Made a quickie daytrip on #42/43 from GNB to HAR on 1/11.
Quick notes: excellent crew on #42, above average on #43. #42 was late a couple minutes in places, but was OT into GNB, and 12 minutes early into HAR. While the scenery was quite barren, as one might expect for this time of year, this was a short daytrip to:
a) get my aging mom out of house; she's been caring for my dad who has a debiliting disease
and
b) introduce the XYL and kids to intercity passenger rail travel.
Good thing the XYL and kids liked the trip, especially on #42. By good fortune, we found seats in the coach one ahead of the lounge car. Kids being kids, they liked to go back to the lounge car when they got tired of sitting. Both conductor and lounge attendent got a solid kick out of their enthusiasm, with the conductor allowing my kids to sneak back through business class to get a glance through the "railfan window." I mentioned earlier we arrived 12 minutes early in HAR. 42(11)'s crew gets an "A" for the GNB-HAR segment.
Coming back, a solid effort on the part of 43(11)'s crew. Eight minutes down in Harrisburg. Pull out of station, screech to halt. Assistant conductor comes on PA, informs all we have to wait on NS freight train. 30 minutes later, three mile (or so) long manifest freight with five motors (plus a switcher!?) grinds past us in the rain. Possibly understandable for the NS dispatcher to delay us; his freight would have an extremely difficult time starting up again if we couldn't cut over in time. But as I am not a train dispatcher, I don't want to pass judgment on that call.
No slack in the schedule the rest of the way. Assistant Conductor, to his credit, keeps passengers informed with PA annoucements, including Rockville Bridge and Horseshoe Curve. AC also much more personable than conductor; jokes about NS personnel with radar guns that will get hoggers fired. We make up no time between HAR-GNB. Bonus though, for the railfan: Three train meet at Horseshoe Curve, at the west part of the 'U'! We pass WB manifest freight on the Curve, and as we pull up the west end, EB manifest comes down into Curve. Family gets huge kick out of being surrounded by trains going both directions. Great stuff.
Overall, 42(11)'s crew gets a "B" in my book. Lounge attendent professional and polite, but not particularly friendly, and I never see the conductor until just before detraining at GNB. More elsewhere when I get around to more formal language.
Quick notes: excellent crew on #42, above average on #43. #42 was late a couple minutes in places, but was OT into GNB, and 12 minutes early into HAR. While the scenery was quite barren, as one might expect for this time of year, this was a short daytrip to:
a) get my aging mom out of house; she's been caring for my dad who has a debiliting disease
and
b) introduce the XYL and kids to intercity passenger rail travel.
Good thing the XYL and kids liked the trip, especially on #42. By good fortune, we found seats in the coach one ahead of the lounge car. Kids being kids, they liked to go back to the lounge car when they got tired of sitting. Both conductor and lounge attendent got a solid kick out of their enthusiasm, with the conductor allowing my kids to sneak back through business class to get a glance through the "railfan window." I mentioned earlier we arrived 12 minutes early in HAR. 42(11)'s crew gets an "A" for the GNB-HAR segment.
Coming back, a solid effort on the part of 43(11)'s crew. Eight minutes down in Harrisburg. Pull out of station, screech to halt. Assistant conductor comes on PA, informs all we have to wait on NS freight train. 30 minutes later, three mile (or so) long manifest freight with five motors (plus a switcher!?) grinds past us in the rain. Possibly understandable for the NS dispatcher to delay us; his freight would have an extremely difficult time starting up again if we couldn't cut over in time. But as I am not a train dispatcher, I don't want to pass judgment on that call.
No slack in the schedule the rest of the way. Assistant Conductor, to his credit, keeps passengers informed with PA annoucements, including Rockville Bridge and Horseshoe Curve. AC also much more personable than conductor; jokes about NS personnel with radar guns that will get hoggers fired. We make up no time between HAR-GNB. Bonus though, for the railfan: Three train meet at Horseshoe Curve, at the west part of the 'U'! We pass WB manifest freight on the Curve, and as we pull up the west end, EB manifest comes down into Curve. Family gets huge kick out of being surrounded by trains going both directions. Great stuff.
Overall, 42(11)'s crew gets a "B" in my book. Lounge attendent professional and polite, but not particularly friendly, and I never see the conductor until just before detraining at GNB. More elsewhere when I get around to more formal language.
