AUNTIE C's ADVENTURE JUNE 2015
(these first bits will appear in each post -- scoll down to get to the new stuff)
ORL to WAS = Orlando, Fla., to Washington, D.C., on Silver Meteor 98; sleeper car roomette
WAS to CHI = Washington to Chicago, Ill., on Capitol Limited 29; sleeper car roomette
CHI to PDX = Chicago to Portland, Ore., on Empire Builder 27; sleeper car roomette
PDX to EUG = Portland to Eugene, Ore, on Coast Starlight 11 coach seat
return trip
EUG to SAC = Eugene to Sacramento, Calif., on Coast Starlight 11; sleeper car roomettte
SAC to CHI = Sacramento to Chicago on California Zaphyr 6; sleeper car roomette
CHI to WAS = Chicago to Washington on Capitol Limited 30; sleeper car bedroom
WAS to ORL = Washington to Orlando on Silver Meteor 97; sleeper car roomette
I'll not mention cars or rooms until after I've completed that leg of the trip. Nor do I intend to give the full names of Amtrak crew members -- the nametags state first initial and last name, but they tend to introduce themselves by first name.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
I picked these up from other trip reports, and will post atop each of mine to remind myself what terms I should use, adding as I learn more. (Then I'll forget and fail to use them.)
LSA-D lead service attendant - diner
TA-SC train attendant - sleeper car
TA-C train atendant - coach
waiter - other service attendants in diner car, as I'm not sure what the official name might be (I will probably end up calling most all diner staff something else, as I did not notice nametags on either attendant during the first leg of my trip -- likely under the aprons.) Non-gender specific.
Red Cap staff member at stations who helps travelers get to and from trains, the club lounges and, I assume, the outside world. Non-gender specific.
INTRODUCTION
I am a 45-year-old Floridian visiting relatives in Oregon after about five years with little contact and no other big vacations. I'm introverted, so comments about struggling to chat with other passengers should be viewed as my own hangup, not any character flaws on their parts.
I've taken two-plus weeks off work for this, my first Amtrak rail journey, to attend a life event for my niece -- hence my chosen moniker for this forum.
I trust the more knowledgeable members of Amtrak Unlimited will correct any errors I make in describing particuars of the trains, stations or other aspects of rail travel. Thanks in advance, and while I won't take such corrections personally, I also won't likely thank you individually.
My primary audience for this are my parents. Dad's a steam train enthusiast in theory, but as Mom doesn't travel well, they don't take vacations, either. I hope my descriptions help them travel vicariously with me to visit their only grandchild a continent away.
I do not intend to post photos, mostly as I can't figure out how to downsize the images my iPad takes with its cracked screen.
I'll slug all my posts with "Auntie C" this or that, for ease of finding (or avoiding) them.
FORMAT
I'm compiling these trip reports from emails I send to a handful of kith and kin, taking out the duller bits (I hope). For the first leg, I started typing while on the Silver Meteor, so real-time intrusions into the narrative are separated by ellipses and perhaps time signatures. If I continue to type as I go, this format might persist. It makes sense to me, an you are welcome to stop reading if it does not appeal to you.
My Bluetooth keyboard, as I discovered in my first email, tends to double some characters. I doubt I'll be diligent in proofing, so please forgive typos.
LEG 2: WAS TO CHI June 2 to 3, 2015
4:20 p.m. Tuesday, June 2, 2015, car 2900, roomette 7.
The Club Acela lounge in Washington was well appointed and quiet. I did not notice until early afternoon that there were no windows, when someone reported it was raining lightly outside. The soft-drink dispenser kept beverages icy, and the snacks set out changed from packaged cinnamon rolls in the morning to Goldfish cheese crackers and small pretzels around lunch. Large televisions tuned to CNN reported o the outside world -- a terror suspect shot in Boston, a cruise ship overturned in China, Caitlyn Jenner on the cover of Vanity Fair (she looked good).
I shifted from loveseat to table near outlet back to loveseat during my hours in the lounge, watching business-suited commuters gather on one side of the space for hourly runs of Acela Express to Boston, New York City and other metropolitan sites. As time neared for my own departure, I gave up my loveseat to a nice couple, then moved from a single chair beside an empty one so another couple could sit together. By that time, I remembered I should pull my rolling carry-ons from the storage room, and I stood for maybe 10 minutes near the doors to my train.
