Green Maned Lion
Engineer
Ok, so my title is just making fun of movie sequels. This was a good trip. If you came here looking for gory details of a string of Amtrak mistakes, look elsewhere.
My trip started out rottenly. This was a birthday present to me, six months late. My sister decided that this was unfair to her (don't ask me why- I have no clue) and decided to start my trip off by breaking a turn signal on my car. Hurrah for 21 year old toddlers. After I was done turning the air blue, we set off for Elberon station- yeah, its inconvenient, but their parking is free and they allow overnight parking.
New Jersey Transit train 4232 arrived at Elberon 5 minutes late running a GP38 and exclusively Comet IV cars. We transferred to 3232 at Long Branch, and that train was a normal NJTransit mishmash of Comet IIs, IIIs, IVs, and Vs. Train arrived into New York 10 minutes late, which is fairly late for NJT.
We got into New York way early, naturally, and spent most of the day sitting in the Club Acela lounge. It was nice, as always. 49, the Lake Shore Limited, is called and we head out to the train earlier than most, head down the escalator, find our car, and march aboard. The attendant, Ainsley, was coming around the bend as we were coming down the hall. He seemed a bit startled to see us. After dropping Audrey in our room, I got the consist. Let me give you the whole thing right now.
The power out of New York was a P32ACDM and P42DC, running back to back. That seems to be standard for the Lake Shore nowadays, I think to increase its acceleration. I assume they shut down the P42 just before entering the tunnels, and start er up again just after exiting. Anyways, after Buffalo, the consist was:
(BOS) P42DC
(BOS) P42DC
(BOS) 1700-series coach conversion baggage
(BOS) Amfleet II Coach 25083
(BOS) Amfleet II Coach 25039
(BOS) Amfleet II Lounge 28011 (tables one end, lounge the other)
(NYP) Amfleet II Coach 25049
(NYP) Amfleet II Coach 25106
(NYP) Amfleet II Coach 25053
(NYP) Amfleet II Diner-Lite 28012 Meridian Club (Name not applied)
(NYP) Viewliner Sleeper 62029 Palm View
(NYP) Viewliner Sleeper 62042 Sunrise View
(NYP) Viewliner Sleeper 62022 Mountain View
(NYP) 1100-series baggage car
(BUF) PV Charter
(BUF) PV Charter
We made dinner plans, then realized they conflicted with out desire to meet a friend in the Albany station. But then the friend called and said that they couldn't make it, so everything worked out. I had the beef braised in ale, although it came out cold the first time. The waiter we had was awesome. He made a show out of presenting every plate. Although he was not willing to allow me to get ice cream with my cheesecake. (Some are, some aren't, I have found.)
After dinner we head back to the lounge, and I must say, on a train this length it does make sense to not place the two cars together. I recognized the conductor as someone who I had met before on Amtrak, and funnily enough, he recognized me as well. "Have you ridden with us before?" "Oh yeah, many times." I ordered a scotch and soda on the rocks, finding out that they don't carry cognac anymore. (GRRRR) The attendant asked for I.D., but I think he was just busting my balls- he did it to some other older people too. Yeah, I know I am 24, but I look like I'm in my early 30s.
So I sat down and eat some cheese and crackers from the cheese and cracker tray, and sipped my scotch, and was chatting with the conductor. Apprently this conductor has been working the rails for 38 years, originally with Penn Central. Does anyone know him? Large, talkative man, grey hair, fairly cynical? Nice guy. Also the Asst. Conductor, a tall, thin man with a mustache.
We were sitting there chatting and having a good time when a man walks in who I swear to god looks just like Woody Allen. Both conductors know him and they introduce him to me as, believe it or not, Dave Allen. Maybe some of you know him. He's a nice guy, and I like him quite a lot. Sometimes, though, he comes across as a zealot. He doesn't seem to follow one of my mantras, "Don't mark up to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity." But as I said, nice guy and we enjoyed talking to each other, possibly boring my girlfriend in the process, although I doubt it. She finds people fascinating.
