OTOL NoCal Fest Updates
#1
Posted 14 July 2007 - 09:31 AM
Take care and take trains!
#2
Posted 14 July 2007 - 05:45 PM
Take care and take trains!
#3
Posted 16 July 2007 - 12:37 AM
Take care and take trains!
#4
Posted 16 July 2007 - 04:37 PM
#5
Posted 17 July 2007 - 12:28 AM
After a little food, fun, and camaraderie, it was time to split up a go our separate ways. Roslyn was heading back home, since she was not joining Steve on the trip. Piotr was leaving the group in Chicago, as circumstances prohibited him from going all the way to the west coast. He will be returning east later tonight on the Cardinal. So he and Robert went off to ride some CTA trains, and I think that Piotr had a lunch date with a friend of his in Chicago.
Robert and I went to Clark/Lake Green "L" station against the strong wind impeding our progress. The wind was so strong it actually blew off my hat.
After we boarded Green line for 1 stop ride into the Loop, we crossed over to opposite platform just seconds after Brown line train (which I needed to take to "lunch date") was leaving the station. Robert then left to observe Blue line bus shuttle. I waited appx. 15 minutes for the next Brown. And the ride got very interesting later on. After very slow running from Belmont to Western I had to transfer to shuttle train. Apparently large gap in service created extremely crowded conditions on the platform. It was so crowded people who had to get to the shuttle parked in front of the platform had to fight to get thru. Actually I heard some shouting behind me when somebody apparently groped a woman. After few minutes we left toward Kimball on the outbound track. Inbound was out of service because 2 of the grade crossings were being replaced. Then a quick 5 block ride on the bus brought me to Mike's door. In all it took me 1 hr 40 min to get there.
After nice lunch, I headed back to Union Station. The ride was much faster going into the Loop.
I got into Metropolitan Lounge in "style". One of the redcaps was coming off his break in Great Hall. So I boarded his cart and rode to within 5 feet of the entrance.
So at 4:35 PM I was inside and decided to get myself a small cup of soda. Unfortunately on the way to my seat I spilled most of it when my crutch slipped on wet floor. The lounge attendant had to mop up my spill about 5 minutes after he cleaned up previous spill. But that was topped about ten minutes later by a kid who was bringing 2 large sodas for his parents. He tripped over his own backpack and the sodas spilled all over the carpet and the table where the whole family was seated.
At 5:20 the call for boarding came and after getting another redcap ride I boarded my sleeper. And then we waited for connecting Empire Builder passengers. 20 people including at least 5 sleeper passengers were boarded by 6:05 and we left at 6:11. (scheduled dep 5:45)
I barely had enough time to settle in and let my sleeping car attendant, 10 year veteran of Cardinal service, Will Johnson know about my preferences for sleeper setup the "first and only call for dinner" was announced. So i trudged into our dinner-lounge. I was seated with trio of NS yard conductors from Norfolk, VA who were coming home riding the train from Seattle to Charlottesville. My selection for the night was
Country Beef Short Rib with carrots and mashed potatoes served on sturdy plastic plate with Amtrak logo on the rim, as would be rest of the meals. For dessert I had vanilla ice cream. Using stainless steel untensils made meals even more enjoyable. Seved by our dinning car server Joannie (she was also our sever on OTOL Eagle Fest LSL ride home) was very fast. By the time we left Dyer, IN we were already almost done with the desserts. After dinner I headed back to the sleeper to enjoy my trackside view. I was planning to go to sleep after Indianapolis so I awaited antcipated cut-off of the 3 deadheading Horizon coaches. I was glad I did not go to sleep, because the switcher made pretty hard couple before pulling them off. After we left Indy, another problem soon was apparent to passengers in the sleeper. The rear truck kept bottoming-out at every piece of uneven track. Being slammed on every grade crosssing and switch made going to sleep very hard. Finally I gave up and decided to take Benadryl tablet. I always carry few of them, just in case I get stung by some insect. I am allergic to bee stings. As a side effect it also is making me drowsy. So with the help of it I finally fell asleep just short of Cincinnati. Next thing I saw was a station building as White Sulphur Springs. In retrospect I should have asked for a wake-up call. I quickly went and took a shower, dressed and then headed for lunch. As luck would have another full compliment of sleeper was occupying the diner and the only available seat was with the NS guys. During our lunch which was various mutations of Angus Burger, we discussed last night ride and even those guys were having hard time falling asleep last night.
