Seaboard92
Engineer
4/15 the Palmetto
. I finished packing my bags again at the last minute. It doesn't seam like no matter how many times I say I'll pack earlier that I ever will. Either way I had my dad drive me to the Florence Amtrak station so I wouldn't have to leave my car unattended. Traffic was light on I20 as to be expected for a Sunday morning and we made the hour trip in just about an hour.
We stopped on the way at Bojangles so I could get some fried chicken to eat on the train North. My dad dropped me off at the station and then he left. Shortly thereafter the train arrived from Savannah, GA and I boarded a fairly crowded Amfleet II coach. As I learned last year for the Spring Advocacy Event the Palmetto does brisk business south on Friday and north on Sunday.
I would much rather had ridden in the first coach the Amfleet I because it wasn't crowded except for Richmond North. Either way I enjoyed my lunch and then playing some old school PC games. I had a non talkative sea are from Wilson north to DC but that didn't bother me seeing I was playing a bunch of old school games.
I stepped off for a moment at Richmond for fresh air and then continued reliving my childhood games till Alexandria. At Alexandria I gathered my items and waited for the arrival at Washington. I then walked up took a photo of the engine train before walking down the platform to where the Braddock Inn and NYC 38 were parked along with the Cardinal consist and boarded my home for the next few days.
About twenty minutes after I boarded the two private cars a switched started shoving the entire consist to Ivy City. We proceeded slowly first to the workstation where they pump the sewage tanks of the entire train. It took about an hour to do this because Ivy City only has one pump available. Which could become quite an issue of what I'm hearing about the Crescent, Silvers, and Cardinal all terminating here during the summer comes true.
We also lost another ten minutes because we were pulling out for the coach yard wye when someone remembered they forgot to pump the Viewliner sleeper and we had to return. Eventually they took us around the Coach Yard wye rolled us past the Silver Star hospital train and parked us in Ivy City.
We eventually made it back to Union Station after a phone call to CNOC was made. The four of us on the car once we arrived back into Union Station on track nine quickly left for an Uber to Old Ebite Grill. We had a meeting scheduled with Senator Joe Manchin's transportation staffer there which we were very late for. We were supposed to meet him at eight and joined him around ten due to the switch moves.
On the way to dinner our uber was almost hit by a Limo running a red light. We had a great dinner and talked about a variety of rail related issues. I feel like it was a very productive dinner. We all then returned to Union Station where my new boss and friend Joe and I slept on Track nine on the NYC 38. While my other boss and friend Chris, and friend Julius slept on the Braddock Inn on Track Thirty.
4/16: Meeting or Cleaning.
Well I had paid the twenty five dollar student rate to attend the RPA advocacy event so I was determined to go to it. I missed the early 6:30 Virginia Railway Express because I hit snooze one too many times and putting in contacts was difficult. Turns out I barely missed it due to flash flood delays. So instead I took Amtrak No. 67 south one stop to Alexandria.
It was a very smooth ride despite leaving Union Station late due to a slow engine change (no PV moves delayed us). I arrived just before the conference where I caught up with some old friends from last year. And then proceeded to listen to some interesting but often dull speeches. I decided within one hour I would have more fun cleaning bathrooms, and vacuuming private railcars to prepare for the RPA silver rails gala then at the meeting. So at lunch I went north on Metro and had lunch with my crew.
Then we started cleaning the cars. I ended up clogging the vacuum thanks to all the trash the middle schoolers left on them. Once that was done I sterilized our bathroom and all of the surfaces. Then the crew cut lose a bit and had a bit of fun while preparing refreshments. I had to walk a new toilet part down to thirty to fix our toilet that broke due to the middle schoolers.
I also had to go to the commissary to pick up twelve bags of ice before the event. After that we just relaxed and waited for the event to start. We invited Senator Manchin's staff to join us at the car party. And I spent most of the evening talking with ten instead of the RPA attendees.
I took a phone call out on the platform after Manchin's staff left before coming back in to find out all of the attendees had left. So the four of us went to dinner at Uno's in the station where the service wasn't that great.