I do not know if it was standard procedure, but the staff lined up all the sleeper-car passengers in a lobby just outside the lounge doors, still separate from wherever the coach riders wait. We all stood there for less than 10 minutes until told to head out, following the signs down a long, concrete walkway past other trains to get to No. 29, the Capitol Limited. Coach cars were closest to the terminal, being at the back of the train, so we had to hike to the front. There are at least two sleeper cars, and I was pleased to be in the one farthest back, as I was tired of snagging my suitcases in odd cracks and pavement changes. It turns out the car is also closest to the diner/cafe, another plus for me -- I have to walk a shorter distance to real food, and I get to watch a parade of fellow passengers when they report for diinner without having to be social.
The Superliner roomettes are on two levels, as are all coach cars. The entry is below, with a few rooms, a larger bedroom and disabled-accessible room at either end, two or three toilets and a shower/changing room, plus luggage racks. A steep staircase curves up the the second level, with more roometttes and bedrooms, I think, and the corridors through to the other cars are on the top levels.
I was booked into a roomette on the bottom level, but as I settled in and met my cross-corridor neighbors, the train attendant-sleeper car, Phil, came by asking if we'd be willing to swap rooms with a woman who was booked above, but could not ascend the stairs. The couple beside me, experienced rail travelers, knew to ask if the roomette was on the same side of the car as they were in now. It was on my northern side, and I didn't care, so I lifted my one case and assorted other gear upstairs to get acquainted with room 7. I would guess the other side of the car has better scenery. As we departed D.C., the room next to me is unoccupied, so i can look out that window until whatever stop sees it filled.
TA-SC Phil introduced himself over the PA, adding the names of the diner car host (Troy) and cafe host (Carl). I did not realize how poor the quality of the PA system in my Silver Meteor car was until I could actually hear the announcement on this train without static and fedback obscuring the words. Phil apologized for the attendant call buttons not working on this sleeper car, but said he could be found in Room 1 if we needed him.
The skies are overcast, and someone said the afternoon temperature was 68. The station was mostly enclosed, but it felt chilly walking through an open patch.
LSA-D Troy walked through to schedule dinner, choice of 5, 6 or 7 p.m. seatings. Having skipped lunch, I chose 5. When Phil came through soon after to point out the accoutrements of the roomette and answer any questions I had, he also scheduled turnoout (turn-down? setup?) of my bed. Although I've done little but sit all day, I'm quite tired. I chose 7 p.m., as I expect to be sleepy after I eat.
This part of the country has hills. You knew that. I also knew that, in theory, but seeing houses on land above the train or roads below is a novelty for me, a flatlander Floridian. There was more graffiti on the backs of buildings near the rails than I noticed in Orlando. No palmetto or banana trees among the weeds, either.
I checked out the upstairs toilet -- as efficiently designed as one would expect, with a trash receptacle molded into one corner, a sink into another and the same push-button flush system as I'd seen in the Viewliner roomette.
... 4:58 p.m. I saw a deer grazing on the grassy verge! ...
Troy said to wait for the call before heading to dinner. As I can lean out my door and look left to see the tables through the window of the diner car, I'mm not concerned about missing the call.
6:28 p.m., fed and tooth-brushed after a meal of ricotta-and-spinach filled paste shells with vegetables, side salad and vanilla pudding at a table with two moms taking a break from home duties to attend a beading conference. I like the tables in the dining car on the Capitol Limited better than the Silver Meteor, as the booth seats and tables curve near the aisle to allow for ease of entry, or for those of us with larger girths. We tipped Troy and cleared out just as the 6 p.m. seating arrived to fill the back half of the tables. The couple I met on the lower lever were in that seating, and told me they should have taken the upper room, as a family with two loud children settled into the bedrooom near them.
