So you want to be a car host: Round Two Roanoke, VA

[Seaboard92]

So the first report didn't scare you off, and you're a gluten for more punishment. Well here is another detailed report of my time working out of Roanoke.

Thursday May 5th

0400 Leave home to deadhead by car up to Roanoke, VA. We ended up driving in a really bad storm once we past Greensboro, NC and it continued to rain the entire way down.

0900 We pull into work at Shaffers Crossing without having breakfast, and call our boss. He is still at the hotel and he tells us not to board the train because Norfolk Southern is about to begin switching and doesn't want anyone on board for the operation.

1100: Norfolk Southern is still switching our train out with our engine Norfolk & Western 611 so we tell our boss we are headed to lunch while they complete the switching. We head to Billy's of Roanoke for what I'm told is the best fried chicken in America. They only serve fried chicken on Sundays so we have to settle for fried chicken sandwiches. And I have to say that is the best chicken sandwich I have ever had, and a very classy restaurant. I felt bad being in yard day attire, a T Shirt, pants, safety vest, and safety gloves.

1340: Switching is completed and we are clear to board the train. We receive our first task and that is to redo all of the signs in first class to match our updated consist due to the switching. And to take the masking tape out of the windows and to clear tape.

1420: We are asked to stock the coaches for passengers arriving on Saturday by laying out the program, brochures, and water bottles.

1550: We start distributing papers and brochures to the first class cars.

1630: We are asked to drive out to the museum a few miles away to pick up more Roanoke City brochures.

1645: We arrive at the museum and get the run around to get the brochures which we literally passed, and to pick up a large trash can from Coke.

1720: We arrive back at the train and start from the last car, one box goes to each car. How we chose to disperse it we opened his trunk, and I rode on the footboards of the car. And we stopped at each vestibule, and put one box on.

1735: We go into deluxe coach to unrecline each seat, and put the footrests down to make each car look pristine and un used. Of which some of the seats probably haven't been done in a few years and are quite difficult to operate the mechanism.

1815: Asked to locate all the binders and bring them back downtown to the museum.

1830: First sweep of the train is done and we are missing five binders.

1845: Secondary sweep of the train for binders and we find nothing. And we drive the the museum with our brute container with the binders we do have.

1900: We arrive downtown during the middle of the car host safety meeting. And we listen to a bunch of hypothetical questions posed by volunteers that don't seem to apply to the train. We also learn that our Saturday Afternoon trip will be hosting a wedding party on NS 43 standard coach, and the Scenic View will have a hospital car charter on Sunday Morning.

2000: We take out the manifests from the last week and prep the binders for our boss the excursion manager to do whatever he needs. And he releases us for the evening.

2020: We have dinner at Jack Brown's Bar and have a really good burger.

2200: We check into the hotel.

Friday May 6

0830: We wake up in the hotel and get ready to go out to the yard. We bump into our coworker Joey downstairs getting breakfast as we head out to buy some last minute things we left at home.

1000: We report to the train. We are then sent to redo the coaches as we didn't quite do them perfectly to what Adam wanted. But that wasn't an issue, we didn't clarify, and we fixed it.

1040: We started sweeping vestibules out of garbage, and debris.

1100: We have a short crew meeting with Paul whom is in charge of First Class on board service about delivery schedules, and what he is expecting to arrive, and what it requires.

1115: We go to Sam's Club with Joey, and Paul to pick up our order. Joey preordered most of our order, but we still had to pick up quite a few items that we hadn't preordered.

1200: We leave Sam's Club with an entire truck full of supplies, and arrive back at the train at 1215.

1215: We form a bucket brigade to get our supplies into the train and I am the person whom gets to sit in the Super Dome access door, and pass to Joey.

1245: We are finished moving cold items into cold storage and continue sweep the vestibules.

1330: We are finished sweeping vestibules, and we see no one in sight and no one responds to the radio. So we sneak away to Dairy Queen and get lunch and eat it back on the train.

1415: We are asked to go double check the coaches again because car hosts have since toured their cars and messed up what we had done.

