Passenger Trains > Train 66 boarding time?

On Sunday evening I arrived on 448 from Cleveland into South Station.  We were a bit late, getting in at 830 pm.  A couple of tracks over was train 66, at 830 pm.

I know that back in the days of the Night Owl one could board well before the 930 pm departure time, I think around 8 pm.   Is that still the case?

Thanks.

Actually, it's train #67.  As there's only a very small number of passengers (only me and a friend on last Tuesday nights' #67 sleeper and maybe 10-15 in coach), boarding didn't start until 9:20, give or take.

If you're riding coach, be sure to sit in the middle of a car for the smoothest ride.  There's a couple of bumpy sections and a general choppieness along the MN from New Haven to New Rochelle.  Also note that there are 4 or 5 sections of the Metro North trackage where overnight track crews are working with very bright lights and the engineer 'tooting' his way through each work zone.  On the way back home last Wednesday afternoon, I noticed there's a section of maybe 3-4 miles where it's down to 2 tracks (from 4) as they are doing major catenary work.  In other areas, it's down to the dirt as they are rebuilding the roadbed.

Also expect to 'wait time' at both New Haven and New York.  The Acela makes the trip in a tad less than 7 hours.  #67 takes a full 9 hours for a 7AM arrival in WAS.  So there's time to 'kill' along the way.

Trains 65, 66, 67 all have a lay time in NYP.

Posted from Android

Thank you for the updates!  I will be in the sleeper next month, connecting to/from the Cardinal in DC.  Twenty years ago(!) one could board the sleeper at 8 pm.  I will plan to arrive at the station around 830 pm and we will see what happens.  

I will provide a trip report.

Chessie1963 Wrote:
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> Thank you for the updates!  I will be in the sleeper next month, connecting to/from the Cardinal in DC.  Twenty years ago(!) one could
> board the sleeper at 8 pm.  I will plan to arrive at the station around 830 pm and we will see what happens.  

Be aware that #66 originates in Newport News, VA.  I'm unsure whether the sleeper deadheads to/from there or not as the sleeper is only sold between WAS and BOS.  Also, generally, primarily for safety considerations, they don't want anyone boarding while they change engine(s) and the HEP is down.  So, I'd expect 10 minutes before departure boarding, even if it's running late.

Yes, the sleeper does dead head to and from Newport News, but it's closed to passengers south of DC, which is kinda not nice if you are riding south of DC and used the sleeper from Boston.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

RNinRVR Wrote:
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> Yes, the sleeper does dead head to and from
> Newport News, but it's closed to passengers south
> of DC, which is kinda not nice if you are riding
> south of DC and used the sleeper from Boston.

Why don't they sell space south of DC?

symph1 Wrote:
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> RNinRVR Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Yes, the sleeper does dead head to and from
> > Newport News, but it's closed to passengers
> south
> > of DC, which is kinda not nice if you are
> riding
> > south of DC and used the sleeper from Boston.
>
> Why don't they sell space south of DC?

Washington-based SLA work to Boston and back. From what I read on other chatboard, they were never trained on Viewliners, since they were drawn from the Capitol Ltd pool, and Boston does a terrible job of serving the car. IOW, Amtrak has screwed up another service launch due to management's childish attention span in their inattentiveness to detail.  
 

Back in the early 2000s, I rode the "Twilight Shoreliner" or whatever they called it BOS-NPN-BOS, just to try it out and cover new trackage for me.  I don't recall if the SCAs swapped out at WAS or not.  But it would definitely make sense if they did.  I wouldn't be surprised at all if their "Amtrak trick accounting system" assigned so much expenses to that sleeper 'back when' that unless it was at least 50% full south of WAS, it lost $10K per day!  In actuality, other than wear and tear and depreciation (still does it now as deadhead), the only incremental cost is one SCA for about 15-16 hours.  Oh, and some extra dirty linen, perhaps.  They should advertise the roomettes private rooms away from Covid...with free breakfast and lunch (or dinner on the return).

They should have done what they were thinking of doing, pulling the LSL OBS from Chicago and having it crewed out of BOS. This was when 66/67 were going to be crewed out of BOS. I see they found a way to screw it up. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> symph1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > RNinRVR Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Yes, the sleeper does dead head to and from
> > > Newport News, but it's closed to passengers
> > south
> > > of DC, which is kinda not nice if you are
> > riding
> > > south of DC and used the sleeper from Boston.
> >
> > Why don't they sell space south of DC?
>
> Washington-based SLA work to Boston and
> back. From what I read on other chatboard, they
> were never trained on Viewliners, since they were
> drawn from the Capitol Ltd pool, and Boston does a
> terrible job of serving the car. IOW, Amtrak has
> screwed up another service launch due to
> management's childish attention span in their
> inattentiveness to detail.  
>  

A premium revenue car deadheading between Washington DC and Newport News AND back EVERY day just to accommodate the crew (in essence). You gotta love this! Please tell me the sleeper is not right up against the engine all night so you can hear the horn if the sleeper is never cut in/cut out at Washington DC. That just adds more insult to injury. And I heard they were using the Viewliner I, and not a Viewliner II, which is actually on the advertised (upgraded private room service). So all in all - Amtrak really botched the heck out of this launch it seems..........

jp1822 Wrote:
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> Please tell me the sleeper is not right up against the engine all night so you can hear the horn if the sleeper is never cut in/cut out at Washington DC.

Unlike #448/449 which is sans baggage car for the last 2 years, 65/66/67 operates WITH baggage car at the front...at least it was there 9 days ago when I rode #67 BOS-WAS in the sleeper.  That is the ONLY train that carries baggage to NYP-BOS.  I had been wondering if they simply pulled the loco, baggage and sleeper at WAS, but they don't it's just the power that gets swapped at WAS.

Thank you all for this thread, although a little late. I found it through search but it explains why the sleeper shows Sold Out when I looked at booking it from Newport News. Amtrak, a new standard in travel!

Jim