Passenger Trains > Club Acela at Penn Station

Is the Club Acela easy to find at Penn Station?

The Metropolitan Lounge at LA is well hidden and the one in Chicago was not exactly obvious in 2014.

Also, are there any detailed diagrams of the above-track areas of Penn Station?  When I was there a few years ago, it was very much a confusing maze to me, not being a regular.

I will have a few hours between the arrival of the Silver Meteor and departure of the Lake Shore Ltd next Sunday.  Hoping to stow my luggage in the Club Acela and take a ride on the LIRR out to Huntington and back before the Lake Shore leaves.

Thanks.

wzd Wrote:
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> Is the Club Acela easy to find at Penn Station?

Its in the back corner by the ticket counters behind the 7/8W escalator.

> I will have a few hours between the arrival of the
> Silver Meteor and departure of the Lake Shore Ltd
> next Sunday.  Hoping to stow my luggage in the
> Club Acela and take a ride on the LIRR out to
> Huntington and back before the Lake Shore leaves.

If you want to stow luggage you will need to check it.  Club Acela is not a luggage holding area.

However, the morning attendant Bernard is a super friendly guy and one of Amtrak's best.  Hopefully you arrive on time and can meet him.

yes, it is easy to find -- it is near the escalators for tracks 7&8 -- see the attached diagram -- use the entry doorbell button and they will buzz you in, ask to see your ticket, etc.  Baggage is not supervised in the Club.  You can also check your baggage in a more secure manner at the baggage window, just to the left of the Club Acela (bottom of diagram by entry to tracks 1-4). 

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There was storeage for luggage (but not in a secure area) last time I was there....about two years ago. 

Checking my stuff will work OK.  Thanks for the info.

I always leave my bags with a Red Cap along with a good tip. Before train time he always takes me down the baggage way and seats me with my baggage. No crowds, no hunting for seats or rooms. No hassles. "When you drives a Ford the world Fords with you; when you drives a Rolls you just Rolls along".

I have stored my luggage in the NYC Penn Station Club Acela many times so that I could wander around NYC before my train left.  Although the area is not secure (the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge is the only facility of which I know that has a staffed baggage check area) I have never had any problems nor have I heard of anyone else who has.  Storing luggage at the baggage counter now runs $4 per bag (to say that you're checking it there implies that you're checking it on the train, not just for storage); one of the perks of a sleeper or Acela first class ticket is not having to do that (although in Chicago a tip of $1 or so per bag seems to be customary).

When I went through New York a couple years ago (first class on Acela), I had a six hour layover, so I eventually found the Acela Lounge (sorry, but this westerner finds Penn Station to be one of the most confusing messes of any public accomodation anywhere, except maybe some casinos in Las Vegas).  After I buzzed and got in, I just showed my first class ticket, then asked if and where I could store my luggage.  He pointed to what looked like a long walk-in closet near the entry doors.  It is lined with shelving on both sides, just find an empty spot and leave your luggage there.  I wouldn't leave anything of high value in plain sight, but I had no problems with the regular luggage I left there for a few hours.  And tipping the attendant to lead me and several others down to the platform where our departing Acela was due to arrive was a major help as well.

PS - In looking at the diagram posted above, I think I have finally figured out one reason I always have had problems finding my way around Penn Station - the tracks are numbered from south to north.  For some reason in most of my railroad experience, tracks are numbered from north to south, thus everything always seemed backwards.  Sort of like when I was in Australia - normally I have a good sense of direction and ability to find my way around using maps.  Not so in Australia.  I just couldn't get my head around why I was having so much trouble, until I realized that it had to do with the sun angle.  Being from the US, the mid day sun comes in from the south.  In Australia, it comes in from the north.  Once I figured that out, things began to click.

The PRR numbered Newark Penn south to north A (effectively zero) to 5, and Jamaica (LIRR) ascending north to south 1 to 8.

http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/NYPENN_Directory.pdf

czephyr17 Wrote:
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> When I went through New York a couple years ago
> (first class on Acela), I had a six hour layover,
> so I eventually found the Acela Lounge (sorry, but
> this westerner finds Penn Station to be one of the
> most confusing messes of any public accomodation
> anywhere, except maybe some casinos in Las Vegas).
>  After I buzzed and got in, I just showed my
> first class ticket, then asked if and where I
> could store my luggage.  He pointed to what
> looked like a long walk-in closet near the entry
> doors.  It is lined with shelving on both sides,
> just find an empty spot and leave your luggage
> there.  I wouldn't leave anything of high value
> in plain sight, but I had no problems with the
> regular luggage I left there for a few hours.
>  And tipping the attendant to lead me and several
> others down to the platform where our departing
> Acela was due to arrive was a major help as well.
>
> PS - In looking at the diagram posted above, I
> think I have finally figured out one reason I
> always have had problems finding my way around
> Penn Station - the tracks are numbered from south
> to north.  For some reason in most of my railroad
> experience, tracks are numbered from north to
> south, thus everything always seemed backwards.
>  Sort of like when I was in Australia - normally
> I have a good sense of direction and ability to
> find my way around using maps.  Not so in
> Australia.  I just couldn't get my head around
> why I was having so much trouble, until I realized
> that it had to do with the sun angle.  Being from
> the US, the mid day sun comes in from the south.
>  In Australia, it comes in from the north.  Once
> I figured that out, things began to click.

Believe me, Penn Station is the most confusing messes of any public accomodation anywhere when you consider the volume of people that go through this station on a daily basis. And there is ALWAYS something being worked on in the station. There's always some sort of rennovation project going on withing the Amtrak, LIRR, and NJT section, let alone what is just "broke." Scraping money together to get elevator parts (because some are just so old and they just can't afford to take them out of service is the icing on the cake at times!). I feel bad for anyone who is handicapped and has to use this station. I've helped guide a few people (strangers to friends) through this station and I have run into issues more than once). That is we'd get so far and then run into stairs on one side, an out of service elevator and an escalator on the other side that is running in the wrong direction.

Nothing but a glorified swiss cheese of a subway station. I was New Yorker at one time, so I did have the pleasure of learning the "in's and outs" of this station over the years. But there's been updates and other changes (and things being broken down) since I departed on a semi-regular basis.

I can also remember having a boot on my foot and it was the WORST to deal with at this station.

And the NJT Transit section is an absolute joke. It only really is meant to work during off-peak due to its narrow hallways, narrow egress passage ways, and even main standing room and waiting areas. I am not even sure if it is suitable for Princeton Junction. But NJT blew millions on it!