1515: Asked to place a binder with manifest into each car.

1530: We make a bathroom inspection to make sure all bathrooms are clean and inviting for our passengers.

1545: We replace smoke detector batteries in the Berlin to stop the annoying dead battery beeping.

1600: Our boss tells us to relax for an hour so we can wait for Panera to show up with a delivery and he has nothing for us to do.

1700: Panera shows up and we form a bucket brigade to get all of the first class food on board the train.

1715: Boarding of Panera has been finished we are now in a cramming mode trying to find storage space.

1800: The finial fruit cup is placed loosely in the refrigerator of Scenic View. All in all Fruit Cups are located in six different fridges in four different cars. And other things have remained boxed.

1810: We are asked to doublecheck that each coach has enough boxed breakfasts to handle the morning run.

1820: We are told that we are free to leave and go off duty. What a short day

1830: We are strolling around downtown Roanoke looking for somewhere to eat.

1900: We decide again on Jack Brown's to go to for the evening.

2030: We get Milkshakes in the market on our walk back to watch some trains on the overhead bridge. Best Milkshake I have ever had.

2100: One of the head people for the train walks by us and asks if we would help him put out brochures for the Roanoke Chapter on all the seats now that they have a box of them printed.

2130: We arrive back on the train to put brochures out.

2215: We have finished putting brochures out for each seat, and check in with our boss.

2245: We finally head back to the hotel for the evening after helping him with some things in his car.

Saturday: May 7 to be continued in the morning when I start typing.

 

[MikefromCrete]

The place that serves "the best fried chicken in America" only has it on Sundays? That's really bad marketing.

 

[Seaboard92]

Yeah it is. But in their defense it was my coworkers opinion and he hadn't been there in years. Still a good sandwich

 

[Seaboard92]

May 7 Saturday

0430: Wake up in the hotel to head to Shaffers Crossing

0445: Leave the hotel.

0500: Let ourselves onto the train. Usually this requires climbing the grab irons, then swinging onto foothold between the cars. So that we can reach the top latch of the cars.

0501: Sweep out all of the train's vestibules.

0530: Grab our radios.

0550: Honey Baked Hams brings our afternoon food to trainside. We loaded all of them into one door then hiked them down to their actual cars.

0615: Car Host boarding duty till 0630.

0630: Check all traps are buttoned up and once we give the clear permission to roll.

0635: Permission to leave the yard. The calm before the storm begins.

0640: We start opening all the doors between the cars to help the boarding process flow better once passengers are on the train.

0700: We take a ten minute break before heading to our boarding areas.

0710: I arrive to the boarding team two area while the train passes the station area so we could shove out with a clear signal.

0730: Boarding officially begins for an 8 PM departure. I jump onto the ground to help guide people to the proper boarding locations.

0745: Most of the lines for boarding are moving orderly, with the exception of one line. People showing up from the street for our train has slowed to a trickle.

0750: There is still of about two hundred+ people trying to get onto first class at boarding location two. I radio boarding location one to get permission to send all Prairie View Passengers, and Wisconsin Valley passengers into their boarding location.

0755: Once the Prairie View and Valley passengers are moving towards their new line. I radio boarding location three and to send Stampede Pass and half of Scenic View's passengers to that location.

0805: Boarding point two now has no line, and buttons up. I jump up at boarding location 3.

0810: We need to find more box breakfasts for one of the coaches as for some reason it didn't get stocked properly in the yard.

0820: That coach now has enough breakfasts.

0830: I am asked to bring crew breakfasts to the entire first class crew.

0845: I begin my first bathroom check working from the Berlin down to Stampede Pass where my partner takes over responsibility for the coaches.

0850: My bathroom check ends and I start sweeping out the vestibules free of debris.

0855: I'm asked by the First Class Manager to go help out in the Berlin with serving breakfast to the passengers.

0915: Serving has been completed in the Berlin.

0920: I start gathering the trays to bring them back to Super Dome to get them washed, and to grab more supplies.

