# On a whim I went to Stamford



## battalion51 (Nov 13, 2004)

Yes, you read the tittle right. I flew to the Big Apple yesterday afternoon on JetBlue (more on them later) with my friend (Chris) and his parents. We arrived in the City around 5:00 in the heart of rush hour traffic. We arrived at the Washington Sq. Hotel and checked into our rooms. After a half hour of downtime we went out and walked around the NYU campus, which is different from a traditional college setting in many ways due to the compactness of the school. We walked through Washington Sq. Park, which seems to be the center of student life at night. Many Yoga groups, people playing guitars, and people just hanging out (plus a few here and there smoking reefer). We walked a block or two north to the Resturant where we would be meeting some of Chris' extended family. I don't remember the entire resturant name, but I know Otto was the middle word of three. It's a very upscale pizza resturant, with fairly reasonable prices ($9 for a personal pizza) for the type of resturant it is. There were 8 of us and we spent about 2.5 hours talking, drinking wine, and eating. After dinner it was around 10:00, we headed back to the hotel, where I grabbed the camcorder and headed Uptown on an A train to Penn Station, then transferred to a 3 Train to Times Sq. The purpose of the trip for me was to video tape everyday NY life for use in the production of my Drama Troupe's One Act "Songs for a New World." I walked around Times Sq. filming people, cars going by, and just the everyday stuff. After getting what I needed I boarded an E Train for the Trade Center. We arrived on a Stub track which put me just one block north of the Trade Center. Since I had last been to New York in August of 2002 there has been significant progress at the site with the rebuilt PATH station, and more permanent fencing installed. I made a loop around the site, trying to get video of the site where I could, but it's nearly impossible. One of the true mistakes they have made with the site to this point is not creating a platform where you can just go up there at anytime of day or night and have a clear relatively unobstructed view of the site. I will say that when I walked down into the PATH station it was a very strange feeling being within the site. Although I'd never been to New York when the Towers were standing I still feel very strong emotions when I'm near the site (I can only imagine what it's like for people who know someone who was killed on 9/11). As Midnight rolled aroud I headed back to the Subway Station whereI boarded an Uptown E Train for Washington Sq. I walked back to the Hotel and turned in for the night.

I woke up at 5:45, and finally rolled out of bed at 6:10. I took a shower and packed up my stuff. I would spend my day in the city shooting video for the show, Chris had his Admissions Interview at NYU, and his parents were going to go on a tour of the campus. I walked down to the Subway Station and took a C Train to Cortlandt St. I went up to the street and walked down to Rector Street where I boarded a 1 Train for South Ferry. I walked over to Battery Park where I got video of the Statue from the World Trade Center and the Eternal Flame, and also of the Statue of Liberty. At that point I was freezing my butt off due to the cold and the rain (the cold was fine, it was the rain that did me in). I took a 1 Train to 14th Street and then transferred to a Bronx Bound 2 Express Train. I detrained at Penn Station and went up to the Amtrak Concourse. I had no intention of travelling but it served as a great place to just video tape people walking around. The LIRR Concourse proved to be even more fruitful. I boarded a Bronx Bound 3 Express Train up to Times Square where I transferred to the Grand Central Terminal Shuttle. I did the same routine at Grand Central but got a higher angle on the concourse thanks to the stairwell. I took the reverse route back to Penn Station to see what was happening in the world of Amtrak. At this point I was a little hungry so I headed to familiar territory, 96th Street. When I was last in New York our hotel was at the corner of 94th and Broadway. I took a Bronx Bound 3 Express Train to 96th Street. I found the McDonalds that I remembered and got a Biscuit, 2 Hash Browns and a Large Coke. While I was eating I was looking through the timetables I had picked up and at that point decided to take the Vermonter bug to Stamford. After Breakfast I boarded a Brooklyn Bound 3 Express Train to Penn Station. I used a QuikTrak machine for the first time and bought a One Way Ticket to Stamford. The train was running about 15 minutes late due to track rehabilitation just north of Washington. The train arrived on Track 14 East at 10:40, I was near the front of the line to board. I walked down to the platform and was going to try to get a shot of the head end on the camcorder, but the Conductor made me walk back towards the coaches. We left Penn and made our way through the East River Tunnels. As we passed Sunnyside Yard the Conductor announced he would be making his way through the train to collect tickets. Since I was video taping I just placed my ticket on the empty seat next to me. As we crossed Hell Gate I did my damndest to try to get shots of the skyline through the wet windows of the car. As we passed through the Bronx the Conductor made it into my car. While he was lifting my ticket I asked if I got anything for knowing an Engineer in Brattleboro (which I do), to which I got a very dry "No," apparently no sense of humor. Our consist was as follows:

AEM-7AC Locomotive 941

Amfleet I Cafe/Business Class 48156-Refurbished

Amfleet I Coach 44145

Amfleet I Capstone Coach 82530

Amfleet I Coach 44679

Amfleet I Coach 44184

(At NHV 136 became the head end to Palmer, and 101 was added to the bottom to lead to SAB)

I walked up to the cafe car at the head end and bought a Pepsi, and spent the rest of the trip to Stamford talking to the LSA. We arrived in Stamford on Track 4 for a brief station stop. I walked up to the head end to get video of the train as it left the station, they left the station at 11:51. After the train had left I walked over to the other island platform where a train was standing on Track 5. I asked the Conductor if they were headed to Grand Central, which they weren't, but he told me an Express Train would be arriving on Track 3 shortly. Surely enough an Express arrived at 11:57. I bought my ticket on board for $12, which was great compared to the $27.90 I paid for the Vermonter ticket. We ran non-stop all the way to Harlem. Now one thing I didn't know, but learned on this trip is that all trains use third rail shoes into GCT, I thought it was a combination of Catenary (for New Haven lines) and Third Rail for all other trains, but I was obviously mistaken. It was nice having the catenary poles gone, especially since I'm a southern railroader, and we use diesels (which obviously don't need catenary poles). We arrived at GCT at 12:45 and I headed to the Subway. I took the Shuttle to Times Square, then a Brooklyn Bound 3 Express Train to Penn Station, and finally a Brooklyn Bound A Express Train to Washington Square. I arrived back at the hotel where Chris and his parents were waiting for me. We grabbed a cab and headed back to LaGuardia for the flight home.

As for JetBlue. Amazing experience to say the least. Now I know this is an Amtrak forum, but if you ever have to fly, look at JetBlue. We had great customer service from all parties involved, the planes are clean, amazingly quiet (compared to a Boeing), and an overall excellent experience. Notable differences from the other airlines, the boarding process was very efficient. Next, the flight attendants rather than coming through with the carts (and hitting your elbows), come by take your order, and then bring the requested drinks on a tray, while the snacks are brought in a basket (chip combo, nuts, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate biscotti). The Satellite TV is amazing. On the trip north our plane had 24 Channels of Direct TV, the return trip 36 (the newer planes have more channels). The TV makes the trip go by amazingly fast, and they have programming, for kids, teens, and adults, no one can complain unless their TV doesn't work. Another notable thing, most airlines have cleaning crews, the stewardesses, and ever the pilots clean the planes during the layover, which I've NEVER seen. The only fault I could find was that they share one of their gates in New York with Spirit. On both days the preceeding Spirit Flight got held by mechanical which delayed both JetBlue 376/381 (same equipment), but that's not their fault. Excellent experience, if I ever have to fly, it will be with them.


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## AlanB (Nov 14, 2004)

battalion51 said:


> At this point I was a little hungry so I headed to familiar territory, 96th Street. When I was last in New York our hotel was at the corner of 94th and Broadway. I took a Bronx Bound 3 Express Train to 96th Street. I found the McDonalds that I remembered and got a Biscuit, 2 Hash Browns and a Large Coke.


