember a BBC news programme called 'The Day Today'. I think I have found it's American twin...
I finish my beer, thank the friendly Mr. Slick, and return through the evening sunshine to the station. The town must have a Wal-Mart or two: the selection of shops on main street is telling, and despite a clean and very attractively finished streetscape of plant pots, benchs and trees, the town is too quiet for a Saturday night.
I collect my bags from behind the counter, and climb the steps to the platform. Up here, free from shade and with just a cool breeze, it's the perfect end to a stroll o a warm spring day. I dip in and out of the copy of 'USA Today' I got from a vending machine, reading with particular amusement the coverage of HRH Elizabeth's 80th birthday. I shan't pollute this blog with my opinion on the matter (ie monarchist / anti-monarchist... if you know me you'll probably know) but I suspect Charles has a long wait ahead of him.
At just after 19.30, the rumble of a train, and the sound of a horn gets my attention. Arriving from New York City is train 49, 'the Lake Shore Limited'. It roars in, pulling a baggage car, a crew dormitory, two sleeper cars, a restaurant, a cafe and lounge car, four coaches and (apparently) a privately chartered car at the back.
I await the doors to open with much anticipation.
*j*
Friday, April 21, 2006
So... why exactly?
So now would be as good as time to any to clarify what I'm doing, and why I'm doing it.
I'm not a true 'railfan'. I have no idea what sort of locomotive is pulling this train (although I think it's blue and silver). I'm not bothered about noting the numbers of the carraiges I'm riding in. And I'm also doing this with a bit of blind trepidation. But then again, that's always how the best journeys are made.
I just love the idea of a journey. Ever since I first started to look closely at the world flashing by from the back seat of my mum and dad's little red VW Cabrio, I've enjoyed just looking. The purest form of entertainment for me is the view from a moving vehicle, traversing territory I've never seen before. And as the 'normal' pace of our commercialised society gets more and more rapid, we get to see these things even less. And when we do see them, we don't appreciate what we're looking at.
Our obsession with speed and convenience brings with it a high cost. A low cost flight from any of London's six airports will take you thousands of kilometres in a few hours. And while I enjoy looking at clouds as much as the next man, I'd rather be looking at the surface of our planet, up close so that I can see the back gardens, buildings, fields, forests and rivers of this crowded planet. I think Philip Larkin says it best, how we are all naturals, born to gaze out of moving windows:
So I'm going out for a good look at everything I can and nothing in particular. North American passenger trains are hardly the fastest modes of transport, but I'm going to see a rapid cross section of the United States of America and Canada. Both countries owe much of their development to the train. But when it comes to contemporary travel, a lack of investment and political vision in North America has left the passenger train unable to compete with the plane or automobile. Our society conditions people to work more to spend more to enjoy more (and enjoyment usually involves more consumption). Traveling by jet plane is now our god given right. Certain environmentalists love to bash those who drive thirsty sports utility vehicles, but they go silent when you threaten to take away their £40 Easyjet weekender flights to the sun (did you know that there is no tax on airline fuel anywhere in the world?).
The train is important, because it offers a realistic and existing solution to tomorrow's environmental and social problems. If we must travel, should do it in a way that treads lightly on the soil we pass over. And if we are to understand more about the world, we should at least take every chance to see it. In it's current form, and in the current political climate, Amtrak may not exist for much longer (although it has survived through some pretty rough times so far). Regardless of Amtrak's fate, I want to enjoy it while I can. Even if North America's passenger train network does survive another round of government budget cuts, and even if the trains continue to struggle along without priority over freight trains, I'm only going to be living in Canada for one year. The novelty of taking a train, and not a plane, to New York or Chicago will soon be gone for me.
So that's why I'm here. I'm off to see a little bit of this continent the way it should be seen: from a big comfortable seat, with an on board restaurant and no need for rest breaks.
