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While Atlanta’s small station was certainly not suitable for the crowd waiting to board the Crescent, it was nice to be in a ‘real’ station rather than one of Amtrak’s utilitarian metal structures. The green signs from the days of the Southern RR are still in use and the agents were quite friendly when I picked up my ticket the day before departure. They have hope for more service and said that the number one question they get is “why are there no trains that go directly to Florida.” That was my destination the next day.
Bill Haithcoat (an occasional poster here) was nice enough to meet me at the airport (where I parked my car for the return flight after putting my wife on a plane to see relatives in AZ) and guide me through the MARTA transit system to the station. We had a good time trading tales of our favorite railroads: the NC&StL and L&N.
Graham Claytor would have been proud of the NS handling of the Crescent that night. We were on time throughout, not just at destination as a result of padding. The arrival in DC was in fact 25 minutes early. But, the on board service was mediocre at best. No SCA in sight when I boarded (she appeared later), a downright surly lounge car attendant and a disorganized crew in the diner with a LSA who quite forcefully told me I would get no wine with dinner as Georgia was a dry state on Sunday. I ordered the catfish (which has always been good) but was later told they were out. The pork chop was extremely over cooked. Oh well. I had an excellent dinner companion, an administrative law judge from Birmingham on his way to Charleston, SC. We spent some time together in DC. So, normal people take this circuitous route too.
Arriving that great Washington Union Terminal on a busy Monday morning is always exciting. There was a great deal of scaffolding in the terminal obstructing some of the views of its ornate ceiling, presumably the result of the earthquake last year. I introduced my new companion to the Metropolitan Lounge where we dropped our bags before a quick excursion on a MARC commuter train to New Carrolton to see a couple Acela’s fly by and the usual parade of regional and local trains. We parted company after a visit to the Postal Museum as he was on the Meteor.
The Silver Star was ready for me on Track K. Louis was my SCA and he tried hard throughout the trip, but I didn’t require much as I managed the handling of the top bunk. But he did bring coffee at the appointed 7am as we arrived Jax. One thing that really surprised me: I had no hot water for my morning shower (nor did the next sleeper). But at Jax, there was Louis filling the car with a hose. Apparently the mechanical department guy stationed there was busy or had been the victim of a cut back.
Dinner was awesome - a much overused word but appropriate here. Michelle the LSA was the opposite of Tyrone on the Crescent: efficient and pleasant and will get a thank you when I contact Amtrak. I commented to her that she should train other dining car crews. She said she’d heard that before. The 6:30 seating was done quickly and the car was full. There were absolutely no delays and my sirloin steak was perfectly cooked. Why oh why can’t Amtrak be consistent in the service it provides. I had another good tablemate: a young doctor from Melbourne. She said the city and community were in full support of restored rail service and knew all about the plans for the station in her city (near the site of the former one.)
As we neared Richmond, I went to the lounge car for a beer and get a better view as we crossed the C&O at Doswell and then though my Alma Mater in Ashland. As the car was full, I grabbed an empty seat across from a well dressed man. We got into quite a conversation as we went through Ashland. Seems he remember ‘playing’ there as well as at the Mosque in Richmond. Turns out he was the lead tenor in one of the original versions (there were several incarnations) of the Platters – a 1950’s-60’s hit group. He had also worked for the C&O In Newport News as a young man, but was now 73. He was going to the Rocky Mount area to see relatives and invited me to a concert he would be giving in SC.
The trip on CSX was the best kind, uneventful. Everything worked (as it had on the Crescent) and we were mostly on time until after Jax. Some delay resulted in my Winter Park arrival about 20 min. late. My brother met me there and we were off to see some Atlanta Braves spring training games. At the last one we saw, Chipper Jones, the long time 2nd baseman, announced his retirement at the end of the season; turns 40 this spring. He is a likely first ballot Hall of Famer. But this did make me feel old as he graduated in my son’s high school class in Jacksonville. Time really does fly, and more so as we age.
Ocala Mike Member # 4657
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Nice trip report, palmland. As far as the Chipper Jones reference, he actually was the 3rd baseman for the Braves, with a couple of seasons as a left-fielder. I know he used to kill the Mets every season, and is much despised at Shea. He's going to the HOF for sure.
palmland Member # 4344
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Thanks for the correction, Mike. Chipper certainly is a 3rd baseman, guess I had Uggla on the brain. I believe he named one of his sons 'Shea' and considered the boos he get there a sign of respect.
bill haithcoat Member # 6773
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Palmland, it was so good to meet you after all these years of reading of your trips from long ago..
notelvis Member # 3071
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Palmland -
I have experienced the same 'at-best-mediocre' dinner service on the Crescent northbound from Atlanta twice in recent months. Once in November, 2011 and, more recently, three weeks ago.
My 'Crescent' itch has been suitably scratched for the time being and I have my sights set on trains such as the Southwest Chief and California Zephyr for my next trips.
sojourner Member # 3134
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Thanks for your trip interesting trip report, Palmland. How did things work out with the pick up in Winter Park? Had you been there before? I found it very attractive and convenient, trainwise, with a good station staff.
SilverStar092 Member # 2652
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Palmland: Glad the trip was mostly good. It's amazing how the Crescent dining service is consistently lousy. That has been the case on my last 2 Crescent trips in which we had dinner in the dining car. Watering the cars in Jax usually is done by the train crew from what I've observed on most of my trips the last few years.
notelvis Member # 3071
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How about a 'Southwest' vacation next?
Avoiding the Crescent altogether and flying Southwest Airlines to somewhere that the Southwest Chief makes a station call.
palmland Member # 4344
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quote:Originally posted by sojourner: Thanks for your trip interesting trip report, Palmland. How did things work out with the pick up in Winter Park? Had you been there before? I found it very attractive and convenient, trainwise, with a good station staff.
Winter Park is perhaps my favorite small station. While the architecture isn't special, the setting more than makes up for it. We had a leisurely lunch at shaded table outside in one of the very nice cafes and saw the Meteor arrive. Certainly the Plaza hotel there is the place to stay, but we were off to a chain hotel near Melbourne to be near the ballpark for the next day - after a stop at Autotrain's very nice new terminal.
And, yes Notelvis, Southwest is in our travel plans this summer, but then so is the Crescent. Maybe we'll be the lucky ones to have a good crew.
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