The Superliner roomette might be the same dimensions as a Viewliner roomette -- I did not measure, so I can't be sure. Because there is no toilet, the seats are wider on both sides. Close to the door, a closet runs floor to ceiling, but only about 5 inches wide, with two hangers and a rail for coats or perhaps a garment bag. I slid in the case for my travel pillow and piled my pajamas atop it before sliding the one suitcase under a seat. on the other side of the door is the carpeted two steps up to the bunk bed, anngled up toward the ceiling during the day. A window shows the corridor next to the steps, which I am using as a counter for my toiletries case.
Seats are 2 feet wide, perhaps more. Small consoles cut into the headrest area near the window on both sides, with reading lights, thermostat and one 120 volt outlet. The table pulls up from the center wall under the exterior window -- this time, the chess board is imprinted in the plastic surface rather than painted. It took me a while to figure them out, but two recessed notches on either side of the air vent inthe ceiling must be for inserting the hooks of the clothes hangers, to keep one's outfit out of the way while dressing. A mirror lines the wall beside the bunk steps. As there is no fold-out sink in the roomette, two 16-ounce bottles of water awaited me on a seat. I can ask for more if I really get thirsty, but these should get me thorugh the night -- especially if i must blunder down the hall in my PJs to get to the necessary overnight.
For the past hour or more, we've followed a river on my side of the train. A dirt/gravel road hugs the tracks, with the occasionaly rutted lane ot gated driveway leading down to fields, fishing shacks or more permanent structures. If I bothered to look at a map, I could guess at the name of the waterway.
6:54 p.m., we passed a rail yard with many stacks of wooden beams -- for track repair? For construction of new tracks? Something I'd not thought about -- the maintenance supplies have to be stored somewhere, and it makes sense they'd be close at hand.
7:27 p.m. TA-SC Phil stopped in about 7:15 t set the bed, pulling the sheeted mattress from its berth on the upper bunk. That space, I noted, had a cargo net stretched along the exterior wall, no window for the top bunk. The train pulled into Vumberland Station in Maryland as I plugged in my power bar and took off my shoes. (Hmm. I packed the spare socks with the spare shoes in the checked suitcase. I'll have to rummage through the clothing case tomorrow to see if I have fresh ones, or risk really stinky feet come Friday at my destinnation.)
The trrain was long enough that the sleeper cars stretched past the station and up the tracks next to the local VFW post. I took a moment to admire the four memorial walls for local fallen servicewomen and -men on the sidewalk down the hill from the post. As we pulled out, I could look down on the tops of a set of freight cars parked on the adjacent tracks.
Though it's yet daylight, I suspect I'll soon change into PJs and watch some screen rather than the fading view, and try to catch up on missed sleep.
TIMEZONE TRUTHS
7:05 a.m. Wednesday, June 3
TA-SC Phil told other passengers we're running about 35 minutes behind for our arrive in Chicago, pushing it back to maybe 9:30 a.m. -- ah, but that's Central Time, I now realize! Shoot, I could've tried to sleep another hour.
I discovered the hills along the train route (must've been Maryland or Pennsylvania) effectivly block cell signal, so I could not connect to wifi last night.
The Superliner roomettte bed seemed more comfortable, but I could also be adapting to sleeping on a moving train. Once I figured out about 3 a.m. that part of my problem was the sort of headache I get with caffeine withdrawal or low-pressure storm systems, I took ibuprofen and got a couple of hours of good sleep. Next train, I'll know not to re-hang the hangers in the closet unlesss I put some clothes on the to muffle the rattling. With earplugs in, I did nnot hear them much unless we took a bump.
Up at 5:15 a.m., I took the 10 steps to the diner car when 6 a.m. seating was announced. I'd not planned welll the ngiht before, so donned the same clothes again -- perhaps I can change during my layover in Chicago.
The french toast was tasty, and I quickly got over my disappointment when informed the train no longer serves Mountain Dew. The rising sun to the back of the train found my spot in the diner, but I was alone on that side of the table and could adjust my position to avoid being blinded. I chatted with another single rider who joined me after I'd ordered, and I apologized for scarfing down my breakfast before she got hers. She was gracious about it, and had yet to get her meal when I left. I saw Phil toting boxes food to his passengers a few times, perhaps some for the lady in my original room 13 who can't climb the stairs.
