wayman
Engineer
On a perfect fall afternoon, several hundred people turned out to Kemper St Station in Lynchburg for the arrival of the inaugural train's whistle-stop tour. Chairs were set out for the audience facing a podium, and behind the podium the Heritage High School Marching Band entertained the crowd. Bunting adorned the station's balcony, which was also filled with enthusiasts.
An Amtrak regional manager from Raleigh kept everyone up to date about the train's whereabouts over the loudspeaker and also gave us safety reminders. Amtrak probably had fifty additional staff on the ground at Kemper St today: both station agents, of course, plus regional managers and customer relations people and media handlers and about two dozen Amtrak Police with two K9s. Norfolk Southern had a few dozen employees on hand as well, including some of their security.
The arrival was scheduled for 3:55, but the speeches must have run long at some point, because at 3:20, we were told the train was running fifteen minutes late and would arrive at 4:10. There was plenty to keep everyone entertained, in the meantime, between the high school band, the nature center which occupies part of the station, food vendors, and the LyNchburg N-Scalers model railroad running in the station's waiting room.
And at 4:10, we heard the K5LA in the distance and the crowd rose to its feet! Here's my
!
The station platform is long, but this consist was long enough the private cars weren't even visible unless you walked up and over the hill to the north of the station! Today's consist had two P42s, eight Amfleet II (yes, II) I coaches and an Amfleet cafe, NS #24 "Delaware" great dome, and Amtrak's Beech Grove. (For regular runs, the consist will likely be one P42 with six Amfleet I coaches and a cafe.)
As I walked up over the hill, I saw station agent Garland Harper driving past down on the platform. (He's also the photographer of the Kemper St Station construction photos I've occasionally posted here.) I didn't realize at the time that his passenger was former Virginia Governor Linwood Holton (1970-74; and father-in-law of current Virginia Governor Tim Kaine). Garland was having a great time today, though his work day was from noon to midnight... and he's getting up at six in the morning to ride the inaugural train to Charlottesville with his mother
Over the hill were the two private cars!
While I was down there, I may have said the right thing to the right person and gotten a tour of the Beech Grove...
I got back to my seat just in time for the speeches. First was our mayor, and then were Norfolk Southern CEO "Wick" Moorman and Amtrak President Joseph Boardman.
They were followed by our state delegate and state senator, and then former Governor Linwood Holton and current Governor Tim Kaine. Holton grew up in a small town near Bristol in the 1920s and spoke about how, when he went to college at Washington & Lee, he would take the train from Bristol to Lynchburg (and then bus to Lexington). His father worked for Norfolk & Western; and he suggested that, much as his mother might not like him to say it, he may well have been conceived on a Pullman car!
Tim Kaine re-iterated the point made by our delegate, that the total amount paid by Virginia for the three year pilot program for this train is less than the cost of constructing one mile of new highway. He then went so far as to say that although this train stops in Lynchburg, if it proves successful it may well extend to Roanoke and even Bristol someday.
As I was walking back to the car, Norfolk Southern freight #214 sped northbound on the other track. Beech Grove is dwarfed by the massive engine.
Finally, after dinner downtown, we returned to the station and had a look at the consist parked on the new siding, ready for departure. After the festivities, it proceeded south to the wye, and Norfolk Southern removed their dome car. Beech Grove remains, and through the windows we could see the dapper attendant (in his red bow tie) tidying up the observation room.
Thursday morning, I'll be on board!
An Amtrak regional manager from Raleigh kept everyone up to date about the train's whereabouts over the loudspeaker and also gave us safety reminders. Amtrak probably had fifty additional staff on the ground at Kemper St today: both station agents, of course, plus regional managers and customer relations people and media handlers and about two dozen Amtrak Police with two K9s. Norfolk Southern had a few dozen employees on hand as well, including some of their security.
The arrival was scheduled for 3:55, but the speeches must have run long at some point, because at 3:20, we were told the train was running fifteen minutes late and would arrive at 4:10. There was plenty to keep everyone entertained, in the meantime, between the high school band, the nature center which occupies part of the station, food vendors, and the LyNchburg N-Scalers model railroad running in the station's waiting room.
And at 4:10, we heard the K5LA in the distance and the crowd rose to its feet! Here's my
!
The station platform is long, but this consist was long enough the private cars weren't even visible unless you walked up and over the hill to the north of the station! Today's consist had two P42s, eight Amfleet II (yes, II) I coaches and an Amfleet cafe, NS #24 "Delaware" great dome, and Amtrak's Beech Grove. (For regular runs, the consist will likely be one P42 with six Amfleet I coaches and a cafe.)
As I walked up over the hill, I saw station agent Garland Harper driving past down on the platform. (He's also the photographer of the Kemper St Station construction photos I've occasionally posted here.) I didn't realize at the time that his passenger was former Virginia Governor Linwood Holton (1970-74; and father-in-law of current Virginia Governor Tim Kaine). Garland was having a great time today, though his work day was from noon to midnight... and he's getting up at six in the morning to ride the inaugural train to Charlottesville with his mother
Over the hill were the two private cars!
While I was down there, I may have said the right thing to the right person and gotten a tour of the Beech Grove...
I got back to my seat just in time for the speeches. First was our mayor, and then were Norfolk Southern CEO "Wick" Moorman and Amtrak President Joseph Boardman.
They were followed by our state delegate and state senator, and then former Governor Linwood Holton and current Governor Tim Kaine. Holton grew up in a small town near Bristol in the 1920s and spoke about how, when he went to college at Washington & Lee, he would take the train from Bristol to Lynchburg (and then bus to Lexington). His father worked for Norfolk & Western; and he suggested that, much as his mother might not like him to say it, he may well have been conceived on a Pullman car!
Tim Kaine re-iterated the point made by our delegate, that the total amount paid by Virginia for the three year pilot program for this train is less than the cost of constructing one mile of new highway. He then went so far as to say that although this train stops in Lynchburg, if it proves successful it may well extend to Roanoke and even Bristol someday.
As I was walking back to the car, Norfolk Southern freight #214 sped northbound on the other track. Beech Grove is dwarfed by the massive engine.
Finally, after dinner downtown, we returned to the station and had a look at the consist parked on the new siding, ready for departure. After the festivities, it proceeded south to the wye, and Norfolk Southern removed their dome car. Beech Grove remains, and through the windows we could see the dapper attendant (in his red bow tie) tidying up the observation room.
Thursday morning, I'll be on board!
Last edited by a moderator:
