4/17 to 4/21 Wide Round Trip

[The Metropolitan]

In the days upcoming to this trip, I've been trying NOT too get overexcited, but as the days draw ever nearer, I simply can no longer help it. I booked this trip in early February, with no idea if my workload would even allow me to take it. Now, as the days draw closer, I find myself getting more and more stressed that something is going to backfire, that I'll get deftly ill the night before departure.

Thankfully, such is not the case, though I do have problems getting to sleep the night before, as is only natural when you really haven't treated yourself to a true VACATION in years. I awaken on schedule at 3:45 am, and wash up. I'm already packed, so I wind up with a little too much time before I leave. I turn on the PC and goof off for a bit, before I realize I'm starting to cut it a bit close to get out for my bus, so IO abruptly shut down and head out. By now, it's 4:45am.

As I make my way to the bus stop, the doubter in me tries to figure out a contingency plan in case the #27 is a no show this Monday morning. Arrive at the stop at 4:52, and anxiously await the sound of the bus coming from the hill below in the pre-dawn. My worries are allayed, when at just a hair past 5am, I hear the sound of a New Flyer bus just before it comes into view. I feel reassured - Pittsburgh, here I come!

Board the bus, and speak to the Operator who I've known for years, who asks where I'm headed. When I reply Pittsburgh, he asks "Are you flying or taking the bus?" Alas, it seems that here in Baltimore, the train seems like a logical choice for most when bound for destinations between New York City and North Carolina, but few are likely aware of where else they can take the train. He is suprised when I tell him I'm using Amtrak, but when I explain the comfort combined with the cost make it the best choice, he seems convinced.

Thank you, #27 bus for getting me here!

Alight at Howard and Dolphin Sts. a little before 5:30am, and make the three block journey to Penn Station. For an Easter Monday, its a bit quiet, though, admittedly, this is an early hour.

Penn Station, with its non-complementing statue.

My riding buddy for this trip arrives at 5:45am, giving me further reassurance that this is going to be a good trip. A check of the Solari Board shows the the Regional train scheduled about 20 minutes before ours to be running 5 minutes late at first, and then 10 minutes late. I'm hoping this isn't an omen. The train does arrive on that 10 minute estimate however, clearing many of the station's patrons. Most of who remain are MARC commuters who are displeased to find that their train is cancelled on account of the holiday schedule.

Before we know it, our train is being called, and we head to the platform for the arrival of train #180, an Acela Regional. She arrives at perfect time, being pulled by Electric #948.

Amtrak #180 pulls into Penn Station in the pre-dawn of Easter Monday.

Our train is suprisingly light in riders this morning, given that I already know the train on the next leg of our trip is sold out. Looking back, I can assume that this trip is geared towards intercity commuters, many of whom have taken the day off. Our Conductor is quite pleasant, and spends some of the time conversing with a female conductor who is apparently deadheading North. Though my attention is mostly on the scenery, I do hear that she was coming from train #91, the trip of which was quite late.

The Corridor line is largely old hat for me, as I've used it dozens of times in travel to NYC and Philly. As a result, the journey seems to get shorter and shorter each time I ride it, as I tend to know almost exactly where I am, particularly on the Baltimore-Philly segment. Despite a good bit of development along it, it does have some scenic highlights.

Crossing the Susquehanna at Dawn.

Among the neat little extras on this train is a scheduled station stop at Aberdeen, where a couple dozen riders board. This is one of only a few corridor trains to make this stop. We don't stop at Newark, DE however, another of the lesser corridor stops. After Wilmington, SEPTA, and their R2 stations become frequent sights. These range from splendid old structures to glorified bus booths. At the speed we're going, they seem to pass with the frequency of bus stops on a local city bus, less than a minute between stations in many spots.

Soon, we're well into Philadelphia, passing one of my favorite Philly landmarks on the line, the Elmwood Streetcar yard, which, this morning, is housing mostly Kawasaki cars, but also a few PCC-II's, one converted PCC line car, and a single GOH type PCC that still remains on the property.

Just minutes later, the Philadelphia skyline appears in view in the golden sunrise, and we know we are just moments away from partaking of the layover in the first part of our journey.

The skyline draws closer, and our train slows, and gently sways over the switchwork. It's time to enjoy a morning in Philadelphia.

