National train day review

amtrakwolverine · May 8, 2010

got off work at 10PM got home around 12 midnight. pulled a all nighter do to having to call the cab around 4:30AM as the train comes to ROY around 6:25AM. watched some The Dudesons episodes on youtube. cab driver called asking for the address again. he was right about on time(dispatcher said 20 minutes) cab fair was cheaper then figured, cold and very windy, train was on time and it was starting to rain. a GT(grand trunk) train showed up first then amtrak arrived on the the track so you had a 2 way meet. the conductor noticed my name tag and new i was going to train day. didn't ask for my AAA card which i have in my coat pocket just in case. later after the train left detroit the conductor saw the picture of a amtrak train on my computer and thinks he may have been on that train. we arrived ontime into chicago. saw 2 silver pullman cars on a siding but they weren't part of the tour.

Found the line for equipment tours. was interesting seeing what the sleepers look like in person. wasn't much to see. they had p40 821 on display. met this lady who was on the tour and she ended up buying me coffee and a cheese burger as we kept running into each other. she gave me some amtrak stuff. i found the bus stop and took it to the hotel. check in went ok but am worried about the $50 early check out fee. check out is at 12 noon if i check out at 10Am will i get charged $50. nothing much else to say right now. amtrak had there K-9 unit doing demos and the chefs doing cooking demos with free food but looked like you needed a ticket for that. so arrived at the hotel around 3:20PM which has free wi-fi. pictures to follow.

Rail Freak · May 8, 2010

WOW!!!!

I'M REALLY IN TO TRAINS BUT,

SOME OF YOU HAVE GOT ME BEAT!

I hope you're enjoying it, as much as me!!!!

RF

amtrakwolverine · May 8, 2010

fredevad · May 8, 2010

Sorry I missed you. Maybe some other time.

amtrakwolverine · May 8, 2010

yeah maybe in st louis if i can make that

amtrakwolverine · May 11, 2010

checked out of the hotel around 10AM and caught the bus. had to walk a couple blocks once off the bus. had a hour wait at the station. they had 300 people boarding at Chicago alone so they did priority boarding at 2 gates at once. train left on time though despite the large turnout.the train was 6 cars long instead of 5 so we didn't have a cabbage or rear P-42 we just had the lead P-42 which from my window needed a bath.The cabbage was behind the amcafe on the platform but was not coupled to it so either they decided not to use it and uncoupled it or it had problems. it was hooked up to ground power though. after we got rolling and tickets collected i went and got a pizza and diet Pepsi. The attendant was a Vietnam vet and has been with amtrak sense the 70's.

he was working his tail off as the line was getting bigger and bigger wrapping around the cafe car. it may seam like he was upset setting the drinks down hard talking about the union but it was having a hard time keeping up with demand and his boss was in the lounge section of the amcafe on a laptop. i paid with a debit card and charged a $2 tip sense he was trying. while he was taking one order he would tell the other paxs to lay it on him with is order to get a rhythm going. you could tell the long line was getting to him but cheered up a little after the tip. a pax asked him something about the job and he said thinking about giving it up.train was on time getting to royal oak and i took a cab home.