July 29, 2024 continued:

 

            I was almost done at the Science and Industry museum. There was one last thing to see.

 

            I walked over to the Burlington Pioneer Zephyr trainset and took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            There was a video playing depicting all the Zephyr trains the CB&Q ran. I photographed it.

 

 

            I took some more photos of the Pioneer Zephyr.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then looked in the gift shop but didn’t buy anything. I then left the museum and caught a bus to the Green line. I photographed the train when it arrived.

 

 

            I rode to Clinton station on the Green line and got off. The driver of the train noticed I was wearing a t-shirt of the New York subway and commented I had a nice and short conversation with her before I filmed the train departing and took one more photo.

 

 

            I then walked over to the railroad crossing hoping to get some Amtrak action; specifically the inbound Empire Builder. I photographed some trains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            As time grew near I saw the eastbound Empire Builder approaching. I photographed it and filmed it passing through the crossing.

 

 

            The Empire Builder stopped with its last car (a sleeping car) blocking the crossing. The train was waiting for an outbound Metra train to depart. I photographed the car and filmed the Metra train passing and the Empire Builder pulling away.

 

 

            Once the Empire Builder was gone, I walked to the Five Guys restaurant where I had last eaten with Greg. I tried to order a grilled cheese but the employees made me a cheeseburger. I tried to get it corrected and the idiot put a slice of cheese on the outside of a hamburger bun. I told him that and he said it was a grilled cheese. I told him it wasn’t and he even cussed at me! I stormed out of the restaurant. The idiot employees had ruined the last place I ever met with Greg.

 

            I walked back to Union Station and bought a hamburger from the McDonald’s in the station as protest. I went to Amtrak’s Metropolitan lounge and went online. Despite the fact I had been downgraded against my wishes, I still had lounge access.

 

            Eventually it was time to board. I ended up joining with the coach passengers. When I went out onto the platform, I photographed the train.

 

 

            I was seated in Amfleet 2 coach #25038. I had two seats on the left hand side of the train. I would not gain a seatmate for this trip. I had thought the reason I was downgraded was because a Viewliner sleeping car had been bad ordered. However I saw three Viewliner sleeping cars which is the number of sleeping cars the Lakeshore Limited is supposed to have. The train left on time.

 

            Shortly after leaving, I filmed the Amtrak yard as we passed. I tried to make myself comfortable. I went to the café car for some milk. The train stopped in South Bend and Elkhart. I went online and found Five Guys’ website and reported what happened.

 

July 30, 2024:

 

            I slept off and on though the night. We stopped at Toledo. I didn’t step off.

 

            Awhile later we were approaching Cleveland. I could see the RTA Red line which serves Cleveland’s airport. We crossed a drawbridge and stopped at the station. I stepped off and took some photos as this was a smoke stop.

 

 

 

            A passenger getting on in Cleveland asked if there were any roomettes available. Since I was SUPPOSED to be in a roomette, I knew the answer was no. I got back on the train and we soon departed.

 

            A little while later I went to the dining car for breakfast but found it was only used for sleeping car passengers. This is a far cry from the days when coach passengers could also eat in the dining car for a fee. I ended up buying some oatmeal from the café car.

 

            The train stopped in Erie. East of Erie I filmed the former GE plant. We passed by some railway museums along the line.

 

            A little while later we were approaching Buffalo. I readied my stuff in preparation to get off. I photographed the former Buffalo Central station.

 

 

            A few minutes later train #48 arrived into Buffalo Depew. We were 20 minutes late. However due to work on the platform, the train had to make a triple stop. I got off on the second stop. I walked out and photographed the train.

 

 

            The train moved ahead and made its third stop. I photographed the train.

 

 

 

            I then filmed the train departing and took one last photo.

 

 

            I went inside the Buffalo Depew station and changed in the washroom as it was quite warm out. I decided to head over to the Walden Galleria Mall. I walked to a bus stop. While waiting for the bus, I phoned home and let my mom know I was in Buffalo and had survived the night in coach.