 

[The Metropolitan]

The trip was deliberately booked to allow as wide a layover in Philadelphia as would be practical. We arrive at 715am, and our train to Pittsburgh does not leave until 1145am, allowing us over 4 hours of transit fanning in the City of Brotherly Love. All this at no extra ticket cost! Score yet another PLUS for the train, particularly given that the station is so close to Center City. I pony up $2 for Amtrak to store my Pilot case while I explore Philly. My buddy opts to keep his $2 and his bag on him. More power to him.

My buddy, who is a bit more transit bus oriented, opts to head to Olney, while, I who have a bit more railbug in me, decide to head over to Girard Avenue to see how the PCC-II equipped #15 line is working out. Both of us purchase day passes, despite only being here a few hours. As it turns out, we both utilize them to get our $$$ worth. We both head east on the Market Frankford Line, but he jumps off at 8th Street to catch the Ridge Ave. Spur of the BSL up to Olney, while I continue to Girard. I arrive just as a pair of PCC-II's pass each other, and manage to get video of one of them.

I then make my way East on Girard, getting what I can, but stop just short of the bridge near I-95 leading to Richmond St, despite the nice photo ops with the Philly skyline on that bridge. The cars are running well in the morning rush, and seem to running more briskly than on my last journey on Labor Day Weekend when they debuted. It appears the Operators are getting more comfortable with the "new" cars.

On this beautiful morning, I decide to get a PCC-II ride in, and catch #2329 heading West towards 63rd St. Our Operator seems very comfy with his car, and makes stellar time getting back to the EL, again a radical change from the timid operation I experienced back in September. I'm enjoying the ride so much, I opt to stay on past 28th Street instead of alighting at Broad Street to ride the Subway back in.

Alighting at Poplar gives me another scenic stretch on which to record the cars, and allows me to ride a bus line I haven't travelled in 14years (in my college days when PCC's were last running on the Girard Line), SEPTA's #32. Within 15 minutes, an inbound NABI bus comes, and I board for the ride back to Center City. The Allegheny neighborhood that I remember back in '92 as being lovely, but in need of a little TLC seems to show a major rebound, looking vibrant and healthy on this spring day, with many young professionals boarding this #32 bus to head to work in Center City. The Parkway near the Art Museum looks fantastic with the blooms of spring on the trees.

Despite some congestion, we arrive in Center City right before 9:00am, and I take about a half hour to ramble about for some video and photos, stopping at a street stall for a sausage egg and cheese hoagie that fills me up well for a time.

I then head to the City Hall Station to catch an outbound "Subway Surface" car to the 40th Street portal. First car in is a #11 car which will suit that purpose just fine. Alighting at the Portal, I start a random pattern of movement between the streets that lead to this junction of lines - Baltimore, Chester, and Woodland Avenues. The trees, sky, and temps are perfect this morning, with just a bit of breeze to irk me for its tendency to muffle against my camera's microphone when doing video clips.

#36 line car on Woodland Avenue, at junction with Chester.

Pair of #34 line cars pass on Baltimore Avenue near 44th St.

As 10:45am approaches, I know its time to head back to 30th Street, which thankfully is just a few minutes away by transit. I can use either the #30 bus, or any of four streetcar lines, and opt for the latter. Alight at 30th Street around 11:00, and head into the Station to prepare for the next and final leg of the journey.

Philadelphia's 30th Street Station.

I promptly claim my bag, and await the return of my buddy, making a short detour to KFC in the station to pick up some warm snack food for the trip. While I rest on the benches, I look to the Solari board to see that all is a go for our journey Westward.

In what seems the blink of an eye, departure time gets closer and closer, and I realize a lengthy line is forming at the stairway for our train. Despite our plan to meet back by the Info desk, I deem it best to go ahead and get in line, to hopefully assure the desired left window seat for this trip. Soon after, my buddy arrives, and we're set for our trip.

11:35 comes, and the train is announced. By this time, our line snakes across the terminal and then elbows halfway along its length. They weren't kidding about this train being sold out. At 11:40, they FINALLY remove the partition that allows us to head to the platform to board. Oddly enough, there is no train at the bottom of the stairway. It's about 200 feet ahead before we can reach the BACK of the train. With the knowlege that we're on a sold out train, I inform my riding partner that we'd be best to head to the front car to enter. Even this car is loaded, BUT, we do find a pair of left side seats, just a few seats short of the loco.