After dinner Joe and I had the fun job of fixing the toilet flapper around midnight on the Braddock Inn because the middle schools caused it to break. This entire project started around ten thirty and ended at one am. We both took a shower afterwards and walked up to our cars. It should be noted train 66 took an hour long hit to its current delay for unknown reasons in the station. It isn't have a PV so they can't blame us.
4/17 the best excuse to miss a meeting.
My first meeting for the day was scheduled with Congresswoman Buttler (WA-03) at nine thirty but I had one heck of an excuse to miss it. I had my first alarm set for 0730 which I hit snooze for. And at 0740 there was a loud bang and the car shook as the switch crew came to pick us up.
I heard my new boss mutter a curse and then I proceeded to wake up to see what was going on. Turns out they wanted to add us to the outbound Cardinal over 27 hours early. So they dragged us over to Track 27 and set us out while they returned the Corridor Clipper, Catenary Inspection Car, American View, and Dover Harbor back to 30 before taking us and Braddock Inn to Ivy City.
Three of us continued getting ready for the day and I rescheduled my meeting with WA-03. Joe and Chris had a meeting with Amtrak to discuss this years running of New River Train. At ten. Around nine we left our cars and walked to the Locomotive shop where we called the Ivy City Shuttle Bus to come and pick us up.
I was told not to take pictures on the shuttle as a guest which was a shame because we passed a lot of cool items. Three MARC AEM7s, a Budd sleeper, a damaged P42DC 145, a Penn Central baggage car, the Acela Geometry car, and a few other items. After forty minutes we were dropped off at the Washington Crew Base located off of track seven and we walked to Amtrak headquarters.
We had a special guest join the Amtrak meeting which was Senator Joe Manchin the Third. Who came un announced to Amtrak however we had fifteen minutes notice so I was ready with a camera. To get pictures of him with my friends.
After Senator Manchin went into the meeting with them I walked over to Capitol Hill for my first meeting at Senator Tillis's (NC) office. I was j cited by my best friend to join the meeting. So while he talked about the pressing national network issue, safety, I spoke strictly about charter trains. And our 85 million dollar economic impact over the last five years.
Afterwards we went to lunch in the Buffet in Dirkson Senate Office Building. Afterwards I walked over to my next meeting with Senator Graham (SC) where I proceeded to talk about how charter trains not only help Amtrak monetarily but also help small businesses thrive. After that meeting my best meeting was across the Capitol with representative Mark Sanford.
So I took the Russell Subway to the Capitol. And then followed some fun little underground corridors to the House subway. I always love walking in the bowels of the Capitol because you never know who might have walked there before you. I had a productive meeting with Mark Sanford's office and told them South Carolina is one of 44 states that a charter train has operated out of since 2013.
After that meeting I went to my rescheduled meeting from the day and talked about how the SP 4449, SPS 700, and Leavenworth Snow Trains contribute millions a year in tourist revenues for Washington State. After that I met up with a friend from New York State who decided to visit me as I went to meet with SC-05 Ralph Norman.
My friend was very impressed with the response I was able to get from Congressman Norman to the point he was ready to call Amtrak and demand the reinstatement of charters. He will be signing a bipartisan letter to demand that with Congressman Jenkins.
After that I had to cross the Capitol to drop off some fact sheets at Manchin's office and I was kinda hoping to see one of his aides again I had been flirting with the night before. After that I went to the RPA reception where I met a really nice person from Missouri/Germany who is a member.
Afterwards I went to dinner with a merged millennial, and mid Atlantic group of NARP members at Cafe Berlin. I had a great time talking with people my age especially Brian, Andrew, and Malcolm. After that we went and took a millennial photo on the rear of the Dearing as our new tradition carrying over from last year.
On the way to the Dearing we bumped into Governor Marin O'Malley and had our picture taken with him. Our picture was taken by O'Malley's outspoken critic the toilet bomber. It was quite a conversation with the toilet bomber that lasted twenty minutes.
After the millennial NARP members returned to their hotels I took the crew shuttle back out to Ivy City to the railcar to spend the night. Where I sent Manchin's office the pictures I took, and some supporting charter info to staffers on the hill. Before cleaning things up around the car for their westbound move the next day.
