wayman
Engineer
Not sure if this is quite the right part of the forum for this, but since we've been talking a lot about the Obama Inauguration Train, I wanted to mention my watching plans in case anyone here wants to join me (since I know there are several other folks not far from Philly here).
I'll be at the Sharon Hill station on the R2, from about 10 AM onwards. The train is theoretically leaving 30th St at noon, according to one local news affiliate yesterday. So yes, it's lots of time standing in the 22-degree cold (and there's no open station building there)--dress warmly and in layers!!!--but I want to beat the crowd and at least a couple friends are meeting me there. We'll have baked goods and coffee and good cheer if any of you locals want to join us.
I chose Sharon Hill after scouting out several R2 stations yesterday for a few reasons: loooong platform on the southbound side, great sight lines, and not only the long platform but an equally long handicapped ramp parallel to the platform leading from platform level to about ten or fifteen feet up. Plus the grassy embankment between. So there's a ton of prime viewing space, and with the hill like that, it won't be "people in front see the train, people behind see other people's heads". Also, it's easily accessible by non-rail SEPTA (the 102 trolley stops about a fifteen minute walk from the rail station), and while the SEPTA station parking lot will be closed, there are lots of strip mall parking lots less than a ten minute walk away.
Private message me for my cellphone number and more details if you think you might make it.
Two important notes if you might come: again, dress warmly (the high is 22, and there will be wind-chill); and whatever you do, don't take any SEPTA regional rail trains to get there as everything will probably be off-schedule, not just the R2.
I'll be at the Sharon Hill station on the R2, from about 10 AM onwards. The train is theoretically leaving 30th St at noon, according to one local news affiliate yesterday. So yes, it's lots of time standing in the 22-degree cold (and there's no open station building there)--dress warmly and in layers!!!--but I want to beat the crowd and at least a couple friends are meeting me there. We'll have baked goods and coffee and good cheer if any of you locals want to join us.
I chose Sharon Hill after scouting out several R2 stations yesterday for a few reasons: loooong platform on the southbound side, great sight lines, and not only the long platform but an equally long handicapped ramp parallel to the platform leading from platform level to about ten or fifteen feet up. Plus the grassy embankment between. So there's a ton of prime viewing space, and with the hill like that, it won't be "people in front see the train, people behind see other people's heads". Also, it's easily accessible by non-rail SEPTA (the 102 trolley stops about a fifteen minute walk from the rail station), and while the SEPTA station parking lot will be closed, there are lots of strip mall parking lots less than a ten minute walk away.
Private message me for my cellphone number and more details if you think you might make it.
Two important notes if you might come: again, dress warmly (the high is 22, and there will be wind-chill); and whatever you do, don't take any SEPTA regional rail trains to get there as everything will probably be off-schedule, not just the R2.