This does have its drawbacks. Minorly, the cafe car is the rear car, but more significant is that the windows on this car are sooty by being so close to the loco. Ah, well, at least, we're on board. To my suprise, we lurch off right at 11:45, with half the riders still scrambling to find seats. I pity the fool who got to the station late for this one, as they're left now! The conductor works well to accomodate the crowd, imploring people to not hog seats, as this is a sold out train.

Despite having wire above us all the way to Harrisburg, our power is Diesel #94. I'm guessing that this carried the train from NYC to here, but I could be wrong. We diverge from the Corridor soon after leaving 30th Street, and enter the "Main Line" heading west to Harrisburg. Soon, we merge with the SEPTA tracks that use the upper level of 30th Street, and are on our way, beginning to pass a number of SEPTA stations.

What I'm guessing is the remnants of the platform canopy of the old 52nd Street Station, for trains coming from the Cynwyd suburban branch.

 

[The Metropolitan]

The SEPTA stations, most built by the PRR for the suburban operation to Paoli, PA, seem to come often, despite some slow running for a work zone in this area.

Strafford, I think - empty only because a SEPTA train had just cleared the platform.

We arrive at Paoli in decent time though, just about 5-10 minutes late, as a few alight, and just as many board, keeping this train at capacity. My friend and I agree that our conductor, a nice gent, who seems to be handling the stress of the capacity crowd well, bears a passing resemblance to Louie Anderson.

Soon after Paoli, we hit the end of SEPTA operations, as our passings of stations begins to dwindle to a few abandoned SEPTA stations from the days when the service went past Exton, to a few other stations used by only by Amtrak Keystone trains, such as Downington. Around this point, the scenery changes fairly rapidly, from Suburbia to rural farmland, confirming that we're entering Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Sunocos give way to Silos.

Something you won't see from the interstate, an Amish family taking some time out for a game of volleyball.

Rugged hills, and rich farmland charachterize the ride on #43 west of Paoli.

As much as I hope to see a steam engine at the Strasburg RR's interchange, I see nothing at the only switch I can see that seems to lead off into the distance. Guess I'll have to make that trip up there one day.

After a rather lengthy bit of farm running, we finally pull into Lancaster, right back on time at 12:55pm. The station, while looking solid, seems to have seen better days, with some platforms lacking adjacent tracks, though some sort of track and station renewal seems in place, as workers and equipment for both seemed to be in place this afternoon.

Arrival at Lancaster, as seen through the sooty windows of the Amfleet.

Equipment and supplies for track and station renewal at Lancaster.

The ride from Lancaster to Harrisburg has few remarkable sights, and I spend most of it trying to see if I can get a video clip of our passing of the EB Pennsylvanian, #42. I anticipate this passing to occur at Elizabethtown, a stop which the EB makes, but oddly, our WB skips. However, at Elizabethtown, we see a few scattered people awaiting their #42, but no #42.

Soon, it becomes evident that we are nearly at the Susquehanna, as a nuclear power plant's cooling towers come into view. I'm guessing this to be the infamous 3 Mile Island. We pass a landing strip with one very derelict plane among its occupants.

Soon after this, #42 sneaks up on us in passing, and I only get the last two coaches in my video. The river comes into view in a few, which we parrallel a while before heading inland towards the station at Harrisburg - again, our arrival is right on the money between 125pm and 130pm.

 

[The Metropolitan]

I see the GG1 under the train shed, and contemplate getting off for a photo, but laziness gets the best of me, and I settle for a passing shot from the train when we leave out on schedule at 140.

We have a crew change here, including a new Conductor. As well, just as with Lancaster, we have several new passengers, most of which are Amish. Initially, they are split throughout the car in the available open seats, but as space permits on the journey, they move to sit together, uniting by the time we reach Altoona.

Our conductor enthusiastically (though the volume winds up being rather faint) announces our crossing of the Rockville Bridge West of Harrisburg, which piques the riders interest. I had seen this bridge on many auto trips near Harrisburg, but this is my first time crossing it.

Following this crossing, and into Enola, the scenery becomes far more rugged and less developed, as we straddle large cliffs with the mighty Susquehanna on our right, for what seems like a long time, and a long time it is, as by the time we finally diverge, passing a couple of NS freights along the way, we are now heading into Lewistown, arriving at about 2:45pm, again, right about on time.

