# NYP-DLB and back on the Silver Meteor - live report



## cpotisch

Hello all! This is my first time attempting a trip report so please bear with me.

I left school at 1:34 PM, caught the 3 up to NYP, and got into the ClubAcela at 1:57. The Meteor is currently running on time, and the plan is to head down from the lower level and board early. Currently chilling solo in the ClubAcela, with a Pepsi (I so wish they had coke) and a coffee. Dad should be meeting me here in about a minute.

This is the 2/3 station at Penn, taken right after getting off the 3.




The outside of the CA:






The inside of the CA! ^_^


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## cpotisch

On the train now! Dad arrived and watched my stuff while I went and got Krispy Kreme. We headed down to the platform around 2:40 (PM), and after a little trial and error, found the Meteor on track 14. We asked the SCA if we could hop on now, and she was totally cool with it.   So we got to hop on about half an before departure, without even needing a Red Cap.


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## Bob Dylan

cpotisch said:


> On the train now! Dad arrived and watched my stuff while I went and got Krispy Kreme. We headed down to the platform around 2:40 (PM), and after a little trial and error, found the Meteor on track 14. We asked the SCA if we could hop on now, and she was totally cool with it.   So we got to hop on about half an before departure, without even needing a Red Cap.
> 
> View attachment 11609
> 
> 
> View attachment 11610


Bon Voyage!

As the Late,Great Fred Allen said: " Florida is Great if you're an Orange." :giggle:


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## cpotisch

In New Jersey. Just passed the NJT yard that I’m sure someone here knows the name of.

/monthly_2018_12/2A6959A9-3547-4B5D-900F-12B0CE2430CE.thumb.jpeg.edc95edd8d321ddbc8c70d9d59b11b24.jpeg




And a nice touch that I’ve never experienced before on Amtrak is the little welcome placard with our names that was already in our rooms when we boarded. Not a big thing but it’s just nice.


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## Mystic River Dragon

Very nice start--thanks! What is your SCA's name? And which dining car do you have?


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## cpotisch

Mystic River Dragon said:


> Very nice start--thanks! What is your SCA's name? And which dining car do you have?


We have 68003 “Augusta” (this will be my third ViewDiner). Unfortunately, I sort of forget exactly what her name is (she has a strong accent). But the “Welcome Aboard” card in our room says that her name is “E. Delabistede”. I am kind of surprised that it doesn’t have the first name on there instead of the last name and an initial. :wacko:


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## cpotisch

We left Trenton maybe 20 minutes ago (mercifully, Patty), so Philly is coming up.

The LSA came through a little while ago taking reservations, and we got a 7:30 dinner seating. The plan is to see the Potomac while we eat, which is always nice.


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## the_traveler

There really is no need to “go to the lower level and find the track” to board early. From the CA, they 


Announce the track early, and

Escort you to the track & train early


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## cpotisch

the_traveler said:


> There really is no need to “go to the lower level and find the track” to board early. From the CA, they
> 
> 
> Announce the track early, and
> 
> Escort you to the track & train early


I don’t think you understand. LD trains arrive at NYP from Sunnyside a solid 30-40 minutes before departure, WELL BEFORE they announce the track ANYWHERE. Dad and I went down to the track and boarded at about 2:40 PM (and the train had clearly already been there for a fair bit, even then). They announced the track in the ClubAcela at about 2:58 PM. So we boarded the train give or take 20 minutes before the other sleeper passengers, and if we were ready earlier, probably could have even done so several minutes before that.

Boarding from the lower level allows you to get on the train basically as soon as it arrives from the yard. They announce the tracks and officially start boarding, much later.


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## cpotisch

We left Baltimore a few minutes ago, but I unfortunately wasn’t able to get any decent pics in time. While we were in the station I saw the light rail and two MARC trains; one pulled by an MP36PH and the other by an SC-44 (this was my first time seeing a MARC charger).

These are the least worst pics I got in Wilmington:





And I’ll check the car number while we’re in WAS, but here is our sleeper:


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## cpotisch

We’re in WAS now, and about to head to the dining car!


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## cpotisch

Just got back from the dining car, where we had an “entertaining” conversation with this older couple heading down to Disney World. The woman did the vast majority of the talking, and was definitely quite a character, but it was an enjoyable enough meal...despite the food.

The food tonight was really subpar. My vegetarian pasta was 80% sauce, with a total of literally eight noodles in a whole plate, and though the sauce was reasonably tasty, there was just way too much of it for me to eat. It also didn’t help that it was served lukewarm. And while in the past they have pretty much always served the side salad pre-tossed, this time it was just some lettuce topped with a bunch of shredded carrots and three giant cherry tomatoes. As many members here have said, though the Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Butternut Squash Risotto are still on the menu, they haven’t actually been served for many months. And I took forever to get served and to get the check. The flourless chocolate cake was decent and had some nice whipped cream on top, but it was still incredibly dense and rich, and despite it being tiny, I couldn’t finish it. Dining on Amtrak has never been amazing, but my experiences at the beginning of this year were much better than what I experienced tonight.  

A P42 on the adjacent track while we were in D.C:/monthly_2018_12/DBE8059E-9E46-439F-ACDD-A9E1065E9891.thumb.jpeg.e1c26d3dfc0f19523e1a0b536bad2d13.jpeg



An Acela on the upper level, just visible from down below:/monthly_2018_12/9F160A68-1863-4DCD-B30F-D842DA7E4ED1.thumb.jpeg.f91458ad14c21f394cd5bf7860a5ccd9.jpeg




My salad (after mixing it up myself):/monthly_2018_12/B8D27BD5-65FE-4637-A478-010C7134125A.thumb.jpeg.85a39bedc0d3eec77c746a4d9216b434.jpeg



Vegetarian pasta:/monthly_2018_12/03BA5199-117B-4E27-8714-507F3E8AAD25.thumb.jpeg.5cfea830c81ecfe1d9453fa3e2da774a.jpeg



Flourless chocolate cake:


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## cpotisch

OK, time to get ready for bed, turn down the room, and have a little Looney Tunes movie night. ^_^


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## PVD

Hopefully breakfast will be ok. Enjoy vacation!


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## Seaboard92

Actually there isn't much rhyme or reason to when stuff pulls into Penn Station. Especially if something has you delayed. You should pass 92 tomorrow somewhere with heritage engine 130 on it.


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## Mystic River Dragon

cpotisch said:


> We have 68003 “Augusta” (this will be my third ViewDiner). Unfortunately, I sort of forget exactly what her name is (she has a strong accent). But the “Welcome Aboard” card in our room says that her name is “E. Delabistede”. I am kind of surprised that it doesn’t have the first name on there instead of the last name and an initial. :wacko:


Is she a short, thin, very energetic lady? If so, I think I know her, although I can't remember her first name either.



cpotisch said:


> We left Trenton maybe 20 minutes ago (mercifully, Patty), so Philly is coming up.


Yes, TRE is not a place you want to stay in for long (or at all!  ).


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## railiner

Very much enjoying your report....thanks for taking us along.

I noticed in one of your sleeper photo's, a hand soap dispenser by the roomette sink...can you confirm whether it is liquid soap, or the 'foam type' of soap?   Thanks...


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## PVD

That looks like the typical Amtrak screw in liquid soap which would be a lilac? scented soap that I actually like. Those are in most if not all bathrooms, also.


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## AutoTrDvr

cpotisch said:


> I don’t think you understand. LD trains arrive at NYP from Sunnyside a solid 30-40 minutes before departure, WELL BEFORE they announce the track ANYWHERE. Dad and I went down to the track and boarded at about 2:40 PM (and the train had clearly already been there for a fair bit, even then). They announced the track in the ClubAcela at about 2:58 PM. So we boarded the train give or take 20 minutes before the other sleeper passengers, and if we were ready earlier, probably could have even done so several minutes before that.
> 
> Boarding from the lower level allows you to get on the train basically as soon as it arrives from the yard. They announce the tracks and officially start boarding, much later.


Correct. as mused in this prior thread.    How long before departure was the first boarding announcement made (i.e. and when it appeared on the board), if you can tell? It should have been, roughly 10 minutes prior to departure, if they're still doing it the same way as when I was commuting.

I am, somewhat, amazed they allowed you to board so soon after arrival from Sunnyside. I would have thought it a security concern to allow anyone to board while the train crew (conductors, etc.) are not "on station" at the train.... or were they?   I know NJT trains are closed up until the crew is ready to open them for general boarding (which could be 5-10 minutes prior to the initial boarding announcement and track post).

Anyway, glad you had a good trip. Were you in a roomette or bedroom?


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## cpotisch

Mystic River Dragon said:


> cpotisch said:
> 
> 
> 
> We have 68003 “Augusta” (this will be my third ViewDiner). Unfortunately, I sort of forget exactly what her name is (she has a strong accent). But the “Welcome Aboard” card in our room says that her name is “E. Delabistede”. I am kind of surprised that it doesn’t have the first name on there instead of the last name and an initial. :wacko:
> 
> 
> 
> ﻿ Is she a short, thin, very energetic lady? If so, I thin﻿k I know her, although I can't remember her first name either.﻿
Click to expand...

I think so. She keeps an actual portable stool in her room, if that rings a bell.


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## Mystic River Dragon

I never got as far as her room--she was always out and about and would tell me when I should go to dinner and remind me to get fresh air  .


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## cpotisch

Mystic River Dragon said:


> I never got as far as her room--she was always out and about and would tell me when I should go to dinner and remind me to get fresh air  .


Sounds about right.


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## Mystic River Dragon

She is lovely. You are lucky to have her as your SCA. 

Are you near Winter Park yet? That's my other favorite place along this route.


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## cpotisch

railiner said:


> Very﻿ m﻿uch enjoying your report....thanks for taking us along.


