How Amtrak Turns a 90 Minute Ride into a 15 Hour Odyssey

Рет қаралды 19,552

Күн бұрын

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Hello and welcome to Greensboro, North Carolina, where today we’re headed to Raleigh, the LONG way.
Trip Information
Segment 1
Train: Amtrak Crescent 20
Locomotive: GE 'Genesis' P42DCs 157 and 201
Consist: 3 Amfleet 2s, 1 Amfleet 2 Cafe, 2 Viewliner 1 Sleepers, 1 Viewliner 2 Baggage/Dorm
Departure Time: 7:29 am
Arrival Time: 1:19pm
Journey Time: 5 hr 50 min
Segment 2
Train: Amtrak Silver Star 91
Locomotive: GE 'Genesis' P42DCs 171 and 150
Consist: 3 Amfleet 2s, 1 Amfleet 2 Cafe, 1 Viewlienr 2 Diner, 1 Viewliner 1 Sleepers, 1 Viewliner 2 Sleeper, 1 Viewliner 2 Baggage
Departure Time: 3:25 pm
Arrival Time: 8:57pm
Journey Time: 5 hr 50 min
Ticket Price
$126.00 (Regular), $108.00 (Student Discount)
Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoyed!
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Coach Class:
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Chapters
0:00 Greensboro to Raleigh: Easy Right? Well...
0:53 The Adventure Begins in Greensboro
1:40 A Quick NS Hopper Train Heading North
2:23 Crescent Train 20 Arrives in Greensboro
2:54 Off to Alexandria!
3:07 Our Ridiculous Route to Raleigh
4:06 Breakfast! (1+Cake)*Coffee
4:46 Ticking Off the Miles
4:56 Seating on Amfleet 2 Coaches
6:41 Today's Video Sponsor: soundcore!
8:10 Wifi on Amtrak
8:31 The Impending Storms
9:18 Subscribe! And Check Out the Patreon!
9:43 Arrival in Alexandria
10:06 Train 20 Departs for NYC
10:31 A Two Hour Layover
10:48 A Southbound CSX Manifest Train
11:40 And Then the Heavens Opened
12:12 Weather Subsides for Some Light Railfanning in Alexandria
12:20 Silver Star 92 Heading North
13:15 Southbound Northeast Regional 195
14:02 Our Turn: Silver Star 91 Pulls into Alexandria
14:42 Boarding Leg 2. Next Stop: Raleigh, NC
14:54 Riding the Banks of the Potomac
15:06 Back up to Speed
15:18 Bathrooms on Amtrak's Amfleet 2s
15:55 Ashland, VA, Ft. Virtual Railfan!
16:46 Richmond Staple Mills, Our Only Smoke Stop
17:21 Dinner? I Think?
17:49 Selma, NC
18:00 The Last Hour: Extremely Short yet Excruciatingly Long
18:12 15 HOURS LATER: Arrival in Raleigh
18:25 Why Would Anyone Do This?!
18:45 Silver Star 92 Heads on Towards Miami
19:24 Next Week: The Coast Starlight!
19:34 Subscribe! And A HUGE Thank You to my Patrons and Members!
20:00 Thanks for Watching!
Equipment:
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Gimbal: DJI OM5
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Camera: Sony AX-43
Mic: Rode Videomic Pro+
Tripod: Coman DF06 + Manfrotto 502 Head
#Amtrak #TripReport #Ad

Пікірлер: 115

@johnsons74thsquadron74 Жыл бұрын

You were fortunate to have train 20 running on time. The Crescent has a history of having the worst on time performance of any long haul trains. Delays of 2-4 hours were once a very common occurrence.

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Yeah I noticed that during my time in NC. I would often try to see it in the mornings, only to wake up and find it was a couple hours late.

@luislaplume8261 Жыл бұрын

Germany and Switzerland would not put up with that like Amtrak.

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

@@luislaplume8261 it’s the unfortunate reality of having most tracks in the US owned by freight railways.

@nb2008nc Жыл бұрын

I remember 20 years ago in college, the Crescent was the 0 dark 30 night train through that part of NC. I took it once to Charlottesville, then had a Greyhound Amtrak Thruway bus a couple of hours later to Dulles Airport.

@hefnertw Жыл бұрын

@@nb2008nc Northbound, Amtrak padded the schedule by 4 hours and the Crescent still falls behind just after Slidell, LA. Between Gastonia and Charlotte there is 87 minutes now and it used to be 42 minutes.

@FSantoro91 Жыл бұрын

It's unfortunate how much of the US rail network could already allow for speeds in excess of 79 mph, but since railroads are privately owned freight carriers have had little to no incentive to invest for that. 😔

@Joshua97776 Жыл бұрын

There’s a financial reason, if it was 100% government owned, the government would have to tax us out of existence

@marko_ys Жыл бұрын

@@Joshua97776 Railroads are much cheaper to maintain than highways - two set of two low friction rails and concrete ties are much cheaper than 10 lanes of asphalted hell (which probably still carries less people than said 10 lane highway).

