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The original plan was full Northeast Clockwise. Oops, can't take 448 AGAIN because of OTP lousy enough to jeopardize making the connection (3 hours 30 minutes) in Boston to the last southbound trip of the night. My aim here was to not make any stopovers. Well, 48 was 3:45 late Wednesday, 5:20 late yesterday, and just a tad under 6 hours today. Tomorrow's 48 (the train I would have ridden) left Chi nearly two hours late. As I was talking to a (very courteous!) reservation agent, he enjoyed me saying, "CSX sucks and I know better." So there's a substitute first two legs of the trip. Revised itinerary: 282 Schenectady-NYP, NEC train (88 or one of those 190-series Regionals) to New Haven/Boston, whatever we have time for. Resume original itinerary. 67 Boston-DC, 29 DC-Chi (First... Sleeper... Ever!), 48 Chi-SDY next tuesday. If any of you feel like coming out to see the train, just look for a mid-twenties foamer that's having fun regardless. I don't care how late we are as long as it's safe, and that's why I chose Amtrak, aside from wanting to do this for three years. I've spent: 19 years railfanning/foaming 11,000 miles riding 1 hour (off the record) in a sleeper 7 hours on the NEC 0 hours on Acela and 0 hours in Business/Custom Class so far.
The last time I rode Superliners was in 1992.
When the train gets hours later when I ride it, I think of that as "value-added service" that I didn't anticipate.
I have a distinct feeling this is going to be fun. Wherever the heck roomette 6 is on a Superliner sleeper, I'm there, and we've got Viewliner room 8 on 48, right in the middle of the car! I may even be able to sleep between Toledo and Sandusky this time!
Last sighting (two weeks prior) my namesake engine was alternating between the City and the Capitol based out of Chi.... Wouldn't that be nice. Anyway, I need to get some sleep. Another first this time- a laptop! I can write my trip review while I'm still riding!
See you... out there! (Q)
notelvis Member # 3071
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It sounds like you have a great trip planned and I know you're going to enjoy it. Tell us about it when you get back.
Doesn't that timekeeping blow everything though? It's gotten to the point that one can only do a train trip when there are no obligations (family, job, etc.) that would be short-changed if you......say......turned up 24 hours behind schedule.
For instance, I'm looking at a three day trip next month to take in some railroad museums/scenic railroads in Maryland (B&O Museum, Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, Baltimore Streetcar, etc.).
Originally I was looking at taking Amtrak up BUT timekeeping for any train going to or from south of Richmond is so bad (avr. 2 to 4 hours late every day) that I don't want to risk any component of the trip on a late train.
I might just drive up to the Henry Clay Inn (Ashland, VA)and take NEC trains from there. So that's 500 miles I otherwise would not have driven.
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