I'm not a true 'railfan'. I have no idea what sort of locomotive is pulling this train (although I think it's blue and silver). I'm not bothered about noting the numbers of the carraiges I'm riding in. And I'm also doing this with a bit of blind trepidation. But then again, that's always how the best journeys are made.
I just love the idea of a journey. Ever since I first started to look closely at the world flashing by from the back seat of my mum and dad's little red VW Cabrio, I've enjoyed just looking. The purest form of entertainment for me is the view from a moving vehicle, traversing territory I've never seen before. And as the 'normal' pace of our commercialised society gets more and more rapid, we get to see these things even less. And when we do see them, we don't appreciate what we're looking at.
Our obsession with speed and convenience brings with it a high cost. A low cost flight from any of London's six airports will take you thousands of kilometres in a few hours. And while I enjoy looking at clouds as much as the next man, I'd rather be looking at the surface of our planet, up close so that I can see the back gardens, buildings, fields, forests and rivers of this crowded planet. I think Philip Larkin says it best, how we are all naturals, born to gaze out of moving windows:
They watched the landscape, sitting side by side
- An Odeon went past, a cooling tower, And
someone running up to bowl - and none
Thought of the others they would never meet
Or how their lives would all contain this hour.
from The Whitsun Weddings
So I'm going out for a good look at everything I can and nothing in particular. North American passenger trains are hardly the fastest modes of transport, but I'm going to see a rapid cross section of the United States of America and Canada. Both countries owe much of their development to the train. But when it comes to contemporary travel, a lack of investment and political vision in North America has left the passenger train unable to compete with the plane or automobile. Our society conditions people to work more to spend more to enjoy more (and enjoyment usually involves more consumption). Traveling by jet plane is now our god given right. Certain environmentalists love to bash those who drive thirsty sports utility vehicles, but they go silent when you threaten to take away their £40 Easyjet weekender flights to the sun (did you know that there is no tax on airline fuel anywhere in the world?).
The train is important, because it offers a realistic and existing solution to tomorrow's environmental and social problems. If we must travel, should do it in a way that treads lightly on the soil we pass over. And if we are to understand more about the world, we should at least take every chance to see it. In it's current form, and in the current political climate, Amtrak may not exist for much longer (although it has survived through some pretty rough times so far). Regardless of Amtrak's fate, I want to enjoy it while I can. Even if North America's passenger train network does survive another round of government budget cuts, and even if the trains continue to struggle along without priority over freight trains, I'm only going to be living in Canada for one year. The novelty of taking a train, and not a plane, to New York or Chicago will soon be gone for me.
So that's why I'm here. I'm off to see a little bit of this continent the way it should be seen: from a big comfortable seat, with an on board restaurant and no need for rest breaks.
Train 68: towards the border
We're a little late running south through Saint Jean sur Richelieu. The train slows to a crawl once more because of track restrictions, but I have such a comfy connection at my first stop I'm not worried. French words on street and shop signs mark the last recognisable outposts of Quebec. The engine sounds its horn incessentantly as we crawl past backyards and small parks. This train hit a car in this town last year, and considering how close we pass to back gardens I can understand why we're moving slowly.
Behind me, two graduate students are talking about the languages of Japan and Korea and cultural differences. An elderly couple across the aisle from me are returning to Albany from a short break in Montreal. They've spread themselves across two rows of seats to try and rest. Maybe they went out on a bender on Sainte Catherine last night and need some kip... that's not unusual for Americans going home on this train, but these two are slightly older than the usual booze cruisers.
As the line straightens up past the military college in Saint Jean sur Richelieu, we pick up speed, and the sun falling onto my lap begins to warm me nicely. Beautiful blue skies are looking down on this Friday morning.
*j*
Behind me, two graduate students are talking about the languages of Japan and Korea and cultural differences. An elderly couple across the aisle from me are returning to Albany from a short break in Montreal. They've spread themselves across two rows of seats to try and rest. Maybe they went out on a bender on Sainte Catherine last night and need some kip... that's not unusual for Americans going home on this train, but these two are slightly older than the usual booze cruisers.