@Joshua97776 Жыл бұрын

@@marko_ys that’s true but most Americans don’t use trains as much daily compared to other countries like Europe because we just don’t want to including myself lol, but I still enjoy riding him occasionally I just don’t have a daily need for it

@AndreiTupolev Жыл бұрын

I'm glad you were on the spot to capture the dramatic scenes of the death of that poor advertising board at11:53. RIP, little guy 😢

@Sayitlikitiz101 5 ай бұрын

Don't give him up to the afterlife, I hear he got up, dusted himself up, smoothened his bumps and went back to advertising the "café du jour". Made in America!! 🦅🦅🦅

@tonytins Жыл бұрын

I travel the Crescent to and from to visit family frequently, and the combo baggage car is a pretty rare addition.

@jbreezy101 Ай бұрын

Once those cars go out, thanks to improved engine technology, they’ll probably just add another car instead of combining them.

@Noahstrains29 Жыл бұрын

Amtrak also offers a 9hr 12min from ny penn to Boston south station Two segments

@SirKenchalot Жыл бұрын

Oh, I was hoping next week you'd do another crazy journey; something like NYC to Boston via the Lakeshore Limited out and back but maybe even Amtrak wouldn't recommend that. It's amazing with the refurb of Amulet cars, they didn't lower the seat pitch as it seems beyond generous.

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Ha I’ll do more routes like this in the future, but for the time being it’s back to the usual stuff 😊

@mrmc101 2 ай бұрын

coffee cake being offered as breakfast makes me chuckle. like yeah coffee is in the name but thats just because we used to have afternoon coffees and such

@megatronacepticon Жыл бұрын

I noticed Ashland on the route map, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a segment on it and its VRF cameras.

@Thommygun-qv7um Жыл бұрын

Greetings from Germany! This video was totally unnecessary! Which is why I loved to watch it! Also I am happy to see that you were finally able to get a video sponsor. You content deserves to be sponsored amd I was blown away by the smoth transition into the sponsorship.

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Glad to see you in the comments as always! And I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this ridiculous journey as much as I did. The sponsorship has been a long time coming for sure. I did my best to make the transition as seamless as possible, which helps it feel shorter than it actually is. I’m currently in talks with another company about future sponsorships, so hopefully there will be more to come in the next few months.

@bjsavy Жыл бұрын

Great video, I rode from Birmingham AL to New York and the train was over 4 hours late and it was relaxing but I’m a kid who just like trains😭.

@Flushing2Fishtown Жыл бұрын

Wow, the most ridiculous Amtrak trip I took was Boston to New York by way of Albany-Rensselaer which was 8 hours instead of the usual 4 hours on the Northeast Regional, but it actually ended up being cheaper than the direct train would've been. Funny enough, I got to ride in a roomette with my friend who was riding all the way to Chicago, so for the price of a coach ticket I was able to get all the perks of first class travel including lounge access at South Station, a complimentary meal service (including an alcoholic beverage) and of course, I took a shower on the train. Also my favorite item from the Amtrak Cafe Car Menu is the Santa Fe Chicken Panini. It's really good!

@AT-nq6cu Жыл бұрын

When you mentioned this trip last week at the end of your Hudson line video, I said to my myself what is he talking about. I was going to do some research, but I waited to see the video. This is awesome. I'm looking forward to your next video. All the best.

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Much appreciated! It was a ridiculous ride, but one I knew I had to share. I plan on doing more like this in the future, so it’s good to know people enjoy them.

@kevinhoward9593 Жыл бұрын

idk why they moved the Crescent from its 230am departure. i used to take the Carolinian down to charlotte to pick up my sister and then waited for the Crescent to take us back north.

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

The departure time is interesting for sure. It would be nice to have it pick up around three so you could get to DC or NYC in the morning.

@kevinhoward9593 Жыл бұрын

@@LonestarTrips i think the schedule change had some NS influence. It used to get into Philly around lunch time. now its more like dinner time.

@Backslasherton Жыл бұрын

Can't wait for the coastal starlight episode fr fr

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Fr Fr 😎

@johnchambers8528 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the interesting video. It is always interesting to take different routes to the same destination. However you usually have a reason other than a layover to try different routings.

@davidm4689 Жыл бұрын

Interesting video (for a non-USA resident) and enjoyable!. Thankyou

@OfficialETandM Жыл бұрын

Hello! I cannot wait for this video to start! Unfortunately I can’t be here for the premiere because I will have my 1st softball practice of the season! @Lonestar Trip Reports, keep up the great work!