Glad to hear it and you’re welcome. 



railiner said:


> Very﻿ m﻿uch enjoying your report....thanks for taking us along.
> 
> I noticed i﻿n one of your sleeper photo's, a hand soap dispenser by the roomette sink...can you confirm whether it is liquid soap, or the 'foam type' of soap?   Thanks..﻿.﻿﻿


It’s just some pretty standard liquid soap.


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## cpotisch

Mystic River Dragon said:


> She is lovely. You are lucky to have her as your SCA.
> 
> Are you near Winter Park yet? That's my other favorite place along this route.


We’re currently running I think 50 minutes behind, and just left DeLand station, so Winter Park is next (I love that station as well). Here’s the view of DLD from the upper bunk:


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## cpotisch

AutoTrDvr said:


> cpotisch said:
> 
> 
> 
> I don’t think you understand. LD trains arrive at NYP from Sunnyside a solid 30-40 minutes before departure, WELL BEFORE they announce the track ANYWHERE. Dad and I went down to the track and boarded at about 2:40 PM (and the train had clearly already been there for a fair bit, even then). They announced the track in the ClubAcela at about 2:58 PM. So we boarded the train give or take 20 minutes before the other sleeper passengers, and if we were ready earlier, probably could have even done so several minutes before that.
> 
> Boarding from the lower level allows you to get on the train basically as soon as it arrives from the yard. They announce the tracks and officially start boarding, much later.
> 
> 
> 
> Correct. as mused in this prior thread.    How long before departure was the first boarding announcement made (i.e. and when it appeared on the board), if you can tell? It should have been, roughly 10 minutes prior to departure, if they're still doing it the same way as when I was commuting.
> 
> I am, somewhat, amazed they allowed you to board so soon after arrival from Sunnyside. I would have thought it a security concern to allow anyone to board while the train crew (conductors, etc.) are not "on sta﻿tion" at the train.... or were they?   I know NJT trains are closed up until the crew is ready to open them for general boarding (which could be 5-10 minutes prior to the initial boarding announcement and track post).
> 
> ﻿ Anyway, glad you had a good trip. Were you in a roomette or bedro﻿om?﻿
Click to expand...

From what I’ve seen, the Meteor generally starts officially boarding about 15 minutes before departure. When we got down there at about 2:40, all or almost all of the crew was there, All the SCAs were standing in front of their respective cars, the conductor, was just sort of walking up and down the platform looking over the things, and the lounge attendant and diner staff were chilling in their cars. My thinking is that they our SCA was perfectly happy with having two less people to deal with during the main boarding rush.

And we are in Roomette #2, car 9710 (the closest one to the diner!). We always go Roomette when we’re taking a Viewliner, because you still get plenty of space in both bunks, and a sink and toilet. In fact, in some ways I actually prefer this to a Bedroom, because you get to sleep parallel to the window and direction of travel.


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## cpotisch

Anyhow, we have a 1:00 PM lunch reservation, so we’ll be heading over there in a few. Breakfast today was very decent. At first, the waiter informed me that pancakes were sold out, which was very sad, but a few minutes later he came back and said that they had them again (somehow). I don’t understand how that happened, especially since they now had enough to serve both me _and_ one of our table mates who had also wanted pancakes, but I certainly don’t object to it.


\




They were pretty good, BTW.


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## cpotisch

And here is a glimpse of our brief post-breakfast Looney Tunes session, paired with a couple stroopwafels, heated up on top of our coffee cups. ^_^


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## railiner

PVD said:


> That looks like the typical Amtrak screw in liquid soap which would be a lilac? scented soap that I actually like. Those are in most if not all bathrooms, also.


I like their liquid soap too...IIRC, it was "Flite Lux", made by Celeste Chemical's...they also provide airlines.   I was discussing this on another thread, with Triley, I believe, and he said this was discontinued in favor of a 'foam' type soap...


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## railiner

Duplicate post, redacted


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## cpotisch

Just got back from lunch, where we had a VERY enjoyable conversation with an older couple from NJ who are heading down to Deerfield Beach. They were really friendly, had a lot of experience riding trains, and were clearly very knowledgeable about the current happenings at Amtrak. They shared my sentiments about the idiocy of making all these cuts when Amtrak just got a record amount of funding from the government this year, and how the contemporary dining on the Cap and Lake Shore are ridiculous for people with dietary restrictions.

As to the food and service, both were actually pretty good this time. I got the Black Bean and Corn Veggie Burgerwith Monterey Jack, and my dad got the Prince Edward Island Mussels. Both were very tasty, which was a pleasant surprise after my subpar experiences this morning and last night.


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## cpotisch

We left Kissimmee maybe 20 minutes ago. We passed the northbound Meteor at lunch, but unfortunately the 140 or so mile per hour difference between prohibited any particularly good photos. Here’s the best I got:

/monthly_2018_12/94D9FB73-3529-4C60-B955-4E6C0BD63DE5.thumb.jpeg.8efa1ff1085e88706be5d5f97db144cc.jpeg


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## cpotisch

We’re coming into Winter Haven now. I got a shot of the last couple cars going around a turn just now:




And I got pictures of two SunRail trains earlier. One of them was a typical consist (an MP32PH-Q pulling three Bombardier Bi-Levels), while the other train was actually two combined, with a locomotive (MP32PH-Q), three coaches, another loco, and another three coaches. And as far as I can tell, both sections were carrying passengers, so I’m wondering how they dealt with tickets and such with that locomotive in the middle.  :huh:  

The back of the first train (which had the typical single locomotive and three cars):




And here’s the combined one (the locomotive in the second pic was in the middle of the train):


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## cpotisch

West Palm Beach is next. We should be at Delray and off the train in about 25 minutes, which will be sad. 

But since we’ll have 11 full days in Florida and then the train home, I guess I can’t really complain.  

And here are some pictures I forgot to post earlier...

Leaving Palatka Station:/monthly_2018_12/BDA36DBB-35A2-4609-A479-82C130C9D461.thumb.jpeg.a683b032631aa96f82189522e2bfe496.jpeg/monthly_2018_12/45EAAA66-9B8A-4FB1-AFE2-3AFB00B967BA.thumb.jpeg.85799b2eb4f30e54de76879f54df36e4.jpeg

At a very wet (and therefore much less pretty than usual) Winter Park:/monthly_2018_12/599AF8FC-81A2-4091-B2B8-F5C93D3D146F.thumb.jpeg.fa74ab600b0140e1b48baed10c17367e.jpeg

And overcoming my primal instincts by actually sharing the last doughnut...   /monthly_2018_12/BFA94DBD-30AB-4E21-A5E3-F336D9B3A5EC.thumb.jpeg.ec66c32ef40bd077e521815422864a57.jpeg


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## Sauve850

Thanks for the pictures. Enjoy your stay here in SE Florida. Weather will be nicer starting Saturday but cooler (for us).


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## caravanman

Nice photos at NYP. I have enjoyed the Krispy Kreme offerings at Penn station myself.

The "vegetarian pasta" dish seems a bit light on pasta?

Thanks for posting.

Ed


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## cpotisch

And here are some shots of ViewDiner II 68003 Augusta...

The kitchen:


The passage next to said kitchen:



The route posters in said passage:





And the actual dining area:/monthly_2018_12/62C6F88D-4F74-4764-B943-059600B96DEA.thumb.jpeg.54cb6aa5f59960ad9cb51157d11a8798.jpeg


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## cpotisch

caravanman said:


> Nice photos at NYP. I have enjoyed the Krispy Kreme offerings at Penn station myself.
> 
> The "vegetarian pasta" dish seems a bit light on pasta?
> 
> Thanks for posting.
> 
> Ed


It was VERY light on pasta. And not particularly tasty either. :unsure:


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## cpotisch

Anyhow, we arrived in DLB at about 6:30. Now I’m home at my grandparents’ place, and about to order dinner. Overall a pretty nice ride, though the food and service in the dining car did leave a bit to be desired.

I have three more train rides planned for this trip. On 1/1 my mom and I take the Meteor home, as I already mentioned. And on 12/28, [email protected][/USER] and I will be taking Tri-Rail from West Palm to Miami, and then Brightline back! This will be my first time taking Brightline, and only my second time (after the Gathering) meeting another AUer in person, so that should be fun.

So I will probably continue to update this report a few times every day, but the actual train travel will only be on the 28th, 1st, and 2nd.


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## Sauve850

Quite a difference from Tri-Rail to Brightline. Enjoy.


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## cpotisch

Sauve850 said:


> Quite a difference from Tri-Rail to Brightline. Enjoy.


Yeah, I’ve been on Tri-Rail many times and that’s what I figured from everything I’ve seen and heard about Brightline.


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## cpotisch

Forgot I took these pics after getting off the train. Came out surprisingly well.


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## cpotisch

Off to Waffle House!


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## cpotisch

Just got back from Waffle House, where I had quite a nice meal with my dad and grandpa. Now it will be off to the pool (and hot tub). It is a little chilly and windy out though, so I guess I’ll have to see how long I actually want to be out there. Hopefully things will warm up soon.


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## cpotisch

Getting ready to head out to “Shinju Japanese Buffet”. Time to get my eel on!


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## AutoTrDvr

cpotisch said:


> Getting ready to head out to “Shinju Japanese Buffet”. Time to get my eel on!


Where is this place? I  may have to go check it out, if I'm down that way....


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## cpotisch

AutoTrDvr said:


> Where is this place? I may have to go check it out, if I'm down that way....


It’s 7875 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL. Phone is 561-488-4040.

From last night...