Around 10:30, we pass a defect detector that fails. So we stop and the conductor has to manually walk the train. Dave says, "Well, there goes our on time arrival." By the time we get moving again with permission to proceed, we are running an hour late. After some more conversation, we agree to call it a night when the conductors we were chatting with get off in Buffalo.
I decide to go to the bathroom before bed and, seeing as I had to do more then pee, and that the toilet in the Viewliner roomette is narrower than my posterior, I ended up finding something interesting. I found out that food storage in the diner-lite is in fact done in the bathroom. Yes, the toilet itself is still there. Although the bathroom is locked and not used as such. I ended up walking up to the first coach. Yech.
The next morning we get up early, although not as early as I asked our sleeping car attendant to wake us up. And yes, our wake up was not with his help. He also annoyingly left the Viewliner bunk halfway down whenever he stowed it. I ended up raising it myself.
We went straight to the diner and I had the french toast, which was not very good. Also, they only carry sausage patties in the Diner Lite now. I wish they carried either links or bacon, but they don't. We had the other waiter, who was a military-esque man who seemed to run himself a pretty tight ship.
We then headed back to the lounge. The conductor told me we picked up two PV cars overnight. I forget what they were, but they were both in later grey Pullman Pool paint with the word "Charter" where "Pullman" would be. Dave comes walking in for breakfast and we chatted some more, and then he went over to chat wit the lounge car attendant. Around this time I find that we are 2:30 late and that my lunch date in Chicago had cancelled.
Meanwhile, Audrey had been chatting up with this nice guy named Raphael, who claimed to be Italian, but I'm pretty sure he was Mexican. Regardless, we ended up trying to teach Audrey how to play black jack. Dave comes back and tells us that his plans are off because we aren't going to be enough on time for him to make the needed Hiawatha. So we invite him to lunch at Giordano's and also invite him into our poker game.
My girlfriend beat us all. She even got a straight flush once. Serious. About 30 minutes outta Chicago, we break up the game, and go back to our respective places to pack up. Raphael gave us the Amcards he had bought "to remember me by." I won't forget anyway. It was great fun.
We end up pulling into Chicago 3 and a half hours late. I'll post the second part later.
My trip started out rottenly. This was a birthday present to me, six months late. My sister decided that this was unfair to her (don't ask me why- I have no clue) and decided to start my trip off by breaking a turn signal on my car. Hurrah for 21 year old toddlers. After I was done turning the air blue, we set off for Elberon station- yeah, its inconvenient, but their parking is free and they allow overnight parking.
New Jersey Transit train 4232 arrived at Elberon 5 minutes late running a GP38 and exclusively Comet IV cars. We transferred to 3232 at Long Branch, and that train was a normal NJTransit mishmash of Comet IIs, IIIs, IVs, and Vs. Train arrived into New York 10 minutes late, which is fairly late for NJT.
We got into New York way early, naturally, and spent most of the day sitting in the Club Acela lounge. It was nice, as always. 49, the Lake Shore Limited, is called and we head out to the train earlier than most, head down the escalator, find our car, and march aboard. The attendant, Ainsley, was coming around the bend as we were coming down the hall. He seemed a bit startled to see us. After dropping Audrey in our room, I got the consist. Let me give you the whole thing right now.
The power out of New York was a P32ACDM and P42DC, running back to back. That seems to be standard for the Lake Shore nowadays, I think to increase its acceleration. I assume they shut down the P42 just before entering the tunnels, and start er up again just after exiting. Anyways, after Buffalo, the consist was:
(BOS) P42DC
(BOS) P42DC
(BOS) 1700-series coach conversion baggage
(BOS) Amfleet II Coach 25083
(BOS) Amfleet II Coach 25039
(BOS) Amfleet II Lounge 28011 (tables one end, lounge the other)
(NYP) Amfleet II Coach 25049
(NYP) Amfleet II Coach 25106
(NYP) Amfleet II Coach 25053
(NYP) Amfleet II Diner-Lite 28012 Meridian Club (Name not applied)
(NYP) Viewliner Sleeper 62029 Palm View
(NYP) Viewliner Sleeper 62042 Sunrise View
(NYP) Viewliner Sleeper 62022 Mountain View
(NYP) 1100-series baggage car
(BUF) PV Charter
(BUF) PV Charter
We made dinner plans, then realized they conflicted with out desire to meet a friend in the Albany station. But then the friend called and said that they couldn't make it, so everything worked out. I had the beef braised in ale, although it came out cold the first time. The waiter we had was awesome. He made a show out of presenting every plate. Although he was not willing to allow me to get ice cream with my cheesecake. (Some are, some aren't, I have found.)