There seems to be very little to Lewistown. Both it and Huntingdon, our next stop, strike me as being the least substantial of the communities we will stop at along this leg of the journey.

We will experience some of our most rugged running in this area, with a pair of tunnel bores to get us from East to West. At least one of these has an accompanying bore that has since been abandoned.

Abandoned bore of one of the Allegheny tunnels.

Speaking of abandoned, I spend much of this part of the jouney looking for evidence of the long abandoned Allegheny Portage Railroad, as well as hints of r-o-w that may have once been the PRR mainline in its earlier days. I am able to make out snippets here and there, as the trees are just in bud, but nothing that I am able to get a photo to convey well.

During this time, I journey to the Cafe Car, to pick up a couple of sodas. The Cafe Attendant is particularly personable, with the customer before me complementing her on her disposition and poise.

Our Huntingdon Stop at 3:22 is followed by a "flag" stop at Tyrone at 3:48, sort of ironic to me, as Tyrone seems to be the largest community we've passed since leaving Harrisburg. Perhaps its obvious proximity to an interstate is the reason for Amtrak's diminished role. Despite its status, we do indeed make the stop here, with a few to board, and a few more alighting. From here, its only a short ride to Altoona.

Our arrival in Altoona, scheduled for 4:06pm, is just 2 minutes late. By this time, the side light begins to get strong, but for now, photography is still possible.

A view across the tracks at Altoona's historic equipment.

After leaving Altoona, it is time to try to focus on the line's main attraction. I hope and pray that we won't be riding through Horseshoe Curve right next to a freight. My worries build as about 5 minutes from Altoon, we sure enough cross an NS train, but luck does preside, the train is short, and minutes later, the Conductor announces our arrival here.

I don't think anything quite prepares me for the majesty of this sight however, given that its approach is subtle. With a gorge on your left, you slowly notice a "parrallel" track well on the other side of the gorge. You have just enough time to see it before you suddenly realize that you're looking at rail that you yourself will be traversing in a few moments, as the train begins to sweep to the left to meet this "parrallel" rail.

Hmm, wonder what line that is parallelling ours?

 

[The Metropolitan]

The ride through Horseshoe sent a chill up my spine. Try as I may, the photos don't come close to conveying the awe and depth that is Horseshoe curve. The mucky window which my brain was "filtering out" duing the ride also made the real thing that much more impressive.

Adding to the awe were the 2 dozen or so people at the Horseshoe Park waving to (and photographing) our train as it passed.

Any of you board posters among those to watch our train pass the Horseshoe on Easter Monday?

Probably about my best result to convey the depth of scene around the Horseshoe.

A look rearward trailing from the Horseshoe. Rear of train just visible, as I was a tad slow in panning.

With nearly 45 minutes to go to Johnstown, I try to rest a bit, but I'm still too pumped, and find myself still pushing my tired eyes to the limit. Our scheduled arrival in Johnstown for 5:00pm is timely, though we do dwell in the station for a rather long time. I strain to try to find the Johnstown incline, but have no luck, much due to the very strong side light. Later research shows I WAS on the correct side of the train, but I never did make it out. Oh, Well.

The ride from Johnstown to Latrobe, our other flag stop, is 40 minutes, during which we diverge from the Conemaugh river to follow an inland route. Through Derry, a few people wave at the train as it passes but does not stop. A short time later, we do make our stop at Latrobe, where some people disembark the train.

My what a nice old platform canopy here at Latrobe...

On Second Thought...

Our last way stop, Greensburg, is reached just minutes after Latrobe, right about the 5:52 scheduled time. The platform is an odd mix of old canopy, newer plexiglass cube shelters, risen concrete platform, and brick paving.

Nice as it's been to be aboard the train for this journey, I admittedly am growing just a bit more longing to actually reach my destination. The fact that we're right on schedule tends to lessen this impulse however, but when, shortly after leaving Greensburg, the Conductor announces to my suprise that "Pittsburgh should be in about a half an hour!," I get a bit excited. The schedule shows an hour and 13 minutes of travel time between the two towns, and only now do I realize that half of that is padding.

The Conductor then spends some time talking to the Amish riders, all bound for Elkhart, Indiana, advising them of some options they may want to explore in Pittsburgh on their layover while awaiting the Capitol Limited #29. The conversation does go to the topic of Amtrak, and the Conductor does not mince words about how GW "hates us," as did his father.