 

            The bus came a little while later. I rode to the Walden Galleria Mall. The hobby store I previously visited on past trips was gone. Even the caboose had been relocated to Hudson, New York.

 

            I got to the Walden Galleria Mall. I went inside. Many stores weren’t quite open yet. I had a massage in a massage chair in the mall. I looked in various stores and even played a few games in Dave and Buster’s. I looked at the movie theatre and contemplated seeing the movie “Twisters” which is the sequel to the 1996 movie Twister. However it would have cut it close to train 63’s arrival.

 

            I eventually had lunch in the food court before I went out to catch a bus back to the station.

 

            When I got back to the station, I had missed train #64. While waiting I photographed a CSX freight. I saw that the second unit was one of CSX’s special livery units.

 

 

 

            30 minutes later I photographed another CSX freight.

 

 

 

            I noticed a sign in the station saying all regional trains would have half the seats reversed like on the Downeaster, Michigan service, Keystone, and Hiawatha trains. This is to decrease the turnaround time and to prepare for new trainsets that will replace the Amfleet 1 and Horizon coaches.

 

            Train #63 arrived 17 minutes late. As it pulled in, I filmed it.

 

 

            I noticed train #63 had all Amfleet 1 coaches instead of a mixture of Amfleet 1 and Amfleet 2 coaches. I was seated in Amfleet 1 coach #82503. As per the sign in the station, half the seats were arranged backwards. I found a window seat on the right hand side of the train that faced forwards. The train soon departed. I went online and worked on this report some more. The train stopped at Buffalo Exchange Street.

 

            I was given a form to fill out for Canadian customs. I filled it out before we stopped at Niagara Falls, New York. Passengers continuing onto Canada were allowed to step off. I got off and took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I got back on the train and we crossed into Canada. We stopped at Niagara Falls Ontario. As per usual, we were made to get off the train and go through customs in the station. After I had cleared Canadian customs I left and walked over and photographed the train.

 

 

            I went back into the station to await boarding of the train. The train’s scheduled departure crept closer. Eventually we were allowed to board.

 

            I was now seated in Amfleet 1 coach # 82605. The train departed 7 minutes late. Shortly after we left, I attempted to photograph the Great Wolf Lodge location I had visited back in January.

 

 

            My ticket was taken. The bridge over the Welland Canal was thankfully down. We stopped in St. Catherines.

 

            After we left, I went to the café car for dinner. I ate it back at my seat. The train passed through Grimsby.

 

            The train passed through Hamilton before stopping at Aldershot. Shortly after leaving Aldershot we stopped at Oakville.

 

            When the train passed VIA’s Toronto Maintenance Center, I filmed the equipment in the yard. I also filmed a trainset of VIA’s new Corridor trains.

 

            Train #98 pulled into Union Station 15 minutes late. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

 

            I then went downstairs and phoned home. I then got on the subway and rode to Finch. I then got a ride home.

 

Conclusions:

 

            Getting downgraded against my wishes was a bad move by Amtrak. Even though I was refunded the difference it doesn’t make up for the inconvenience. Restricting the dining car to sleeping car passengers only is also a bad move especially with COVID-19 becoming less of a problem.

 

            I was also angered by the way I was treated at Five Guys since that restaurant was the last place I ever spent time with Greg before he passed away. I did get a call from the store manager who was apologetic and knew what a grilled cheese sandwich is. Hopefully the two idiot employees got reprimanded at the very least.

 

            I’m glad I finally got some photos and a ride on PCC #4617 in Kenosha after its repaint. I figure the next time I’ll go to Kenosha I may ask for PCC #4610 be the car in service as it’s the only car I don’t have videos of in operation. I did ride it in 2000 but only had a film camera.

 

            It was nice seeing Karl and visiting the Illinois Railway Museum; especially since I got to see the trolleybuses again. My CLRV quest is well underway and I’ve got a few more places to visit.

 

            As for me, I’m not sure when my next train trip will be. I will be going back to the Chateau Montebello again with my family. However there will NOT be a report because I won’t be taking any trains on that trip. Until next time…

 

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