Acela150
Super Buff
As the upgrade coupons mount in my favor I decided to try to waste one on a FC Trip from BOS back home to PHL. So I made a reservation on 66 to Boston and 2163 back in BC. In the hopes I could nab a FC Seat on the way back. Well soon after I made the reservation I went to grab a coupon. Sadly my date of travel the 28th was a blackout. 
So I would have to deal with 500 TQP's and 1000 total from the bonus points which is still pretty good.
66 PHL-BOS
I boarded Septa to 30th Street from Miquon about 10 minutes away from home, parked the car and waited for 15 minutes for the train. When the train came a little after 10pm the train stopped right where I was standing. Jumped on to a pretty full train. When the train arrived at 30th Street I walked off and headed to the Amtrak Concourse where 198 was detraining and about 100 passengers were taking the escalator and stairs to the Concourse and heading for cabs and the city. I was hoping the new Wendy's would be open so I could have something before I boarded the train. I guess Amtrak has told them and Jersey Mike's subs to close for the night instead of being 24 hours like the old mickey d's was. So the only 24 hour food establishment is Dunkin' Donuts. Talk about BS. So I grabbed a soda and a Creme Filled Donut a little after 11. Soon after a lady was asking when the next train to New York was which was 66. So I told her it would come in and we would board a little after 12. She soon after someone told her a Keystone train to Harrisburg was a train to New York. She wandered off and tried to board the Keystone train but was told "This isn't your train". 1130 came around 177 from Boston was boarding only about 5 people boarded. When departure time came the Solari Board changed to departed and then the train disappeared off the board. The train had yet to come so another announcement was made. The train pulled in and about 100-150 passengers got off and headed into the night. Soon after 12 Midnight 66 boarded and about 20 passenger including myself were in line which is a pretty big crowd for 66. Usually it's about 5-10 passengers getting on. The train pulled in about 10 minutes later with HHP 651 on the point. Usually a AEM-7 leads 66. So I thought this was a treat. On top of it, there was no Baggage Car which meant 125 MPH running instead of 110! The train pulled out very quickly and made it's way north. The Conductor stopped by and said "You Business Class?" Of course I was. Best BC on Amtrak! He asked and left. Didn't scan my ticket or anything. We hustled to Trenton at 125 MPH. We arrived Trenton 10 minutes early. During that 10 minutes I jumped off for a few. During that 10 minutes the wrong pan was put up in DC so they attempted to fix that. They were having issues with the correct pan so the wrong pan was left up until NYP where a Blue Flag awaited the train and the issue was fixed. It was neat watching the pan get raised. But bad news loomed as it was possible that if the train took off the pan would bounce to much and it would drop the lines. A supervisor cleared up the problem. We departed on-time. Made it to Stamford with a 5 minute layover. We then headed to New Haven and arrived with 40 minutes to spare. The train was positioned for an engine change but the HEP stayed on. About 5 minutes after arrival the HEP went off and the engine change began. Soon after the HHP was cut off it was hustling back to the yard. One of the men performing the engine change got some coffee in the cafe and mentioned that 67 was 2 hours late and messed up the whole night for them. They didn't even know that 66 was running early. 5 minutes after the HHP flashed by the P42 Flashed by heading for the northern end of train 66. The engine slammed into train 66 but not waking anyone. The engine change was finished with 15 minutes to spare. When the train took off I caught some Z's. The train arrived into KIN and a fair amount of passengers got on. Soon the train was making its way to Providence. An announcement was made that about 100 Monthly Pass holders get on at Providence and all seats should be made available. The train pulled into Providence around 640. Plenty of pass holder got on. Passengers were also waiting for 2153 and 95. At 658 a double tap sounded and off we went. Shortly the train was doing about 15-20 MPH all the way to Route 128. I thought I was on a Commuter train. After 128 the pace quickened slightly and the train pulled into Back Bay and South Station. Completing a nice trip to Boston.
2163 BOS-PHL
At 1045 a boarding call was made for 2163 and 173 both bound for Washington. I walked on grabbed a table in BC. This was my first time in BC on AE in about 10 years. As the train was waiting for departure a conductor was coming through the car scanning tickets. This guy scanned every ticket in the car in less then 5 minutes. He was in a good zone! He moved like "The Flash". :lol: When the train departed it quickly accelerated towards the south. After Route 128 an LSA came through with a cart of food. I passed in favor of a lunch from the Cafe. I decided to have a Pizza and Gatorade. The attendant in the cafe went all out with the pizza. Warmed it up then flipped the train and all. I also had a nice conversation about how he was hired and the process to get hired. He was a very nice young man I gave him a nice tip. I sat down and cut the pizza up. It was the best pizza I've had on Amtrak. Last time I had a pizza on Amtrak the cheese melted to the wrapper. I watched the Sound go by and it was beautiful. Crossed the new movable bridge and it was a nice ride. When the train got to Hell Gate I made a joke with myself and said to myself we would arrive on track 14 at NYP. The train pulled in from the tunnels and my joke became a reality. We arrived on track 14. I could never do that again if I tried. I got off stretched my legs and watched passengers go nuts over the train and finding seats. The train quickly sped through the tunnel and into New Jersey. The numbers boarding at Newark was outstanding. Almost every seat was filled. I guess on the downslide there was a guy who wouldn't shut up on his cell. Times like that I wish I had sat in the QC. The train sped through New Jersey. When the train was on the approach to Philadelphia I started to get ready to get off. When the train pulled into Philadelphia the door was keyed and people surrounded the door and wouldn't let us off. So I just yelled. "Move! I wanna get off!" That made a path. Hustled off to the Septa ticket office where I got a ticket to head home to Miquon and then home. The train pulled in with a set of Silverliner V's so I grabbed the railfan seat and enjoyed the view.