There’s some pan fried shrimp shumai on the right, a bunch of eel rolls in the center, a couple eel-and-avocado rolls at the back, and a few Saba (cured mackerel) rolls at the back left and front right./monthly_2018_12/DE9F4045-9402-498A-B4CB-110839533F5B.thumb.jpeg.654e9ae5a8f2a137039d2a2741ba3691.jpeg

Less than half of the very un-Japanese dessert bar. Here we have pecan pie, cannolis, cheesecake, mango mousse cake, and just peaking out on the left, Creme Brule. There was also plenty of ice cream, rice pudding, jello, and fruit./monthly_2018_12/1825EA22-2548-46F5-A501-B20425CE9162.thumb.jpeg.d9813fa60b9e8dd3e3da3e4694363ae1.jpeg

A close up of one of the cannolis:/monthly_2018_12/E1CBFEEC-8716-4B85-964C-21640D4DE860.thumb.jpeg.68c106c9dc937183998ee712469dd7c1.jpeg

It was all great, BTW.


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## JRR

cpotisch said:


> It’s 7875 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL. Phone is 561-488-4040.
> From last night...
> There’s some pan fried shrimp shumai on the right, a bunch of eel rolls in the center, a couple eel-and-avocado rolls at the back, and a few Saba (cured mackerel) rolls at the back left and front right./monthly_2018_12/DE9F4045-9402-498A-B4CB-110839533F5B.thumb.jpeg.654e9ae5a8f2a137039d2a2741ba3691.jpeg
> Less than half of the very un-Japanese dessert bar. Here we have pecan pie, cannolis, cheesecake, mango mousse cake, and just peaking out on the left, Creme Brule. There was also plenty of ice cream, rice pudding, jello, and fruit./monthly_2018_12/1825EA22-2548-46F5-A501-B20425CE9162.thumb.jpeg.d9813fa60b9e8dd3e3da3e4694363ae1.jpeg
> 
> A close up of one of the cannolis:/monthly_2018_12/E1CBFEEC-8716-4B85-964C-21640D4DE860.thumb.jpeg.68c106c9dc937183998ee712469dd7c1.jpeg
> It was all great, BTW.


Just up the road from us. I’ve seen it many times but never stopped there. We’ll have to try it.


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## AutoTrDvr

cpotisch said:


> It’s 7875 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL. Phone is 561-488-4040.
> 
> From last night...
> 
> There’s some pan fried shrimp shumai on the right, a bunch of eel rolls in the center, a couple eel-and-avocado rolls at the back, and a few Saba (cured mackerel) rolls at the back left and front right./monthly_2018_12/DE9F4045-9402-498A-B4CB-110839533F5B.thumb.jpeg.654e9ae5a8f2a137039d2a2741ba3691.jpeg
> 
> Less than half of the very un-Japanese dessert bar. Here we have pecan pie, cannolis, cheesecake, mango mousse cake, and just peaking out on the left, Creme Brule. There was also plenty of ice cream, rice pudding, jello, and fruit./monthly_2018_12/1825EA22-2548-46F5-A501-B20425CE9162.thumb.jpeg.d9813fa60b9e8dd3e3da3e4694363ae1.jpeg
> 
> A close up of one of the cannolis:/monthly_2018_12/E1CBFEEC-8716-4B85-964C-21640D4DE860.thumb.jpeg.68c106c9dc937183998ee712469dd7c1.jpeg
> 
> It was all great, BTW.


I dunno man.... I'm too much of a "Godfather" fan... I've developed a sudden fear of cannoli.....


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## cpotisch

Did some swimming and “chilling” in the hot tub. Now I’m back in the apartment resting up after my big day. 

Life is good.

/monthly_2018_12/415876C6-90CD-4FA4-9A27-01632829CA8A.thumb.jpeg.6a2d574362f45d4f612340404afd4071.jpeg


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## cpotisch

JRR said:


> Just up the road from us. I’ve seen it many times but never stopped there. We’ll have to try it.


It’s like a five minute drive from here. I guess we are REALLY close to you guys. :huh:  

And if you do go there, just know that the layout of the parking lot and how you enter it is sort of weird, so if you’re driving from the east (heading west) on Glades Road, it is dangerously easy to accidentally turn too late and end up stuck on the turnpike. I emphasize, make the right turn into the parking lot much earlier than you think, or you will end up on the turnpike. This is a mistake we have made way too many times, and have spent way too much money on tolls and time on the turnpike, so if it seems like you even might have missed the correct entrance, bail out, make a u-turn, and try again.


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## JRR

Yeah, I know exactly where it is. I go by it every time I go to church.


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## cpotisch

JRR said:


> Yeah, I know exactly where it is. I go by it every time I go to church.


Cool. Just wanted to make sure because we’ve spent probably hundreds of dollars on tolls making that mistake. Enjoy!


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## cpotisch

About to head into the Boca West Sunday brunch buffet. In preparation, I didn’t have a full dinner last night and haven’t eaten anything today, so it’s time to make my family proud/ashamed.


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## Seaboard92

91 has a private car on the rear. Good luck.


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## cpotisch

Seaboard92 said:


> 91 has a private car on the rear. Good luck.


Huh?


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## NEPATrainTraveler

Good trip report so far. How’s the scenery on the silver service routes?


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## Steve4031

This trip report is excellent.  The photos are well done.  Keep it coming.


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## cpotisch

NEPATrainTraveler said:


> Good trip report so far. How’s the scenery on the silver service routes?


First off, thank you. 

But the scenery on the Silvers isn’t really anything special. You go through plenty of nice enough farmland, and on the Meteor you go over some nice rivers and lakes, but overall it really can’t compare to any of the western routes (with the possible exception of the TE between SAS and CHI). But I’ve generally found the crew and service onboard to be wonderful, so I think that generally more than compensates for the (lack of) scenery.


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## cpotisch

Steve4031 said:


> This trip report is excellent.  The photos are well done.  Keep it coming.


Thank you very much!


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## cpotisch

cpotisch said:


> About to head into the Boca West Sunday brunch buffet. In preparation, I didn’t have a full dinner last night and haven’t eaten anything today, so it’s time to make my family proud/ashamed.


Yeah, so brunch yesterday was great. I only had one chocolate Belgian waffle with whipped cream and strawberries (whereas last year I had eight), but did have a four or five or so raspberry and custard tarts (two of which I took the liberty of putting under the chocolate fountain), four plates of home fries, two cups of coffee ice cream with chocolate sprinkles,, and plenty of chocolate fountain submerged pound cake and marshmallows and cookies and stuff.

I was pretty much alternating between home fries and custard tarts for the vast majority of the meal. Unfortunately, I sort of forgot to take pictures, so I only got shots of one fully chocolate-submerged tart, and one partially chocolate-submerged tart with a little cameo in the back of some chocolate-submerged pound cake and marshmallows.

I am disgusting. ^_^


----------



## cpotisch

About to head out to Waffle House now. After that, we’ll be making a short trip to Fort Lauderdale Collection South, an exotic car dealership in, you guessed it, Fort Lauderdale. I used to be much more of a car person than I am now, so in past years we’d often spend a full day or days going to countless dealerships all around SoFlo, but since I’ve shifted away from that stuff, have seen pretty much every fancy car known to man over the years, and have sat in plenty that were going for $1M+, this year it’s just going to be this one pretty close dealership.

Once we get back I think we’ll be doing some swimming and hot tubbing, and then at around 5:00 PM it will be time to head over to the always lovely Christmas Eve dinner at our friend’s place.


----------



## railiner

cpotisch said:


> Yeah, so brunch yesterday was great. I only had one chocolate Belgian waffle with whipped cream and strawberries (whereas last year I had eight), but did have a four or five or so raspberry and custard tarts (two of which I took the liberty of putting under the chocolate fountain), four plates of home fries, two cups of coffee ice cream with chocolate sprinkles,, and plenty of chocolate fountain submerged pound cake and marshmallows and cookies and stuff.
> 
> I was pretty much alternating between home fries and custard tarts for the vast majority of the meal. Unfortunately, I sort of forgot to take pictures, so I only got shots of one fully chocolate-submerged tart, and one partially chocolate-submerged tart with a little cameo in the back of some chocolate-submerged pound cake and marshmallows.
> 
> I am disgusting. ^_^
> 
> View attachment 11734
> View attachment 11735


Health Food?


----------



## Mystic River Dragon

cpotisch said:


> Unfortunately, I sort of forgot to take pictures.
> 
> I am disgusting. ^_^
> 
> View attachment 11734
> View attachment 11735


Then you will have to go back again, because I really want to see pictures of all those home fries and the chocolate fountain! 

Of course you are not disgusting--you are young, on vacation, and lucky enough to still be able to burn all this off quickly!


----------



## cpotisch

Mystic River Dragon said:


> Then﻿ you will have to go back again, because I really want to see pictures of all those home fries and the chocolate fountain!
> 
> ﻿ Of course you are not disgusting--you are young, on vacation, and lucky enough to still ﻿be able to burn all this off quickly!


If you saw me eating there, I don’t think you would disagree with my assessment of my own disgusting-ness. But who is to say that it’s a bad thing to eati a disgusting amount of food every once in a while!  

And I am tempted to go back there on the 30th (the other Sunday I’m down here), but that might not be the wise decision. But if I do, you can count on PLENTY of pictures.


----------



## cpotisch

I love Waffle House. A pecan waffle for dad, two chocolate chip waffles with whipped cream for me, a lemonade for me, and a triple hash browns, smothered, covered, diced, and capped, for the both of us. I will let you consult the menu to translate:





\


----------



## cpotisch

As usual, saw plenty of cool cars at Fort Lauderdale Collection South. Here are some of the nicest and most special ones they had, but I’m just going to put the names there and spare everybody a whole monologue about each one. 