. I finished packing my bags again at the last minute. It doesn't seam like no matter how many times I say I'll pack earlier that I ever will. Either way I had my dad drive me to the Florence Amtrak station so I wouldn't have to leave my car unattended. Traffic was light on I20 as to be expected for a Sunday morning and we made the hour trip in just about an hour.
We stopped on the way at Bojangles so I could get some fried chicken to eat on the train North. My dad dropped me off at the station and then he left. Shortly thereafter the train arrived from Savannah, GA and I boarded a fairly crowded Amfleet II coach. As I learned last year for the Spring Advocacy Event the Palmetto does brisk business south on Friday and north on Sunday.
I would much rather had ridden in the first coach the Amfleet I because it wasn't crowded except for Richmond North. Either way I enjoyed my lunch and then playing some old school PC games. I had a non talkative sea are from Wilson north to DC but that didn't bother me seeing I was playing a bunch of old school games.
I stepped off for a moment at Richmond for fresh air and then continued reliving my childhood games till Alexandria. At Alexandria I gathered my items and waited for the arrival at Washington. I then walked up took a photo of the engine train before walking down the platform to where the Braddock Inn and NYC 38 were parked along with the Cardinal consist and boarded my home for the next few days.
About twenty minutes after I boarded the two private cars a switched started shoving the entire consist to Ivy City. We proceeded slowly first to the workstation where they pump the sewage tanks of the entire train. It took about an hour to do this because Ivy City only has one pump available. Which could become quite an issue of what I'm hearing about the Crescent, Silvers, and Cardinal all terminating here during the summer comes true.
We also lost another ten minutes because we were pulling out for the coach yard wye when someone remembered they forgot to pump the Viewliner sleeper and we had to return. Eventually they took us around the Coach Yard wye rolled us past the Silver Star hospital train and parked us in Ivy City.
We eventually made it back to Union Station after a phone call to CNOC was made. The four of us on the car once we arrived back into Union Station on track nine quickly left for an Uber to Old Ebite Grill. We had a meeting scheduled with Senator Joe Manchin's transportation staffer there which we were very late for. We were supposed to meet him at eight and joined him around ten due to the switch moves.
On the way to dinner our uber was almost hit by a Limo running a red light. We had a great dinner and talked about a variety of rail related issues. I feel like it was a very productive dinner. We all then returned to Union Station where my new boss and friend Joe and I slept on Track nine on the NYC 38. While my other boss and friend Chris, and friend Julius slept on the Braddock Inn on Track Thirty.
4/16: Meeting or Cleaning.
Well I had paid the twenty five dollar student rate to attend the RPA advocacy event so I was determined to go to it. I missed the early 6:30 Virginia Railway Express because I hit snooze one too many times and putting in contacts was difficult. Turns out I barely missed it due to flash flood delays. So instead I took Amtrak No. 67 south one stop to Alexandria.
It was a very smooth ride despite leaving Union Station late due to a slow engine change (no PV moves delayed us). I arrived just before the conference where I caught up with some old friends from last year. And then proceeded to listen to some interesting but often dull speeches. I decided within one hour I would have more fun cleaning bathrooms, and vacuuming private railcars to prepare for the RPA silver rails gala then at the meeting. So at lunch I went north on Metro and had lunch with my crew.
Then we started cleaning the cars. I ended up clogging the vacuum thanks to all the trash the middle schoolers left on them. Once that was done I sterilized our bathroom and all of the surfaces. Then the crew cut lose a bit and had a bit of fun while preparing refreshments. I had to walk a new toilet part down to thirty to fix our toilet that broke due to the middle schoolers.
I also had to go to the commissary to pick up twelve bags of ice before the event. After that we just relaxed and waited for the event to start. We invited Senator Manchin's staff to join us at the car party. And I spent most of the evening talking with ten instead of the RPA attendees.
I took a phone call out on the platform after Manchin's staff left before coming back in to find out all of the attendees had left. So the four of us went to dinner at Uno's in the station where the service wasn't that great.
