posted
There is active discussion of this matter at another site regarding getting off a train at an intermediate stop only to get stranded or have a close shave, so how say we discuss it over here as well. Here are my experiences regarding such.
I've had a few "close shaves" in this life, but none actually ending in being stranded. Here are the ones coming to mind.
Circa 1952, riding on the New Haven from Riverside to Stamford as an eleven year old kid (remember YOU were responsible for yourself back in those days), I got off at Old Greenwich rather than Stamford. the train pulled, I screamed, and the rear Brakeman stopped the train and I boarded; no lectures.
June 1963 traveling with my Mother, I got off GN #32, Empire Builder, in Minot for photos of the Sleeper Obs in consist; then I walked forward for photos of the engine (CB&Q E-units added at Havre). I had full confidence in my watch and when the train was to depart, however, two shorts and what seemed like the train was pulling forward. Oh my God. my Mother (not about to leave her single occupancy Compartment) was going to (we don't say it here). OK, what do we do...... Then I looked Westward and noted the Diner and everything rear was still there; un-panic. They were adding two Coaches to handle even back then additional business (remember all; geologists knew the oil was there even back then and there was "easy oil" to be drilled). Needless to say after "getting myself together in my Roomette", my Mother was worried and I confessed to her I was for about two minutes - and she didn't know or care they had drilled two cars into the consist.
Another close shave was during January 1983 in Jamaica. I was taking a Williamsfield-Montego Bay and return joyride when on the return, I alighted one stop early at Kendal. Since JR was not too concerned about closing traps anywhere en route, I realized something was wrong, i.e. where was my rented auto? I saw the station sign, and "bolted" back on board just the train started to pull. Announce station stops? What's that for, mon?
May 1990 was likely my closest shave which occurred in Barcelona. I was changing trains there from Sevilla to the frontier (had missed a through Talgo train to Avignon; thank you RENFE). I had no idea when it was going to leave, but my bags were aboard in the vestibule of the EMU - and I was on the platform. Suddenly the doors closed (no warning signal); I've had it and I don't even speak the local lingo. The train is going nowhere, and suddenly the doors open again; get my hind quarters on this thing and don't get off until the frontier.
I also have had a close shave on a cruise; this occurred during Jan 1982 in St. Thomas. The s/s Rotterdam IV was docked there and was to sail promptly at 6PM for New York. Well in my interest of making the most of the time there, I had rented an auto to get away from the "Caribbean Mall of America" motif of Charlotte Amalie. Once she had her shopping out of the way my now long deceased girlfriend was happy to join. Nevertheless, I took careful note of the distance from the Hertz outlet there to the ship and estimated how long it would take to get back to the ship - plus five minutes pad. I dropped Jerie off there and went to return the auto and was walking the 1.5mi back, with about ten minutes before sailing, her whistle sounds - hey six o'clock means six o'clock to the Dutch. I get there about 5:55P and two Indonesian seamen are starting to pull the gangway. I hollered and pointed to my watch; they put the plank back and I boarded smiled at the them then said to the Dutch officer, "doesn't six mean six?". He sort of smiled, but knew I caught him pulling the plank before he should.
Standing on the Promenade deck, Jerie saw the whole thing - and was worried. Well, I had credit cards and I guess would have flown back to NY, but I had no winter outerwear - and I don''t know where you'd buy any of such down there.
Anyone wonder why my traveling days are essentially over?
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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I've never had a close shave but I have had the opposite experience--falling asleep and riding too far. On an overnight train in Europe, following an overnight flight from the US, I woke up at the Swiss border when I had intended to get off the train a couple of stops earlier. I was thoroughly jet lagged, very confused and not very fluent in German at that time, but I remember I had to buy a new ticket to get back to my intended destination.
Posts: 831 | From: Seattle | Registered: Jan 2011
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This is definately a confessional - I have one close shave to report though I would have to look over my mileage book to pinpoint exactly when. It would have been late 1980's or early 1990's.
The 'where' however was on the platform in Centralia, IL. This was at a time before Superliner equipment was assigned to the City of New Orleans.
I was riding southbound and, being younger and cheaper, was trying to save a few bucks by going coach to Centralia and moving to a roomette there.
Remember the short-lived River Cities, an Amtrak train from Kansas City that carried through cars for New Orleans? In it's earliest days this connection was made in Centralia and I anticipated a lengthy station stop while the through coach from Kansas City was tacked on.