2012 Lexus LFA Nurburgring Edition:/monthly_2018_12/5EC0CE3C-C76C-4C15-82A0-4EC32003430B.thumb.jpeg.9695f89f4e10764ecf86ad95ef972d2b.jpeg

2008 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione:/monthly_2018_12/39D15F37-8D6E-48F6-9C55-A1E6F54623C9.thumb.jpeg.edc2b76be2b7489825352edd0f0379a2.jpeg

2018 McLaren 720S:/monthly_2018_12/F828CFFD-6709-466A-8A6C-70FCD182DBC0.thumb.jpeg.ef8b9e137b7851673a77ff611060f4fe.jpeg/monthly_2018_12/7A7FD15F-482E-4509-8C58-A08C732CA3C7.thumb.jpeg.754787994fa185ac2bf515ec5f9b6215.jpeg

2014 Ferrari LaFerrari:/monthly_2018_12/4F0D1A88-C934-4217-9F84-78390ADFCB9E.thumb.jpeg.0b86fd230a1445b55c59bdcb35d84f9c.jpeg

/monthly_2018_12/ECBCE066-826D-4A54-A6FE-E59F3BE203AE.thumb.jpeg.b590d7d1c9f482e6832847869ea99c28.jpeg

2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach/monthly_2018_12/ACA076E2-8F86-453E-8603-FD76B32F4E82.thumb.jpeg.7feb611b39d2a63565c37d92248b37fc.jpeg/monthly_2018_12/FF6AB836-CDF3-4BB1-B450-F7BE09D88069.thumb.jpeg.829ae738596188734bb97ebabeef60bb.jpeg

1996 Ferrari F50:/monthly_2018_12/2B3A2523-DA4B-4645-A986-EB6A8139E304.thumb.jpeg.eee41459af0ba84f90b582aef853759b.jpeg

These cars alone are probably worth a total of $10+ million, and have top speeds of up to 220 mph.


----------



## cpotisch

[There’s a limit as to how many pictures I can have in each post, so I’m continuing off of the last one]

And on the way there, we had to wait for a Tri-Rail train to pass at a grade crossing, so I got some pics of that. It consisted of a Brookville BL36PH pulling four Bombardier Bi-Level coaches, including the cab car at the end.


----------



## cpotisch

Off to dinner!


----------



## cpotisch

A lovely and delicious dinner. Hours d’oeuvres consisted of cold cuts (which I obviously can’t eat), cheeses, bread, hearts of palm, shrimp cocktail, and some kind of mini caviar. Because I don’t eat meat, all I had for dinner was salad and some rigatoni, but that was plenty.

And then dessert was various cream puffs, cannolis, lobster tails, chocolate cake, and whoopee pies. So. Good.

The hors d’oeuvres... /monthly_2018_12/74ACC56F-D4F5-44D6-9B2D-5CE466134D20.thumb.jpeg.bd6035a95ac4154605d9cbbe59e5d446.jpeg/monthly_2018_12/3C5A683A-D466-4DCE-A921-B12043852BEE.thumb.jpeg.f71d326c61799e081a45923797195be1.jpeg

My dinner plate:/monthly_2018_12/CFB27023-E935-467C-B3AD-C71F9E96B2FC.thumb.jpeg.0ab7849da469b5fee31db50b03dfead8.jpeg

The desserts:




/monthly_2018_12/55B15424-DF2C-4540-BA9D-38B05AC53226.thumb.jpeg.1cbe640dbb063cedaf9a9d811820f842.jpeg

Merry Christmas!


----------



## Mystic River Dragon

Beautiful dessert platters  . That chocolate cake looks really, really good (and it must be, since most of it has disappeared!  ).


----------



## cpotisch

Mystic River Dragon said:


> Beautiful dessert platters  . That chocolate cake looks really, really good (and it must be, since most of it has disappeared!  ).


Indeed.  

We actually had most of last night’s “attendees” over here earlier for lunch (as always, there were PLENTY of leftovers) and to swim. Let me tell you; those whoopee pies are insanely good. Probably because they were from One Girl Cookie, a bakery about six blocks from my house, and were brought down here by my aunt.

My grandparents, mom, and I, are as always watching the 24 hour _A Christmas Story_ marathon on TBS. And tonight, the six of us (me, my parents, grandparents, and sister) will be attending the official Christmas Dinner at the “Boca West Club”. The food isn’t really anything special, but it’s pleasant enough and a nice tradition (I do like traditions).

Unfortunately, though my mom and I are staying down here until 1/1, my sister and dad head up to NYC tomorrow. So this will be our last dinner together in Florida this year.


----------



## JRR

Are they going to be on the Meteor?


----------



## cpotisch

JRR said:


> Are they going to be on the Meteor?


Unfortunately, no. Flying was way cheaper and she doesn’t even like the train, so they’re going Delta.


----------



## JRR

Too bad, we are heading to Wilmington Del from DFB tomorrow and thought we might see them.


----------



## cpotisch

Christmas Dinner last night was super nice, like quite a lot of things on this trip.    

/monthly_2018_12/0C72A957-73DB-4782-9E7D-09DE5E6DCA82.thumb.jpeg.c34f4f8af356732a2141cbc913db952e.jpeg

They started us off with this spinach and red cabbage salad that had some cranberries, chopped pears, strawberries, walnuts, and mandarin oranges, on the side, and a choice of either raspberry vinaigrette or mango truffle vinaigrette. I went with the latter, and I’m glad./monthly_2018_12/D469A68F-A16E-4965-B9F9-55A361D5F1E8.thumb.jpeg.e2958e8f20f75afd0270fc96a87c8e19.jpeg

I don’t think the menu has ever changed in the many years we have done this, so as always, I went with the Sea Bass. As the menu says, the Bass was “Herb Roasted with Maine Lobster Cream”, and it came with some asparagus on a creamy butternut squash purée, a potato casserole, and Brussels Sprouts.

/monthly_2018_12/947A665F-29FC-4679-9785-D432112D3175.thumb.jpeg.20b2b4958fcbc0b22cb831bf33b83b97.jpeg/monthly_2018_12/0DB49C33-915A-4657-8463-36CD66713FA9.thumb.jpeg.e46d24b95a227843a2a2b0477caed500.jpeg

Dessert was a buffet (the fourth one on this trip), with plenty of cookies,/monthly_2018_12/17D32D3A-E43F-4057-9019-54F10BBAE789.thumb.jpeg.ffacfd99a90311fbb19b2a303e07fe1c.jpeg

...fruit and cakes,/monthly_2018_12/99D65851-0C0A-43BF-A95B-239CAF55D43B.thumb.jpeg.1eb3629aefbd7b91652005de6bf24679.jpeg


...and this pretty hilarious/disgusting typo that my dad noticed:




There were also plenty of cupcakes, brownies, cream puffs, etc, and a cherries jubilee stand, bananas foster stand, and ice cream stand. :huh:

I didn’t actually end up having that much of it though, since dinner itself was extremely filling. Here is maybe half of what I ended up having: some coconut and coffee ice cream with chocolate sprinkles, a brownie, two cream puffs, and chocolate chip cookie.




On the way out, I made sure to grab plenty of chocolates ( [email protected] River Dragon[/USER] ) “for the road”,  at the very festive table they had out front:/monthly_2018_12/1187A04E-4B11-430D-8750-8CF3CB40BBAB.thumb.jpeg.9258734c667c79dd68aba3f257bdb4c8.jpeg/monthly_2018_12/53127B1F-3AD0-47A0-9621-7279D74B2CF2.thumb.jpeg.03bd85af2c0d9d29d18fa2d93f1eae2b.jpeg/monthly_2018_12/9B4820CA-063B-402E-A663-3F6659B42EB1.thumb.jpeg.e16ba4dbacb839ec542dda4297700fe8.jpeg


----------



## cpotisch

As I said yesterday, today we said goodbye to my dad and sister. 

My grandmother, mom, and I took them to the airport, and we dropped by Waffle House one last time on the way. Unfortunately my sister didn’t get anything and my grandma only got a tiny grilled cheese on white bread. As always, dad got a pecan waffle, as did mom, and I got my standard two chocolate chip waffles with whipped cream. And of course me and dad split a well-done Triple Hashbrowns, smothered, covered, diced, and capped.

Waffle House never disappoints. ^_^


----------



## cpotisch

On the way to the airport, we happened to pass a pretty big Tri-Rail draw bridge going up:/monthly_2018_12/2E958516-5A12-4189-A9E2-1238B0BF76FD.thumb.jpeg.57de4ff1dd30516528578945da1bf1b6.jpeg/monthly_2018_12/4CE4D0A5-ED1F-4C28-904D-7E0304CBEEC7.thumb.jpeg.0b1097405e37139d5a3e3f5e7c99e8d1.jpeg

I got a bunch of plane and, actually train pics at FLL.

An old 727 in the far corner of the airport:
/monthly_2018_12/39FECB48-BB0D-4E0F-A8E7-41E15FC51536.thumb.jpeg.c8e7780e0197c211a51997c43087ae2a.jpeg/monthly_2018_12/C882A4A5-BF51-4258-97A1-2F2D18DB8FF2.thumb.jpeg.f2fd282691d5c133ffcd76ef286ff1ef.jpeg

(That plane all the way in the back of that last pic is a Delta 757)

A fleet of FedEx freighters (big and little):
/monthly_2018_12/9070A513-ECEF-4C15-A61E-420493B484D1.thumb.jpeg.ff7337cf0ef022b9e577ea5823a31eb3.jpeg

A couple more FedEx freighters, and some private planes:



More private planes and airline Terminals 1 and 2 at the back:




And for some reason there was this stationary and extremely long freight train consisting exclusively of tank cars about 40 feet from the runway fence:  :huh: /monthly_2018_12/A659DF61-00D0-4B4B-B737-78FDDF51C556.thumb.jpeg.bd348294af70afebf47d012ff4a72f46.jpeg


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## VTTrain

Strawberries don’t belong in a salad.  Never.  It’s one thing that drives me crazy about Florida.


