When I went out to Croton-On-Hudson from La Crosse, I took the Empire Builder to Chicago, then the expected 5-9 hour layover/switch over to the Eastern Run, all AMTRAC. Bought the sleepercar. Good investment. They treated you damn well, you got fed the best traveling food I've had in years and the sleepercar (private) was way better than trying to get comfortable in a regular seat.
WORD OF WARNING: DO NOT---DO NOT USE THE RESTROOM ON A TRAIN THAT "SPLITS" AND GOES TWO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AROUND THE SAME TIME. LIGHTS GO OUT. WATER DOES NOT FLOW. "PAPERWORK" CAN BE "MESSY" TO SAY THE LEAST. AND IF YOU'RE NOT IN THE "RIGHT" HALF OF THE HALF YOU NEED TO BE ON...WELL...IT GETS "INTERESTING" REAL FAST. "FURIOUS" IS THE WORD TO KEEP IN MIND IF THAT SITUATION ARISES.
YES. IT DID.
Otherwise, a pleasant trip.
BTW: West of Chicago...smooth, swinging, rythmic ride. East of Chicago...Did you know that the US was built, and made great, by the railroads? A LOT OF SWITCHES between Chicago and New York...A LOT.
Enjoy!