So I would have to deal with 500 TQP's and 1000 total from the bonus points which is still pretty good.66 PHL-BOS
I boarded Septa to 30th Street from Miquon about 10 minutes away from home, parked the car and waited for 15 minutes for the train. When the train came a little after 10pm the train stopped right where I was standing. Jumped on to a pretty full train. When the train arrived at 30th Street I walked off and headed to the Amtrak Concourse where 198 was detraining and about 100 passengers were taking the escalator and stairs to the Concourse and heading for cabs and the city. I was hoping the new Wendy's would be open so I could have something before I boarded the train. I guess Amtrak has told them and Jersey Mike's subs to close for the night instead of being 24 hours like the old mickey d's was. So the only 24 hour food establishment is Dunkin' Donuts. Talk about BS. So I grabbed a soda and a Creme Filled Donut a little after 11. Soon after a lady was asking when the next train to New York was which was 66. So I told her it would come in and we would board a little after 12. She soon after someone told her a Keystone train to Harrisburg was a train to New York. She wandered off and tried to board the Keystone train but was told "This isn't your train". 1130 came around 177 from Boston was boarding only about 5 people boarded. When departure time came the Solari Board changed to departed and then the train disappeared off the board. The train had yet to come so another announcement was made. The train pulled in and about 100-150 passengers got off and headed into the night. Soon after 12 Midnight 66 boarded and about 20 passenger including myself were in line which is a pretty big crowd for 66. Usually it's about 5-10 passengers getting on. The train pulled in about 10 minutes later with HHP 651 on the point. Usually a AEM-7 leads 66. So I thought this was a treat. On top of it, there was no Baggage Car which meant 125 MPH running instead of 110! The train pulled out very quickly and made it's way north. The Conductor stopped by and said "You Business Class?" Of course I was. Best BC on Amtrak! He asked and left. Didn't scan my ticket or anything. We hustled to Trenton at 125 MPH. We arrived Trenton 10 minutes early. During that 10 minutes I jumped off for a few. During that 10 minutes the wrong pan was put up in DC so they attempted to fix that. They were having issues with the correct pan so the wrong pan was left up until NYP where a Blue Flag awaited the train and the issue was fixed. It was neat watching the pan get raised. But bad news loomed as it was possible that if the train took off the pan would bounce to much and it would drop the lines. A supervisor cleared up the problem. We departed on-time. Made it to Stamford with a 5 minute layover. We then headed to New Haven and arrived with 40 minutes to spare. The train was positioned for an engine change but the HEP stayed on. About 5 minutes after arrival the HEP went off and the engine change began. Soon after the HHP was cut off it was hustling back to the yard. One of the men performing the engine change got some coffee in the cafe and mentioned that 67 was 2 hours late and messed up the whole night for them. They didn't even know that 66 was running early. 5 minutes after the HHP flashed by the P42 Flashed by heading for the northern end of train 66. The engine slammed into train 66 but not waking anyone. The engine change was finished with 15 minutes to spare. When the train took off I caught some Z's. The train arrived into KIN and a fair amount of passengers got on. Soon the train was making its way to Providence. An announcement was made that about 100 Monthly Pass holders get on at Providence and all seats should be made available. The train pulled into Providence around 640. Plenty of pass holder got on. Passengers were also waiting for 2153 and 95. At 658 a double tap sounded and off we went. Shortly the train was doing about 15-20 MPH all the way to Route 128. I thought I was on a Commuter train. After 128 the pace quickened slightly and the train pulled into Back Bay and South Station. Completing a nice trip to Boston.
2163 BOS-PHL
At 1045 a boarding call was made for 2163 and 173 both bound for Washington. I walked on grabbed a table in BC. This was my first time in BC on AE in about 10 years. As the train was waiting for departure a conductor was coming through the car scanning tickets. This guy scanned every ticket in the car in less then 5 minutes. He was in a good zone! He moved like "The Flash". :lol: When the train departed it quickly accelerated towards the south. After Route 128 an LSA came through with a cart of food. I passed in favor of a lunch from the Cafe. I decided to have a Pizza and Gatorade. The attendant in the cafe went all out with the pizza. Warmed it up then flipped the train and all. I also had a nice conversation about how he was hired and the process to get hired. He was a very nice young man I gave him a nice tip. I sat down and cut the pizza up. It was the best pizza I've had on Amtrak. Last time I had a pizza on Amtrak the cheese melted to the wrapper.
I watched the Sound go by and it was beautiful. Crossed the new movable bridge and it was a nice ride. When the train got to Hell Gate I made a joke with myself and said to myself we would arrive on track 14 at NYP. The train pulled in from the tunnels and my joke became a reality. We arrived on track 14. I could never do that again if I tried. I got off stretched my legs and watched passengers go nuts over the train and finding seats. The train quickly sped through the tunnel and into New Jersey. The numbers boarding at Newark was outstanding. Almost every seat was filled. I guess on the downslide there was a guy who wouldn't shut up on his cell. Times like that I wish I had sat in the QC. The train sped through New Jersey. When the train was on the approach to Philadelphia I started to get ready to get off. When the train pulled into Philadelphia the door was keyed and people surrounded the door and wouldn't let us off. So I just yelled. "Move! I wanna get off!" That made a path. Hustled off to the Septa ticket office where I got a ticket to head home to Miquon and then home. The train pulled in with a set of Silverliner V's so I grabbed the railfan seat and enjoyed the view.