----------



## cpotisch

VTTrain said:


> Strawberries don’t belong in a salad.  Never.  It’s one thing that drives me crazy about Florida.


Agreed. But at least it wasn’t really _in _the salad, but rather on the side. And IMHO, the much bigger issue with that particular strawberry was the decently sizeable soft spot/bruise. I do not **** around when it comes to strawberries. ^_^


----------



## cpotisch

A pretty chill day. It was sort of pouring earlier but I went out, ignored the rain, and relaxed in the hot tub. There’s something surprisingly nice about being in a hot tub while it’s raining. Tonight I think we’ll be getting Italian again (Stalone’s).

Tomorrow I’ll be meeting up with jis in West Palm Beach for our trip on Brightline to Miami and back. We’re taking Smart down and Select back, and of course my plan is to post my experience back here, with plenty of pictures.


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## Mystic River Dragon

cpotisch said:


> We’re taking Smart down and Select back, and of course my plan is to post my experience back here, with plenty of pictures.


Yes, please--you will be the advance scout for those of us who are planning to do it but haven't yet.


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## cpotisch

In the car driving over to WPB Brightline!


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## cpotisch

Greetings from Brightline West Palm Beach! Here with [email protected][/USER] waiting for the currently-on-time 12:00 train:

/monthly_2018_12/57F4391A-ED74-41A7-9235-F0AD3B1686E8.thumb.jpeg.7851a8e6bef6cb622574858536962de2.jpeg

s


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## PVD

BCAD is Broward County Aviation Department...it a retired FedEx plane they donated to be used for training and education.


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## cpotisch

Greetings from Brightline! We are on BrightBlue (for those who don’t know, each of the five Brightline consists have their own color and name). We’re currently stopped in Fort Lauderdale, and my overall impression so far is that THIS TRAIN IS NICE. It feels modern and roomy, and to be honest really puts to shame the equipment and ride quality of Amtrak. And of course the station was really nice as well. I have gotten a bunch of pictures, but WiFi is slow onboard so I may have to upload them later.


----------



## cpotisch

In Select on the train back. And let me tell you, it is WAY nicer than Smart. In the Select Lounge at the station, there is plenty of booze (which I obviously did not avail myself of), coffee, tea, soda, and chips (this was the first time I’ve ever found salt and vinegar chips at any kind of free snack stand!). And of course the onboard experience is much nicer as well, with 2x1, more legroom, and some tables. We’re sharing one of the three two-person tables, in the 1 seat side of the aisle. And at the end of the car is this pretty huge self serve snack cart with all the snacks that the lounge had and more. Select is well worth the premium, IMO.


----------



## cpotisch

Okay, here we go with the pics...

An overhead shot of the rear (north end) locomotive as we headed down to board the southbound:




From inside Smart coach #3 in West Palm Station having just boarded:



Somewhere between West Palm and Fort Lauderdale:





Passing Fort Lauderale Airport, just before arriving at Fort Lauderdale _Station_:



Making our way up the pretty steep grade to MiamiCentral:


Passing (northbound) BrightOrange on said grade:/monthly_2018_12/7537F137-2289-4391-AF21-E60DC42EB851.thumb.jpeg.daa053147a08f140024f9e3128489b32.jpeg
/monthly_2018_12/AAC2F5E5-0F24-4F49-83D2-89704723CA86.thumb.jpeg.a4a1a60c923da9818e38075ee1a1bba9.jpeg

Pulling into the station:/monthly_2018_12/DB8B9AD5-1A96-408B-956B-40042DCDA748.thumb.jpeg.5f1c4b9f3ec6d8a586b448405cc3725d.jpeg
/monthly_2018_12/6E812332-43F3-4EE5-BD0A-1B0256F96C47.thumb.jpeg.17bfcd059fdfe89af351af84f015d521.jpeg

BrightBlue, after disembarkation in Miami:/monthly_2018_12/21367254-1FC1-419E-BC14-7D02C6569EE4.thumb.jpeg.54b747ff0a88f8b9fc0b8271436a8bc1.jpeg

The lower level MiamiCentral concourse:/monthly_2018_12/D3603992-7DF7-4AA1-BD4E-4F4A5B97FA57.thumb.jpeg.89c236fdb3c6ca8565c4eb679646e3b1.jpeg/monthly_2018_12/3FBC102B-AD28-4029-87E3-08AABE270A09.thumb.jpeg.788aa50309c6995b3a61325aac382d6c.jpeg

The restaurant in the station where we got lunch, and the tasty-enough avocado, mozzarella, tomato, and pesto sandwich I got there:/monthly_2018_12/FCB25E8F-9921-49AF-99F9-38E8DF08AC1C.thumb.jpeg.407f9b0f413766e13eaf3e6734e921a7.jpeg/monthly_2018_12/40B82914-5767-443F-8D1B-B9EB05848EFC.thumb.jpeg.c04ab97012e046f5cfc6b24c8d03a624.jpeg

[to be continued]


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## cpotisch

The northbound run also happened to be on BrightBlue...

The rear (south end) locomotive:/monthly_2018_12/25C84D33-2BAB-4F7B-ACB1-C89BADAEF6F0.thumb.jpeg.58178253af0e0e2bdb51ab97b935c273.jpeg

The Select coach:/monthly_2018_12/E46D37AC-E00E-458B-9C5B-814930D1F60D.thumb.jpeg.e14f816f989e9e646b4bd82f3099a8b1.jpeg/monthly_2018_12/FF4FCB36-0796-4734-A3A4-E1C9B5522618.thumb.jpeg.725cd3dc503a7dc96368d2b67cc642e5.jpeg/monthly_2018_12/9EBC3486-91DC-44EA-91FE-C265096DC03F.thumb.jpeg.0fc8ed62233e28ef2f57e404bb8eaf1a.jpeg

The (complimentary) snack station at the end of the car!/monthly_2018_12/2BA2CCFB-614B-4682-AD51-C0FD4BFE119A.thumb.jpeg.b23a264c4407233e64b6868854e2827c.jpeg

I forgot to get pictures of our seats, but they were really roomy, and the table had cute little pop out USB and outlet modules for each passenger, as well as pop out table extensions with these weird 0.5 mm deep cup holders (I guess they are more supposed to keep things from sliding around  than from tipping or spilling?).

So that is my first trip on Brightline, courtesy of its trainset “BrightBlue”. The equipment and stations all felt incredibly modern, clean, comfortable, and quiet. The whole booking and seat selection process is really simple and streamlined, and the whole ride is made experience and hassle-free by having the station turnstiles instead of someone onboard checking tickets. I have it to endorse the BrightID system as well, in which the app automatically provides a QR code to scan at the turnstiles, based on your account, such that you don’t need to pull up an individual ticket or boarding pass to get through. It just knows from your account what trip you have coming up, and sees whether you have any rides coming up and therefore that you can be let in.

I think that the fact that this is a basically brand new company means that they can do lots of cool and innovative stuff without being bogged down by beurocracy or old, dated infrastructure.

Anyhow, sorry I forgot to get take pics of the seating and Select Lounge. Maybe next time.


----------



## railiner

Talk about "Mind The Gap"....any idea of the overall width of those cars?


----------



## cpotisch

railiner said:


> Talk about "Mind The Gap"....any idea of the overall width of those cars?


Brightline trains actually have an automatic bridge plate under each door that slides out and completely spans the gap.


----------



## railiner

I did notice that...any idea of the overall car width?   They look "Euro" to my eye...sort of like the Ren cars on VIARail....


----------



## cpotisch

railiner said:


> I did notice that...any idea of the overall car width?   They look "Euro" to my eye...sort of like the Ren cars on VIARail....


Unfortunately I don’t know. As far as I can tell Brightline is the only operator of this particular type of coach and I don’t think it has an official public model number or name, so I’m having a hard time finding any specs. :wacko:


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## jis

They are 10’ some inches wide. They are compliant with the PRIIA NGEC single level car specification. European cars are generally as wide as American cars. Rens are British loading gauge. That is much narrower.


----------



## TEREB

cpotisch said:


> Getting ready to head out to “Shinju Japanese Buffet”. Time to get my eel on!


Lucky you, Since we won't be on the Meteor till early January we have to wait to overindulge.  We go to the one on University Dr.

And speaking of dinner, since we were Meteor riding snowbirds for past 8 years, we've always ordered the fish entree and have never been disappointed.  Only one time the salmon was a little dry, but still delicious. I ask for the mashed potatoes instead of the rice. I think their mashed is so much better.


----------



## TEREB

I am so enjoying your travelogue.  Thank you for your posts and pics. 

P.S. Brooklyn people rule.


----------



## railiner

jis said:


> They are 10’ some inches wide. They are compliant with the PRIIA NGEC single level car specification. European cars are generally as wide as American cars. Rens are British loading gauge. That is much narrower.


Then why the large gap at the platforms, and need for the 'bridge plates'?


----------



## jis

railiner said:


> Then why the large gap at the platforms, and need for the 'bridge plates'?


To reduce/eliminate cost of maintaining a close tolerance edge of platform. This is common practice on many railroads in main line operations. The bridge plates actually provide a much more secure and predictable path for wheelchairs at each door than attempting to do the same with close tolerance platform edges in main line operation. Most Amtrak trains have to use a bridge plate anyway at station with platform edges that are supposed to be the right height and right distance from the train edge. And then there is of course Metropark!


----------



## Mystic River Dragon

Looks absolutely wonderful! Thank you for sharing the trip with us! 

