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WARF 2015 reports from Fest: Getting there


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#11 CNJRoss

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Posted 19 January 2015 - 08:41 AM

My adventures travelling to the fest by-the-day:

 

I was staying at Hotel NA and travelled by Metrorail to each days activities.

 

Friday - Arrived at the Vienna parking garage at 10:00 am (time makes parking easy-the unused reserved spaces "open" at 10), and boarded the 10:15 Orange Line departure - and the "journey" began.  Almost immediately, the operator announced that we would hold at Vienna indefiinately due to a reported fire at Ballston. Waited about 30 minutes, and then single tracked past the incident.  An easy transfer to the Yellow Line at L'Enfant Plaza,  I arrived at the Newseum about an hour later than I expected where I spent the rest of the day.  I departed about 4:30 via to meet Penny, Kevin, Dick and Preston for dinner at Union Station.

 

Saturday - Metrorail Vienna to Union Station - exactly as advertised by WMATA's trip planner, which now is loaded with the weekend track work schedule.  The entire Metrorail system was on 20 minute headways except Red line on 22 minute headway.

 

Sunday -  I started at Vienna, planning to join the fest at Virginia Square.  This would give me a 10 minute layover underground, in the single-track work zone, rather than a 22 minute outdoor layover at East Falls Church.  A text from Kevin let me know the group would be one train late due to the Red line being off schedule at Union Station.  My wait was now 30 minutes in a very cold station.  The ventilation was set to exhaust the diesel fumes from the work train, providing lots of fresh, outdoor ambient temperature air!  I joined the fest in the 2nd car of the train, after trotting about 150' down the platform.  I had located where the middle of the previous outbound trains had stopped; this train went to the end of the platform.

 

Ross



#12 NJCoastExp

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Posted 20 January 2015 - 04:46 PM

My ride to the Fest on Amtrak 121 from MET to BWI was booked at 02:13 AM day of departure. Drove to MET and boarded Quiet Car and then took a nap on board. After all I had only 2.5 hrs of sleep before the trip and was going back to work afterwards. I remember being awake till TRE then next thing I saw was Perryville train station. Train was very slow between Aberdeen and Baltimore due to trackwork and wound up at BWI 19 minutes late. Went to the ticket office and bought my MARC ticket, then grabbed snacks for return trip. Faber Cafe prices rival those of NYC Hudson News stands in NYP. But I can't get Snapple or Hershey chocolate bars on Amtrak LOL. I had my ticket collected before I boarded the last car of the train, then walked thru and joined the group.


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.





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