Of course you could have saved yourself 4 bucks and just walked to the McDonalds on the LIRR level. Granted you would have missed out on the subway ride to 96th Street.



battalion51 said:


> Now one thing I didn't know, but learned on this trip is that all trains use third rail shoes into GCT, I thought it was a combination of Catenary (for New Haven lines) and Third Rail for all other trains, but I was obviously mistaken. It was nice having the catenary poles gone, especially since I'm a southern railroader, and we use diesels (which obviously don't need catenary poles).


Yup, the pants go down just past the Mount Vernon station, although back about 4 years ago, they used to drop their pants right before merging with the Harlem line.

This also makes the New Haven MU cars more expensive, since they need to be able to handle both cat and 3rd rail. It's also why you'll never see New Haven MU's on MN's other lines and vice-versa. In fact, were it not for the expense and Amtrak's electrics running on the New Haven, you'd probably see the New Haven converted to third rail.

That 3rd rail is also the reason that Metro North has no electric motors. All diesels are 3rd rail equiped, from the FL9's right through the more modern P32 AC-DM's.


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## efin98 (Nov 14, 2004)

Sounds like an excellant trip, and for a spur of the moment that Amtrak trip seems like it was well worth it (and worth the price too)

I am surprised at how much you got in in such a short period of time. Man those express trains in New York come in handy lol!


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## tp49 (Nov 14, 2004)

Funny, I was thinking about the McDonald's on the LIRR concourse just the other day right by the entrance to the 7th Avenue Subway and track 20/21, as it used to be a Nedick's.

As for JetBlue, I fly them regularly between JFK (their main base) and Sacramento because of the non-stop. LGA was recently added and they have limited gate space there but things are a bit different at JFK where they have their own terminal and don't share with another airline. They are a good outfit for those times a train can't get you to where you need to be.


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## Steve4031 (Nov 14, 2004)

Exactly why I want to live in New York some day. Thousands of trains and thousands of day trip opportunities. 

I enjoyed the trip report.


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## battalion51 (Nov 14, 2004)

AlanB said:


> Of course you could have saved yourself 4 bucks and just walked to the McDonalds on the LIRR level. Granted you would have missed out on the subway ride to 96th Street.


Well, actually I bought the $7 1-Day Unlimited Ride Pass, so there was no additional cost, except the time to get to 96th Street. For me, familiar territory is a very nice thing. Almost the entire time I was in New York I was in unfamiliar territory except when I was up at 96th Street and when I was on board the Vermonter. Just something comforting about being on Amtrak.


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## AlanB (Nov 14, 2004)

battalion51 said:


> Almost the entire time I was in New York I was in unfamiliar territory except when I was up at 96th Street and when I was on board the Vermonter. Just something comforting about being on Amtrak.


Well next time you head this way, give me some advance warning and maybe I can arrange to play tour guide. Then it won't matter how familiar you are with things.

We could even get you some MN, LIRR, & NJT riding if you like.


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## battalion51 (Nov 14, 2004)

I'll probably visit the Big Apple while I'm in college since I'll most likely know at least 3 or 4 people at NYU. I'll try to give you a heads up when I'll be there for more than 24 hours with no specific goals.


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## Bill Haithcoat (Nov 15, 2004)

What a neat trip! Very fascinating to walk in on a Monday morning and read about something as exciting as this.


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## saxman (Nov 16, 2004)

Nice trip report. I love just riding the subways in NYC. During my internship with AA I'd like to spend some time in the Northeast riding trains. I'll have to hook up with some of you guys that live there.

Chris


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## AlanB (Nov 16, 2004)

saxman66 said:


> Nice trip report. I love just riding the subways in NYC. During my internship with AA I'd like to spend some time in the Northeast riding trains. I'll have to hook up with some of you guys that live there.
> Chris


Well drop me a PM when you know that you're coming to NY and I'll see what I can do. I've already hooked up with a few members of this board for riding in the NYC area.


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