I climbed down with my bag when we reached Centralia and started a leisurely stroll up the platform towards the sleepers when suddenly I heard the stair traps being lowered and dutch doors being slammed shut. I broke into a run towards the sleepers as the conductor gave the highball and the train began to move.
I was maybe a car length back from the sleeper when the conductor looked back, saw me running, and barked into his radio "Hold on 59, we got one running for the train!"
The train squealed to a stop and as I climbed aboard the conductor asked "Where did you come from?" I answered "From the coaches...... I thought I'd have time to walk forward on the platform while the coach from Kansas City was added."
I learned a couple of things that night - the first was to stay inside the train when moving from one car to another...... the second was that the connection from Kansas City had been moved to Carbondale!
Came close to spending the night in Centralia on that trip!
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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I have a couple of stranded stories as well but I'll hold those because they involve a blizzard while driving myself and a hail storm while trying to fly United Airlines, not Amtrak.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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I've never had a close shave involving a train, plane, or ship; either I've been a half hour early or else I've missed it cleanly. However, there was one close shave involving a rental car...two rental cars, to be exact. On our big family trip to Disneyland in 2006 (five adults, six kids) we had rented a Grand Caravan and a LeSabre at LAX from Budget. The airport LAX; our westbound Sunset was hours late and the desks at Union Station were closed when we arrived. Dad & I took the flyaway bus to the airport to pick up the vehicles while the rest took cabs to the hotel to wait for us.
We had a great week with three nights in Hollywood and four nights across the street from the Mouse. On Sunday, our last morning, we headed over to Chef Goofy's for a big character brunch, and then loaded up the wagons to head back to Union Station and the eastbound Sunset. I could tell that we were cutting it a bit close, but we arrived at the station in time to drop off our mountain of luggage with an obliging redcap. Now we had to return the cars. We didn't want to return them empty, so Dad & I started to scout the area for a gas station. Fortunately we found one just a couple blocks north and filled up. Then we had to find the rental car return area. Then we had to find our way upstairs to the return desk. The clerk didn't say anything, but when I checked our receipt I saw the time stamp: "TIME IN: 1400". I then looked at the sign which said, "Budget Rent-A-Car Hours of Operation: Sunday 9 am - 2 pm."
That's the closest shave that I can recall!
-------------------- --------Eric H. Bowen
Stop by my website: Streamliner Schedules - Historic timetables of the great trains of the past! Posts: 413 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: Mar 2006
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Oh, does this take me back! I'm assuming that by "stranded",you mean having the train leave you in a station mid - trip, with all your stuff in the train. This is described by Paul Theroux in his "Great Railway Bazaar" as "Duffiled", after a traveling companion who he never saw again. Too bad this word didn't catch on. By "stranded", I'm thinking of simply running out of money, as happened to me once in Montreal. This was before I had credit cards or payday loans came into being. But I had three close calls on a month long cross country journey in 1995. After arriving in Chicago from the Capitol Limited and waiting for the California Zephyr, I decided that because the top of the Sears Tower was obscured by clouds, rather than sightsee the Loop I would see the Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Oak Park. The CTA got me there quickly enough and I had fun oohing and ahhing the Unity Temple and the remarkable houses in the little suburb. I then toured the Wright house itself, and since this was Wright's birthday, it was crowded and a Wright re-enactor was conducting the tour, I judged how long it would take me to get to the Metra Station to get the last train to the Loop that would get me to Union Station in time. Because of the longer than usual lines, I waited past that time and figured I'd get a cab. Finally, I had to leave mid - tour and go outside. I thought it would be easy to catch one in Chicagoland - Wrong! Not in the suburbs! None on the street. I went inside and asked to have one sent, but no one knew how. Walking out, I spotted one discharging a passenger on the far corner of my block! I SPRINTED down the block faster and farther than I ever would again and caught it. Heading into town, the driver said he didn't know where Union Station was! I said, "See that tall thing ahead? That's the Sears Tower. Union Station is next to it." I ran in to the First Class Lounge and grabbed my bags. A crowd of people was there; I relaxed, thinking I was safe. Then I found these people were waiting for the Empire Builder - The CZ had already boarded! I ran out to the platform and found that my sleeping car was near the head end of my train, and I'd emerged on the platform on the tail end! I fast-walked to my car, throwing myself into my room. Then I remembered I left a bag in the lounge! Out of the train, into the lounge, grabbed the bag, back to the platform, I hear, "All Aboard!" I was too panicked to simply get on in the car next to me; I had to run all the way back to my sleeping car! The train moved as soon as i got on. My near - Duffiling was on the return leg nearly a month later when the Cardinal from Chicago had to be terminated at Charleston because of a freight derailment farther east on the C&O line. The train was to go to Huntington, where we would be bustituted from there. This being before the age of the affordable mobile phone, I had to use a pay phone to call my father to tell him not to wait for me at the station. The train pulled away while I was in mid sentence! I ran out and the train stopped long enough for me to board. So those were two close calls. Maybe one day I'll tell you how I missed riding the Turbo Train three times under three railroads - Amtrak, Canadian National, and VIA Rail. But that's another story!
