Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:18:32 -0400
Reply-To: B Feddish <bfeddish@NETREACH.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: B Feddish <bfeddish@NETREACH.NET>
Subject: Re: Hydrogen cars ... now Autotrain
In-Reply-To: <195696.55102.qm@web51503.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Every time I get the twinkle in my eye to take the '83 Westy to FL on the
AutoTrain my wife always reminds me that we'd have to drive to VA first then
pay a fortune for the train ride. It's expensive. That always squashes that
idea....
Bryan
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Anthony Egeln
Sent: Sunday, September 20, 2009 7:03 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Hydrogen cars ... now Autotrain
Actually the autotrain runs from Lorton, VA (DC area) to Sanford, FL
(Orlando area).
When it is on time it takes 16 hours (4 p.m. - 8 a.m.), but when we've used
it, we've averaged 20 hours. The fare includes dinner and breakfast. Be
careful when timing your reservation because they can carry only so many
large vehicles like vanagons (required vanagon content). We never did take
a vanagon on the train, just Mama's E320 wagon.
It is utilized mostly by well seasoned snowbirds, and costs less when you
are going the opposite seasonal flow.
The bottom line is that it is neither cost or time efficient, but it sure is
fun!
Cheers, Anthony
'89 Syncro GL (Hidalgo)
--- On Sun, 9/20/09, Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET> wrote:
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: Hydrogen cars ... a lot of hot gas!! ;)
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Sunday, September 20, 2009, 5:40 PM
On Fri, Sep 18, 2009 at 6:45 PM , Don Hanson wrote:
> Or how bout doing it like some European countries? Drive your rig
>up onto an auto carrying train and go cross country with your vehicle
>onboard.
> We
> have a rail system, we just refuse to use it much or take the time to
>bring it into modern times.
>
> All these huge motorhomes that head south during the winter...They
>could drive onto flatbed cars and save oceans of fuel. Mom and Pop
>could sit inside and play Canasta all the way to Quartzite..Then
>drive off and head over to the RV park burning only a couple of dozen
>gallons of fuel ...
That is (or was at least) available on the east coast (via an Amtrak from
Boston to Miami). If it still exists, it is the only one in the country.
Whether it took large vehicles or not, I don't know.
Dave Mc
