We arrived back home from our vacation last week and wanted to share our experience on the Amtrak Autotrain with all of you. There are many pictures that will be posted here so I will post them here and provide my opinion after all is done. BTW, the trip was pleasant, on time, the bedroom comfortable, the food remarkably good (and served on China) and the service was very good. Although the trip lasted for 17 hours it went qucikly and we slept for about 8 hours of the trip.
So here are the pics starting with the Lorton VA station. My wifey is the girl in the first photo.

This is inside the large station

This is outside on the station platform








The bedroom although small by hotel standards was very comfortable. A sofa and easy chair during the day and two bunk beds by evening. Out in the center hall is an ice machine and a coffee urn which was kept full for the entire trip. Each bed can accomodate a 6'3" person comfortably and although we brought our own pillows two pillows were already provided. What is not shown is the lounge chair and bathroom to the right. The bathroom has a shower and the sink is under the mirror in the photo.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dennis LaGrua,

and here are more pictures:

Nice. Thanks for posting

and here are the last two photos in the lounge/bar car. These were taken in the evening when they were having a wine and cheese hour where the first class passengers receive up to 4 glasses of complimentary wine and snacks right after you board. Dinner was at 5 PM (there are three seatings at 5 , 7 and 9PM) and the menu included Filet Mignon, Surf and Turf, Filet of Trout and Vegetable Lasagna. Those seated at our dinner table were very pleased with the fine and well prepared dinner cuisine while breakfast was a "continental" -cereal, buttered rolls, juice, coffee, fruit, etc. A movie was shown after dinner but we retired to our room for some rest and watched some comedy movies on my laptop.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dennis LaGrua,

well Dennis, that caps it! Now I have no choice but to book passage for myself

...and to think I leave in the early a.m. tomorrow for Orlando... by air!

quote:

Originally posted by PRR Man:
well Dennis, that caps it! Now I have no choice but to book passage for myself

...and to think I leave in the early a.m. tomorrow for Orlando... by air!

Unfortunately Chris you are S.O.L. The Autotrain sells out months in advance. We booked in February for the June trip and by march all the bedroom suites were sold out! Of course you could always book now for later this year but don't consider coach as its noisy and you probably won't get much sleep. IMO the bedroom with bath is the only way to go. The closet sized Roomettes can suffice in a pinch but its down the hall to the bathroom. The roomettes are about the size of the old Pullman berths; confortable for sleeping but a bit tight ands no bathroom
I must say that traveling on the Lorton to Sanford route was a real joy. There is plenty of room to stretch your legs, dine and sleep. It takes a bit of getting used to, so one can sleep on a train traveling at 70 MPH (on a primary freight route) but a few drinks later and its lights out! If we go to Florida again we decided that this is the only way that we will travel. We don't miss the cramped, crowded, uncomfotable, dirty atmosphere and the dehumanizing treatment that you receive at the airports one bit. On a train you travel as Ladies and Gentlemen but on a plane, these days, you are treated just like an animal!


Found the cover of that magazine showing the original Autotrain engine:

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dennis LaGrua,

Just an FYI the 1:1 MAg "Diesel Era" for the month of MAy/June has the loco & car roster for the original auto train back in the 1970's. PRetty interesting.

Dennis,

Well written and nice pics. We ride every year and it's always great. Glad you had a great trip!!

On a train you travel as Ladies and Gentlemen but on a plane, these days, you are treated just like an animal!

Yeah I just flew back on a Vegas to Miami flight. I was on the last row in the back of a 767 with the chickens and goats!!

I know by some reports of riding on commercial airlines is getting bad. But riding on USAF cargo aircraft isn't any fun. If you are flying with cargo you sit along the sides of the fuselage on stretched cloth seats with netting for the back of the seat. The passenger configuration isn't any better, I think the Air Force used the rejected version of the civilian seats. You have to wear hearing protection from all the noise inside the fuselage.

quote:

Originally posted by Southern Railway Sean:
On a train you travel as Ladies and Gentlemen but on a plane, these days, you are treated just like an animal!

Yeah I just flew back on a Vegas to Miami flight. I was on the last row in the back of a 767 with the chickens and goats!!

Sean, you have got to be referring to the award-winning Southern Airways TV commercial from 20 years ago, where they pull open the curtains from first class to tourist and reveal all the immigrants with their animals. I think the point of the commercial, was that Southern Airways, at that time, had only one class of passengers. Very funny spot!

Mike you must be talking about this commercial. I felt like I was taking the walk of shame to my seat.

quote:

Originally posted by Southern Railway Sean:
...but on a plane, these days, you are treated just like an animal!...

And that's flying First Class!

