Are you catching Amtrak 5 from Denver?

Sure am - Tuesday morning (Amtrak time). Even the guy on the ticket desk warned me to check how late it was running before leaving the hotel. Quick question - is there room in a single-use roomette for a big bag, or should I check it in? Seems I have to decide an hour before departure, when I haven't seen the space.

Quick question - is there room in a single-use roomette for a big bag,

No not really, there are large luggage racks downstairs on each coach. I checked my bag from Washington to Chicago, but used the rack on the coach for the 5 trip.

The problem for checked bags is you have to wait while they are unloaded.

PS If you are happy with your "car attendant" it is apparently good manners to tip, I did but cannot remember how much, possibly $10

There is also an Amtrak "Track your train map"

HERE

Very useful, shows today's 5 is 2 hours 23 minutes late. Remember in the USA, freight goes first(no matter what they say)

Very useful, shows today's 5 is 2 hours 23 minutes late. Remember in the USA, freight goes first(no matter what they say)

Thanks - that'll be really useful. It also says it's going to pick up 45 mins by Denver - cancel that lie-in! I'll be able to go down and watch the fun in the search for breakfast.

There's water in them thar mountains. I remember hotels by all the different showers I encounter.

Grumble - the miserable dribble in a closet in Chicago.

Glory - this one felt like a (hot) waterfall in a forest glade. Jord, you'd like it.

Promises, promises. 🙄😂

Grumble - Richards train left a sunny Chicago 29 minutes late.



Glory- it's got 1038 miles and 14 stops to make up the time ;-)

But are we sure he's on it? :P

But are we sure he's on it? :P

No he is in Denver CO and doesn't get on it for another 1038 miles sometime tomorrow

Then we're sure he's not on it. :)

Then we're sure he's not on it. :)

And as it happens, I wasn't in Denver either. John McClelland from the SETI message boards drove from his home near Colorado Springs to pick me up, and took me to watch a memorable display of...


Hummingbirds at dawn over Pike's Peak, from his patio. And much more besides. Muchas, muchas gracias, John.

Looks like I'm getting the full Amtrak experience - now estimating arrival at 09:00. Which, frankly, I'm putting down as a glory: more time in that forest waterfall of a shower, and to repack properly with the extra 2 hours or whatever.

Grumble - Well according to the tracker Richards train arrived over 2 hours late and is still in Denver.

Glory - I envy him the next couple of days, I did the trip last year and the Rockies and Sierras are just amazing.

And another Glory. My bees have paid some rent. And no stings while I was collecting it either! (Actually, purpose of visit was just to add another box to the hive so they had more space to put honey in. The 8 jars I was able to take was bonus.

Grumble - Well according to the tracker Richards train arrived over 2 hours late and is still in Denver.

Glory - I envy him the next couple of days, I did the trip last year and the Rockies and Sierras are just amazing.

Yes to both of those. They do a full train service at Denver, so they can't shorten the 45 minute turnround - especially at high holiday season. when any sleeper vacated has to be turned round and readied for the next customer.

Then we needed a new track slot, then the PTC computers stopped communicating with Amtrak, then a customer was taken ill just as we were leaving the station. But we completed the trip, and I'm safely tucked up in my hotel room in Oakland. Meeting Angela and seeing Eric again first thing in the morning.

Grumble - I needed to use a KVM so I could control 2 PC's from one keyboard and mouse. Had an old USB one spare, plugged it into both machines, then plugged in a mouse, worked fine, switched between two machines . So then plugged in my keyboard, keys light up for a second then go dark, unplug USB and make sure it is connecting, no joy. OK box doesn't work, put everything back to where it was, then notice keyboard still not lit up, and doesn't work. Tried it on both machines, nothing, so either my expensive gaming keyboard chose that minute to give up or the KVM box is bugged and killed it. Sigh

Glory - Well I needed a new keyboard anyway and this Corsair K55 is nice without being too expensive, not sure about the lighting though, it has 12 pre-programmed lighting set ups across 3 "zones" or you can create your own!!
I have settled for FN-8, and nice white glow across all 3 zones, ;-)

Glory: Registered fine for Parkmobile for Belgium. No problems whatsoever.
Grumble: Cannot register for Parkmobile for the UK as I lack a credit/debit card and where I can register with my IBAN account number on the Dutch and Belgian sites of Parkmobile, I cannot do so on the UK page. As if they've Brexited already. They did send me an email saying that I can now park just anywhere in the UK with the Parkmobile app. Also a gross misunderstanding as this isn't just anywhere.

Glory: Trains now run direct from Cambridge to Brighton and have (albeit slow) wifi.

Grumble: Hard seats and no power points!

Also a gross misunderstanding as this isn't just anywhere.

That is weird: none in Wales, just one in Scotland, a few in England, and all the rest in Northern Ireland. Which side of the fence will they be, when all the dust settles?

Completely missed that The Outpost is back.
But hey Yay! Yippie! The Outpost is back.
:-)

Glory - just about finished downloading the >20k photos from my road trip. Most will go into a set of time-lapse videos. Some may even get posted....