Bruce - September 2007

Train trip down to Orlando 07

8:10 first train ride of the day, Taking the F train from my local station, transfer at Jay St for the A train that takes me right into Penn Station. My parents are coming with me to see me off.

We arrive at NY Pennsylvania Station at 9:10 am, and head towards the Acela Lounge. Since I have a sleeper car upgrade, I am traveling first class and this is one of the amenities. My train leaves at 11:08. Inside the Acela lounge is also free internet whether via pc or Wifi., as well as complimentary hot and soft drinks with some cakes for noshing

There are about 4 other people waiting for the same train as I am.

At 10:55 am I board the train and into my sleeper room. But I won't unpack and break out my entertainment for the trip, Columbo seasons 5 and 6 on DVD, and my laptop to go online and track my trip via gps software.

At 11:10 am (my time) I feel the train starting to move out. We board the train underground, but see a little sunlight as we clear the station before we hit the tunnel that connects us with New Jersey.

11:34 am, we are leaving Newark, and I am heading to the dinning car. As I mentioned before, riding first class, the meals are comped, just leave a tip. I am the first one in the dinning car for lunch, I ordered cheddar cheese angus burger which just comes with potato chips, no deep drying on a moving train for French fries. They only serve Pepsi on Amtrak trains and stations. I order a diet coke, like a good programmed consumer I am, but corrected and given a diet Pepsi. I open the can and pour it into the cup fill of ice they gave me. I notice the table cloth is getting wet. It turns out the plastic cup was cracked, so I yell for another cup fast :)

The cheeseburger is served very hot and tasty :) We stop at Trenton at 12:06 pm. I get settled in my car for the next 5 hours till dinner by watching 'excuse me sir, just one more thing' :)

Philadelphia 12:45 pm

Wilmington 1:10 pm

Baltimore 1:57 pm. I always love this sign by the train, pointing out which direction Washington DC and New York is. Big sigh of relief, heading in the right direction :)

2:38 Pm, we are pulling out of Washington DC and see the sights, The Capital, Smithsonian, Washington and Jefferson Memorials. The stop here in Washington is the longest as we switch motive power. When we left New York, we were using Electric locomotive with tops speeds of 110 mph. At Washington DC, we switch to a diesel locomotive. Our top speed is about 70, but in the south when we are running ground level with a crossing gate every couple of minutes, we will run only about 30 to 40 in some stretches.

Alexandria, 3:30 pm. Here we pass a structure which is a George Washington Museum, forget its real name, a Masonic temple or such.

Richmond 5:20 eating dinner, salad w/ light ranch, lamb shank, mash potatoes, carrots, all served very hot, fast and good :) I had the mudpie again for dessert, disappointed, but the only thing they have that I like.

Petersburg 6:11 pm

6:58 crossed into North Carolina, according to my GPS software.

7:37 pm Rocky Mount, NC. There is some old preserved equipment in the station, a coach and diesel locomotive, ACL (American Coast Line)

Raleigh 9:04 pm

I don't know why, the excitement of the trip maybe, but I always find it hard to sleep on the trip down. I am able to get my laptop online for a couple of minutes and say hi to Joyce in the TMFL chat room, and posts a message to the group saying so. I am even able to respond with a hello from Train 91 :)

I do loose track of where we are as I do try and lay down to try and sleep. No cell phone signals and my GPS receiver cant lock onto a satellite to tell me where I am.

4:10 am Savannah, a Sherman returns to Georgia :)

7 am Jacksonville, eating breakfast consisting of apple juice, breakfast scramble which is scrambled eggs, pork sausage, cheddar cheese sauce, and French toast. I taste this for hours after, probably more due to anxiety then bad food.

9:12 Deland, two more stops :)

10 am Winter park, Now comes the longest part of the trip for me, 20 more minutes to Orlando. I pack everything up and they take my large piece from the room and get it ready to take it off the train.

If you look at the photo at Penn Station of my luggage, I have two pieces, one being the backpack which contains all my valuables, such as important paperwork and electronics. This backpack I take to the dinning car with me when I eat. The large piece is about 28 inches tall, 18 wide. They see me approaching the train with it and always comment that maybe I should check it, but I never do and its sits nicely on the other seat in the car. It is just about wide enough to be able to be pushed through the passage way, any wider and I would be in trouble.

I don't know if it's just me, or we seem to just be coasting :) We are going very slow as we are passing multiple crossings. Some without crossing gates. On the left hand side of the trains forward motion, we pass Church Street Station and a full preserved steam engine with passenger cars, so I know we are very close to Orlando Station.

10:20 hello Or-lan-do :)

Photos for the Trip Down.

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