I stretched my legs, walking through to the cafe side of the car, then through to the lounge car, wwith high windows curving up to the roof. Some people were sleeping in the small, two-person loveseats -- I think someone on the forum called them lounge lizards? -- and farther down near the first cach car, a family of Mennonite or Amish folk sat, wide awake and enjoying the view. I did not walk through the coach cars, as i did not want to disturb any sleepers. Phil had reset my seats while I broke fast, so I'm glad I didn't leav my gear strewn across the bed.
7:19 a.m. a novelty for me -- a freight train heading in the same direction as my Amtrak train, rather than passing the other way on the northern set of rails. Perhaps that's why experienced passengers prefer rooms on the south siide. I like seeing all the types of freight car -- the tankers, the boxcars, the flat-bed types and those with see-through slats I suppose might be cattle cars. The freight trrain does block my view of the landscape, but we're moving faster than it, so I catch glimpses though the gaps.
I realize as I look through these reports before posting that I'm spending a lot of time describing the restrooms. They fascinate me, fitting so much usefulness into such a compact space, when I can never find my spare soap if I run out in my own bathroom. If I ever build my own home, I'll see about installing such tiny corner showers in the bedrooms -- a sink, at least.
7:30 a.m., about to pull into Waterloo, Indiana. The Capitol Limited timetable Phil left in my room stated this stop should be at 6:36 a.m. ... and we pulled out about 3 mintues later.
I am so glad I chose to travel by train!
I'm not describing the fields of new-sprouting corn or other crops I can't determine, as they're all just small lines off green close to the ground at this point in the growing season. I've seen a few more deer -- they get larger as we head west, it seems. Even the class of weeds along the verges of the tracks seem better -- this region gets a good amount of rain, so all the greenery is fluffy. The barns are larger, and the old ones with boards missing, paint worn down to wood and vines climbing the sides give a picture-perfect description of the adjective "weathered."
I know there must be mosquitoes and other bugs out among the boggy woodlaands, but the trees differ from thos I see in Florida, and seem more inviting and walkable than my forests. (Not that I'd really go walking much of anywhere -- I'm a sedentary hermit.)
All the roofs of the structures we pass are peaked -- an indication that this region gets snow in the winter. Pretty much all parts of the norhtern United States get snow, I know, but I don't think about all the flat roofs in my state until I travel.
I could fire my the myfi and check news reports, but I'm enjoying being out of the loop for a time. I left my best beloved (BB) at home to water any intruders and shoot the plants, as the relatives in Oregon are mine, and we could not coordinate vacation schedules. If I save up the time and funds to do this again in a few years, perhaps BB can try the top bunk. And the no-smoking policy on Amtrak might aid in my quest to get BB to quit.
Well, as I have an hour more than I realized due to the time-zone change, I'll plug in the earbuds and watch some screen along with the passing scenery.
WINDY CITY? MAYBE, BUT CERTAINLY CHILLY LOUNGE
11:51 a.m. Central time, in Metropolitan lounge at Chicago station
I thought the Club Acela in D.C. was posh, and the Metro lounge in Chicago is spacious and friendly, if freezing cold. Several passengers in shorts look a bit blue around the edges.
My phone ran out of charge sometime last night, and did not like the flavor of the power from the roomette's sole outlet, so I found a comfy seat by one of the many outlets in the lounge to recharge. When I found myself cuddling the warm power plug after charging was complete, I knew it was too cold in there.
I think the same Amish/Mennonite family I saw in the sightseeing car on the train is here in another part of the Metro lounge, joined by others. Two big trains are set to depart in early afternoon, my Empire Builder and the California Zephyr, plus others.
Coming in to the city, a major nexus for Amtrak, I saw train-washing buildings and maintenance bays before we glided under cover into the station proper. Again, something I had not thought about before this trip.
The nice lady at the lounge's front desk periodically mentions over the PA that no train leaving Chicago offers lunch service, and there is a food court outside the lounge where we can buy meals and bring them back in. She also restocks the large basket of pretzel bags near the soft-drink counter.
12:30 p.m. A tour group with New Zealand or Australian accents filed through the lounge to settle in a closed-off section on seats. They sound cheerful!
My tech is finally charged, so I will unplug to make the outlets available to others. The lounge has filled throughtout the morning, with most seats now taken. I have perhaps an hour until boarding begins for the Empire Builder.
