chuljin's Gathering Mega-trip Part 6

[chuljin]

Pictures from this part (as well as a few from Part 7) are here.

Sunday, November 1's events started much earlier. For the Acela Shop tour, we had to meet rather early (at I time I forgot, and now lost in the hidden 'Registered Participants' forum), whence we walked to the shops. It was very interesting. We started with a half-hour safety briefing and Q&A, then the tour. We went from one end of one of the two sets (11 and 12) being maintained outside it, then went in and saw the cab, whence through the power car and into the FC car. The tour resulted in a wealth of new knowledge (for me, anyways) about these impressive (for Amtrak, anyways) trains. As we left, we were each given a goodie bag, containing, among some interesting printed materials, a deck of Acela playing cards and an attractive Amtrak pen.

The day before, Micah (ALC_Rail_Writer) and his mom mentioned that they were going to go see the USS Constitution and surrounding area after lunch. Since I was in Boston for the first time, I wanted to get out of trains and do at least something historical, so they nicely allowed me to join them. But first I had to check out of my hotel and leave my luggage at BOS where I'd meet them. Due to irritating deviations from their published schedule, it took forever to shuttle back to the hotel, and I asked Betty to tell them that I'd likely be too late, not to waste their afternoon waiting for me, and go ahead. It took me less time to check out than expected, so when Micah called me from Alan's phone, I was able to say 'actually, I will make it' and they offered to meet me at JFK/UMass. Well, the shuttle misbehaved again, and wound up making them wait there for me for half an hour or more. In addition, on the way, the crazy shuttle driver made too sharp a turn up over a curb, throwing me to the floor, where I landed on my chest on my fist. Imagine punching yourself in the chest, helped by gravity. Yeah. Besides some bruises on my legs, the area around my sternum hurt for a couple days. Finally I met them, though, and to make up for making them wait, I bought them lunch at Clarke's at BOS (secretly, though, since his mom is the kind of sweet Lady who would have objected). Thence Haymarket and the Boston Navy Yard, where we did self-guided tours of the Constitution and the Cassin Young. Then we got a taxi back to BOS, no mean feat in the low-traffic area where we tried to hail. When we got to BOS, we parted company, as they decided to keep going on to their hotel. Very glad I got to meet them, both such interesting and nice people, and we'd gotten close.

I went and retrieved my luggage, then was on my way outside when I met the_traveler, and we had a nice chat. I came back in, intending to go up into the ClubAcela for a bit, but of course now I had my heavy luggage with me. In a way, I wish what happened next hadn't, since I found out later that more than a few AUers were having a sit-in in the CA. I found a redcap in front, and asked him 'I'm on 2259, but I want to go up for a little bit, can I leave these with you?' He said 'Oh, you're in first, I'll just take you out'. OK. On the way, I said I was surprised we board this early, and he said 'We originate here, and 30 minutes before we board first, especially first-class individuals like yourself.' I said 'well, don't flatter me too much, this is a rare treat. First in first, first visit to Boston.' 'Oh, hope it treated you well.' I wound up being the first person to board the train. Once on board, he stowed my large rollaway, and told me, 'These guys wait on you hand and foot...make sure you take advantage of that.' Well, I did. Perhaps a little too much. :lol:

But that's a story for Part 7, the Acela ride of a lifetime.

 

[jis]

I went and retrieved my luggage, then was on my way outside when I met the_traveler, and we had a nice chat. I came back in, intending to go up into the ClubAcela for a bit, but of course now I had my heavy luggage with me. In a way, I wish what happened next hadn't, since I found out later that more than a few AUers were having a sit-in in the CA. I found a redcap in front, and asked him 'I'm on 2259, but I want to go up for a little bit, can I leave these with you?' He said 'Oh, you're in first, I'll just take you out'. OK. On the way, I said I was surprised we board this early, and he said 'We originate here, and 30 minutes before we board first, especially first-class individuals like yourself.' I said 'well, don't flatter me too much, this is a rare treat. First in first, first visit to Boston.' 'Oh, hope it treated you well.' I wound up being the first person to board the train. Once on board, he stowed my large rollaway, and told me, 'These guys wait on you hand and foot...make sure you take advantage of that.' Well, I did. Perhaps a little too much. :lol:

And for what it is worth I was the very last person to board the same train just before they shut the doors. This was all thanks to the T and Red Line delays. I collected my bag from the Cambridge Marriott and proceeded to Kendall/MIT station where there was no sign of any train headed south, while there were train after train headed to Alewife. Turns out there was a service disruption due to a failed train somewhere. Fortunately a train did appear eventually which managed to get me to South Station arriving at 6 minutes past 4pm, after surviving through a penalty brake application between Charles and Park Street to boot! The Acela departure was at 10 minutes past. I was amazed that I made it onto the platform in 3 minutes flat, and the guy at the gate said "Don't worry you'll make it", and so I did, following the conductor onto the train as he pressed the door closing button. The car that I boarded, was the Quiet Car, the last BC car, and it was quite full, as was the next car. Being experienced in such things I just walked forward to the first car, which was more or less empty, and got myself a window seat and settled down for the ride.