Posts: 510 | From: Richmond VA USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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This thread certainly brings back memories. My close shave was in Memphis with the Illinois Central. The date would have been late 1964.
I was stationed at Millington, TN. I was enrolled in the electronics school at the naval air station. My buddy and I had liberty one weekend and decided to go into Memphis to see the sights. We took the train to Memphis from Millington. We had recently graduated from Parris Island and advanced Air Fam at Jax NAS and were newly arrived at Millington, so we were eager to check out Memphis.
We "saw the sights" in Memphis including the hotel that has the ducks in the lobby. I can't think of its name. It was, hopefully still is, a beautiful old hotel. And the ducks were fun to watch.
Saturday we headed for the station to catch the train back to the base. We knew that we were cutting it close and were moving quickly because we didn't want to be UA. I know that many of you know what that means and the possible consequences.
We raced through the station. I can still remember running down the stairs (I don't know if that station survived), and as we came to the tracks we saw the IC pulling out ever so slowly.
Being young and in fighting trim we poured on the speed and sprinted after the train. The conductor was leaning out of the door and happended to look back and saw us. We yelled and hollered and waved our arms as we ran. The train stopped and we got on. We arrived back at the base in time to avoid an unpleasant response by a very unpleasant sergeant.
In recent years I have tried to figure out what IC train it was that we rode to and from Memphis. But I have not been able to do so. In fact I can't find any record of a station at Millington.
I believe that there were two main railroad stations in Memphis, but I think that only one still exists.
Posts: 140 | Registered: Nov 2008
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After a final picture of the Summerville NRHS Steam Train taken from the car, Chris and I headed back on Interstate 75 towards Knoxville. We stopped in Athens for gas and food just as a thunderstorm started. The sky gave us a pretty good light show this early part of the evening. We called Julie who couldn't access the Amtrak Computer System because it was down. A reservation agent only had that the train left Birmingham, Alabama forty five minutes late. We got on Interstate 40 but had a slower trip across the Great Smokey Mountains so we were behind schedule. Catching the train in Charlotte was now impossible if it was on time with us having no way to know. We tried Amtrak again trying to have them call Charlotte to let them know I would try to make the train in Salisbury. From Stateville we took US 70 straight into Salisbury. Chris Parker did an excellent job of driving and we pulled into the parking lot at 2:48 AM for a 2:49 departure. A group of passengers were waiting at the Salisbury Station and our excellent station keeper kept us well informed. I gave him my name and room number in case the conductor would call since I wouldn't be boarding in Charlotte. The conductor called just before the train pulled in wanting to know if I was there. The Norfolk Southern ran a pair of trains through Salisbury as I waited doing my Sudoku Puzzles out under a station light on a very warm night. The Crescent pulled into Salisbury at 4:13 AM with Engines 46 and 72, Baggage 1712, Viewliner Sleepers 62061 Prairie View and 62000 American View, Diner 8522, Lounge 28020 with Coaches 25089, 25044 and 25062. I boarded the Prairie View having Room 2 for the trip to Washington Union Station. I stowed my luggage and climbed into bed. I was so glad to have made this train to start the trip all the way home. The whole trip story is linked below forr you to enjoy.
quote:Originally posted by Iron Mountain: This thread certainly brings back memories. My close shave was in Memphis with the Illinois Central. The date would have been late 1964.
