justalurker66 wrote:
Perhaps you should have had this argument 10 years ago.
Where would you mark the center of Waterloo? A quarter mile down the tracks? A five minute walk away? Do we need to get out a tape measure?
You were the one implying that AMTRAK strategically places their stations at the population centers, and not on the 'edges' of towns. When you deal with 'absolutes' someone is going to find an exception to that, just as you originally found exception to the OP's challenge.
Besides, as has been repeatedly pointed out, Waterloo is the de factor Fort Wayne stop. AMTRAK even went so far as to offer bus service from Fort Wayne to Waterloo to connect with its trains. It has
long since dropped that service. If forty miles isn't an 'outlying' point to board a train in your eyes, then you're absolutely correct, AMTRAK doesn't place depots on the edges of towns...
Oh, and so far as moving to a 'lounge' car, I'm glad your last trip had one. One of mine was on the Hoosier State and then the Cardinal. Train was full, so we had to sit in one of the seats with the 'post' both ways. Had a cafe car on the return, but that was reserved for people eating, and then you were asked to return to your seat so others could sit down to eat. Just two coaches on the Hoosier State, so not much moving around to be had on that. Superliners have been gone for well over 10 years from the Cardinal, so no sightseer lounge on that one anymore either. I won't even begin to try and describe my trip from hell on AMTRAK in the great dome. 6 hrs to get between Hammond (train was *almost* 3 hrs late into Hammond at that) and CP Custer outside of Battle Creek. Luckily the on board crew changed trains at CP Custer so we could change trains with them and head back west that day.
Practice Safe CSX