More information om my comment about air travel
Treated like an animal-
Crowded Parking Lots, hard getting in an out of most large metro airports, air flights more often late than on time and even if they leave the gate you'll sit on the tarmac sometimes for hours, you are treated like a criminal at the security checkpoint, need to practically strip down, remove shoes, be dehumanized in a search if the buzzer goes off, forfeit any metal object and even a tube of toothpaste, sit in a cramped crowded waiting area, be loaded into a small aircraft compartment with an equally small seat, hope that someone in the small closed cockpit doesn't have a cold or pneumonia,the air quality is terrible and unhealthy, ask for the slightest bit of food and you don't get it and when you get it is is terrible, hard to even get a cup of coffee these days, you look out thr window and see just clouds or a dark sky, have a long wait to get baggage on arrival, have even a longer wait to get a rental car and by the time you arrive at your final destination you feel down, fatigued and reasdy for bed.
Now lets compare that to train travel:
We went right in to the Autotrain lot and an attendent was there to pleasantly greet us.
No traffic or wait what-so-ever getting into the lot or terminal.
We were treated with respect,and a security check is not required.
Loading was efficient. As soon as we boarded the train we were shown to our room, wine and cheese hour began.
The train departed on time
There is ROOM for everyone to relax. Several cars to sit in or you can sit in your room. There is a lounge, bar, observation car and dining car. Looking out the windows you'll see nice scenery, you'll head through some interesting small towns and even see some freight along the way.
Dinner was cooked to order and the food was fresh, well prepared, delicious and served on a table with China on a white tablecloth. The bar was fuly stocked.
The beds in the room were clean comfortable and roomy. The bathroom, sink and shower was just a few steps away. There are outlets for your shaver and/or hairdryer. Its easy to get a good nights rest as the rooms are quiet but you do experience some motion when the train gets up to speed.
We arrived exactly on time almost to the minute.
Took less than 30 minutes to get our car which also had our baggage in it.
We arrived feeling relaxed, energized, happy and rested.

There may be some people on this forum that prefer air travel, but In our opinion the train wins out big time in every respect. The argument seems to be that air travel is faster but my view is that if you travel by train overnight you are sleeping anyway. On the 17 hour trip to Florida we slept a full 8 hours so it can be said that we were up for 9 hours. However those 9 hours that we were up were spent in the lounge car, having dinner in the dining car, watching movies, relaxing in our room watching more moving on my laptop, reading, bathing etc. The trip seemed to go very quickly. We are now planning a trip next year by rail to New Orleans or Chicago.

I've always wanted to take the Auto-train but the Mrs. has not been interested. As I recall, though, the cost was pretty steep, offset to some degree by having one's own car while in Florida, saving a couple hundred dollars in a rental. I just made the Orlando trip from Allentown last week and frankly still prefer to fly. A fifteen minute drive to the airport, easy check-in (yes, the shoes did come off) and two comfortable hours in the air and I was in Orlando. I was in my time-share villa in the time it would have taken to just drive to Virginia to board the train.
Perhaps we should insist Amtrak run the Auto Train up to Philly and New York, Boston too?

quote:

Originally posted by Alentown:
I've always wanted to take the Auto-train but the Mrs. has not been interested. As I recall, though, the cost was pretty steep, offset to some degree by having one's own car while in Florida, saving a couple hundred dollars in a rental. I just made the Orlando trip from Allentown last week and frankly still prefer to fly. A fifteen minute drive to the airport, easy check-in (yes, the shoes did come off) and two comfortable hours in the air and I was in Orlando. I was in my time-share villa in the time it would have taken to just drive to Virginia to board the train.
Perhaps we should insist Amtrak run the Auto Train up to Philly and New York, Boston too?

Chuck: The cost was $575.00 for Paula, myself, the car transport, the bedroom w bath, dinner, cont. breakfast and wine hour/snacks included. You could go for about $400 in coach but optimum comfort, privacy, and having the convenience of our own car was the main concern. We don't mind the time on the train as it is an overnight journey and we get our sleep onboard. We drove back with multiple stops along the way in Atlanta, Helen, GA, Gatlinburg, TN and Staunton, VA.
We also rode the Smokey Mountains Scenic Railroad at Dillsboro NC but thats a different story.
Certainly air travel is faster but we seem to differ on how we feel about it. While we believe that air travel is cramped, crowded, uncomfortable, dehumanizing and an unhealthy way to travel some as yourself view it as a good way to travel. Thats what makes the world go round as they say.
Yes I'd like to see more Autotrains but a big part of the Autotrain market is serving the " Florida snowbirds" so if they went say from Phila. to Chicago it is questionable if they would be successful.
BTW, I had no trouble convincing Paula to ride the Autotrain. She loved it and wants to take it again. One thing that you haven't considered about train travel is that you can only be so romatic on a plane-LOL!!

quote:

Originally posted by Dennis LaGrua:

BTW, I had no trouble convincing Paula to ride the Autotrain. She loved it and wants to take it again. One thing that you haven't considered about train travel is that you can only be so romatic on a plane-LOL!!

You Jersey guys are all alike!

quote:

Originally posted by Alentown:

quote:

Originally posted by Dennis LaGrua:

BTW, I had no trouble convincing Paula to ride the Autotrain. She loved it and wants to take it again. One thing that you haven't considered about train travel is that you can only be so romatic on a plane-LOL!!

You Jersey guys are all alike!

Yeah, but it seems like they know how to LIVE!

quote:

you can only be so romantic on a plane-LOL!!

Do the chickens and goats really mind?