I was stationed at Millington, TN. I was enrolled in the electronics school at the naval air station. My buddy and I had liberty one weekend and decided to go into Memphis to see the sights. We took the train to Memphis from Millington. We had recently graduated from Parris Island and advanced Air Fam at Jax NAS and were newly arrived at Millington, so we were eager to check out Memphis.
We "saw the sights" in Memphis including the hotel that has the ducks in the lobby. I can't think of its name. It was, hopefully still is, a beautiful old hotel. And the ducks were fun to watch.
The Peabody. So far as I know it is still there. I think it has been restored in recent years, but really do not know. The ducks? Without them it would be the hotel in name only. The ducks were what made it the real deal. It was for many years the top hotel in Memphis. Unfortunately it has been something like 6 to 8 years since I have been in downtown Memphis.
quote:Saturday we headed for the station to catch the train back to the base. We knew that we were cutting it close and were moving quickly because we didn't want to be UA. I know that many of you know what that means and the possible consequences.
We raced through the station. I can still remember running down the stairs (I don't know if that station survived), and as we came to the tracks we saw the IC pulling out ever so slowly.
Being young and in fighting trim we poured on the speed and sprinted after the train. The conductor was leaning out of the door and happended to look back and saw us. We yelled and hollered and waved our arms as we ran. The train stopped and we got on. We arrived back at the base in time to avoid an unpleasant response by a very unpleasant sergeant.
In recent years I have tried to figure out what IC train it was that we rode to and from Memphis. But I have not been able to do so. In fact I can't find any record of a station at Millington.
In 1964 there were still 5 trains on the ICRR from Memphis north, 4 to Chicago with having connections to St. Louis and 1 to St. Louis only. All except the Panama Limited (still Pullman only at that time) and the City of New Orleans, in its proper incarnation as a 16 1/2 hour Chicago to New Orleans day train, stopped at Millington. Your likely candidates southbound would have been the Lousianne and the Chickasaw, both early morning southbound. Northboundd there would have been a nameless mail train, unlikely due to time which I have forgotten, the northbound Loisianne about 7:00 and the northbound Chickasaw about 10:30.
quote:I believe that there were two main railroad stations in Memphis, but I think that only one still exists.
Yes, Central and Union. Central was commonly called Grand Central locally, but the name on the building was Central Station. Union was two blocks east. It was torn down in the late 60's early 70's. Central is still there.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Thank you, George for the information. The trains would have to have been the Louisianne and/or the Chickasaw.
I researched the Peabody and it is still in business. The ducks are still a main attraction
The ducks traverse the lobby on a red carpet. They reside in a Royal Duck Palace on the hotel's roof. The "team" serves the hotel for three months and then returns to a farm where they live out their lives as wild ducks.
The tradition started in the 1920's. Some duck hunters, who had probably had a little too much Tennessee Sippin' Whiskey thought it would be fun to put their live decoys, which were illegal, in the fountain. The prank turned out to be a great boon to the Peabody's fame. The article cited a long list of celeberties that visited the hotel for the express purpose of seeing the ducks.
Before the ducks the hotel had placed baby alligators and turtles in the fountain. Not nearly as successful as the ducks. The fountain itself was carved from a solid block of travertine marble imported from Italy. The hotel is worth a visit.
Thanks again for the information.
Posts: 140 | Registered: Nov 2008
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The Peabody Hotel in Orlando also still has the ducks. In fact, a good friend of ours has been the "Duckmaster" there for the last few years.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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When I lived in Memphis in the mid-1980's the Peabody was still THE hotel in Memphis.
Such was also the case when I was regularly in Memphis on US Army Funeral Details in the early 1990's.
For a time, there was a 'trendy' bar in the lobby called 'Dux'.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Reminds me of one of my most disappointing missed trains. In the mid 60's the L&N still had two trains on the Memphis branch - Memphis to Bowling Green, KY with through cars connecting to the Humming Bird and Pan American for Louisville and Cincinnati.
We had planned to ride the Pan's connection to Clarksville, TN to see our grandmother in . This was a trip we had taken many times, but usually to/from Cincinnati. We knew the end was near for the train so we were looking forward to it.
