The Davy Crockett
Engineer
This past week Mrs. Crockett and I rode into the Land of Yankees looking for some relaxation and relief from the heat. We relaxed, but the heat dogged us.
Monday we boarded NER #176 in a hot and humid ALX and rode to NYP, arriving only about 20 minutes late, around 3:40 in the afternoon. It felt, and probably was, hotter in The City than down home. Nevertheless, we checked into our nearby hotel, took a short rest, and then walked down to the present northern terminus of the High Line and walked a few blocks before deciding A/C and a cold beverage were needed to continue onward. Once nicely chilled and hydrated, we climbed the stairs back up and continued southbound down an amazingly crowded, given the heat, High Line. Reaching the end, we continued wandering, stopping several times for food and/or uh... hydration, before walking back to our own personal cold space.
The next morning, after an early and humid jaunt to Best Bagel and Coffee, we returned our cold space's key and boarded #69, taking seats in the Amfleet II directly in front of the cafe car. Leaving 5 minutes late, we quickly made up time traveling along the Hudson towards ALB. It was another sunny hot day, but we were relaxed and comfortably cool watching the river rolling past our window. North of SDY we were still on time, but lost some around SAR. Still, we were only about 15 to 20 minutes down as we chilled watching the amazing scenery, which had a distinct lazy summer's day feel to it. Our destination of PRK had an arrival time of 2:48, with 2 whole minutes to catch the 2:50 ferry to Burlington, Vermont, not a connection we figured we would make, and which we didn't when the crew dropped only Mrs. Crockett and me off in the middle of the grade crossing of the road which goes the short distance to the ferry landing. The Amslab at Port Kent is being improved, and as the conductor who let us off said, "Under the premise that 'if we build it, they will come.'" Catching the 4:10 ferry, after dipping our toes into Lake Champlain and quickly eating a soft ice cream cone before it melted, we arrived into downtown Burlington and walked to our hotel before going out forflatbread pizza and hydration beer.
Wednesday morning was hot and humid, even for us Southerners, but braving the elements, we went for a walk and then breakfast before catching a taxi to ESX and the Vermonter's scheduled departure of 9:25. Number 55 arrived 5 minutes down, we boarded, and away we went. The damage from the flooding from Irene two years ago is still widely evident, but it was another hot and humid day. A little too hot, it turned out, for we got hit with slow orders and a top speed of 30 mph, just south of BLF. We were already about 30 minutes down, so we arrived into BRA an hour late. Thankfully, and true to his word, the gentleman from Enterprise was there waiting, with the extra bonus of the A/C already running in our rental.
These two Southerners once called southern Vermont home, so we spent a couple of days in our ol' stompin' ground before returning to BRA Friday morning. We figured, since the temps had only continued to climb since Wednesday, that #55 would be late. Well, to make a long story a tad shorter. It was. Scheduled to arrive at 12:20 PM, #55 pulled in around 2:50, due to heat induced slow orders. Apart from finally, tiredly creeping into WAS at 1:30 AM last night - 3 & 1/2 hours late - there was some interesting and/or good aspects to the late (early?) arrival:
First, it reminded us, as we stumbled down the platform into WAS, that back in the day, when we use to ride the Montrealer from BRA to WAS, 1:30 was somewhat around the time we would just be leaving BRA. Sigh...
Second, we ate, and hydrated
, at a great, new restaurant and brewery in Brattleboro called Whetstone Station. It is located just across the tracks and road from the BRA station and is perched right along the Connecticut River, providing great views while partaking their brews.
Third, while waiting in BRA, where there is an engineer change, I had a chance to chat with our engineer and he gave me a bunch of pointers on things to be aware of on the trip south to Palmer.
Fourth. Our engineer was only going as far south as Palmer, and not all the way to SPG, because he took #56, which was waiting for us in Palmer, north to BRA. What a treat to have #55 & 56 at Palmer at the same time!
Finally, I had upgraded us to Business Class and the seats and the 2x1 seating made the lateness a bit more tolerable.