For people without smartphone/apps, etc., did you notice a ticket booth? Or would you reserve online ahead of time and print out a ticket like you can on Amtrak?


----------



## cpotisch

TEREB said:


> I am so enjoying your travelogue.  Thank you for your posts and pics.
> 
> P.S. Brooklyn people rule.


My man!


----------



## cpotisch

Mystic River Dragon said:


> Looks﻿ absolutely wonderful!


It really was. I am incredibly impressed with Brightline.



Mystic River Dragon said:


> Thank you for sharing the trip with us!


You’re very welcome! It’s actually been sort of refreshing to write a report like this, since it means I don’t have to worry about remembering every little bit myself!  



Mystic River Dragon said:


> For people without smartphone/apps, etc., did you notice a ticket booth? Or would you reserve online ahead of time and print out a ticket like you can on Amtrak?﻿


There are electronic kiosks in the station where you can buy tickets. There isn’t a “ticket booth”, as Brightline has focused on minimizing the number of employees needed to “run the show”.


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## jis

You can actually get a Brightline human agent at the checkin counter to sell and print you a ticket, or help you at the kiosk do so too.

Even more importantly, you can get them to help with deciphering the godforsaken parking app too. :lol:


----------



## cpotisch

Mystic River Dragon said:


> Or would you reserve online ahead of time and print out a ticket like you can on Amtrak?


And to clarify, I purchased my ticket days in advance. It’s just that I was able to use the “BrightID” in the app instead of a specific QR code for each ticket.


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## cpotisch

Anyhow, off to the Sunday brunch buffet for the second (and last) time! I will make sure to take plenty of pictures this time around.


----------



## JRR

TEREB said:


> Lucky you, Since we won't be on the Meteor till early January we have to wait to overindulge.  We go to the one on University Dr.
> And speaking of dinner, since we were Meteor riding snowbirds for past 8 years, we've always ordered the fish entree and have never been disappointed.  Only one time the salmon was a little dry, but still delicious. I ask for the mashed potatoes instead of the rice. I think their mashed is so much better.


I ordered the baked potato with the salmon tonight (on the 97) and they gave me the rice also which I was too full to eat!


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## cpotisch

So here is the buffet from yesterday...

Here is the dessert table, piled high with cookies, rugelach, apple pie, apple meringue pie, cake, danishes, tarts, brownies, etc:


/monthly_2019_01/D950D941-69CE-471D-AC0F-9998713870EE.thumb.jpeg.264d0d1ce10de603a56e08073e882d3e.jpeg

My first plate consisted of home fries, and two mini waffles from the waffle bar: one chocolate and one plain, topped with whipped cream, maple syrup, and fresh strawberries:

 

After that, I got another plate full of potatoes (didn’t bother with a picture), and then quite literally doubled down on my previous waffle order:/monthly_2019_01/9D7E146F-29C3-417F-B095-8AB02F8143EC.thumb.jpeg.263a3e4e3d110eb767941016f4a02282.jpeg

Then I grabbed a raspberry danish and submerged it in the chocolate fountain, and though it doesn’t really look like much, boy was it good:/monthly_2019_01/6F9F4AC0-215F-45A7-B12E-5CFE94EF56BE.thumb.jpeg.2c18c2afbeb9c6c5c6bb332388d65c38.jpeg/monthly_2019_01/C4ABEF9C-0153-4DBF-AA11-2C4BEE581625.thumb.jpeg.db3989c54d53baebac11d233ab3bc5c6.jpeg

Then got some coffee ice cream:/monthly_2019_01/0033CE83-5336-48A1-9839-480E5271B1AC.thumb.jpeg.f249e7f1e3b2dd46109e381e803b76ad.jpeg

And then went for another plate of potatoes (I do like potatoes)/monthly_2019_01/B8F6E99B-CB27-4782-8509-DDA344D734D3.thumb.jpeg.4e600b33533dae82a02c271304f2bf61.jpeg

_And then_ totally fell asleep at the table after my big meal. ^_^


----------



## cpotisch

And so, in less than nine hours, I am on the train home. The nice thing about taking the train back is that I have something to look forward to at the end of the trip, though the northbound run always seems to be less enjoyable than the southbound. It’s been an absolutely lovely trip, and of course I will post plenty of updates from the train, as well as some of the pictures of my evening of fireworks and ice cream and such, but this is still sad.

Good bye, Florida.


----------



## pennyk

I was outdoors when your train passed the street on which I live.  I heard, then saw your train.


----------



## railiner

pennyk said:


> I was outdoors when your train passed the street on which I live.  I heard, then saw your train.


You should have had a 'micro-gathering' on the platform, during the 'smoke-stop'.....


----------



## cpotisch

Sorry I’ve totally forgotten to update this from the train. We had a very nice day, including some pretty good food in the dining car, and a very nice dad and son who we first met on the platform in Delray. I think the dad is like 70 or so, while the son they said is 28. Both super nice and friendly.  

We left Charleston, SC a few minutes ago, and I’m now in the upper bunk getting settled for some shut eye. I have gotten lots of pictures so far, but internet is slow from the train, so I think I will wait to post them until I am home.


----------



## Mystic River Dragon

Thanks for the wonderful pictures of your brunch, especially the potatoes and that dessert table! 

Of course it is always harder going northbound from Florida, because it signals the end of the adventure is near.   But there will be another adventure somewhere just around the corner.


----------



## cpotisch

Mystic River Dragon said:


> Thanks for the wonderful pictures of your brunch, especially the potatoes and that dessert table!


You're very welcome.  



Mystic River Dragon said:


> Of course it is always harder going northbound from Florida, because it signals the end of the adventure is near.   But there will be another adventure somewhere just around the corner.  ﻿


Indeed. We are planning a train trip to New Orleans with my grandparents, that should take place early this summer, which should be plenty fun. Of course that's more than five months from now, but I guess that just means I have more than five months of excitement thinking about it! Win-win, I guess.


----------



## cpotisch

OK, so here are all the photos from the ride home...

Arriving at DLB:/monthly_2019_01/E99BA0E4-0601-45C7-9351-036C86D55214.thumb.jpeg.1ac60c2dbc65c1171d86ecffd7abe9a2.jpeg

Southbound Tri-Rail on the other track (a GP49 pulling three Bombardier Bi-Levels):/monthly_2019_01/A8442ADA-A3A2-48F9-83A4-D85179AD2390.thumb.jpeg.eb752f292747968475966806d344bf40.jpeg




#98 approaching:



For the first time, I noticed this little “AMF” labeled thingy underneath each coach. Can someone tell me if that’s an abbreviation for Amfleet or something else?/monthly_2019_01/BEDAE512-BE38-4595-ADE4-23503BA8A61C.thumb.jpeg.a564f33cad30cc5f1ff5ddd371d14205.jpeg

We had V-II diner 68012 _Harrisburg:_/monthly_2019_01/ECB9722D-BF94-4793-80F5-C89A248DB9ED.thumb.jpeg.971d00b06d76d6576ca465a9549c0fc6.jpeg

While waiting in Delray, we struck up conversation with Sam and Bill, a serious railfan and his father, who were also booked in 9810, and were heading up to Baltimore. They were super nice, so we made sure to be seated together at Breakfast.

#98 was supposed to depart Delray at 9:22, but it ended up _arriving_ in DLB at 9:35 AM, and by the time they made the second stop for sleeper passengers and we were onboard, it was after 9:40 the 13 minutes late. We immediately went straight to the dining car, and _just barely_ made it to breakfast in time. As usual, I got cranberry juice and pancakes, which were very good:


Departing DLB:


We got a 1:00 PM lunch reservation, so most of the meal was spent passing through Kissimmee and then stopped in Orlando. Unfortunately, unlike our cheerful and talkative breakfast we had with Sam and Bill, lunch was extraordinarily quiet. The couple we were seated with were incredibly anti-social. We tried to strike up some small talk but they totally shut it down. That is obviously their right, but it just put a damper on the mood.

That said, the food was VERY good and plated pretty elegantly as well, so for most of the meal, I wasn’t really thinking about how antisocial our table mates were. Admittedly the side salad didn’t look or taste like much.../monthly_2019_01/A1DE14DB-A75F-4829-A008-5724ABD0F7A8.thumb.jpeg.cb332153e6f66a6a2713033a0afad67b.jpeg

...But the mussels I ordered were GREAT. They had some finely chopped tomatoes and Parmesan on them, and a nice toasted bun on top to mop up the sauce. It was REALLY good. Like it wasn’t just good by Amtrak standards. It was actually a legitimately tasty meal. :help: /monthly_2019_01/BF9E582B-9E65-494E-B136-0C83F4B624A4.thumb.jpeg.0151a4ef5b151746226b9b34c4efa1db.jpeg

I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that since our ride down, they had apparently changed up the dessert menu. They had ditched the “salted caramel parfait”, and in its place was a new “Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake”. I ordered that, and of course immediately said yes to whipped cream when the waiter asked. Once again, it was a really nice presentation, with little rosettes of whipped cream around the cake, and was legitimately delicious. Sweet but not too sweet, a little spicy and very pumpkiny, Well done Amtrak, that dessert is extremely good./monthly_2019_01/0B5F7BEF-08BD-4F86-B885-94AC58F66B3B.thumb.jpeg.b21f8c90b2e3ffb78019be7fae79ac45.jpeg

And while eating lunch in Orlando, we noticed the Good Year blimp up ahead!  :huh:   I don’t know what it was there for, but maybe someone who lives in that area ([email protected][/USER]...cough) can answer that:/monthly_2019_01/B742AFEE-B0FD-40F3-A5C3-D0204921B9B0.thumb.jpeg.90413e46e46a24504e7b5b8ad02272df.jpeg

I think I took this somewhere near DeLand:/monthly_2019_01/CFECF673-05CF-42A2-8EC7-A74AC9EFEED4.thumb.jpeg.cdbd3a09724979f2dacee52d9fd5f52f.jpeg

[to be continued]


----------



## cpotisch

We got a 6:30 PM dinner reservation with Bill and Sam, so we started eating a little after crossing the border into Georgia, and finished as we arrived into Savannah.

