Sitting at the St John's waiting for a Freight Train... R/T SAV-WP

[user 1215]

It all started this morning when I got up this morning at 6AM. I think I signed up for 4x points on AGR. No matter. I want to take a train ride. I hit in the shower and raced to SAV and got there at 6:40. I could make a round trip to New York on the 8:30 Palmetto or make a trip to Orlando on the Silver Meteor that was striving right then. I decided on Orlando. I looked up the prices online and $60 one way. I thought I could get a ticket on QuikTrax faster, but the price was now $105! I went to the line and started mashing buttons on my Android and just when my card approved for the lower price, I was able to get a bar code just in time for the conductor. Phew!

UPDATE: My credit card statement showed $105 for the S/B trip. So maybe they don't TELL the passengers that they are all the same price, but they will just charge it.

On board, I got my seat check and headed to the diner for breakfast. Saar with a pleasant gentleman from Boston.

Noticed that the Jesup station is looking real good. Couldn't tell if they were using it yet, but the lights were on.

Arrived in Winter Park smack ontime. But a diabetic woman collapsed prior to boarding and they called paramedics. Knowing if the Northbound was ontime, I'd miss it, I went ahead and got off.

Spent an hour or so in WP. Very nice little town. Got some lunch and went on my way. Northbound ended up being an hour late. Both trains were delayed around the construction areas for the SunRail. Seems real nice, but it looks like the classic commuter rail mistake - underestimating future ridership and cutting the length of the platforms too short.

So this is the first freight encounter. Had to wait just south of the saint johns river so it could pass.

 

[user 1215]

Random thoughts as I compose in a little tiny screen...

Coming and going, I can't help but notice the crew spread out over three takes in the cafe car while the conductors office sits empty.

My return trip wound up $105 on my Android. I checked QuikTrax and it was $81. Weird. Why can't the station, phone, QuikTrax, and online reservations get the same prices???

 

[RampWidget]

So this is the first freight encounter. Had to wait just south of the saint johns river so it could pass.

That was probably CSX/UPS #177. The SunRail construction slow orders delay #98 enough so that #98 and the intermodal train (as well as #52) miss their planned meeting point and often both (or all three!) end up getting delayed.

 

[user 1215]

I noticed on the SB trip that the Auto Train was unloading cars around 10:30 - 11:00 AM. I guess that's about normal. The scheduled arrival for 51 is 9:30 and it was about an hour late.

As for my trip, we lost around 17 minutes into Winter Park. Unfortunately, the train lost another 30 minutes dealing with the diabetic woman.

It was a surreal moment. The lady was walking a bit funny, her back arched way back. She slowly fell to the grass next to the platform. As she was falling, she simply said "I'm sorry." I didn't immediately help. I presumed (incorrectly) that she had MS and was travelling with family. This wasn't the case. The crew immediately rushed to help her on the train, then called the paramedics who arrived on the wrong side of the station. They left the gurney at the crossing, walked around the back of the train and boarded to help her. After about 30 minutes, they pulled the train forward about 4 cars to help her off the train onto the gurney. I must say that the whole crew was very professional, very courteous, and very helpful. Turns out she had nothing to eat all day (it was already after 1 PM).

Unfortunately, she wasn't able to go on her trip. I'm no doctor, but I wonder if a glass of OJ could have prevented that episode and saved her the expense of ER. I wish I was more proactive in helping. You just never know.

Some other random thoughts about the trip.

Again, I noticed the Conductor Sprawl. In the forward half of the cafe car, the crew took up THREE whole tables. Two were conductors, each with their own table, and one was an SA having a meal. And, of course, the conductors room in the back half of the cafe car was empty.

On the return, same thing. Except, the SA actually used the conductors room to have his meal. I thought that was pretty cool.