After dinner Joe and I had the fun job of fixing the toilet flapper around midnight on the Braddock Inn because the middle schools caused it to break. This entire project started around ten thirty and ended at one am. We both took a shower afterwards and walked up to our cars. It should be noted train 66 took an hour long hit to its current delay for unknown reasons in the station. It isn't have a PV so they can't blame us.
4/17 the best excuse to miss a meeting.
My first meeting for the day was scheduled with Congresswoman Buttler (WA-03) at nine thirty but I had one heck of an excuse to miss it. I had my first alarm set for 0730 which I hit snooze for. And at 0740 there was a loud bang and the car shook as the switch crew came to pick us up.
I heard my new boss mutter a curse and then I proceeded to wake up to see what was going on. Turns out they wanted to add us to the outbound Cardinal over 27 hours early. So they dragged us over to Track 27 and set us out while they returned the Corridor Clipper, Catenary Inspection Car, American View, and Dover Harbor back to 30 before taking us and Braddock Inn to Ivy City.
Three of us continued getting ready for the day and I rescheduled my meeting with WA-03. Joe and Chris had a meeting with Amtrak to discuss this years running of New River Train. At ten. Around nine we left our cars and walked to the Locomotive shop where we called the Ivy City Shuttle Bus to come and pick us up.
I was told not to take pictures on the shuttle as a guest which was a shame because we passed a lot of cool items. Three MARC AEM7s, a Budd sleeper, a damaged P42DC 145, a Penn Central baggage car, the Acela Geometry car, and a few other items. After forty minutes we were dropped off at the Washington Crew Base located off of track seven and we walked to Amtrak headquarters.
We had a special guest join the Amtrak meeting which was Senator Joe Manchin the Third. Who came un announced to Amtrak however we had fifteen minutes notice so I was ready with a camera. To get pictures of him with my friends.
After Senator Manchin went into the meeting with them I walked over to Capitol Hill for my first meeting at Senator Tillis's (NC) office. I was j cited by my best friend to join the meeting. So while he talked about the pressing national network issue, safety, I spoke strictly about charter trains. And our 85 million dollar economic impact over the last five years.
Afterwards we went to lunch in the Buffet in Dirkson Senate Office Building. Afterwards I walked over to my next meeting with Senator Graham (SC) where I proceeded to talk about how charter trains not only help Amtrak monetarily but also help small businesses thrive. After that meeting my best meeting was across the Capitol with representative Mark Sanford.
So I took the Russell Subway to the Capitol. And then followed some fun little underground corridors to the House subway. I always love walking in the bowels of the Capitol because you never know who might have walked there before you. I had a productive meeting with Mark Sanford's office and told them South Carolina is one of 44 states that a charter train has operated out of since 2013.
After that meeting I went to my rescheduled meeting from the day and talked about how the SP 4449, SPS 700, and Leavenworth Snow Trains contribute millions a year in tourist revenues for Washington State. After that I met up with a friend from New York State who decided to visit me as I went to meet with SC-05 Ralph Norman.
My friend was very impressed with the response I was able to get from Congressman Norman to the point he was ready to call Amtrak and demand the reinstatement of charters. He will be signing a bipartisan letter to demand that with Congressman Jenkins.
After that I had to cross the Capitol to drop off some fact sheets at Manchin's office and I was kinda hoping to see one of his aides again I had been flirting with the night before. After that I went to the RPA reception where I met a really nice person from Missouri/Germany who is a member.
Afterwards I went to dinner with a merged millennial, and mid Atlantic group of NARP members at Cafe Berlin. I had a great time talking with people my age especially Brian, Andrew, and Malcolm. After that we went and took a millennial photo on the rear of the Dearing as our new tradition carrying over from last year.
On the way to the Dearing we bumped into Governor Marin O'Malley and had our picture taken with him. Our picture was taken by O'Malley's outspoken critic the toilet bomber. It was quite a conversation with the toilet bomber that lasted twenty minutes.
After the millennial NARP members returned to their hotels I took the crew shuttle back out to Ivy City to the railcar to spend the night. Where I sent Manchin's office the pictures I took, and some supporting charter info to staffers on the hill. Before cleaning things up around the car for their westbound move the next day.