Passenger Trains > Bone-us Bags the Bag Car?

Taking a spin to abuse my pass soon. Amtrak felt concerned enough about my welfare on the trip to email about this change:

"We wanted to let you know that checked-baggage service will not be available on your train #3"

Despite the poor grammar where they did in fact let me know besides their apparently unspoken desire to not do so, are they dropping the bag car for the winter? For the Bone-us?

I hope this isn't the vanguard of it again becoming a five-car train during off-peak periods til next summer...

#3 usually has a Coach-Baggage as the last car in the train in addition to the Baggage car up front so even if they drop the Baggage car they still have some baggage capacity, normally.

Maybe all the Viewliner II baggages are in use ................. /  only 61049 and 61053 show in " WR " status per OTOL information .



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/25 12:31 by mvrr10.

I last week made a trip on the eastbound Floridian from South Bend, Ind. (with that distinctive station code of SOB) to Washington, DC. The day before my trip I receive a text from Amtrak that the station would be closed the Thursday evening of my trip, and the usual checked baggage service would not be available. South Bend is (unlike the better-known Elkhart, Ind.) a manned station, with available checked baggage service. However, the text also stated that trainside checked baggage would be available.

I arrived at the station about 40 minutes before scheduled train arrival time, to discover that the station was nonetheless open, and staffed. The agent, probably a substitute / relief for the usual regular agent on a day off or sick day, was a bit tentative in handling my request to check my bag, but was courteous and accommodating nonetheless. It seemed like he perhaps was not usually a station service person. I was technically inside the 45 minutes required, and so I could have been properly refused. But he got the job done without difficulty. Likewise for another passenger, who regularly boarded at South Bend. But since "trainside check-in" was to be used as per the text, we handled our own bags up the path to the platform when boarding time arrived.

The conductor then handled both my bag and the other passenger's, and we both settled into our respective sleeper spaces. All worked out fine.

I have to give Amtrak credit where due. I received notification well in advance. When they were able to have a substitute / relief agent after all, the station was open and fully available. About 15 pax boarded there (including families), both in coaches and sleepers, and several of us checked bags. Train staff handled those as we were informed that they would, carrying them on board at regular boarding doors and through the train into the baggage car at the end of the train. My bag appeared on the carousel in Washington DC shortly after arrival. It wasn't the standard procedure, but everything worked fine nonetheless, and without difficulty.

By contrast, when I returned to South Bend on another Floridian after the weekend, the regular agent was on duty, and handled checked bags off the baggage car as usual.

But in both cases, the job got done, and courteously and without difficulty.

Maybe something like what occurred for me will be the procedure for the OP in this case. If he / she does not receive a message from Amtrak (if set up to receive texts and / or e-mails), I'd suggest giving Amtrak a call. My guess is that an alternate arrangement like the one I had will be used. If so, it can work out fine.

MC 

perhaps one of the staions he is using will not be staffed

I relitive i have just took the train to SOB as well and had the same text (they were coming all the way from PDX). but when they got there the person in charge told them they are a "contract employee" filling in for the nomral person who is there so my guess is they dont have a the "full" staff available and incase send it out as a blanket statement

mvrr10 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe all the Viewliner II baggages are in use
> .................

Amtrak has a surplus of Viewliner II baggages - but it's a matter of what ones are operable and serviceable. Another mystery to the "Viewliner II" utilization and reserved/stored fleet......UGH!

Yamoneta Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I relitive i have just took the train to SOB as
> well and had the same text (they were coming all
> the way from PDX). but when they got there the
> person in charge told them they are a "contract
> employee" filling in for the normal person who is
> there so my guess is they don't have a the "full"
> staff available and in case send it out as a
> blanket statement

Thanks for that info. I did not ask the fellow I dealt with about his status. In any case, it's notable that Amtrak is making the effort to have the station open when possible, and to maintain some form of checked baggage service at South Bend while the regular agent is not available, for whatever reason. That's a sign of good service, and support for passengers' needs.

MC

Welp
Turns out

Platform works on at east end of KCUS so that's their excuse.

I don't need the checked baggage, but it but I'd hate to have to and not be able to.

As said, there's still a coach-baggage, but old habits and no will.

Understand the exterior walkway hung on the side of the concourse to access the platform and long-decayed east steps are getting demo'ed account - surprise - major corrosion issues. (been that way for years) A circuitous route through the basement and alley to access the platform is the new normal.