(these first bits will appear in each post -- scoll down to get to the new stuff)
ORL to WAS = Orlando, Fla., to Washington, D.C., on Silver Meteor 98; sleeper car roomette
WAS to CHI = Washington to Chicago, Ill., on Capitol Limited 29; sleeper car roomette
CHI to PDX = Chicago to Portland, Ore., on Empire Builder 27; sleeper car roomette
PDX to EUG = Portland to Eugene, Ore, on Coast Starlight 11 coach seat
return trip
EUG to SAC = Eugene to Sacramento, Calif., on Coast Starlight 11; sleeper car roomettte
SAC to CHI = Sacramento to Chicago on California Zaphyr 6; sleeper car roomette
CHI to WAS = Chicago to Washington on Capitol Limited 30; sleeper car bedroom
WAS to ORL = Washington to Orlando on Silver Meteor 97; sleeper car roomette
I'll not mention cars or rooms until after I've completed that leg of the trip. Nor do I intend to give the full names of Amtrak crew members -- the nametags state first initial and last name, but they tend to introduce themselves by first name.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
I picked these up from other trip reports, and will post atop each of mine to remind myself what terms I should use, adding as I learn more. (Then I'll forget and fail to use them.)
LSA-D lead service attendant - diner
TA-SC train attendant - sleeper car
TA-C train atendant - coach
waiter - other service attendants in diner car, as I'm not sure what the official name might be (I will probably end up calling most all diner staff something else, as I did not notice nametags on either attendant during the first leg of my trip -- likely under the aprons.) Non-gender specific.
Red Cap staff member at stations who helps travelers get to and from trains, the club lounges and, I assume, the outside world. Non-gender specific.
INTRODUCTION
I am a 45-year-old Floridian visiting relatives in Oregon after about five years with little contact and no other big vacations. I'm introverted, so comments about struggling to chat with other passengers should be viewed as my own hangup, not any character flaws on their parts.
I've taken two-plus weeks off work for this, my first Amtrak rail journey, to attend a life event for my niece -- hence my chosen moniker for this forum.
I trust the more knowledgeable members of Amtrak Unlimited will correct any errors I make in describing particuars of the trains, stations or other aspects of rail travel. Thanks in advance, and while I won't take such corrections personally, I also won't likely thank you individually.
My primary audience for this are my parents. Dad's a steam train enthusiast in theory, but as Mom doesn't travel well, they don't take vacations, either. I hope my descriptions help them travel vicariously with me to visit their only grandchild a continent away.
I do not intend to post photos, mostly as I can't figure out how to downsize the images my iPad takes with its cracked screen.
I'll slug all my posts with "Auntie C" this or that, for ease of finding (or avoiding) them.
FORMAT
I'm compiling these trip reports from emails I send to a handful of kith and kin, taking out the duller bits (I hope). For the first leg, I started typing while on the Silver Meteor, so real-time intrusions into the narrative are separated by ellipses and perhaps time signatures. If I continue to type as I go, this format might persist. It makes sense to me, an you are welcome to stop reading if it does not appeal to you.
My Bluetooth keyboard, as I discovered in my first email, tends to double some characters. I doubt I'll be diligent in proofing, so please forgive typos.
LEG 2: WAS TO CHI June 2 to 3, 2015
4:20 p.m. Tuesday, June 2, 2015, car 2900, roomette 7.
The Club Acela lounge in Washington was well appointed and quiet. I did not notice until early afternoon that there were no windows, when someone reported it was raining lightly outside. The soft-drink dispenser kept beverages icy, and the snacks set out changed from packaged cinnamon rolls in the morning to Goldfish cheese crackers and small pretzels around lunch. Large televisions tuned to CNN reported o the outside world -- a terror suspect shot in Boston, a cruise ship overturned in China, Caitlyn Jenner on the cover of Vanity Fair (she looked good).
I shifted from loveseat to table near outlet back to loveseat during my hours in the lounge, watching business-suited commuters gather on one side of the space for hourly runs of Acela Express to Boston, New York City and other metropolitan sites. As time neared for my own departure, I gave up my loveseat to a nice couple, then moved from a single chair beside an empty one so another couple could sit together. By that time, I remembered I should pull my rolling carry-ons from the storage room, and I stood for maybe 10 minutes near the doors to my train.