Soon after I decided to spend time in the lounge on the other side of the service counter. I grabbed last available window seat, across from conductor's table. When I saw the stack of collected tickets he had, I was amazed. It was almost 2 feet high.
And I saw another large cup of soda spilled thanks to rough track. Unfortunatelly that spill also drowned significant portion of conductor's paperwork, as it was his cup that spilled. I saw what was the fastest spill clean-up I ever encountered. At least 4 of the passengers ran to the lounge counter and grabbed paper towels and hepled clean it.
One of the tables was occupied by 2 men who turned it into the office space. They were going into DC after spending weekend in West Virginia with their families, and used the train on weekly basis.
Between Staunton and Charlottesville we met train 51 which supplied us with much now needed paper towels, trash bags and table liners.
I stayed in the lounge until we arrived at Charlottesville. Then I headed back to my room again. And short time later I was invited again to diner for dinner. Just before Culpepper I was enjoying solitary dinner.
After Mannassas I was done with my Salmon Fillet with rice pilaf and another ice cream, this time chocolate.
I headed back to my sleeper.
When we arrived into DC i stepped off the train onto the platform to observe the hustle and bustle at the platform. We had train 80 sitting on the other track and that made for pretty crowded platform. After observing that we were ging to be pulled by HHP-8 i headed back to the sleeper to enjoy high speed ride on the corridor. I took opportunity to observe NEC from the back of the train from Perryville to Philadelphia. Some of it was documented using my camera.
As it got dark right after we Philly I spent the rest of the ride in the lounge, after tipping Will for his excellent service. Moving into the lounge allowed to take down numbers of 2 of 4 of our coaches when I got off at Newark, NJ 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Now I had to wait for my NJCL train to Woodbridge (high level vs. low level at South Amboy). On time trip and pick-up by my mother got me home with enough time to unpack and enjoy watching "CSI Miami".
And now the consist
Engine 49 CHI-WAS / HHP-8 unknown number
Coach
Coach
Coach 25044
Coach 25034
Dinner-Lounge 28014
Sleeper "Cape View" 62005
and 3 Horizon coaches deadheaded CHI-IND
This is train 3267, 5:43 Long Branch express with connection to Bay Head. South Amboy is next. First and last cars are Quiet Cars. All tickets please.
#6
Posted 17 July 2007 - 01:26 AM
Kevin Korell
OTOL Board Leader
Lakewood, NJ
#7
Posted 17 July 2007 - 01:47 AM
I can confirm an early arrival of #5 in EMY. All in all a wonderful trip! We were never more than 30 minutes late, and we rode early from SAC to the end at Emeryville.
We did have great comeraderie on the train, not only with one another but also our attendant Paulette.
The meals were excellent, although we had one sourpuss waiter. Overall the staff did pretty well with the cards they were dealt --- short staffing.
We're all checked into our respective hotels and will do our BART tour in the morning.
Sounds like a great trip!!! I'm happy you were on time.
I only hope you have such good time keeping coming back and not miss your connection in Chicago!!
Wish I was there!!!
#8
Posted 18 July 2007 - 06:02 PM
#9
Posted 18 July 2007 - 07:58 PM
Yes, it did. Denver, Laramie, Rawlings, Rock Springs, Green River (fresh air stop), Evanston, Ogden and Salt Lake City. The RailFest westbound #5 arrived in Salt Lake City at about 8:20pm: nearly three hours early.Did the CZ took a detour via Wyoming westbound?
#10
Posted 20 July 2007 - 11:38 PM
Kevin Korell
OTOL Board Leader
Lakewood, NJ
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