/monthly_2019_01/0769CCA3-2EA3-464B-9408-B53A095D6086.thumb.jpeg.3faefacafd709ae939c7ff23390157fd.jpeg/monthly_2019_01/2D2FDD85-71AA-440F-AE05-15651ACE841C.thumb.jpeg.6ddad3b9a8f43315fe19532890dfe974.jpeg

Unfortunately, this was the first time I have ever had a dinner on Amtrak where they did not let me order the Black Bean and Corn Veggie Burger, which is technically on the lunch menu. I’m not totally sure if this was just a case of them not having any veggie burgers left, or if the generally unfriendly diner staff weren’t willing to go the trouble of preparing a lunch item at dinner. Whatever be the reason, the salmon was the only option I could eat (other than the really crappy vegetarian pasta I had on the way down), so here we are. /monthly_2019_01/19DB003A-9B7A-4CD3-9785-682D5D8165F0.thumb.jpeg.247b5a63ea43ab9422207092230efbb5.jpegThe weird cheesy sauce that came with it was disgusting, and the string beans were (unsurprisingly) mushy and flavorless, so I just kept to the salmon itself and the wild rice. Admittedly, the wild rice was pretty good and the salmon was decent, but they just can’t hold a candle to the black bean burger with Monterey Jack, lettuce, tomato, kettle chips, and a pickle, that I was looking forward to.   

And of course for dessert I got the Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake again, which was just as delicious the second time around.  /monthly_2019_01/B9F08F51-679B-49B8-80C9-D02AA46301AA.thumb.jpeg.b549f70e1b860612e6230e9064271373.jpeg

Finally we headed back to our sleeper (BTW we were in car 9810, Viewliner 62046, and James was our wonderful SCA). We said goodbye to Sam and Bill, though we traded contact info. We got ready for bed, watched a bunch of Looney Tunes, and got some shut eye for the very last time on this trip.


----------



## pennyk

cpotisch said:


> And while eating lunch in Orlando, we noticed the Good Year blimp up ahead!  :huh:   I don’t know what it was there for, but maybe someone who lives in that area ([email protected][/USER]...cough) can answer that:/monthly_2019_01/B742AFEE-B0FD-40F3-A5C3-D0204921B9B0.thumb.jpeg.90413e46e46a24504e7b5b8ad02272df.jpeg


The Goodyear blimp was in Orlando because of a bowl game (football). The football stadium (Camping World Stadium f/k/a Citrus Bowl) is northwest of the Orlando Amtrak station.


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## cpotisch

We both woke up shortly after leaving Baltimore...

/monthly_2019_01/913D134D-929B-49A8-B32B-983C9FE0F485.thumb.jpeg.3978f1aad17ec7b717cc6be64f9cb82c.jpeg

...and decided to eat breakfast in the our room.

We asked James, and not only was he happy to do so, but also extremely quick and efficient in doing so. Within only a couple minutes he had brought us a menu and taken our orders. Maybe five minutes after that, my pancakes and mom’s quesadillas were “delivered”. I don’t know how you did it, James, but well done!


Got these pics as we approached Wilmington:/monthly_2019_01/557E0E87-6340-450D-A44A-4D21DA2603E4.thumb.jpeg.82d30b3bc6aa074085042dcd0362389d.jpeg/monthly_2019_01/2C8AB117-1075-4B73-9952-221865BCBB99.thumb.jpeg.b1834c7a79fa26fe7230c6c193e28db3.jpeg/monthly_2019_01/2148BF11-3E7B-46D4-88DD-483F87F8D25C.thumb.jpeg.f85269fd02dc49772125590ddc1efea3.jpeg

And got these two _in_ Wilmington:/monthly_2019_01/0458EA4F-0E31-4C2C-931F-B41E55641757.thumb.jpeg.66540ef1c70189adf042cd1875722ccb.jpeg/monthly_2019_01/9729CA77-09D2-4A28-8673-4C6C45C1E56B.thumb.jpeg.75221dd9c9f99c90daef81aaae75005f.jpeg

And these shortly after Philly!  /monthly_2019_01/11CFA055-D808-4743-9E3E-C1FDD3570276.thumb.jpeg.b3615c5951153e183738f04f911e3180.jpeg/monthly_2019_01/12575C4D-8E5F-4C8B-93E9-5C165E35769B.thumb.jpeg.50711b925c6203012a831f6c11f01078.jpeg

These appear to be a bunch of old Budd SPV shells, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re not real. Maybe someone else knows the answer?/monthly_2019_01/CCF49E56-EA4A-42F5-98B6-E40F40CB1CD9.thumb.jpeg.74d9f9303da0778415cd765833186a1e.jpeg/monthly_2019_01/79E244EB-6D81-4EFC-BFE1-965CF399370C.thumb.jpeg.1bf38dad36d8aa6c6a21b24a7fdabc4b.jpeg

Going around this bend, I discovered that were actually being hauled by *two* ACS-64s, both with their pantographs up. I don’t know why 17,200 horsepower was considered necessary here, though. :wacko: /monthly_2019_01/AA7F8BC2-BFC7-41C2-AEF1-A4D15BDD2404.thumb.jpeg.a8deeaf9487949c41c398fc8ce282ff3.jpeg

In Newark Penn:
 

And finally, New York Penn   

Our sleeper: Viewliner I #62046, car 9810:/monthly_2019_01/2AD50F9E-F308-430D-A703-902993595B46.thumb.jpeg.876cf272605f9a4dacef22d81b1c8b8d.jpeg

68012 _Harrisburg_:/monthly_2019_01/AAB2142F-A621-44EA-A245-A754F3F6B72C.thumb.jpeg.9a29f6dcacdc31f6777c3054a5062bc2.jpeg






Interestingly, we actually had two Lounge Cars; one in the normal spot between the last coach and the dining car.../monthly_2019_01/CCA809AA-00B5-4CCC-BBDB-B7F98B70D797.thumb.jpeg.68398687436847d55aa9f28ba14ffeed.jpeg

...And one at the front of the train right behind the locos./monthly_2019_01/4726EC74-9388-4C0D-BBED-285C79EC7E58.thumb.jpeg.6a18d36676759fe0656cb4939fea5f09.jpeg

I’m not sure why we had two, or if this one at the front was even in use at all (maybe it wasn’t, since I’m pretty sure they said over the loudspeaker that “the lounge car is once again open. It is located behind the coaches and in front of the dining car and sleepers”). IDK.

And here are the two ACS-64s that hauled us north of WAS:/monthly_2019_01/9863B833-7BDB-4768-BB2E-0E512DE50BA0.thumb.jpeg.73055a811368d43e33020d9d90313584.jpeg/monthly_2019_01/4A5AC966-E0EE-45B0-AB11-21DEBF8F794E.thumb.jpeg.7b796a06960c3d48c8f7c296317f2d57.jpeg

For the record, this wasn’t even a particularly long Meteor, with the typical three sleepers and I think five coaches (it might have been six). So with the extra lounge car, the train was only one or two cars longer than normal, and that really shouldn’t necessitate two electric locomotives with their pantographs up.

Finally, we were ready to leave the Silver Meteor behind. We dropped by ClubAcela to use the bathroom, change from my sandals to sneakers (it’s cold up here), and grab a couple snacks.

We caught the A home, and got here by 11:45 AM. After just under 14 days, which included roughly 2,800 miles of train travel, my trip was over.

Thanks for reading, y’all!


----------



## railiner

Nicely done, thanks for posting!


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## cpotisch

railiner said:


> Nicely done, thanks for posting!


Glad to do so!


----------



## gaspeamtrak

That was one "helluva a trip report" !!! Thank you for sharing !!! 

I loved all those pictures on and off the train and of all the food you sampled!  

I'm like my food to ! My weight was around 150 lbs and I was 6'6" tall but after I turned  30 I didn't burn it off like I used too!!!  

Be careful !!!    I think  I put 10 lbs. on just looking at those pictures!!! 

Again, thank you for sharing with us and Happy New Year to you and your family !!!


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## iplaybass

Quote: These appear to be a bunch of old Budd SPV shells, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re not real. Maybe someone else knows the answer?

They are old original "Metroliner" shells. I was fortunate enough in my youth to get a cab ride from 30th street to DC in one and remember doing 120mph in 1973. After retirement, some were converted to cab cars, and others left to rot. I think a few were kept for parts, but I don't know the story of the shells at Wilmington. They've been there for YEARS. 

That place could have been a PRR/PC history museum; over the Amtrak years I've seen the Metroliners, GG-1, E-44, MP-54 (involuntary shudder), and once I think I even saw a low level "Congressional" trainset.


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## Mystic River Dragon

I've enjoyed reading this so much all the way through your trip--thank you!

I'm so glad you got a photo of that whale mural in Delaware that I'm always telling people to look for  .

That pumpkin spice cake is the best dessert I've ever had on Amtrak, and that includes chocolate desserts.

Thank you for the report--it has given us up here in the north a nice dose of sunshine!


----------



## cpotisch

iplaybass said:


> Quote: These appear to be a bunch of old Budd SPV shells, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re not real. Maybe someone else knows the answer?
> 
> They are old original "Metroliner" shells. I was fortunate enough in my youth to get a cab ride from 30th street to DC in one and remember doing 120mph in 1973. After retirement, some were converted to cab cars, and others left to rot. I think a few were kept for parts, but I don't know the story of the shells at Wilmington. They've been there for YEARS.