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

No worries! Enjoy your softball practice!

@OfficialETandM Жыл бұрын

@@LonestarTrips Thank you! I appreciate that.

@kl6361 Жыл бұрын

Just 1 more week to go and then i can finally see longstar travel on the starlight

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Yessir! It’s gonna be a long video, but a good one for sure!

@h8GW 10 ай бұрын

Taking the mantra "it's the trip that matters, not the destination" to the absolute max, I see.

@courtemanche437 Жыл бұрын

So I guess this is kinda like the opposite of the video in New Haven where instead of taking a comedically short trip, you took an unnecessarily long trip? Haha, good stuff!

@kevincozby Жыл бұрын

Great job! Another nice video!

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Thank you! 😄

@samtrak1204 Жыл бұрын

Decent meals in the diner would have made your round trip adventure worthwhile.

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Agreed. The star had the full service diner, but it was still in a “trial phase,” so it wasn’t seating coach passengers.

@samtrak1204 Жыл бұрын

@@LonestarTrips I would have walked into diner and demanded to be fed - a bit more aggressive than our passive sit-ins during the 60’s. 👊🏾👴🏾✌🏾 As I’ve told you before I will not ride Amtrak long distance trains until coach passengers can get a decent meal in the diner…although I don’t even ride long haul coach any more and this retired conductor can ride free.

@kl6361 Жыл бұрын

You finally did it

@toma5153 11 ай бұрын

That Ashland Street run is pretty interesting. I imagine the locals can cope just fine with it.

@AndreiTupolev Жыл бұрын

Sounds like a typical journey on Amtrak 😂

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

😂 It really is!

@zazaranger5 Жыл бұрын

11:08, to quote Jawtooh “DPU I See You!”

@stephenkeever6029 Жыл бұрын

Amtrak really needs to address the poor quality food on these trains. It used to be something to look forward too, but now it's "do I really want to eat?".

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Yep, it’s a real problem. Amtrak’s updated offerings has helped this, but it’s still a major issue for coach passengers.

@nb2008nc Жыл бұрын

Just bring your own food. Lots of European train travelers do this.

@dennisyoung4631 Жыл бұрын

If you have serious health problems that demand a special diet to retain some level of function, then bringing your own food is largely a requirement…

@JimAllen-Persona 8 ай бұрын

Yeah, my sister took the train from Durham up to New York a couple of times. She hated it.

@RichardinNC1 Жыл бұрын

Interesting route. Congrats on 10k. I took the Crescent in 2019 Charlotte to NYC but the Carolinian on the return. It looks like they revised the Crescent NB schedule, a better but still inconvient 5:30am departure from Charlotte. But probably helps with on-time performance as it was always late getting into Charlotte. I wish they’d bring back full service dining on eastern routes.

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Thanks! The new schedule is interesting for sure. I would have preferred if they kept the old one, as I would have been able to board the northbound around 2am and get into DC or NYC in the morning to still have a full day there. As for eastern dining, Amtrak just added full dining to both silver services, so my guess is that the rest are to follow suit in the coming months.

@catgirl_eva 11 ай бұрын

Crazy you mention the Staples Mill Road station. I'm actually planning to take a train from Newport News to Staples Mill Road sometime in the next month or so. It's actually easier to do that and go to the Apple Store in Richmond than it is to drive to Virginia Beach and go to the Apple Store there.

@thegreatforkontheleft5493 Жыл бұрын

Hey from Kernersville just 15 from gboro.....i wanna try this out so bad 😩😩😩😩😩

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Howdy! I highly recommend it just for the laughs! It’s likely a much nicer experience if you get a room on both legs, but there’s something about traveling in coach that makes the whole experience just that much more ridiculous.

@johnburke1317 Жыл бұрын

Nice video

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Thanks as always!

@sylvanapaul Жыл бұрын

Hi i can't wait to see your vid

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

😁

@sylvanapaul Жыл бұрын

;)

@marvinspaul8350 Жыл бұрын

@@sylvanapauldon’t be sus

@JJRol. Жыл бұрын

I think you can also book NYP-BOS via Albany, which is also an unusual route. I like this route is pretty cool though, if you live in Greensboro and don't want to go on a trip too far from home this is a nice option. Also not too expensive!

@jimpern Жыл бұрын

Only a railfan would do that! I'm also surprised that Amtrak would give that as an option. IMO, you would have been better off making the switch in Washington rather than Alexandria; at least you wouldn't have had to brave the rain to get food, and apparently there was enough time to do this.

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

There was more than enough time to change in DC, but the single ticket option transfers in Alexandria. Not sure why it was this way, but such is life.

@Thundercats201 Жыл бұрын

Hey i got a package coming from where you are lol! From mercari. an atari 2600 console!