I can understand that the conductors want to sprawl. And I know that conductors room is pretty small. But is it impossible for them to do their work in there?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

It was a surreal moment. The lady was walking a bit funny, her back arched way back. She slowly fell to the grass next to the platform. As she was falling, she simply said "I'm sorry." I didn't immediately help. I presumed (incorrectly) that she had MS and was travelling with family. This wasn't the case. The crew immediately rushed to help her on the train, then called the paramedics who arrived on the wrong side of the station. They left the gurney at the crossing, walked around the back of the train and boarded to help her. After about 30 minutes, they pulled the train forward about 4 cars to help her off the train onto the gurney. I must say that the whole crew was very professional, very courteous, and very helpful. Turns out she had nothing to eat all day (it was already after 1 PM).

Unfortunately, she wasn't able to go on her trip. I'm no doctor, but I wonder if a glass of OJ could have prevented that episode and saved her the expense of ER. I wish I was more proactive in helping. You just never know.

I don't think diabetics notice when their blood sugar is dropping...or ignore the warning signs. I would carry glucose tablets with me when out with my husband because I could usually, but not always, tell when his sugar is dropping dangerously low and I would make him eat a tablet or two. The EMTs may have had "stuff" with them, but she may have been far-enough along that it wasn't working quickly enough for them to not take her to ER.

 

[Scott Orlando]

Good trip report. I like it. Spur of the moment ORL or NYP. Having been born and raised in Winter Park I am glad you enjoyed our town. The downtown area is very nice but sometimes a little uptight. The Sunrail construction in wrecking many Silver schedules. While it does seem the platforms are short I am just thankful we are building, not just talking. There is something big I thought I would never see, rail construction in Orlando. 40 miles of new double track!. Thanks for the report.

 

[PaulM]

Is Conductor Sprawl an official rule? I recently took the EB from CHI to PDX; and overall I experienced a kinder and gentler Amtrak. But when i went to the SSL the last morning to get my box breakfast, the conductor was not only sprawled out, but blocked off most of the downstairs table seating.

 

[AlanB]

Is Conductor Sprawl an official rule? I recently took the EB from CHI to PDX; and overall I experienced a kinder and gentler Amtrak. But when i went to the SSL the last morning to get my box breakfast, the conductor was not only sprawled out, but blocked off most of the downstairs table seating.

Not at all. In fact conductors are specifically forbidden to take up tables in the cafe if there are other places for them, like the crew dorm which would not be on the EB Portland section. In that case they are permitted 1 table IIRC. Taking several tables, especially now with eTicketing where they don't have to sort a couple hundred tickets anymore, is NOT allowed.

 

[Amtrak Cajun]

Most of them fall under the "Its my train, I will do what I want, and I dare anyone to tell me otherwise" category.

What is not allowed, and what happens on the train, are two different things, from what I am gathering from reports. Just like SCA's blocking rooms for their personal use.

Hypothetical question here, what would happen if one were to report a conductor taking up multiple tables?

A. nothing?

B. its "investigated"

C. it ends up as a note in their file?

Im curious as to how it would be handled by Amtrak mgmt.

 

[AlanB]

B & C.

 

[Ryan]

They probably wouldn't react kindly to being photographed, but if you could somewhat descretely grab a picture with a camer phone, I'm thinking that "C" would be a lot more likely.

 

[OBS]

Most of them fall under the "Its my train, I will do what I want, and I dare anyone to tell me otherwise" category.
What is not allowed, and what happens on the train, are two different things, from what I am gathering from reports. Just like SCA's blocking rooms for their personal use.

Hypothetical question here, what would happen if one were to report a conductor taking up multiple tables?

A. nothing?

B. its "investigated"

C. it ends up as a note in their file?

Im curious as to how it would be handled by Amtrak mgmt.

Just to be clear, SCA's do not have the ability to "block" rooms.

 

[Ryan]

They do with the help of an agent friend. SCAs doing exactly that have been described on here before.

 

[AlanB]

They do with the help of an agent friend. SCAs doing exactly that have been described on here before.

Agreed, but I think that is the rare exception and not the norm at all. Especially since a station agent doing that is putting their job on the line for someone else by doing that. Most aren't going to take that risk IMHO.

 

[Ryan]

Oh, I don't doubt that it's rare, but I wanted to point out that it was certainly possible (albeit with some outside help).