# Gathering L.A.: Shop Tour



## WhoozOn1st (Feb 2, 2009)

Ventured out early to grab a copy of the L.A. Times, but none to be had at the machines around the hotel. Returned to the lobby of the Metro Plaza for a cup of coffee and found Al in the lobby. He explained that he was communicating with "the man upstairs." "That's cool. You didn't tell me you have a brain link with Chris."

Conversation shifted to music (me and Al like to talk about music) and his church group Chicago adventure while we waited for the rest of the gang to join us for the Amtrak Unlimited Second Annual Gathering Second Group Breakfast.

Once all assembled we trundled down (only a block) to Philippe's again for another fine meal. And finally grabbed a Times. Starting the day by eating together that way was a lot of fun, and I think all participants would agree. I hope we can do something very similar at Boston, perhaps with more folks involved.

Breakfast concluded, we headed over to the station for the day's main event:

Tour of the Amtrak Los Angeles Maintenance Facility.

In preparation for this event I had done some scouting. Alan asked me to check out the bus route to the shops, so I did one day.

Dry Run Done

As things turned out the bus was not needed, but the route scouting proved useful anyway.

We loaded up in private cars at LAUS, and I had the route wired.

Jumped into Mark's (sportbiker) Alfa Romeo ("Shotgun!") and proceeded to offend everybody with my rendition of the Mungo Jerry flash-in-the-pan hit "Summertime."

Might as well offend readers, too:

If your daddy's rich get an Alfa Romeo

If your daddy's poor just do what you will

There's more, but I'll spare you the pain. For now.

Straight shot down Alameda, same main drag that LAUS is on, then a left onto the bus route I had scouted. No problem.

Upon arrival outside the shop gate we pulled over to make sure all the other cars made it okay. Popped outta the Alfa to consult with Anthony, who was our tour contact. All was well, and when the gate was opened for us to drive in it was "Wagons HO!"

After a walk to the office we were all given safetyglasses and earplugs. No real need for the latter, but standard procedure. Still have both, Amplugs unopened. What? Eh?

The tour was more of a visual experience than can be represented here, so try the pics:

Gathering 2008 Sunday Shop Tour

Suffice to say that it was excellent.

It occurs to me that in these reports and pic captions I haven't mentioned Chuljin (Chris 4). He met us at San Diego on Saturday. Fine fellow, and fellow smoker, so we tended to hang out. On the shop tour he spotted an "official" smoking area and invited me over. Good call! Jishnu joined us, though he doesn't smoke, and we stood around talking about this, that, and the other thing. Little stuff like that is big at Gatherings. Riding is the main deal, but it's also great to meet and talk with people about anything and everything.

Gathered again after the shop tour, we returned to LAUS before going to a mass lunch at Philippe's.

Some had a train to catch after lunch, while a number of us who were left went joyriding on light rail. First the Gold Line out to Sierra Madre Villa. Mostly an old Santa Fe right of way out to Pasadena, then down the middle of a freeway.

Upon return to LAUS (Gold Line terminus) there were choices to be made. Printman and his dad coulda joined us on the Blue Line to Long Beach, but woulda been cutting it close for boarding their train from L.A. They elected to pass on the Blue Line, and I think they made the right decision.

Everybody was hungry on the return from Long Beach. Alan had to head out to his hotel on the Green Line, but the rest of us crossed Alameda for dinner at Olvera Street.

The Gathering was officially over, but some of us Bozos had further plans.

NEXT: Post-Gathering Monday


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## Long Train Runnin' (Feb 2, 2009)

Wonderful Thanks so much for writing and filling in the gaps for those of us who couldn't attend.


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## WhoozOn1st (Feb 3, 2009)

Long Train Runnin said:


> Wonderful Thanks so much for writing and filling in the gaps for those of us who couldn't attend.


For the record, I happen to know that Long Train is trying to base his college choices on proximity to Amtrak stations.

I accidentally threw fuel on the fire by noting that my school was a short walk from Metro North.

Somebody set the boy right!

Kids these days.


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## Long Train Runnin' (Feb 3, 2009)

WhoozOn1st said:


> Long Train Runnin said:
> 
> 
> > Wonderful Thanks so much for writing and filling in the gaps for those of us who couldn't attend.
> ...



Its to late. I've already figured out which school are where and from there my short list was created. One school here in New Jersey has its own line  . I'm way ahead of you lol. NC State (to bad i cant get in) has a thruway bus connection from one of the stops in NC.


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## Joel N. Weber II (Feb 3, 2009)

The greater Boston area has no shortage of colleges/universities, and most seem to have reasonable amounts of MBTA service.


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## Joel N. Weber II (Feb 3, 2009)

WhoozOn1st said:


> Jumped into Mark's (sportbiker) Alfa Romeo ("Shotgun!")


You didn't record the full consist for this segment, at least in terms of types of cars used?


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## Long Train Runnin' (Feb 3, 2009)

Joel N. Weber II said:


> The greater Boston area has no shortage of colleges/universities, and most seem to have reasonable amounts of MBTA service.



Yup, thats way Harvard an MIT are on my shortlist :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: (with all do respect to those schools and current and former students)

The other requirement is warmer weather then I have here lol so Boston has been ruled out 

EDIT: had to remove some emoticons since i guess the board has a limit


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## WhoozOn1st (Feb 5, 2009)

Joel N. Weber II said:


> WhoozOn1st said:
> 
> 
> > Jumped into Mark's (sportbiker) Alfa Romeo ("Shotgun!")
> ...


Everybody's a comedian. Alice had a van, which is really the only other car I recall about the AU shop tour consist, Wisenheimer II.


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## AlanB (Feb 6, 2009)

WhoozOn1st said:


> Joel N. Weber II said:
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> 
> > WhoozOn1st said:
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Sorry, no consist info here either. I was too busy making sure that we had enough seats in cars for everyone and that no one got left behind.

But I can assure you that all vehicles were driven by drivers who've taken rides on Amtrak. :lol:


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## Alice (Feb 6, 2009)

AlanB said:


> But I can assure you that all vehicles were driven by drivers who've taken rides on Amtrak. :lol:


Hi Alan, Don, my brother's friend, drove one of the cars and had never ridden Amtrak. I keep meaning to invite him somewhere but haven't gotten around to it. He had a great time touring the shops and may have gone out on his own by now.


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## AlanB (Feb 6, 2009)

Alice said:


> AlanB said:
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> > But I can assure you that all vehicles were driven by drivers who've taken rides on Amtrak. :lol:
> ...


Hmm, I though I recalled him as having said that he had been on an Amtrak train once during our ride over, since I was in his car. But I could be wrong.

Besides, by the end of the tour he could at least say that he'd been on an Amtrak train, even if it wasn't moving. :lol:


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## Alice (Feb 6, 2009)

AlanB said:


> Alice said:
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> 
> > AlanB said:
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I think he rides the local transit trains all the time. He works across the street from the back side of Union Station. It is also possible he didn't know the difference between different train operators and the contradictory info could have come from more accurate info he got during the tour. If nothing else, that parlor car should get him onboard.


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## chuljin (Feb 6, 2009)

AlanB said:


> WhoozOn1st said:
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> > Joel N. Weber II said:
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... and my Cavalier, with the_traveler, the Chris who came with his father (printman2000?), and the father of the Chris who came with his father. No songs about those, I think (Cavaliers, that is).


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## WhoozOn1st (Feb 7, 2009)

chuljin said:


> No songs about those, I think (Cavaliers, that is).


With the gauntlet thrown down, I came up with a song: "Cavalier Attitude." Same melody as the Mungo Jerry junk above.

If you live in Glendale get a Cavalier

GM's going broke, so no parts in a year

You'll be walking down

To ride the Metrolink or Amtrak to downtown

For bad measure:



Dept. of Misheard Lyrics: For almost 40 years I've been laboring under a misapprehension. Apparently the actual lyrics are "If her daddy's rich, take her out for a meal; If her daddy's poor just do what you feel."

I coulda sworn...

There's a whole website devoted to this kinda stuff: Kissthisguy - the archive of misheard lyrics

The site title comes from Jimi Hendrix' "Purple Haze," in which at a pause Jimi says "'Scuse me while I kiss the sky."

Alfa Romeo, buy her a meal, oh well. So sue me. The lead ad at the site is for disposable hearing aids. HAHA!!

Finally, it wasn't 'til seeing the video (just a few minutes ago) that I knew Mungo Jerry were LIMEYS!


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## printman2000 (Feb 15, 2009)

chuljin said:


> ... and my Cavalier, with the_traveler, the Chris who came with his father (printman2000?), and the father of the Chris who came with his father. No songs about those, I think (Cavaliers, that is).


Um, that would be Craig, not Chris (yes Printman2000). Glad I was so memorable!


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## GG-1 (Feb 15, 2009)

printman2000 said:


> chuljin said:
> 
> 
> > ... and my Cavalier, with the_traveler, the Chris who came with his father (printman2000?), and the father of the Chris who came with his father. No songs about those, I think (Cavaliers, that is).
> ...


And excuse my mind, but what was your dad's name so I can finish labeling this picture


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## MrFSS (Feb 15, 2009)

GG-1 said:


> printman2000 said:
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> > chuljin said:
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Bill!


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## printman2000 (Feb 17, 2009)

MrFSS said:


> GG-1 said:
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> > printman2000 said:
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That is it!


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## the_traveler (Feb 17, 2009)

Now we have to go with Bill1 and Bill2! :lol:


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