@nyrmetros Жыл бұрын

Time to try some Under Armour sneakers for more comfort!

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Good idea! I’ll have to try some on next time I get some new shoes.

@CaradhrasAiguo49 11 ай бұрын

10:01 there was no Yellow Line service on 22 Apr 2023 when this was filmed, so VRE must have been pulling from a fixed timetable

@RailfanKayden1283- Жыл бұрын

Awesome video, what do you use to edit, I’m going on 79 to Greensboro tomorrow and I wanna blur out the clip and put the virtual railfan cam on the vid.

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

I use Adobe Premiere.

@pastorjerrykliner3162 Жыл бұрын

"Should you do it?" Just because something CAN be done does not mean that it SHOULD be done. But as you say, "Why not?"

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

I do it cause I enjoy trains, and it was funny. 😆

@pastorjerrykliner3162 Жыл бұрын

@@LonestarTrips Oh, it was EPIC!

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

@@pastorjerrykliner3162 Haha I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as I did!

@sannh Жыл бұрын

What I don't like is that currently, if you were in Florida and wanted to make a trip to California, you have to go to the northeast.

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

That’ll hopefully change next year. Amtrak is working to reopen the Mobile to Jacksonville route, which would allow passengers to make that journey without heading north.

@pokemonred2005 Жыл бұрын

To think that when Amtrak first launched, this was how passengers were required to travel between Greensboro and Raleigh...

@goldenstatedepartures Жыл бұрын

Lonestar In Transit 😅

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

😂 I’ve got some other fun routes I want to try sometime, so this will be a more common thing moving forward!

@AndreiTupolev Жыл бұрын

Norfolk Southern 4627 there fresh out of the shops in February

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Interesting. 4627 was easily the cleanest out of the three, and it coming from the shops in feb reveals why.

@hollywood1340 Жыл бұрын

Danville to Lynchburg huh? I"m told it's lined on a 3 mile grade. Make sure your air brakes are working and make sure your lady isn't speaking harsh words.

@carolynsteed3649 Жыл бұрын

I would be in " hog heaven".😃

@barroningram7286 3 ай бұрын

well if you just want to go for a long train ride just for the fun of it

@Rohrbach17 26 күн бұрын

Error at 18:55, that’s actually train 91

@d0lph1n63 Жыл бұрын

To be fair to Amtrak the majority of the rails in the US are owned by the rail companies and are built in such a way that make them practically useless for passengers rail service (unless you enjoy having to wait outside of cargo rail yards possibly for hours demanding that slow moving cargo trains move their butts faster and stop sitting on the switch) and Amtrak’s lucky enough to be able to upgrade and replace the infrastructure they do own (as they’re currently phasing in new engine and passenger cars). Plus Amtrak can’t do anything if the cargo trains decide to block traffic or some idiot ignores all warnings and drives onto the tracks in an effort to beat the train (which is currently PISSING off Brightline something fierce).

@willgibson9718 Жыл бұрын

See you at 11:00

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

😊

@kingbradentucky Жыл бұрын

Juice train foamer moment.

@taylorsmith4758 Жыл бұрын

Did the conductor who checked your ticket look at you funny?

@PhantomThiefOfSports Жыл бұрын

😅 i'm guessing this is Amtraking: Hard Mode

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Haha it really is 😂😂

@luislaplume8261 Жыл бұрын

I would rather go on the Southern Railway circa 1940 with steam locomotives than Amtrak today betwee those 2 cities. My middle cousin Mary lives and works in Greensboro, North Carolina, is married with 2 twin girls.

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Riding on the 40s steam trains would have been incredible. Rail travel has really fallen off in the US, but at least progress is being made to bring it back to its former glory.

@FSantoro91 Жыл бұрын

@@LonestarTripsIMHO, it will require a very difficult "paradigm shift" in how Americans consider short-to-medium distance traveling - away from cars and highways and on board trains. However, I don't think the US government is ever going to spend on railroads the ridiculous amount - adjusted for inflation - of money it invested for the construction of the Interstate system nationwide.

@jfmezei Жыл бұрын

Has Amtrak changed back to allowing coach passengers to purchase meals in dining car? or still exclusive to sleeping car passengers? And BTW, not sure why so many starting it, but the background music is annoying.

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Amtrak is adding back coach passenger seatings to western long distance services. I’ll talk a bit about it in next week’s video. As for the music, not many people have said it’s annoying, and it adds tempo to the video.

@nyrmetros Жыл бұрын

No Hello and welcome to start the video 😢😢

@LonestarTrips Жыл бұрын

Sorry 😞 I decided to move it further into the video because of the route information.

@nyrmetros Жыл бұрын

@@LonestarTrips 🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣😂