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This weekend my wife and daughter were visiting old friends in the Raleigh area and, rather than spend a day doing 'girl stuff', I took myself for a Saturday ride through the famed CSX 'Black Hole'. The opportunity presented itself and, for some reason, I just can't pass this Bermuda Triangle of a railroad up even after swearing it off a mere 15 weeks ago.
I began the day by driving to the new Durham, NC train station about 9:00am where I picked up my tickets from a live agent. This station relocated from it's temporary trailer home of 20 years across the tracks into a converted brick tobacco warehouse about 6 weeks ago. The 'new' station is a red brick affair originally constructed in 1897. The end of the long, rectangular warehouse nearest the track has been completely renovated into a pleasing space with seating for maybe 150.....a far cry from the old double-wide which has already been removed. Nice lighting, bare timber rafters, a really neat display of historic Durham photographs mounted along one of the bare brick interior walls. The place is just nice. It also has a covered platform that can accomodate what looks like a 7 car train. It's the first time Durham has had a covered platform since Southern Railway discontinued passenger service to Durham and closed their station there in 1964.
With tickets in hand I returned to my car and drove to the unmanned Cary, NC station about 15 miles away. This is because I planned a same-day return on train 91, the Silver Star, which, of course, stops in Cary and then stays with the old Seaboard through Hamlet to Columbia and Florida.
The Cary station is also fairly new.....built in the early 90's.... and until recently was actually an office for the North Carolina DMV where Amtrak passengers could wait in it's lobby. The DMV has moved out to a larger facility nearby and, pending the availabilty of public funds, their space is to be renovated into an expanded Amtrak facility.....perhaps with an agent and checked baggage as well. The idea is to relieve a little pressure on the overcrowded downtown Raleigh station 9 miles away.
Personal note - I would be comfortable leaving a vehicle for several days at Cary. I would not be comfortable doing so at the Raleigh station.
I parked on the east side of the station building near platform B.....the one used by the Silver Star..... and walked across the parking lot, through the station, and out the other side to platform A where the Piedmont and Carolinian stop. My train came in about 10 minutes late and lost another 20 minutes creeping along behind a Norfolk Southern freight between Raleigh and Selma. The coaches were nearly full and passenger on and offs were HEAVY at every station. Fifty some off at Raleigh but another fifty on. Ten or so at Selma. At least thirty in Wilson. Another thirty or so in Rocky Mount. We ultimately arrived in the Richmond Staples Mill Amshack about 25 minutes late. Not bad in that we didn't creep through the mostly single-track territory between Rocky Mount and Petersburg where all-too often a train can enter just ten minutes late and emerge two or three hours down just 100 miles further.
In Richmond I had about two and a half hours to explore the strip mall area near Staples Mill Road station. There are places to kill future Amtrak layovers in terms of a few restaurants within a five minute walk.......for future reference I wish the area had a decent hotel but then that would be too much to ask for.
The Richmond station itself now has a snack bar again selling chips, drinks, and sundries. They also offer wireless internet time. You can 'buy' the ID and password to access the internet for $4.99 OR, if you spend more than $10.00 on other snack bar items, the internet access is free.
We had a little show in the Richmond station which started around 5pm. First, from what I managed to overhear, there is drama among the various cab drivers in Richmond that is kind of racially charged. Beyond that, Amtrak now has signs in Richmond saying that their restrooms are for passengers only and some cabbies have become indignant about that. I'll attest to nothing though as I heard only bits of conversation between an Amtrak agent, a passenger, and an angry cab driver.
The train show started about 5pm when the northbound Palmetto rolled in ten minutes early. Southbound Regional 195 arrived and terminated it's run just minutes later. As soon as the consist for 195 was empty, it departed for the yard, the Palmetto departed northward, and the southbound Silver Star, about 15 minutes late, rolled in.
We boarded and I was directed to an aisle seat in a coach that was about 95% filled with passengers who would be getting off during the night at one of the three South Carolina stations. The other three coaches were about as full. The train raced south with it's consist of two locomotives, baggage car, four coaches, lounge, diner, and two sleepers. For the first train trip in I don't know how long we DID NOT STOP for any opposing traffic between Petersburg and Rocky Mount. We were back on the advertised by Raleigh and upon letting me down just 50 feet from my car in Cary, the train actually had to wait for time for two or three minutes before departing. It was a successful trip.
Now.....a couple of notes - I did not witness any of the 'that's not my job' attitude from anyone on the train crew. In fact, on both trains I saw a couple or three separate occurances where a car attendant and even one assistant conductor brought sandwich and beverage from the lounge for elderly passengers who would have made it to the cafe only with great difficulty.
I also have some 'cheeseburger intelligence'. On the trip up I ventured to the cafe for one of the Hillshire Farms hamburger products. The nuking made it rubbery and it was, frankly, not something I would choose again. Southbound, as we were running close to on-time, I thought I would wait until getting off the train and grab a quick sandwich in Cary. HOWEVER, one of the other passengers returned from the Silver Star cafe with the SUPERIOR cheeseburger that comes in the plastic pouch as opposed to the Hillshire Farms Butcher Wrap. I investigated and sure enough, the Star was serving these much better burgers.....stocked in Miami rather than in New York.....so I broke down and had another amcafe burger.
That folks is about it......connections were made.....the three 'R's' (Riding, Reading, and Relaxing) were satisfied. I'll still look for something more exotic than the CSX 'A' line for my next trip though!
-------------------- 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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Sounds like you had a great trip Dave. You are right, those two types of cheeseburgers are like night and day. It was unfortunate we gave up those good burgers in the corridor to save money.
It is also unfortunate about the cab situation in RVR. Years ago, when I used to work to RVR and overnight, you had to beg to get a cab to even come to the station due to its location. Hopefully things have improved, but the current situation there will do nothing to help it, that is for sure...
Posts: 332 | From: Long Island, NY USA | Registered: Jan 2004
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Yes, from reading your report Mr. Presley, as well as Mr. Shillinger's describing his Tennis Camp journey, it appears that one benefit of the Great Recession is that "the trains run on time'.
Of course there is a little 'downside' for which a chart talks louder than words
Finally, I note Mr. Presley and I are coming to the same page with regards to "if you've seen one Pine Tree...."
Posts: 9977 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Glad to hear the trip went well, David. It is also encouraging that the crews were doing a good job.
As you know, I am very impressed with the job NC DOT does on station restorations. It sounds like Durham is another example of how to adapt an old building for a station that is so much better than an Amshack. All it takes is a little imagination and money.
For what it's worth, the Amtrak guest services person I talked with at the ball game (as noted in another thread) said she did not believe the 3rd Raleigh-Charlotte train would start until the spring. But, I'm not sure she had any solid info.
I am surprised you didn't go for dinner in the diner on the Star. They won't be around much longer (I've been saying that for 30 years or so). Even with their deteriorated condition and mediocre food, it's still a treat for me.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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Diner reservations had already been awarded and all seatings had been proclaimed 'full' by the time I boarded at 5:30pm. I had anticipated that this would be the case and had not planned to visit the diner on this trip.
I did enjoy dinner on one of the Heritage fleet diners aboard the Crescent about 6 weeks ago.
Who knows when the 3rd Raleigh-Charlotte frequency will roll? I do know that with the most recent time change, the Piedmont's schedule was altered a little to make room for it though.
I'm curious whether or not the additional train out of Lynchburg will actually make the timetable this fall. That would be a new option for going north besides the Carolinian, Palmetto, or Silver Star.
Mr. Norman.....I've seen lot's of pine trees!
-------------------- 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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Nice report, I've been thru that area a lot, and sometimes the trains doesn't stop, others it stops every siding.
Posts: 465 | From: elgin (s-line) | Registered: Dec 2008
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I don't like frozen hamburgers even when not nuked; definitely recommend the "garden burger" with cheese, if they have that, over the "meat."
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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