NOTE: This Message was originally addressed to Tom Mckeever
      from Lylahh@bobo.csustan.edu and was forwarded to you by Tom Mckeever
                           --------------------
Here's MY train story:
 
I rode Amtrak from San Francisco to Detroit, via Chicago.  It was great.  
es,
there are drawbacks, like not being able to move between cars, but it sure
beats flying.
It's better than flying because 1) the actual food is actually cooked in an
actual kitchen on the train.  We had fettuccini and fresh green salads, good
bread - generally what you'd find at a nice Lyon's.
2) You don't get treated like cargo.  You wanna stay in your chair?  Fine.  
You
wanna charge your power chair overnight?  Fine.  You need oxygen?  Fine.  You
don't get dragged around, shoved anywhere, pre boarded, or yelled at.
3) You get a bed and a bathroom.  Yes, they're in the same room on the 
leeper
cars, but nobody claimed that trains are spacious - although the wheelchair
accessible bedroom (one per sleeper car; it's room "H" :)  ) is the largest -
the full width of the train (AB rooms are about 3/5ths the width).  On the 
non-
sleeper cars [on a commuter train - if the train had a sleeper car GET A 
OOM]
the wheelchair seating is on the cafe car.  The bathroom is accessible, even
with a built-in transfer bench, and you can either ride in your chair or
transfer into a swivel-able seat.  The aisles are wide enough that you can
get
 to the center of the car, where the food is.  They will come to you to
serve you, if you prefer.  If you have a personal attendant, they ride for
a ridiculously low fare (in the sleeper they pay only the rail fare {cheap} 
and
not the room fair)  and the meals are delivered to your room in the sleeper 
car
.
They even give you a cloth tablecloth and napkins, plus real utensils.  There
is a curtain which separates the toilet, sink, mirror, and trash can from the
chairs/beds, table, and you.  I suggest leaving it open so you can see out 
both
sides of the train, though.  Rail companies buy the cheapest land they can 
find
,
so you wind up going through beautifully uninhabited areas with brethtaking
views - except in New York, I guess :>
 
But here are the drawbacks:
1) It's slow.  If you're in a hurry, compromise your civil rights.  If you 
want
to be treated well and be well rested at your destination, take the train.
2) There is no accessible shower.  I suggest taking a no-rinse cleanser, 
ince
you are on the train for no longer than a week at a time (assuming you go 
rom
Florida to the Northwest Territories).
3) You can't move between cars.  Of course, you don't have to deal with the
cigarette smoke in the lounge car (smoking is only allowed in the last 16 
seats
of the train, and the ventilation is very good on the train) or miscellaneous
idiots.
4) You may be treated rudely by the station attendants (not amtrak people) in
Chicago.  They are complete shmucks.  Everywhere else they seem fine.
 
Here's the accessibility stuff:
1) Tell the reservations person exactly what you will need - accessible room,
wheelchair seating, tell them if you have power requests (like for a charger
or oxygen).  They are wary to let you plug in life-support type stuff because
the auxiliary engine (the one that provides power) may fail, and they don't 
wan
t
you to die.  Use your judgment.
2) There are two kinds of cars : one level and two level.  The two level ones
are platform level at some stations (such as Denver) and require a ramp at
others.  They may ask you if you want the ramp, but they aren't surly if you
say yes.  The one level cars require a lift, but it's manually operated, so
you can't get stranded.  Usually they have to take baggage off the train at 
the
same time you're deboarding, so they don't yell at you for holding up the 
train
.
3) There are wheel clamps to secure your chair in the cafe car, and also a
seat belt (I think).  There are no tie downs in the bedroom, but if you
transfer you don't really need them.  If you can't transfer, you probably 
ave
automatic wheel locks on your chair.
4) Most stations are old, but all are basically accessible.  Maybe the ramps 
ar
e
more steep than is legal, but there are ramps (like many airports).  Every
not-legally-accessible station I've been to has been under construction to 
make
 it
accessable, so they are working at it, and without a scandalous lawsuit.
 
 
If you want to know more, email me privately at lylahh@koko.csustan.edu
Even though this was lengthy, it is just the tip of the iceberg.
 
 
 
whew...
 
--lylah
 * WCE 2.01á4/2037 * "Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a tagline writer."
--- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 
1:374/22.0)
---------------