As the line straightens up past the military college in Saint Jean sur Richelieu, we pick up speed, and the sun falling onto my lap begins to warm me nicely. Beautiful blue skies are looking down on this Friday morning.
*j*
Train 68: departure
The silver train of four carraiges begins imperceptibly to move. I have missed the exact moment that this journey commences. Bugger.The platforms are grey in unfinished concrete, more like a freight depot than a railway station. This is not a grand place to begin a journey that will carry me the equivilent of half way round the planet. I suppose I should be grateful that the platform is level with the train. That itself seems to be a rarity outside major cities in North America.
As we slide out of Central Station Gary, our Amtrak conductor collects our tickets. First impressions are good. He seems to be starting this trip in a better mood than many of my previous Amtrak conductors. The line curves out from Central Station, past sparkling cars in the sunny spring morning. Montreal will be hot today. As the line continues its turn towards the bridge over the St. Lawrence River, I look back and take a photograph of the skyline of clustered skyscrapers.
The same view will welcome me home in thirty days time...
*j*
The night before the morning after...
I got home late tonight - I had the last of my twice weekly French classes was this evening (and I'm not at all disappointed with an overall grade of 'B-'). Was delayed being talked through the medieval process of filing my tax return. Many thanks to LN for helping me in that department. All my dreams of Canada as a modern, developed and progressive society were destroyed when I discovered the amount of paperwork (provincial and federal) that every citizen has to fill in. However, if it means a refund at the end of it all, I tolerate it for a bit.
The cats have been acting strange. They know something is up. I've not been doing too much overt packing, but they can sense that something is about to change. My routine has changed, and I've spent today going around the apartment and coming in and out ticking off things on my long list. How will they cope when I'm not here tomorrow night? Whose bed will they sleep on if mine doesn't have it's usual lumpy and snoring occupant? To be honest, it's not the cats I'm worried about - they will adjust, even if it does mean that they're going to pee all over the place in the mean time. I just don't know if I have completely comprehended the mammoth scale of what I am about to do. Tomorrow morning I will begin a journey whose length will be roughly equivilent to a half circumference of the earth.
Am I ready...?
We're about to find out.
Next update due from Chicago this weekend. Windy City, here I come...
*j*
The cats have been acting strange. They know something is up. I've not been doing too much overt packing, but they can sense that something is about to change. My routine has changed, and I've spent today going around the apartment and coming in and out ticking off things on my long list. How will they cope when I'm not here tomorrow night? Whose bed will they sleep on if mine doesn't have it's usual lumpy and snoring occupant? To be honest, it's not the cats I'm worried about - they will adjust, even if it does mean that they're going to pee all over the place in the mean time. I just don't know if I have completely comprehended the mammoth scale of what I am about to do. Tomorrow morning I will begin a journey whose length will be roughly equivilent to a half circumference of the earth.
Am I ready...?
We're about to find out.
Next update due from Chicago this weekend. Windy City, here I come...
*j*
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Money... tickets... passport...
A big warm welcome to all my new visitors from trainweb.com... much to my surprise this blog was listed on the "What's New" segment of their homepage yesterday afternoon, and for the first time ever my page recorded more than one hundred hits in one day. A personal apology to all of you who read the headline and clicked through expecting to find one of the great soul singers riding Amtrak... with a back catalogue like his, I doubt my namesake will be traveling by train anytime soon :)
In the pre-holiday words of Eddy Monsoon, as she runs back into house after leaving to go to the aiport: "MONEY... TICKETS... PASSPORT!". Today is my last day working in my little grey cubicle, and tomorrow will be the day designated for my headless chicken impression, as I do a high speed tour of Montréal a) doing laundry b) getting haircut c) filing my Québec tax return d) finding an eye mask for sleeping on trains e) finding a travel blanket for sleeping on trains f) finding the best place to buy US dollars g) downloading the latest BBC podcasts for my iPod h) hunting down all the necessary cables, chargers and memory cards for my camera.... etc etc etc.