The ride has been an interesting one, particularly being around the Amish, as they would talk their language to each other, but when lacking a certain word, would intersperse English words freely into their speech, resulting in comments like "Nar Klevoort Mar Na Hahm CAFE CAR!" It's been a good ride, with about the only annoyance being someone about half the coach back playing a portable DVD player without headphones.

As the hillsides become more littered with houses, my buddy (who has gotten a few catnaps in) and I challenge each other to see who spots a PAT bus first. We pass a scrap bus yard somewhere near Wilmerding, but a few minutes later, I spot a Gillig in the distance down a hillside, possibly in Braddock. Soon enough, we see plenty of buses, as by Swissvale, we are parrallelling the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial East Busway, created from a portion of this line's right of way. We cross a number of buses of many makes and colors for our ride into Pittsburgh, as the City skyline comes into view. Before we know it, the canopy of the Pittsburgh platform is coming into view. The train ride is great, but there's still nothing like coming into the station over 30 minutes EARLY!

Welcome to Pittsburgh!

We head out towards Grant Avenue, and get a few photos before boarding the #100 bus to ride along the busway for a spell before circling about into Oakland, where our Hotel is located. Alighting just before McKee Place, we walk down McKee to find we're at the hotel at the same time we were supposed to arrive at the Station!

 

[The Metropolitan]

The next three days are spent in and around the Pittsburgh area, mostly transit fanning, but also catching a Pirates Game. Port Authority has an interesting fleet, and its services consist of a Southern Light Rail line with subway running in Downtown, two inclined railways along the south slopes leading to Mt. Washington, and a number of beautifully hued transit buses wearing every color of the rainbow. The weather was ideal on all three days, clouding over only on the day we were to leave...

Port Authority Light Rail at Station Square, close to CSX tracks, and near a former P&LE Station.

The Monongahela Incline, as viewed from the side.

A Gillig Advantage attired in lovely metallic blue.

Friday, the 21st comes too soon. Initially, we had planned to reverse our pattern in heading home, leaving at 7am on #42, with another stopover at Harrisburg, but later, we instead change our plans. We snag a pair of tickets for #30 the Eastbound Capitol Limited, leaving at 415am. Since PAT's buses don't run 24 hours, this forces us to relent from our "purist" nature, and catch a cab. I don't get a lot of sleep the night before due to the fear of oversleeping (makes a lot of sense, eh?), but tell myself I'll have a couple of hours of shuteye on the train before the sun rises.

When I book the cab ride, the reservationist does not even know where "Penn Station" is. I can see this is a big Amtrak town. When the cab arrives, the driver initially assumes we're bound for Greyhound, but I request "Amtrak" and we're on our way, arriving at Penn at 3:45am. Entering the station, about a dozen people are in various states of waking. The arrivals board states that our train is currently estimated to arrive at 5:15am. DOWP!!! We could have caught the first #71D and easily made it here by 435am after all!!! Hindsight is 20/20, but I recall thinking that if we do this again, we call "Julie" BEFORE booking the cab!

Out of curiosity, I do call Amtrak, and the system states indeed that #30 is estimated to arrive at 5:18am. At 4:45, I check again, and the time is now 5:35am. Pittsburgh Police come and evict a pair of homeless people who are loitering in the station. After they leave, another man without luggage enters the station, and appears to be sizing up the crowd awaiting the train. I try to refrain from passing judgement, but make it a point to keep an eye on him, and quietly engage him when he looks my way. I hope he simply is awaiting someone arriving on #30.

About 5:30am, our numbers have grown to about 2 dozen, we hear a rumble overhead, which I initially dismiss as a freight, until I hear brake shoes, and it stops. A few of us look at each other, wondering if this might be ours, and I opt to grab my stuff and head upstairs to find a gleaming set of Superliners awaiting us. We head out to the platforms, and walk to the last car, where a number of people are getting off the last cars of the train. While awaiting a chance to board, a hiker type fellow shouts "Hey! This guy just tried to take my wallet!" We all look around, and lo and behold, the iffy looking guy is who he's referring to. He tries to play it off, but gets away as soon as he can, thankfully, without any goods.

In the bit of chaos, my buddy and I notice the door to the coach before this one is wide open and without activity, so we simply stroll up there and board, climb the steps, and grab a seat on the right side. We're all settled in when the coach attendant pops in and asks "Did you guys just get on?" Being a Corridor Vet, and an LD Novice., I completely failed to realize we'd committed a faux pas, but she is very cool about it - and lets us know she'll put our tickets up in the seat check clip for the Conductor to collect.