We arrived at the Memphis station just in time to see the Pan's connection slowly departing from the station. A few months later it was discontinued followed in a couple years by the night train. That train carried one of the 'Pine' sleepers now about to get another life as discussed on a thread about Pullman Rail Journeys. It will offer the lower priced open section accommodations.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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Well, so long as this topic seems to be expanding to "missed" trains, i.e. you never boarded and had a ticket lifted, the most painful one I ever had was December 1961 connecting from MILW #20, The Arrow, to NKP-EL #8, New Yorker,
I boarded The Arrow in Marion (had a GF who went to Coe College in Cedar Rapids) on time 220A (how could it help but be - a 12hour Omaha-Chi schedule), but somewhere near Lost Nation, it sat and sat and sat. A freight ahead had "broken down" and a relief engine had to be sent from Savanna. Despite all the schedule padding The Arrow showed up at CUS 1055A (schedule 815A). and the New Yorker left 1110A - from La Salle St. (would have been OK if Union Station REALLY meant Union Station). But a madman taxicab ride and a run down the platform was not enough; the Alco PA's and my Bedroom in a C&O styled 10-6 was pulling away - and me on the platform. Those NKP PA's were in "fanese" of the day the Bluebirds - and they simply flew away.
It was December 1962 when I next got to try out the NKP; but by then the PA's had been withdrawn - and so had the Chicago-Hoboken Pullman line. So it was Coach to Cleveland then change to NYC #16 Ohio State Limited. This was the only time I've ever been inside Cleveland Union Terminal for its intended purpose (funny how I was in Cleveland this past Thursday and asked several people such as a Bartendrix and a Doorman at the Marriott at which I stayed. "Wasn't that building the train station once upon a time?", "It still is; you can get the Rapid Transit to the airport from there").
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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I have twice 'missed trains' in Chicago Union Station.
In both cases the 'missed train' was a Hiawatha Service train and in both cases I missed the train because I was arriving 4-6 hours late from somewhere else.
Coming off a late Cardinal I simply took the next departing Hiawatha. Coming in off a late Southwest Chief, however, I made it to the north gates just in time to see the markers of the last Hiawatha du jour round the curve out-of-sight. Amtrak gave me cab-fare and a Greyhound ticket where I made it to Milwaukee about midnight..... and I got the last available seat on the bus next to a gentleman who weighed about 450 pounds.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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On a couple occasions over the years, when it had become obvious that I would miss a train connection somewhere, I have taken it upon myself to buy a plane ticket and fly to whatever city was next on my itinerary, so I could catch the next train on time and continue my trip.
Also, in my much younger days of train travel, on a few occasions I have had to change my AMTRAK plans at the last minute, enroute somewhere, in order to "catch up" with my original schedule.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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The most memorable occurred during June 1965, when I intended to take the GN Winnipeg Limited to namesake, thence connect with the CN Panorama. However, and Mr. Twin Star likely recalls the resulting disruptions, the Stone Arch Bridge was out of service owing to flooding that had weakened the structure. Considering the reroute necessitated, the Winnipeg Lrd was too late to make the connection, therefore it was to be a catch up flight aboard Air Canada (was it still Trans Canada then?) to Saskatoon. The flight was aboard a Vickers Viscount which has to be the most "flightseeing friendly" aircraft ever within the registry. On a clear afternoon at I would guess FL14 and from my window seat aft, the view of the Canadian prairie was "if you've seen one wheatfield, you've seen 'em all". Even then the Saskatoon station was a "Canshack" way out of town; surprising as before they threw in the towel, CN embarked on an aggressive passenger train "last stand". But today, who cares; 2X weekly and both at "0-Dark-30" is "not exactly" providing much in the way of meaningful transportation.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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The one close shave occurred in the 1980s on the island of Grenada. I debarked from a cruise ship and had a tough time at customs because the agent thought I was lying when I said I was deaf. She convened a conference of fellow agents who questioned me repeatedly. What should have taken five minutes took an hour.
I rushed out of the airport and hailed a cab. My flight to Miami was to leave in 40 minutes. The cabbie stopped for gas and took his sweet time despite my frantic tooth-gnashing. The flight was the only one the airline had leaving Grenada that day.
I arrived at the airport, sprinted to the gate and as soon as I boarded the plane the door closed behind me.
Took two years off my life.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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Had dinner the other night with an old friend who had been driving in Canada just the week before last.
He remarked - "In Saskatchewan even the clouds are flat!"
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Out of the train, into the lounge, grabbed the bag, back to the platform, I hear, "All Aboard!" I was too panicked to simply get on in the car next to me; I had to run all the way back to my sleeping car! The train moved as soon as i got on.