And, oh yes... packing. Forgot that one...
*j*
In the pre-holiday words of Eddy Monsoon, as she runs back into house after leaving to go to the aiport: "MONEY... TICKETS... PASSPORT!". Today is my last day working in my little grey cubicle, and tomorrow will be the day designated for my headless chicken impression, as I do a high speed tour of Montréal a) doing laundry b) getting haircut c) filing my Québec tax return d) finding an eye mask for sleeping on trains e) finding a travel blanket for sleeping on trains f) finding the best place to buy US dollars g) downloading the latest BBC podcasts for my iPod h) hunting down all the necessary cables, chargers and memory cards for my camera.... etc etc etc.
And, oh yes... packing. Forgot that one...
*j*
Friday, April 14, 2006
Coming soon... 18,972km
21 APRIL - 20 MAY 2006 - UPDATED (click on the map to enlarge it) The itinerary continues to evolve, and now stands as follows... note a longer stay in Halifax in order to meet up with a certain young lady, who yesterday purchased tickets to fly out and join me for the last train ride back to Montréal. By the end of the trip I will have spent two weeks in VIA Rail's 'Comfort' class (economy), so we might consider upgrading from the comforts of 'Comfort' class to the slightly more comfortable comforts of 'Comfort Sleeper' class. Confused? It's just a matter of relative comfort really... ;-)
I entertained a few ideas about adjusting to the itinerary to include more of the south and east of the USA, but I think I'll have to leave that for now, and possibly do a mini trip in the summer.
All times are as scheduled, expect a lot of late running south of the border...
APRIL 2006
Fri 21 ‘Adirondack’ dep. Montréal 09:50 arr. Schenectady 16:23
Fri 21 ‘Lake Shore Ltd’ dep. Schenectady 19:16
Sat 22 arr. Chicago 09:30
Sun 23 ‘California Zephyr’ dep. Chicago 13:50
Mon 24 arr. Denver 07:15
Tue 25 ‘California Zephyr’ dep. Denver 08:05
Wed 26 arr. Emeryville 16:49
Thu 27 in San Francisco
Fri 28 drive to Santa Barbara
Sat 29 drive north, ‘Coast Starlight’ dep. Emeryville 22:02
Sun 30 arr. Seattle 20:30
MAY 2006
Mon 1 in Seattle
Tue 2 ‘Amtrak Cascades’ dep. Seattle 07:45 arr. Vancouver 11:40
Tue 2 ‘Canadian’ dep. Vancouver 17:30
Wed 3 arr. Edmonton 17:30
Thu 4 in Edmonton
Fri 5 in Edmonton
Sat 6 ‘Canadian’ dep. Edmonton 18:20
Sun 7 arr. Winnipeg 11:20 / ‘Hudson Bay’ dep. Winnipeg 20:45
Mon 8 on board the ‘Hudson Bay’
Tue 9 arr. Churchill 08:30 / ‘Hudson Bay’ dep. Churchill 20:30
Wed 10 on board the ‘Hudson Bay’
Thu 11 arr. Winnipeg 08:05 / ‘The Canadian’ dep. Winnipeg 12:25
Fri 12 arr. Toronto 20:00
Sat 13 VIA Corridor dep. Toronto 15:10 arr. Montréal 19:48
Sun 14 ‘Ocean’ dep. Montréal 18:30
Mon 15 arr. Halifax 16:20
Tue 16 in Halifax
Wed 17 in Halifax
Thu 18 in Halifax
Fri 19 ‘Ocean’ dep. Halifax 12:35
Sat 20 arr. Montréal 08:15
*j*
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Rail Pass 101
Update (May 2010): this information is now out of date, and I take no responsibility for confusion or sadness caused by the subsequent inflation of any price quoted!