Apparently, this is a crew change location, as the older conductor I saw on the rear car when the riders were disembarking, has vanished. As would turn out, this train would be staffed almost entirely by female staff. Later, when making station stops, I'd even hear the Conductor talking on the radio to the Engineer "Pull it up about 100 feet Miss Emma!"

As really nice as the Coach Attendant is, the Conductor is less so. She's not nasty, but gives a look like she's holding in some serious anger. When collecting the tickets, a "Good Morning" gets no response, as does my "Thank You" when we climb off in DC.

We launch from PGH at about 5:50am, by now only about 90 minutes before the Pennsylvanian we originally were to return on. Still, I expect this to be a better option by offering new scenery, and new travelling options unlike that on the Corridor.

Leaving Pittsburgh - The idle Pennsylvanian is to our right.

Despite my thoughts of getting some shut eye on this train, it is not to be. As we parrallel the busway a short bit, and with the PAT service day under way, I can't help but to view the scenery. Shortly though, we diverge from our inbound approach, and curve towards a tunnel I had seen several times when riding the #100 bus. This takes us under Oakland and into Panther Hollow, where soon enough, we're pulling along the Monongahela River. PAT buses are still readily seen, and by now, the first glimmers of light are filling the sky.

We plod through Rankin, only to stop, with power being cut for 10 minutes, before we eventually get moving again. After leaving McKeesport, the PAT presence fades, but the light in the sky grows while the scenery gets more rustic. We would spend the next hour and change tagging alongside the Youghiogheny River, which looks ever majestic and impressive in the clear morning light.

Shortly before arriving in Connellsville, a "Second Call" for Breakfast is made, which allows me to experience Rail dining like I never have, even if it is under SDS. My buddy, who is not the big train buff I am, passes on the invitation, but I make my way forward to get a taste of SDS without having any precedent to compare it to. Moving forward, I'm suprised to enter the Sightseer and see just how magnificent it is, with a great feeling of panorama and depth. Only a few are occupying this car at this hour though, and I'm hungry, so for now it will be one more car for me.

As I enter the Diner, a very pleasant server seats me in an empty booth, and then seats two other individuals who entered behind me with me. One is a gentleman I remember boarding with me in Pittsburgh, the other a lady who I assume got on earlier. I start off with Coffee, and converse with my table mates a bit. The gentleman is also heading to Baltimore to pick up a car from his Daughter, while the lady is bound from Toledo to Newport News to visit family.

Our server Teneshia, is quite pleasant, but has to disappoint the gentleman, who wants home fries which are no longer offered, so he settles for just a fruit bowl. I opt to try the Breakfast Scramble, which the lady orders as well. When it arrives, it looks a little less than appetizing, but I try it, and find it's perfectly decent. The lady opts to send hers back, and settles for French Toast instead, which arrives rather promptly, and which she finds to be quite satisfactory.

The gentleman has ridden Amtrak once or twice before, and thus already had good impressions of the prior food service, where "you could order what you wanted." Still, he's content, but leaves early, as he readily admits he hasn't woken up yet. The lady is a first timer on Amtrak, and is pleased with the extra amenities on board, saying how much nicer it is compared to the Greyhound Bus, though she is a bit concerned about missing her connection at DC. I can do nothing but agree. Soon however, I've finished my plate, and with others waiting, I opt to retire to the sightseeing car for a while.

We've now left Connellsville about 15 minutes ago, and continue to tease the river. Two other riders sit right near me in the sightseer, which by now, has about a dozen people in it, gradually growing. Some riders vanish down the stairs of the sightseer, only to reemerge with food, and it is only now that I realize there's a snack bar downstairs. DUH!

Eventually, I chitchat with my neighbors, both of whom greatly admire the scenery. Both boarded in Chicago - a lady bound for DC, and a gentleman bound for Florida to meet his family (apparently, they flew, and he wanted to catch the train). It appears the gentleman has done this a few times before, but has some concern that if he doesn't make his "Silver Something" connection at DC, his family might not let him do this again. The lady is a rather infrequent train rider, but is impressed enough with the sights that she hopes to be able to avail Amtrak for an August trip back to her youth home in Alabama. Unfortunately, there is no service to Montgomery that will accomodate her, so she's disappointed.