0925: One of my passengers from the Berlin wants to go to the souvenir shop aboard the Paul Revere and doesn't know the way so I guide her all the way back to the Paul Revere and head back to my duties.

0935: Start Sweeping vestibules prior to arrival at our midpoint.

1000: Check on my passengers in the Berlin to make sure they have all of their drinks, and are having a good time.

1005: Check with the host of the NS 42 Non revenue car to make sure everything is good.

1010: I make a check with all my hosts to make sure that everything is running smoothly for them.

1020: I start my post turnaround bathroom inspection seeing many people who aren't accustomed to riding trains tend to use it while we are stopped.

1040: I start serving second meal service in the Berlin to the passengers.

1050: I start sweeping vestibules.

1115: I meet with our excursion manager and our First Class manager about changing the boarding plans to help it flow better, and to get an on time departure.

1130: Final bathroom check before detraining.

1145: I go to boarding location 1 to assist in detraining passengers.

1200: We start detraining passengers.

1215: I jump back on board to begin turning the Berlin for the afternoon run.

1220: I double check that my other cars are turned and ready. Then I let my self out onto the ground to begin organizing the passengers on the ground.

1315: Boarding begins for the train while I am still checking tickets at the end of the ramp to send people to the proper boarding locations.

1345: Most people are now onboard the train. With no lines anywhere.

1355: We have all our passengers and we button our last trap up, and prepare for departure.

1405: I am asked by my boss to distribute crew lunches which were Chick Fil A sandwiches for the entire train.

1410: I run out of CFA sandwiches in the Berlin and half the crew does without even though we had the right amount ordered.

1420: I start introducing myself to all of the passengers in the Berlin as well as start serving them.

1425: One customer requests ice for his drink so I walk half the train to get him ice.

1450: First bathroom inspection after departure.

1510: I start sweeping the vestibules as we climb the grade west of Roanoke. I ended up in the vestibule during a tunnel too. That was very hot.

1530: I check on all of my passengers in the Berlin and keep my customer who wanted ice, I make sure he never runs out of it.

1545: I check with all of my car hosts to make sure that they are doing good.

1600: I start a bathroom inspection trip after the turn around has been completed.

1615: I start sweeping the vestibules of my cars.

1630: I start serving second service to the passengers in the Berlin.

1645: I walk all of my cars to make sure they have everything they need for the time being.

1700: I start sweeping my vestibules out again.

1720: Bathroom inspection headed the other way.

1740: I head down to boarding location 1 to get ready for detraining.

1750: Detraining begins.

1805: The last passenger is off and we are allowed to pull forward to clear the signal then shove back. I ride in the vestibule with the dutch door open as my break till we get to the yard.

1850: We unload our surplus food to the local homeless shelter via bucket brigade to their car.

1900: Panera Bread comes with our delivery for Sunday's trains and we begin loading them via bucket brigade.

1930: All of the Panera items are properly stored in refrigeration. And we start turning the train for it's run in the morning.

2000: We have first class completely turned. Lawrence in the Stampede Pass kitchen invites us to eat dinner with him and Dave in the Stampede Pass. Lawrence was making Roast Beef Sandwiches, so we definitely stayed around for that.

2040: We resume turning the train after dinner. I said we would be done by ten at this time.

2200: Deluxe coach is turned and ready for the morning. But there are not enough supplies on the cars for the afternoon trip so we write down what we need.

2215: We realize the supply situation is only getting worse as coach wasn't turned by it's hosts nor did it have the supplies it needed.

2230: My partner goes back to the NS 42 car one to start rounding up supplies.

2300: I get half of the needed supplies on the seats, whatever it was that we happened to have. Most cars still need every item.

2315: Ryan my partner has loaded his car up with supplies and drives back down to coach so we can load the water onto each car.

2330: We get his car empty, and park it.

0015: The next day we finally have coach turned. And stocked for the morning. And with enough supplies on it for the afternoon train. We then let ourselves off, and lock up behind us.

0030: We Arrive back at the hotel, and have to park next door due to a lack of parking.

0045: In bed after a shower.

I'll post two more days of work sometime soon.