Despite sitting for three days and two nights in coach, I enjoyed most of the trip on the California Zephyr from Emeryville to Chicago.

The people of Amtrak are amazing.  Its conductors, engineers, servers and other staff are consummate professionals.  They recognize repeat travelers.  They are passionate about their work — conductors go up and down the train, except when they need to go out in fifteen-below cold to warm a signal or knock ice accumulations off sensitive areas.  The coach attendants are particularly friendly, even after a third 15-hour day babysitting their coach.

Retired people volunteer their time day after day to make the trip more smooth and pleasant.  Emeryville Station had an Amtrak volunteer help people get to their train.  Somewhere before Sacramento, a volunteer docent from the California Rail Museum boarded to tell us about the history that took place in building the tracks and around the tracks.  This gentleman was stuck with the rest of us in the Sierra.

The train is a sociable place, particularly if it has an observation car or cafe.  People gather in these common areas to talk with each other.  The dining room offers an enforced sociability: nobody dines alone because the server makes sure that four people are seated at each table.  (At least take one meal in the car — breakfast can be had for $8.00 if you decline a beverage.)

Finally, the train staff tried to make the six-hour delay a little more bearable.  They helped arrange connections on later trains and busses to southern Illinois.  They served a little meal of beef stew on rice with juice for free so we did not arrive in Chicago starving.  They were probably as disappointed in the delay as passengers were.

 

 

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