Aboard the Sightseer Lounge Car.

Gradually, our Northward Flowing River grows less and less grand as we climb through the mountains. Regardless, the scenery is still magnificent.

 

[The Metropolitan]

One of the things that really impresses me about the trip is the casual feel among the riders. Everyone seems to unwind a bit, and riders of many backgrounds chit chat like old friends. In other cases, it turns out that people who may at first be assumed to be distant strangers are actually closer than originally thought, as the lady bound for DC discovers. Talking to another gentleman, she discovers that he grew up in an Alabama town close to hers, and knew a lot of the same people. This same Gentleman met someone else who worked at a different location of the same company, and was now planning to keep in touch with him.

Another nice touch is seeing how people really enjoy the train. The oohs and aaahs as we travel the mountains, as well as the fervent use of cameras helps a train buff like me feel just a little more mainstream!

Note the other photographer on the left!

Once we could finally toy with the Yough..y no longer, we bore our way through several hills before settling along the Casselman River, which is flowing the same direction as our train, telling us of our downward travel. We spend much of this time on a very winding route that takes us past giant wind towers.

Power to the People.

We finally arrive in Cumberland a little after 10:00am, now two hours behind schedule. About a dozen people await boarding here, at least in Coach. This station requires 4 stops, one for crew change, two for sleeper stops, and one for a coach stop, so we don't depart until after 10:20am.

A view of Cumberland from the Sightseer.

I return to my coach seat, and see that my copadre has fallen asleep. I try to do the same, but fear missing Martinsburg, so I only powernap for a few minutes. After an hour or so of rather similar scenery, we begin to see more signs of civilization, and not too long after that, my first sign that I'm getting closer to home...

Uh, Oh, back in MARC Territory!

Soon after passing the servicing facility, we're in Martinsburg, by now a bit over 2 hours behind. Since we're now in Commuter Train territory, I expect stations to break the scenery at regular intervals like in Philly, but we're still a good bit off the beaten path, as Duffields is slow to show itself. Finally, we're coming into historic Harper's Ferry, who's station is getting a full rebuild...

Talk about some attention for a station that gets two daily Amtrak's and a handful of MARC's!

A little bit of confusion at Harper's Ferry, as a lady is trying to alight from our car, while the Conductors are looking for her at the rear car, but finally we're on our way for this line's scenic highlight.

Leaving Harper's Ferry, WV - note the old abutments visible under the adjoining bridge.

 

[The Metropolitan]

We're still about an even 2 hours late leaving Harpers Ferry, but it looks like we have some padding time at DC, so we might not do TOO bad. In any event, we trundle across the bridge, as a number of people on the adjoining bridge wave and greet our passing.

People never seem to watch buses or planes this way.

More Well Wishers at Harper's Ferry.

Entering the tunnel across the Potomac.

Onward we go, and shortly, we are at Brusnwick, followed soon thereafter by Point of Rocks. During this spell, we parallel the remains of the C&O Canal for much of the journey. The spring trees and surface growth give it a lush look.

Commuter Stations are still rather scant, but before long, we pass Boyds, Barnesville, and Dickerson stops, before hitting the meat of the Brunswick line stops - Gaithersburg, Germantown, etc. These are not stops for us, but Rockville is, where the DC Metro is now evident. As I find out the hard way, it would have behooved me to alight at Rockville and ride the Red Line to Union, as our cushion is eaten and then some for the journey from Rockville inward.

Though its neat to ride right of way that I haven't ridden in over 20 years (I rode this as a high schooler on a Christmas MARC Charter), I pay the price, as the journey is SLOOOOOOOW. We ease our way towards Silver Spring, where we again meet the Metro, and then lurch through the Northern areas of DC, before stopping a bit before merging with the Corridor. It's announced we have to hold to await the outbound MARC Train, before finally rolling into Union about 208pm. We do get an apology announcement for the delay from one of the Conductors (not the surly one), but are advised that our journey on CSX's tracks is done more on their schedule than Amtrak's.

Finally, we are here at DC, and I check the board for the next MARC departure for Baltimore, to find it's leaving at 215pm! By this point, it's 213pm, and while I have free ride privledge with my MTA ID, my riding partner is not so fortunate, and its known that waiting in line for a ticket will cause us to miss the train. By the time we figure a plan, he's decided to bail out and ride the green line somewhere (I still have no idea where he went that day), but I'm pooped, and only want to be on the next train out, even contemplating purchasing a fresh Acela ticket to speed my ride home.