A great trip and I'd do it agian tomorrow! Mrs. Crockett had a great time too, but I can't ask her if she would do it again tomorrow because she has been snoozing the entire time I've been writing this! :lol:
Monday we boarded NER #176 in a hot and humid ALX and rode to NYP, arriving only about 20 minutes late, around 3:40 in the afternoon. It felt, and probably was, hotter in The City than down home. Nevertheless, we checked into our nearby hotel, took a short rest, and then walked down to the present northern terminus of the High Line and walked a few blocks before deciding A/C and a cold beverage were needed to continue onward. Once nicely chilled and hydrated, we climbed the stairs back up and continued southbound down an amazingly crowded, given the heat, High Line. Reaching the end, we continued wandering, stopping several times for food and/or uh... hydration, before walking back to our own personal cold space.
The next morning, after an early and humid jaunt to Best Bagel and Coffee, we returned our cold space's key and boarded #69, taking seats in the Amfleet II directly in front of the cafe car. Leaving 5 minutes late, we quickly made up time traveling along the Hudson towards ALB. It was another sunny hot day, but we were relaxed and comfortably cool watching the river rolling past our window. North of SDY we were still on time, but lost some around SAR. Still, we were only about 15 to 20 minutes down as we chilled watching the amazing scenery, which had a distinct lazy summer's day feel to it. Our destination of PRK had an arrival time of 2:48, with 2 whole minutes to catch the 2:50 ferry to Burlington, Vermont, not a connection we figured we would make, and which we didn't when the crew dropped only Mrs. Crockett and me off in the middle of the grade crossing of the road which goes the short distance to the ferry landing. The Amslab at Port Kent is being improved, and as the conductor who let us off said, "Under the premise that 'if we build it, they will come.'" Catching the 4:10 ferry, after dipping our toes into Lake Champlain and quickly eating a soft ice cream cone before it melted, we arrived into downtown Burlington and walked to our hotel before going out for
Wednesday morning was hot and humid, even for us Southerners, but braving the elements, we went for a walk and then breakfast before catching a taxi to ESX and the Vermonter's scheduled departure of 9:25. Number 55 arrived 5 minutes down, we boarded, and away we went. The damage from the flooding from Irene two years ago is still widely evident, but it was another hot and humid day. A little too hot, it turned out, for we got hit with slow orders and a top speed of 30 mph, just south of BLF. We were already about 30 minutes down, so we arrived into BRA an hour late. Thankfully, and true to his word, the gentleman from Enterprise was there waiting, with the extra bonus of the A/C already running in our rental.
These two Southerners once called southern Vermont home, so we spent a couple of days in our ol' stompin' ground before returning to BRA Friday morning. We figured, since the temps had only continued to climb since Wednesday, that #55 would be late. Well, to make a long story a tad shorter. It was. Scheduled to arrive at 12:20 PM, #55 pulled in around 2:50, due to heat induced slow orders. Apart from finally, tiredly creeping into WAS at 1:30 AM last night - 3 & 1/2 hours late - there was some interesting and/or good aspects to the late (early?) arrival:
First, it reminded us, as we stumbled down the platform into WAS, that back in the day, when we use to ride the Montrealer from BRA to WAS, 1:30 was somewhat around the time we would just be leaving BRA. Sigh...
Second, we ate, and hydrated
, at a great, new restaurant and brewery in Brattleboro called Whetstone Station. It is located just across the tracks and road from the BRA station and is perched right along the Connecticut River, providing great views while partaking their brews.Third, while waiting in BRA, where there is an engineer change, I had a chance to chat with our engineer and he gave me a bunch of pointers on things to be aware of on the trip south to Palmer.
Fourth. Our engineer was only going as far south as Palmer, and not all the way to SPG, because he took #56, which was waiting for us in Palmer, north to BRA. What a treat to have #55 & 56 at Palmer at the same time!
Finally, I had upgraded us to Business Class and the seats and the 2x1 seating made the lateness a bit more tolerable.
A great trip and I'd do it agian tomorrow! Mrs. Crockett had a great time too, but I can't ask her if she would do it again tomorrow because she has been snoozing the entire time I've been writing this! :lol:
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