I do not know if it was standard procedure, but the staff lined up all the sleeper-car passengers in a lobby just outside the lounge doors, still separate from wherever the coach riders wait. We all stood there for less than 10 minutes until told to head out, following the signs down a long, concrete walkway past other trains to get to No. 29, the Capitol Limited. Coach cars were closest to the terminal, being at the back of the train, so we had to hike to the front. There are at least two sleeper cars, and I was pleased to be in the one farthest back, as I was tired of snagging my suitcases in odd cracks and pavement changes. It turns out the car is also closest to the diner/cafe, another plus for me -- I have to walk a shorter distance to real food, and I get to watch a parade of fellow passengers when they report for diinner without having to be social.
The Superliner roomettes are on two levels, as are all coach cars. The entry is below, with a few rooms, a larger bedroom and disabled-accessible room at either end, two or three toilets and a shower/changing room, plus luggage racks. A steep staircase curves up the the second level, with more roometttes and bedrooms, I think, and the corridors through to the other cars are on the top levels.
I was booked into a roomette on the bottom level, but as I settled in and met my cross-corridor neighbors, the train attendant-sleeper car, Phil, came by asking if we'd be willing to swap rooms with a woman who was booked above, but could not ascend the stairs. The couple beside me, experienced rail travelers, knew to ask if the roomette was on the same side of the car as they were in now. It was on my northern side, and I didn't care, so I lifted my one case and assorted other gear upstairs to get acquainted with room 7. I would guess the other side of the car has better scenery. As we departed D.C., the room next to me is unoccupied, so i can look out that window until whatever stop sees it filled.
TA-SC Phil introduced himself over the PA, adding the names of the diner car host (Troy) and cafe host (Carl). I did not realize how poor the quality of the PA system in my Silver Meteor car was until I could actually hear the announcement on this train without static and fedback obscuring the words. Phil apologized for the attendant call buttons not working on this sleeper car, but said he could be found in Room 1 if we needed him.
The skies are overcast, and someone said the afternoon temperature was 68. The station was mostly enclosed, but it felt chilly walking through an open patch.
LSA-D Troy walked through to schedule dinner, choice of 5, 6 or 7 p.m. seatings. Having skipped lunch, I chose 5. When Phil came through soon after to point out the accoutrements of the roomette and answer any questions I had, he also scheduled turnoout (turn-down? setup?) of my bed. Although I've done little but sit all day, I'm quite tired. I chose 7 p.m., as I expect to be sleepy after I eat.
This part of the country has hills. You knew that. I also knew that, in theory, but seeing houses on land above the train or roads below is a novelty for me, a flatlander Floridian. There was more graffiti on the backs of buildings near the rails than I noticed in Orlando. No palmetto or banana trees among the weeds, either.
I checked out the upstairs toilet -- as efficiently designed as one would expect, with a trash receptacle molded into one corner, a sink into another and the same push-button flush system as I'd seen in the Viewliner roomette.
... 4:58 p.m. I saw a deer grazing on the grassy verge! ...
Troy said to wait for the call before heading to dinner. As I can lean out my door and look left to see the tables through the window of the diner car, I'mm not concerned about missing the call.
6:28 p.m., fed and tooth-brushed after a meal of ricotta-and-spinach filled paste shells with vegetables, side salad and vanilla pudding at a table with two moms taking a break from home duties to attend a beading conference. I like the tables in the dining car on the Capitol Limited better than the Silver Meteor, as the booth seats and tables curve near the aisle to allow for ease of entry, or for those of us with larger girths. We tipped Troy and cleared out just as the 6 p.m. seating arrived to fill the back half of the tables. The couple I met on the lower lever were in that seating, and told me they should have taken the upper room, as a family with two loud children settled into the bedrooom near them.
The Superliner roomette might be the same dimensions as a Viewliner roomette -- I did not measure, so I can't be sure. Because there is no toilet, the seats are wider on both sides. Close to the door, a closet runs floor to ceiling, but only about 5 inches wide, with two hangers and a rail for coats or perhaps a garment bag. I slid in the case for my travel pillow and piled my pajamas atop it before sliding the one suitcase under a seat. on the other side of the door is the carpeted two steps up to the bunk bed, anngled up toward the ceiling during the day. A window shows the corridor next to the steps, which I am using as a counter for my toiletries case.
Seats are 2 feet wide, perhaps more. Small consoles cut into the headrest area near the window on both sides, with reading lights, thermostat and one 120 volt outlet. The table pulls up from the center wall under the exterior window -- this time, the chess board is imprinted in the plastic surface rather than painted. It took me a while to figure them out, but two recessed notches on either side of the air vent inthe ceiling must be for inserting the hooks of the clothes hangers, to keep one's outfit out of the way while dressing. A mirror lines the wall beside the bunk steps. As there is no fold-out sink in the roomette, two 16-ounce bottles of water awaited me on a seat. I can ask for more if I really get thirsty, but these should get me thorugh the night -- especially if i must blunder down the hall in my PJs to get to the necessary overnight.
For the past hour or more, we've followed a river on my side of the train. A dirt/gravel road hugs the tracks, with the occasionaly rutted lane ot gated driveway leading down to fields, fishing shacks or more permanent structures. If I bothered to look at a map, I could guess at the name of the waterway.
6:54 p.m., we passed a rail yard with many stacks of wooden beams -- for track repair? For construction of new tracks? Something I'd not thought about -- the maintenance supplies have to be stored somewhere, and it makes sense they'd be close at hand.
7:27 p.m. TA-SC Phil stopped in about 7:15 t set the bed, pulling the sheeted mattress from its berth on the upper bunk. That space, I noted, had a cargo net stretched along the exterior wall, no window for the top bunk. The train pulled into Vumberland Station in Maryland as I plugged in my power bar and took off my shoes. (Hmm. I packed the spare socks with the spare shoes in the checked suitcase. I'll have to rummage through the clothing case tomorrow to see if I have fresh ones, or risk really stinky feet come Friday at my destinnation.)
The trrain was long enough that the sleeper cars stretched past the station and up the tracks next to the local VFW post. I took a moment to admire the four memorial walls for local fallen servicewomen and -men on the sidewalk down the hill from the post. As we pulled out, I could look down on the tops of a set of freight cars parked on the adjacent tracks.
Though it's yet daylight, I suspect I'll soon change into PJs and watch some screen rather than the fading view, and try to catch up on missed sleep.
TIMEZONE TRUTHS
7:05 a.m. Wednesday, June 3
TA-SC Phil told other passengers we're running about 35 minutes behind for our arrive in Chicago, pushing it back to maybe 9:30 a.m. -- ah, but that's Central Time, I now realize! Shoot, I could've tried to sleep another hour.
I discovered the hills along the train route (must've been Maryland or Pennsylvania) effectivly block cell signal, so I could not connect to wifi last night.
The Superliner roomettte bed seemed more comfortable, but I could also be adapting to sleeping on a moving train. Once I figured out about 3 a.m. that part of my problem was the sort of headache I get with caffeine withdrawal or low-pressure storm systems, I took ibuprofen and got a couple of hours of good sleep. Next train, I'll know not to re-hang the hangers in the closet unlesss I put some clothes on the to muffle the rattling. With earplugs in, I did nnot hear them much unless we took a bump.
Up at 5:15 a.m., I took the 10 steps to the diner car when 6 a.m. seating was announced. I'd not planned welll the ngiht before, so donned the same clothes again -- perhaps I can change during my layover in Chicago.
The french toast was tasty, and I quickly got over my disappointment when informed the train no longer serves Mountain Dew. The rising sun to the back of the train found my spot in the diner, but I was alone on that side of the table and could adjust my position to avoid being blinded. I chatted with another single rider who joined me after I'd ordered, and I apologized for scarfing down my breakfast before she got hers. She was gracious about it, and had yet to get her meal when I left. I saw Phil toting boxes food to his passengers a few times, perhaps some for the lady in my original room 13 who can't climb the stairs.