But the windows on the ends of those shells look much more like that of an SPV than of a Metroliner:

/monthly_2019_01/CCF49E56-EA4A-42F5-98B6-E40F40CB1CD9.jpeg.3015dc2381ee2d7d81cd8c1e1c41bbed.jpeg

The windows on a Metroliner are short and asymmetrical:







While the windows on the SPV-2000 are tall and totally symmetrical:




So I don’t see how those could be Metroliner shells. :wacko:


----------



## cpotisch

gaspeamtrak said:


> That was one "helluva a trip report" !!! Thank you for sharing !!!
> 
> I loved all those pictures on and off the train and of all the food you sampled!
> 
> I'm like my food to ! My weight was around 150 lbs and I was 6'6" tall but after I turned 30 I didn't burn it off like I used too!!!
> 
> Be careful !!!     I think I put 10 lbs. on just looking at those pictures!!!
> 
> Again, thank you for sharing with us and Happy New Year to you and your family !!!


Glad you enjoyed this! Getting back to eating normally is definitely going to be difficult! 

Happy New Year!


----------



## cpotisch

Mystic River Dragon said:


> T﻿hat pumpkin spice cake is the best dessert I've ever had on Amtrak, and that includes chocolate desserts.


I probably have to agree here, however I do remember loving the crispy, chocolate covered cream puff that they were serving on my first ever LD trip (Silver Star NYP-DLB, December 2011). Other than that short lived cream puff, not a single other dessert on Amtrak has come close.



Mystic River Dragon said:


> I've enjoyed reading this so much all the way through your trip--thank you! ... Thank you for the report--it has given us up here in the north a nice dose of sunshine!


My pleasure.   I’ll definitely make sure to do this again next time!


----------



## iplaybass

cpotisch said:


> But the windows on the ends of those shells look much more like that of an SPV than of a Metroliner:
> /monthly_2019_01/CCF49E56-EA4A-42F5-98B6-E40F40CB1CD9.jpeg.3015dc2381ee2d7d81cd8c1e1c41bbed.jpeg
> 
> The windows on a Metroliner are short and asymmetrical:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> While the windows on the SPV-2000 are tall and totally symmetrical:
> /monthly_2019_01/3C721E46-6F9A-4503-A7E5-4BD9205134D6.jpeg.90b4e0b00cb60ca82b03675430d22951.jpeg
> 
> So I don’t see how those could be Metroliner shells.


IIRC, Most of the Metroliners were stored and caniabalized at that Wilmington facility. Having said that, you're right about the windows. The Metroliners were environmentally unfriendly, same as the GG-1. PCB coolant (?), so they wouldn't have been left as is. Still think Budd may have used a few shells if only as the design template/prototype for Amfleet and its kin.


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## railiner

The wiki article on the SPV's said that there were 14 uncompleted car bodies...perhaps these could be them? :unsure:


----------



## railiner

iplaybass said:


> That place could have been a PRR/PC history museum; over the Amtrak years I've seen the Metroliners, GG-1, E-44, MP-54 (involuntary shudder), and once I think I even saw a low level "Congressional" trainset.


By "low level 'Congressional' trainset", I believe you may have been referring to these...https://streamlinermemories.info/?p=2276

The Congressional's, used conventional Budd postwar equipment.


----------



## Sauve850

cpotisch said:


> Glad to do so!


Great trip report and pics!


----------



## MARC Rider

railiner said:


> By "low level 'Congressional' trainset", I believe you may have been referring to these...https://streamlinermemories.info/?p=2276
> 
> The Congressional's, used conventional Budd postwar equipment.


Oooh, the Keystone.  One of my favorites for a PHL-TRE or PHL-WIL teenage joyride back circa 1968.  Definitely not ADA compliant, as anybody in a wheelchair would have to sit in the smoking lounge at the ends.


----------



## iplaybass

MARC Rider said:


> Oooh, the Keystone.  One of my favorites for a PHL-TRE or PHL-WIL teenage joyride back circa 1968.  Definitely not ADA compliant, as anybody in a wheelchair would have to sit in the smoking lounge at the ends.


Exactly. I tried to explain this to some railfans, but they've almost managed to convince me I was hallucinating at 5 years old. Thanks for the link, and the correct name.


----------



## Dakota 400

cpotisch said:


> generally unfriendly diner staff weren’t willing to go the trouble of preparing a lunch item at dinner. Whatever be the reason, the salmo


I wonder if the diner staff on my #98 train on January 23rd was the same as yours.  The SA (a woman) was more interested in teaching the LSA (a man) how to play some type of a portable keyboard device than serving her customers.  The LSA did his job, but nothing exceptional.  Entering the diner from 9810, I had to wait much too long to even be recognized as standing there, let alone being seated.  Odd dinner times were only offered:  5:00, 5:30, 6:30, and 8:00.  Arriving somewhat early for my 8:00 reservation, I waited and waited and waited to be recognized by either the LSA or the SA, only to be informed by the SA that I was too early and wouldn't be seated until 8:00.  All 3 diner employees, though, seemed to be able to take enough "breaks" as I witnessed them passing though my car, 9811, to their accommodations during both the hours for lunch and dinner.

That "chef" needs to return to cooking school.  Boarding in Fort Lauderdale, I was pleased to be offered breakfast.  I did not expect that.  But, my overcooked Scrambled Eggs was disappointing as was the under-cooked Mac n' Cheese for lunch and the overcooked, almost dry salmon for dinner.  Your comment about the sauce served with the salmon is spot on, I think.  And, I also thought the rice pilaf was flavorful .


----------



## cpotisch

Dakota 400 said:


> I wonder if the diner staff on my #98 train on January 23rd was the same as yours.  The SA (a woman) was more interested in teaching the LSA (a man) how to play some type of a portable keyboard device than serving her customers.  The LSA did his job, but nothing exceptional.  Entering the diner from 9810, I had to wait much too long to even be recognized as standing there, let alone being seated.  Odd dinner times were only offered:  5:00, 5:30, 6:30, and 8:00.  Arriving somewhat early for my 8:00 reservation, I waited and waited and waited to be recognized by either the LSA or the SA, only to be informed by the SA that I was too early and wouldn't be seated until 8:00.  All 3 diner employees, though, seemed to be able to take enough "breaks" as I witnessed them passing though my car, 9811, to their accommodations during both the hours for lunch and dinner.
> 
> That "chef" needs to return to cooking school.  Boarding in Fort Lauderdale, I was pleased to be offered breakfast.  I did not expect that.  But, my﻿ overcooked Scrambled Eggs was disappointing as was the under-cooked Mac n' Cheese for lunch and the overcooked, almost dry salmon for dinner.  Your comment about the sauce served with the salmon is spot on, I think.  And, I also thought the rice pilaf was flavorful .  ﻿


Rick was our server in the dining car, if that rings a bell. He was pretty bizarrely rude. For example at dinner, when he came to our table (of four) with our meal and asked “Which one of you is having the salmon”, and I said that it’s me, he just completely ignored me, kept on asking, and kept on ignoring my response, until he eventually recognized my existence with a “I HEARD YOU, AND I KNOW YOU GOT THE SALMON. WHO ELSE HAD SALMON?”. No one else got salmon.

Instead of just ignoring me every time and waiting for someone else to say they had salmon, how hard would it be to recognize my existence just once?  <_<


----------



## Bob Dylan

And Amtrak told you what when you reported this jerk?


----------



## cpotisch

Bob Dylan said:


> And Amtrak told you what when you reported this jerk?


I really don't think it's worth it to call and report people for this stuff. People have bad days, and I have more productive things I can spend my time on. If he was REALLY rude, I would, but this just didn't feel worth it.


----------



## Ronbo

cpotisch said:


> I really don't think it's worth it to call and report people for this stuff. People have bad days, and I have more productive things I can spend my time on. If he was REALLY rude, I would, but this just didn't feel worth it.


Unfortunate encounter, but I agree, sometimes it is just better to FUHGEDDABOUTIT and move on!


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## Mystic River Dragon

I wonder if it's the same man who was on 98 when I went up recently (I did a splurge on top of a splurge--roomette from DLB to WPK after the wonderful TPS tour  ) so had a late breakfast and early lunch  .

He was thin and very pale--had almost white hair, I think--does that sound like the one in your dining car, cpotish?

 I've run into him once before. He seems slightly on edge and a bit abrupt, which could appear rude, although I don't think he means to be.

I just turned on the charm (which I can get away with at my age  ) and said what a treat it was to have a meal in the lovely new dining car, and he and the other server were fine with me. I waved to them as I left after lunch, and they smiled and waved back. (Either they were being friendly or they were just thankful to see me go :giggle: .)


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## cpotisch

Mystic River Dragon said:


> He was thin and very pale--had almost white hair, I think--does that sound like the one in your dining car, cpotisch?﻿
> 
> I've run into him once before. He seems slightly on edge and a bit abrupt, which could appear rude, although I don't think he means to be.


Yep, that's definitely him! You seriously took the words right out of my mouth!

I agree that he didn't seem malicious per se (one of the reasons I didn't want to report him), but rather just a bit on edge and indeed abrupt. For example when he brought our lunch over and was having a hard time getting my plate down in front of me, and I started to reach up to take the plate and put it down myself, he just gave me this odd sort of frantic and confused expression. Not mean, but just kind of overwhelmed.


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## Mystic River Dragon

Ah, that explains it. I don't think he's rude on purpose--I think he's just very anxious for everything to go just right and gets a bit thrown off base if things don't run exactly as he's planned them.

I'm a bit like that myself, and can't imagine being in that type of job with that personality--must be very stressful for him. I know I could never do it!


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