This was a spur of the moment trip, booked two days out. I stayed in Savannah the night before, so as not to have to get up another hour earlier for the 45 mile drive.
Mindful of my previous unsatisfactory experience on Palmetto, I decided the better part of valor was to book BC for the leg up to FAY, and coach back to SAV. It was a very satisfactory way to do it. The Palmetto starts in SAV, and there were a lot of people waiting to board. But only three of us in BC to start. 'Sit anywhere but the first two seats' was the only instruction...The first two seats (actually the rear seats in the car) were reversed, one held the newspapers, and the other the pillows. I chose a seat with a good window (which could have used a cleaning on the outside) and pulled out my electronics. Plugged in the Philips socket multiplier with USB ports, and then pulled out my GPS. Here I hit my first snag, as I realized I had the thing to stick to the window, but had forgot the mounting bracket. However, the GPS lay flat on the plug, and all was well.
Got out my ipad mini and brought up the Elevation app, and watched our blue dot as we cruised along. We were rapidly up to 80mph, but slowed to 25 to cross the Savannah River. Then back up to speed to Yemassee. A few people got on there, maybe a couple in BC. As we approached Charleston, they announced people were to clear their belongings off the empty seats next to them, as they would need every seat. Of course, that did not apply to BC.
From Florence on, we had slower speeds, and lots of track repair equip. passed us. One of the reasons for this trip was to pin down where I saw the antique coach along the way. It turned out to be near Florence, and when I saw it I realized that the community was going to make an exhibit of it, as there were a couple of small building under construction near it. I was able to zoom out the ipad and find out that it was in Lake City, SC. So now, I have a reason to take the trip again. Or I suppose I could drive up...
We had a 15 min delay out of Florence, where we had to use the outside track and make a double spot, and were about half an hour late into FAY. I left the train and headed for the Subway at the station, where I had lunch and waited for time to board the southbound Palmetto. It was about 25 min late. I picked up another sandwich to have for supper.
It seemed like the whole coach got off in FAY, and again, the train was on the outer track (there was some maintenance equip. on the inside track) so they did a double spot again, first to let off BC and baggage on the street, and then to let off coach and board us. There was lots of space in the coach we were directed to, not many getting on - but it was the Amfleet I coach, darn.
Would you believe they messed up the luggage there? Three ladies in our coach got calls shortly after we left, saying that their bags did not make it into the baggage car. Do you suppose they unloaded the baggage and forgot to hand those in, or handed them in, and they got handed back out...
WE did not make any time up and were half an hour late into SAV. There was a young fella in the crew, the light blue shirt people, not the train attendants who change at Florence...He hung around the two ladies behind me, a mother and daughter heading to SAV to celebrate the daughter's birthday. First time on the train for mom. I think the birthday would have been somewhere in the 30's. I figured out he was talking through his hat a lot. Said he worked 11 days straight after SAndy, had done all these long distance trips out west, putting in long hours. But didn't know what I meant when I mentioned the transdorm...
Altogether, a much better trip than the last, and I think I may have to do it again before the leaves on the trees and the kudzhu obstruct the views...
CJ
Mindful of my previous unsatisfactory experience on Palmetto, I decided the better part of valor was to book BC for the leg up to FAY, and coach back to SAV. It was a very satisfactory way to do it. The Palmetto starts in SAV, and there were a lot of people waiting to board. But only three of us in BC to start. 'Sit anywhere but the first two seats' was the only instruction...The first two seats (actually the rear seats in the car) were reversed, one held the newspapers, and the other the pillows. I chose a seat with a good window (which could have used a cleaning on the outside) and pulled out my electronics. Plugged in the Philips socket multiplier with USB ports, and then pulled out my GPS. Here I hit my first snag, as I realized I had the thing to stick to the window, but had forgot the mounting bracket. However, the GPS lay flat on the plug, and all was well.
Got out my ipad mini and brought up the Elevation app, and watched our blue dot as we cruised along. We were rapidly up to 80mph, but slowed to 25 to cross the Savannah River. Then back up to speed to Yemassee. A few people got on there, maybe a couple in BC. As we approached Charleston, they announced people were to clear their belongings off the empty seats next to them, as they would need every seat. Of course, that did not apply to BC.
From Florence on, we had slower speeds, and lots of track repair equip. passed us. One of the reasons for this trip was to pin down where I saw the antique coach along the way. It turned out to be near Florence, and when I saw it I realized that the community was going to make an exhibit of it, as there were a couple of small building under construction near it. I was able to zoom out the ipad and find out that it was in Lake City, SC. So now, I have a reason to take the trip again. Or I suppose I could drive up...
We had a 15 min delay out of Florence, where we had to use the outside track and make a double spot, and were about half an hour late into FAY. I left the train and headed for the Subway at the station, where I had lunch and waited for time to board the southbound Palmetto. It was about 25 min late. I picked up another sandwich to have for supper.
It seemed like the whole coach got off in FAY, and again, the train was on the outer track (there was some maintenance equip. on the inside track) so they did a double spot again, first to let off BC and baggage on the street, and then to let off coach and board us. There was lots of space in the coach we were directed to, not many getting on - but it was the Amfleet I coach, darn.
Would you believe they messed up the luggage there? Three ladies in our coach got calls shortly after we left, saying that their bags did not make it into the baggage car. Do you suppose they unloaded the baggage and forgot to hand those in, or handed them in, and they got handed back out...
WE did not make any time up and were half an hour late into SAV. There was a young fella in the crew, the light blue shirt people, not the train attendants who change at Florence...He hung around the two ladies behind me, a mother and daughter heading to SAV to celebrate the daughter's birthday. First time on the train for mom. I think the birthday would have been somewhere in the 30's. I figured out he was talking through his hat a lot. Said he worked 11 days straight after SAndy, had done all these long distance trips out west, putting in long hours. But didn't know what I meant when I mentioned the transdorm...
Altogether, a much better trip than the last, and I think I may have to do it again before the leaves on the trees and the kudzhu obstruct the views...
CJ