I stretched my legs, walking through to the cafe side of the car, then through to the lounge car, wwith high windows curving up to the roof. Some people were sleeping in the small, two-person loveseats -- I think someone on the forum called them lounge lizards? -- and farther down near the first cach car, a family of Mennonite or Amish folk sat, wide awake and enjoying the view. I did not walk through the coach cars, as i did not want to disturb any sleepers. Phil had reset my seats while I broke fast, so I'm glad I didn't leav my gear strewn across the bed.
7:19 a.m. a novelty for me -- a freight train heading in the same direction as my Amtrak train, rather than passing the other way on the northern set of rails. Perhaps that's why experienced passengers prefer rooms on the south siide. I like seeing all the types of freight car -- the tankers, the boxcars, the flat-bed types and those with see-through slats I suppose might be cattle cars. The freight trrain does block my view of the landscape, but we're moving faster than it, so I catch glimpses though the gaps.
I realize as I look through these reports before posting that I'm spending a lot of time describing the restrooms. They fascinate me, fitting so much usefulness into such a compact space, when I can never find my spare soap if I run out in my own bathroom. If I ever build my own home, I'll see about installing such tiny corner showers in the bedrooms -- a sink, at least.
7:30 a.m., about to pull into Waterloo, Indiana. The Capitol Limited timetable Phil left in my room stated this stop should be at 6:36 a.m. ... and we pulled out about 3 mintues later.
I am so glad I chose to travel by train!
I'm not describing the fields of new-sprouting corn or other crops I can't determine, as they're all just small lines off green close to the ground at this point in the growing season. I've seen a few more deer -- they get larger as we head west, it seems. Even the class of weeds along the verges of the tracks seem better -- this region gets a good amount of rain, so all the greenery is fluffy. The barns are larger, and the old ones with boards missing, paint worn down to wood and vines climbing the sides give a picture-perfect description of the adjective "weathered."
I know there must be mosquitoes and other bugs out among the boggy woodlaands, but the trees differ from thos I see in Florida, and seem more inviting and walkable than my forests. (Not that I'd really go walking much of anywhere -- I'm a sedentary hermit.)
All the roofs of the structures we pass are peaked -- an indication that this region gets snow in the winter. Pretty much all parts of the norhtern United States get snow, I know, but I don't think about all the flat roofs in my state until I travel.
I could fire my the myfi and check news reports, but I'm enjoying being out of the loop for a time. I left my best beloved (BB) at home to water any intruders and shoot the plants, as the relatives in Oregon are mine, and we could not coordinate vacation schedules. If I save up the time and funds to do this again in a few years, perhaps BB can try the top bunk. And the no-smoking policy on Amtrak might aid in my quest to get BB to quit.
Well, as I have an hour more than I realized due to the time-zone change, I'll plug in the earbuds and watch some screen along with the passing scenery.
WINDY CITY? MAYBE, BUT CERTAINLY CHILLY LOUNGE
11:51 a.m. Central time, in Metropolitan lounge at Chicago station
I thought the Club Acela in D.C. was posh, and the Metro lounge in Chicago is spacious and friendly, if freezing cold. Several passengers in shorts look a bit blue around the edges.
My phone ran out of charge sometime last night, and did not like the flavor of the power from the roomette's sole outlet, so I found a comfy seat by one of the many outlets in the lounge to recharge. When I found myself cuddling the warm power plug after charging was complete, I knew it was too cold in there.
I think the same Amish/Mennonite family I saw in the sightseeing car on the train is here in another part of the Metro lounge, joined by others. Two big trains are set to depart in early afternoon, my Empire Builder and the California Zephyr, plus others.
Coming in to the city, a major nexus for Amtrak, I saw train-washing buildings and maintenance bays before we glided under cover into the station proper. Again, something I had not thought about before this trip.
The nice lady at the lounge's front desk periodically mentions over the PA that no train leaving Chicago offers lunch service, and there is a food court outside the lounge where we can buy meals and bring them back in. She also restocks the large basket of pretzel bags near the soft-drink counter.
12:30 p.m. A tour group with New Zealand or Australian accents filed through the lounge to settle in a closed-off section on seats. They sound cheerful!
My tech is finally charged, so I will unplug to make the outlets available to others. The lounge has filled throughtout the morning, with most seats now taken. I have perhaps an hour until boarding begins for the Empire Builder.
