7/20/09-7/21/09
Last day of the trip/rail pass!Arrive in SAS 1hr. early @ 2AM(of course! :lol: )Same situation as before/
full station/#2 for NOL is late/agents are unloading it/station is jammed/no place to sit!A loooooong
nite in the station,once again why is this necessary????Stacy sleeps a little, I watch them switch
and manuever freights and #2 and cars for TE#22 are cut out!Lots of luggage for LAX,rr workers are
checking all the various trains in the station,finally #2 high balls out,#22 has the cars attached and pulls into
the track next to the station!At 5AM they start boarding #1 for LAX,large crowd getting on, finally they pull
out @ 6AM,about 2o minutes late!
At 6:30AM(why wait so long?) they start boarding TE#22, large crowd lines up @ the red poles,
one person @ a time checked/cleared to board!The consist is:1 engine/baggage/transition sleeper/
1 sleeper/diner/lounge(crew gets on in AUS),ssl,three coaches and the sleeper from #2 for CHI!
Locate our coach,no seats assigned, its getting light so we put all our luggage(no checked baggage for
AUS/supposed to change in the fall????)in the racks/overhead and roll out about 7:15AM northbound for
home!We do not go the same way that #21 comes into SAS but take a different route through the
yards after backing out!Soon we are rolling through the burbs, through New Braunfles and up to a
quick stop in San Marcos,my old hometown!(Just a platform by the bus station!
)We pass a factory
with some interesting old Lone Star Special cars used for offices with a caboose attached and roll up
the line into Austin on time now!
Soon we slow for the bridge across LadyBird Lake as we see the skyline of Austin come into view!
Its a hot,humid day,home after a wonderful journey of my dreams, lots of folks unload/big crowdgetting on,
the AUS agents tell me while were waiting for a cab(there are never enough meeting trains here!)
that ridership is really up this summer and that they will be going to 7 days a week service in the
fall with checked baggage service!We finally hop a cab,get to Stacys and throw our stuff down,
hit the bed to sleep and dream of the next adventure in the world of Amtrak!I cant wait!!!!!!!!
Last day of the trip/rail pass!Arrive in SAS 1hr. early @ 2AM(of course! :lol: )Same situation as before/
full station/#2 for NOL is late/agents are unloading it/station is jammed/no place to sit!A loooooong
nite in the station,once again why is this necessary????Stacy sleeps a little, I watch them switch
and manuever freights and #2 and cars for TE#22 are cut out!Lots of luggage for LAX,rr workers are
checking all the various trains in the station,finally #2 high balls out,#22 has the cars attached and pulls into
the track next to the station!At 5AM they start boarding #1 for LAX,large crowd getting on, finally they pull
out @ 6AM,about 2o minutes late!
At 6:30AM(why wait so long?) they start boarding TE#22, large crowd lines up @ the red poles,
one person @ a time checked/cleared to board!The consist is:1 engine/baggage/transition sleeper/
1 sleeper/diner/lounge(crew gets on in AUS),ssl,three coaches and the sleeper from #2 for CHI!
Locate our coach,no seats assigned, its getting light so we put all our luggage(no checked baggage for
AUS/supposed to change in the fall????)in the racks/overhead and roll out about 7:15AM northbound for
home!We do not go the same way that #21 comes into SAS but take a different route through the
yards after backing out!Soon we are rolling through the burbs, through New Braunfles and up to a
quick stop in San Marcos,my old hometown!(Just a platform by the bus station!
)We pass a factorywith some interesting old Lone Star Special cars used for offices with a caboose attached and roll up
the line into Austin on time now!
Soon we slow for the bridge across LadyBird Lake as we see the skyline of Austin come into view!
Its a hot,humid day,home after a wonderful journey of my dreams, lots of folks unload/big crowdgetting on,
the AUS agents tell me while were waiting for a cab(there are never enough meeting trains here!)
that ridership is really up this summer and that they will be going to 7 days a week service in the
fall with checked baggage service!We finally hop a cab,get to Stacys and throw our stuff down,
hit the bed to sleep and dream of the next adventure in the world of Amtrak!I cant wait!!!!!!!!
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