Right now, I would guess that about 75% of my contributions to the discussions on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree travel forums relate to train passes in the USA and Canada. It's not so much that I'm turning into a passionate advocate of the passenger train, I've just spent a lot of time lately researching them. A few weeks ago, after I had purchased my ticket, I noticed that Amtrak and VIA were announcing a price increase for the North America Railpass... luckily for me, but unfortunately for those you thinking of taking inspiration from my trip, the increase has hiked the Amtrak prices by about 25%.
If you're thinking of a trip, here's the breakdown of the different rail passes. Each pass guarantees you a seat in 'Coach' or 'Comfort' class (economy). These big comfy seats were designed for North American bums, so if you've never ridden on one before they're comparable to, if not better than airline business class seats. They recline and have footrests, and it's not too difficult to pass a night in one. If you want to upgrade to a room or couchette, an upgrade fee is charged.
North America Rail Pass US details - Canada details
The mamma-pass... a pass allowing virtually unlimited travel on Amtrak and VIA Rail for thirty continuous days. The only real limitations are that you can't take more than four one way trips on the same route, you must make at least one trip in each country, and the first trip you book should be in the country you purchase the pass.
The pass is sold by both Amtrak in the USA, and VIA Rail in Canada: if you are outside North America, check the current rates of exchange with your currency and you could save more. High season runs May 26, 2006 - October 15, 2006. If you take just one day of your journey in the high season, you have to pay the high season fare, so schedule carefully. Discounts available to seniors, students and children. These prices should be valid until the end of 2006.
US and Canadian citizens are not eligible to buy this pass, and it's only sold outside North America by these authorised agents. These passes are slightly more complex, in that they subdivide the USA into four zones: north-east, east, west and national. East includes north-east, and national covers all of the zones. With the exception of the north-east pass, which is sold in five or fifteen day denominations, the passes are sold in fifteen or thirty day demoninations. Peak and off peak seasons are also different to the North America Rail Pass: this year peak periods are listed as May 26, 2006 - September 4, 200 and December 15, 2006 - January 2, 2007. Off peak are January 3, 2006 - May 25, 2006, September 5, 2006 - December 14, 2006, January 3, 2007 - March 31, 2007. Please click on the link above if this confusing you, because Amtrak do a better job of explaining it than I do.
As far as I am aware, there no senior or student discounts, but children aged 2 - 15 ride half price; children younger than that ride free. Low season prices are as follows:
CanRailPass
For a trip to Canada, VIA Rail offer the CanRailPass. Unlike the Amtrak equivilents, the CanRailPass offers you any twelve days of travelling within a one month period. They don't have to be twelve sequential days, but if you take an overnight train that leavs at 2200hr and arrives the next day at 0800hr, you've used two of your twelve days.
The structure of the pass makes it possible to do a comfortable coast to coast trip on the thrice-weekly Canadian - VIA's only cross-country route - between Vancouver and Toronto (and then on to Montréal and Halifax). You could also include a stop over in Winnipeg to take the Hudson Bay train to Churchill, in the far north of Manitoba... just bear in mind it's a thirty-six hour trip each way, with not a lot of interesting scenery, but apparently a great atmosphere on board :) If you find twelve days isn't enough, you can add up to three extra days for a per-day charge.
Rates:
Corridor Pass
In the same way that there's a USA Rail Pass for the north-east of the United States, where train services are densest and fastest, VIA offers the Corridor Pass for the freedom of the southern Ontario and southern Québec 'corridor' - pretty much everywhere between Niagara Falls, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and Québec. For a holiday in the most populated and urban regions of Canada, but with plenty of opportunity to escape to the countryside, this pass offers a lot. The pass is valid for ten consecutive days. There's no peak / off peak season differentiation, but you can choose to pay more to travel in VIA 1 class, with access to business lounges, complimentary meals, wireless internet etc. And, no, that's not a mistake... the VIA 1 is pass is more than two and a half times more expensive...
Rates:
International visitors can, therefore, fly into Québec or Montréal, and out from Toronto, and get to see a grand slice of two of Canada's most interesting provinces.
