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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,309
Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
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In 2013, I took Empire Builder to Chicago, then from Chicago took the Capital Limited to Pittsburgh for GAP and C&O. Then a week later, the reverse on the same routes from DC to Chicago and Chicago to home on Empire Builder. Amtrak transferred our checked bags and bike boxes for us just like airlines transfer your checked stuff.
I have no clue on the current system, but if it was me I would box it up and let them move the bike from train to train so I did not need to deal with it.
Empire builder by the time you get to Seattle, their food selection might be limited in the lounge car and dining car. (Lounge car goes to Portland, dining car to Seattle.) You might want to bring some food along for eating on the train. I always ate breakfast in the dining car but other meals I ate food that I brought. One trip I did the roomette thing, that included meals in the dining car.
Amtrak can be a bit rough on bikes in bike boxes. If I was to do it again, if I had anything fragile I would not put it in the bike box. I used steel frame bikes on all my Amtrak routes and I left the rear derailleur and chain attached. But if I had a bike with a replaceable derailleur hanger, I would remove the rear derailleur (and chain) so that it did not stick out towards the side.
The attached photos are of my bike box when I arrived in Portland on one trip. There was no actual damage, but I was nervous until I could inspect the bike.