I stop by Auntie Anne's and get a bagel dog to hold me, and anxiously await announcement of the next MARC train's departure, which I see at 334pm. I am reassured at least to know that my breakfast companion would make her train to Newport News, while the gent in the Sightseer was making his "Silver Something." A little after 305pm, the track lights up on the board, and off we go to track #28! VERY ODD!!???

Track #28 is NOT your typical MARC track. (most of your MARC trains board from about 6 to 18 tracks). This track is in the Southern States/ VRE section of the station. In fact, I see the Silver Something (Star I think) a couple of tracks over from mine, as I board the MARC train.

Aboard the MARC on one odd track assignment.

Going from the spacious Amtrak Amfleets and Superliners to MARC gives me quite a bit of culture shock, not so much for seating, but for luggage space (what I won't go through to save a couple $$$). Making matters worse is that this is a bi-level car, so the overhead space which would have worked on a Sumitomo, is useless to me on this Kawasaki.

We launch off right on time, and I do feel good to know I'm almost to the final leg of my journey. I "close my eyes" at New Carrollton, and open them again at Bowie. Seabrook is completely forgotten. Bowie and Odenton are little more than blurs, as a soft rain has essentially put me out. By BWI, I awaken for the journey to stops at Halethorpe, West Baltimore, and finally into Baltimore. I do take a couple more snaps just to keep me occupied til then.

Platform of the long abandoned Pennsylvania Avenue Station. The portholes to the left once led to a Station building. At one time, even some intercity trains made this stop just before the B&P Tunnels.

Into the B&P Tunnels we go, and I know home is not far away. We emerge, and I see the familiar old shed that tells me Penn Station is just moments away.

Now Arriving - Baltimore!

Up the stairs I hustle, and out onto Charles Street. Within 5 minutes, both a #3 and #11 arrive, and I board the Neoplan on the #11 for the 12 minute ride to Cold Spring. The ride is quick and trouble free, and I'm glad to arrive, making the 15 minute walk with little trouble. Still, I'm exhausted by this point, and unlike the last evening - tonight I have very little trouble getting to sleep!

 

[Trogdor]

That was a good report. It's always nice to see people throw in their local transit experience in with the Amtrak parts.

 

[AlanB]

Thanks for a great trip report Metropolitan. Very nice indeed and I'm glad you had a great trip too!

A couple of quick thoughts:

One, the diesel engine was added to the train at Philly. An electric motor would have pulled the train from NY, as diesel's are not generally allowed into NY's Penn Station.

Two, SEPTA service does not end at Paoli anymore. It was reextended to Thorndale, one stop past Dowingtown, a few years ago.

 

[AmtrakFan]

Great Report, I really enjoyed the Photos.

 

[GG-1]

Mahalo

I enjoyed your report, almost as if I were with you.

Aloha

 

[The Metropolitan]

Thanks for the feedback all, and glad you enjoyed the recap. I had been wanting to do one since I got back but only now got the time - even still, it took most of the day to type and prep the photos! Most of these photos are vid-caps from footage I shot on my Canon S1 during the trip, thus the slight fuzziness, and blue streaks on the night stuff.

The trip was definitely one to remember, and a great way to get back in the swing of train travel. I'm hoping to follow up with either a Chi-town trip or a repeat PGH trip before the end of the year.

Robert, as you're into transit as I am, I'd definitely recommend Pittsburgh as a destination for a day or two, as there is a lot there to enjoy. With you being in Chicago, you actually can make a day trip of it by train if you choose, unlike myself, who can only use the Grey Dog or my auto for such, and what's the fun in that!?!

 

[Trogdor]

Well, if you plan to come to Chicago, let me know. Starting today, I'm now officially employed by the cta.

I'll try and make it to Pittsburgh at some point. It would be nice if the Capitol Limited ran a couple of hours later, as I could then leave after work on a Friday, and get into Pittsburgh at a more decent hour. My last time *through* PGH was on the Three Rivers, a day or two before it was discontinued.

 

[user 683]

Awesome trip report! I really enjoyed the details.

 

[Steve4031]

I enjoyed the pictures. That was a nice report.