After dinner we head back to the lounge, and I must say, on a train this length it does make sense to not place the two cars together. I recognized the conductor as someone who I had met before on Amtrak, and funnily enough, he recognized me as well. "Have you ridden with us before?" "Oh yeah, many times." I ordered a scotch and soda on the rocks, finding out that they don't carry cognac anymore. (GRRRR) The attendant asked for I.D., but I think he was just busting my balls- he did it to some other older people too. Yeah, I know I am 24, but I look like I'm in my early 30s.
So I sat down and eat some cheese and crackers from the cheese and cracker tray, and sipped my scotch, and was chatting with the conductor. Apprently this conductor has been working the rails for 38 years, originally with Penn Central. Does anyone know him? Large, talkative man, grey hair, fairly cynical? Nice guy. Also the Asst. Conductor, a tall, thin man with a mustache.
We were sitting there chatting and having a good time when a man walks in who I swear to god looks just like Woody Allen. Both conductors know him and they introduce him to me as, believe it or not, Dave Allen. Maybe some of you know him. He's a nice guy, and I like him quite a lot. Sometimes, though, he comes across as a zealot. He doesn't seem to follow one of my mantras, "Don't mark up to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity." But as I said, nice guy and we enjoyed talking to each other, possibly boring my girlfriend in the process, although I doubt it. She finds people fascinating.
Around 10:30, we pass a defect detector that fails. So we stop and the conductor has to manually walk the train. Dave says, "Well, there goes our on time arrival." By the time we get moving again with permission to proceed, we are running an hour late. After some more conversation, we agree to call it a night when the conductors we were chatting with get off in Buffalo.
I decide to go to the bathroom before bed and, seeing as I had to do more then pee, and that the toilet in the Viewliner roomette is narrower than my posterior, I ended up finding something interesting. I found out that food storage in the diner-lite is in fact done in the bathroom. Yes, the toilet itself is still there. Although the bathroom is locked and not used as such. I ended up walking up to the first coach. Yech.
The next morning we get up early, although not as early as I asked our sleeping car attendant to wake us up. And yes, our wake up was not with his help. He also annoyingly left the Viewliner bunk halfway down whenever he stowed it. I ended up raising it myself.
We went straight to the diner and I had the french toast, which was not very good. Also, they only carry sausage patties in the Diner Lite now. I wish they carried either links or bacon, but they don't. We had the other waiter, who was a military-esque man who seemed to run himself a pretty tight ship.
We then headed back to the lounge. The conductor told me we picked up two PV cars overnight. I forget what they were, but they were both in later grey Pullman Pool paint with the word "Charter" where "Pullman" would be. Dave comes walking in for breakfast and we chatted some more, and then he went over to chat wit the lounge car attendant. Around this time I find that we are 2:30 late and that my lunch date in Chicago had cancelled.
Meanwhile, Audrey had been chatting up with this nice guy named Raphael, who claimed to be Italian, but I'm pretty sure he was Mexican. Regardless, we ended up trying to teach Audrey how to play black jack. Dave comes back and tells us that his plans are off because we aren't going to be enough on time for him to make the needed Hiawatha. So we invite him to lunch at Giordano's and also invite him into our poker game.
My girlfriend beat us all. She even got a straight flush once. Serious. About 30 minutes outta Chicago, we break up the game, and go back to our respective places to pack up. Raphael gave us the Amcards he had bought "to remember me by." I won't forget anyway. It was great fun.
We end up pulling into Chicago 3 and a half hours late. I'll post the second part later.
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