2 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

SSRE Day One is finished.   Steve and I started out in New York Penn Station's Moynihan Hall.   We met in the Metropolitan Lounge.  Train 91 was announced well in advance, and we were told to assemble by Track 12.  There was no usher and the escalator was moving downward, so we went.   The train had not yet arrived when we got the platform, but it took time to walk back from Moynihan to where our sleepers to the rear of the train would end up.  Keep in mind that the Silver Star is operating as a Supertrain with equipment from itself and the Silver Meteor, so it's much longer than usual.  Soon the train came in from Sunnyside, and we were able to board.  Steve as in the 9112 car, and I was in the rear-most car, 9114.

 

No explanation why, but we left 10 minutes late from New York and would never recover it all.  It was otherwise a nice  smooth trip down the corridor.  And we found out why timekeeping is poor on this train.  At many stops with such a long consist it has to make double spots since the whole train does not make the platform.  

 

I had an excellent attendant named Annette.  She was very helpful and accommodating.   Steve was not as enthused with his.

 

No time was made up during the dwell in Washington, DC for engine change.    CSX handled us very well down through Virginia.  We were a few miles behind Regional 195 as far as Richmond, and at Lorton they held the Auto Train (53) departure on a siding until we passed. Through the rest of Virginia and into North Carolina we were roughly half an hour down.  With some padding, we came into our destination of Raleigh about 9:17 PM, 20 minutes late.  Steve's car made the platform so he detrained, but mine had to sit and wait for the second spot giving me another 5 minutes bonus time on the train.  Once both off we waited for our rideshare to the Doubletree Brownstone.

 

Meanwhile in Florida, the other half of our travelling group Penny and Jishnu boarded the northbound Silver Star (92) in Orlando on Saturday evening.  The train was on time, which is good news for all of us since those of us in Raleigh will be boarding the same train in the morning.

 

More news tomorrow (Sunday) as we all meet and head north together.

[KevinKorell]

Sunday morning, Steve and I had breakfast in the hotel, and then headed to the station in a previously reserved car service. I wanted to get to the station early because I planned to check my luggage and also wanted to explore the observation area I didn't get to see when I was in Raleigh in September.

 

Meanwhile, our Silver Star excursion train that had been operating perfectly through Florida and Georgia had begun to lose time overnight.  It was shown on the board in Raleigh initially as about 20 minutes late. Then it got later and later.  Our participants aboard that train reported that at times they were either stopped or moving rather slowly.   Finally the station announcements told us what we already knew -- that freight train interference was causing 92 to be delayed more and more.

 

Finally we got the boarding call, and not long after we reached the platform, 92 arrived.  Jishnu and Penny stepped off the train so we met there. Knowing about the double spot ahead of time, we had some confusion as to where to stand.  Would our respective sleeper cars make the platform on the first spot?  Or if in the second spot, where would the car some to a stop?   Luckily, my 9211 car was the last one to make the platform.  Steve was in 9212, and at first he was going to wait until the train moved up, but then he boarded and walked back.

 

All told, once the train was on its way out of Raleigh, we were roughly 1-1/2 hours late.  Things got a little worse somewhere in southern Virginia when the train appeared to make an emergency stop, and our crew went on the ground to do an inspection.  Arrival at Alexandria was about 2 hours late.  There, having already said our goodbyes,  Steve detrained and headed for Reagan National Airport to catch his flight back to Chicago, while Jishnu and Penny walked to their respective accommodations for the night across the street.

 

I remained aboard 92 as it went into Washington DC. The engine change was done quickly within 25 minutes, and then we were on our way northward.  I got off in Baltimore, and my luggage was delivered to me almost instantly when I got to the baggage window.   After that, I took an Uber to my hotel at Baltimore's Inner Harbor where I am now.  I will head home tomorrow.

[steve4031]

Kevin provided an excellent summary of the trip.  My flight on Friday night departed Ohare on time and arrived Newark on time.  I took a car service to the hotel that actually waited for me at the airport.  It was worth the extra fee because that was 20 minutes more in bed.  On Saturday, I had breakfast at the Hilton Fashion district, and made my way to the station.  Along the way I noticed a bagel store and stopped and got two salted bagels with lox and cream cheese for lunch.  They were delicious once eaten.  I supplemented them with a free bottle of pop from the lounge.  

 

Once I got off the train in Alexandria I received excellent help from the agent at the station.  Rather than requiring me to go down a long ramp and around, he opened the chain and allowed me to cross the tracks safely.  This was helpful. My uber came quickly. And  I made it through security at Reagan in time to catch my flight.