*j*
Right now, I would guess that about 75% of my contributions to the discussions on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree travel forums relate to train passes in the USA and Canada. It's not so much that I'm turning into a passionate advocate of the passenger train, I've just spent a lot of time lately researching them. A few weeks ago, after I had purchased my ticket, I noticed that Amtrak and VIA were announcing a price increase for the North America Railpass... luckily for me, but unfortunately for those you thinking of taking inspiration from my trip, the increase has hiked the Amtrak prices by about 25%.
If you're thinking of a trip, here's the breakdown of the different rail passes. Each pass guarantees you a seat in 'Coach' or 'Comfort' class (economy). These big comfy seats were designed for North American bums, so if you've never ridden on one before they're comparable to, if not better than airline business class seats. They recline and have footrests, and it's not too difficult to pass a night in one. If you want to upgrade to a room or couchette, an upgrade fee is charged.
North America Rail Pass US details - Canada details
The mamma-pass... a pass allowing virtually unlimited travel on Amtrak and VIA Rail for thirty continuous days. The only real limitations are that you can't take more than four one way trips on the same route, you must make at least one trip in each country, and the first trip you book should be in the country you purchase the pass.
The pass is sold by both Amtrak in the USA, and VIA Rail in Canada: if you are outside North America, check the current rates of exchange with your currency and you could save more. High season runs May 26, 2006 - October 15, 2006. If you take just one day of your journey in the high season, you have to pay the high season fare, so schedule carefully. Discounts available to seniors, students and children. These prices should be valid until the end of 2006.
- Amtrak high season fare - US$999 adult, $899.10 discount
- Amtrak low season fare - US$709 adult, $638.10 discount
- VIA high season fare - CAN$1149 adult, CAN$1034 discount
- VIA low season fare - CAN$815 adult, CAN$734 discount
US and Canadian citizens are not eligible to buy this pass, and it's only sold outside North America by these authorised agents. These passes are slightly more complex, in that they subdivide the USA into four zones: north-east, east, west and national. East includes north-east, and national covers all of the zones. With the exception of the north-east pass, which is sold in five or fifteen day denominations, the passes are sold in fifteen or thirty day demoninations. Peak and off peak seasons are also different to the North America Rail Pass: this year peak periods are listed as May 26, 2006 - September 4, 200 and December 15, 2006 - January 2, 2007. Off peak are January 3, 2006 - May 25, 2006, September 5, 2006 - December 14, 2006, January 3, 2007 - March 31, 2007. Please click on the link above if this confusing you, because Amtrak do a better job of explaining it than I do.As far as I am aware, there no senior or student discounts, but children aged 2 - 15 ride half price; children younger than that ride free. Low season prices are as follows:
- North-east 5 day - US$155
- North-east 15 day - US$200
- East 15 day - US$215
- East 30 day - US$280
- West 15 day - US$215
- West 30 day - US$280
- National 15 day - US$305
- National 30 day - US$395 and high season as follows:
- North-east 5 day - US$180
- North-east 15 day - US$220
- East 15 day - US$335
- East 30 day - US$415
- West 15 day - US$335
- West 30 day - US$415
- National 15 day - US$455
- National 30 day - US$565
CanRailPass
For a trip to Canada, VIA Rail offer the CanRailPass. Unlike the Amtrak equivilents, the CanRailPass offers you any twelve days of travelling within a one month period. They don't have to be twelve sequential days, but if you take an overnight train that leavs at 2200hr and arrives the next day at 0800hr, you've used two of your twelve days.
The structure of the pass makes it possible to do a comfortable coast to coast trip on the thrice-weekly Canadian - VIA's only cross-country route - between Vancouver and Toronto (and then on to Montréal and Halifax). You could also include a stop over in Winnipeg to take the Hudson Bay train to Churchill, in the far north of Manitoba... just bear in mind it's a thirty-six hour trip each way, with not a lot of interesting scenery, but apparently a great atmosphere on board :) If you find twelve days isn't enough, you can add up to three extra days for a per-day charge.
Rates:
- High season - CAN$813 adult, CAN$732 discount
- High season extra days (max. 3) - CAN$69 adult, CAN$62 discount
- Low season - CAN$508 adult, CAN$457 discount
- High season extra days (max. 3) - CAN$44 adult, CAN$40 discount
Corridor Pass
In the same way that there's a USA Rail Pass for the north-east of the United States, where train services are densest and fastest, VIA offers the Corridor Pass for the freedom of the southern Ontario and southern Québec 'corridor' - pretty much everywhere between Niagara Falls, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and Québec. For a holiday in the most populated and urban regions of Canada, but with plenty of opportunity to escape to the countryside, this pass offers a lot. The pass is valid for ten consecutive days. There's no peak / off peak season differentiation, but you can choose to pay more to travel in VIA 1 class, with access to business lounges, complimentary meals, wireless internet etc. And, no, that's not a mistake... the VIA 1 is pass is more than two and a half times more expensive...
Rates:
- Comfort Class - CAN$265 adult, CAN$239 discount
- VIA 1 Class - CAN$693 adult, CAN$624 discount
International visitors can, therefore, fly into Québec or Montréal, and out from Toronto, and get to see a grand slice of two of Canada's most interesting provinces.
*j*
Friday, April 07, 2006
Two weeks to departure
So here I am, sitting in my grey cubicle, in a grey office, next to a grey highway, under a grey sky and in a typically grey state of mind... week after week of working with Excel spreadsheets is slowly partitioning my mind into little rectangular boxes. Every box needs to have something inside it: either a number or a formula to lead you to another number. I actually threw away my newspaper in disgust one evening when I realised that the first thing I did to wind down during my commute home on the métro was the sudoku puzzle in the free newspaper. After seven hours a day trying to find the right number for the right box, it seemed a bit stupid to spend another fifteen minutes doing the same thing...But just two weeks from today, all the stability of this carré lifestyle will cease, and I will begin the journey. One month of going everywhere and no-where: seeing the continent that was built by the train, but which has gradually chosen to marginalise and reduce it's importance as a form of mass passenger transport. Hold on North America, I'm coming...
These past few weeks have beeintersperseded with amusing momentary distractions. During lunch break sojourns on the internet, I've visited dozens of travelogues shared by othetravelersrs. The most recent and entertaining one was the sketchbook travelogue of Ruth McNally Barshaw, a children's book illustrator from Michigan. She recently rode on one of my forthcoming trains - the Lake Shore Limited - to attend a conference in New York City. The entire trip has been uploaded in the pages of her sketchbook, which has been a fantastic inspiration for me to draw more during this trip. The amount that I draw is usually a reflection of how active my mind is, and in the last few months I must confess that the output has slowed to a bare trickle. I will endeavour to find a scanner while en route to share my humble doodlings.
Preparations so far have included but have not been limited to:
- Asking BM to mail the silky soft and lightweight Thomas Cook Airlines blanket I gave her last year (for overnight trips on trains with overactive air conditioning);
- Buying up remaindered multipacks of delicious Ilford HP4 black and white film from the photography store just near our apartment;
- Trawling the Hospitality Club for friendly looking hosts to look after me in the cities where I don't know anyone;
- Hunting around for diagrams of Amtrak and VIA carraiges to find out where the best seats are;
- Locating my inflatable neck pillow... everyone has one somewhere... you only ever have to hand when you come back from a trip without it and dig it out for the next one (and which you subsequently forget);
- Buying maps;
- Reading the Amtrak System Timetable
- Researching air fares for a mystery guest who might join me for part of the trip...
Thank goodness the line and that of the later Canadian National were completed, because this journey probably would not be the same without the sense of achievement I hope to accomplish crossing Canada from the Pacific to Atlantic...
*j*
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)