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Last month I attended a conference in Philadelphia. Even though I am retired from my job as a public school administrator I still do some independent contracting with a local district. The conference in Philadelphia, concerning special education issues, was relevant to my part-time work that I do now.
When I became aware of the 2014 conference in Philly I decided to treat myself to a train trip.
My son lives about 15 minutes from the St. Louis Amtrak station. So I stayed with him the night before my trip. He delivered me in the morning for the 7:55 AM departure of the northbound Texas Eagle.
The TE was on time and waiting for passengers to board. I boarded and settled in for the trip. 8:05 came and went. 8:15 passed. About 8:30 it was announced that a new locomotive was needed to replace the existing one. Finally, after an hour and a half wait we started to roll.
About 5 minutes into our "trip" we stopped and waited and waited. A freight train needed to pass. Well, this stop and go progress continued north along the Mississippi and into Illinois. The run between the river and Alton is usually slow also. We didn't start to move in a timely fashion until we were past Springfield. From that point on the progress was normal.
As always, I enjoy the trip across Illinois. I know some folks don't consider the Illinois scenery interesting. But I find the the rich farms, fertile soil (some of the richest in the world), beautiful stands of oak, maple and hickory, gentle streams, a lovely middle America vista. And now the wind farms presence is fascinating. There are dozens of giant wind turbines doing their work in the central part of the state. There are small farm towns with their huge grain elevators, abandoned sidings, closed shops, all remnants of a former time when these little towns were quite busy. There are also some dynamic and exciting communities that have expanded their stations and downtown areas. Normal. Ill., home to Eastern Illinois University is a good example. The university and other industry has provided Amtrak with a good business.
We pulled into Chicago over 3 hours late. I had planned to knock around the Loop and maybe even the Art Institute on my layover. The late arrival of the TE nixed my plans.
The Capitol Limited boarded before 6:00 PM. I had booked a roomette. I always enjoy finding my room and chatting with the attendant. I was anticipating a prompt departure. Then the announcement was made that there was a problem in the galley of the dining car. I found out later that the grill, which is electric, had broken down. It took and hour to fix. Then we were on our way.
I enjoyed a flat iron steak and a half bottle of wine for dinner. The steak was slightly overcooked but all in all no need for complaints. My dinner mates were interesting and pleasant. The gentleman sitting next to me said he was a photographer for National Geographic Magazine. Hmm. He looked like Santa Claus, white beard, long white hair and rather portly in stature. Whether he really was a photographer or not I have no idea (my instincts told me he was having some identity fun). But he made for a good dinner experience.
I was happy to bed down for the night. For whatever reason the night-time run across Ohio is very rough. It is hard to sleep well with the pitching and swaying, not to mention the noise.
I had breakfast somewhere between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, Maryland. The scrambled eggs and things were OK. The table mates were pleasant. The dining car attendant, Judith, was enjoyable. Amtrak needs more like her.
We passed through Cumberland, Maryland. I was reading the guide and it said that at one time Cumberland was a population center of considerable importance. It also is on the trail that the settlers traveled on their way to settle the lands west of the eastern mountains. You might recall the famous painting of Daniel Boone leading families and wagons through the gap. I looked back out the window and noticed a huge "v" or gap in the mountain ridge just west of Cumberland. It is a very noticeable geographic feature.
Another interesting feature on this trip was the C&O canal. I was reading about it in the guide and looked out my window and realized that the canal is still there and much of it still has water in it. It is the longest national park in the United States (180 some miles). It lies between Washington DC and Cumberland, Md. There is a path or trail along side of it that, I assume, was used by tow animals to pull the barges. Today the path is a biking and hiking trail. You can still see some of the gatekeepers houses and the locks and dams.
While eating lunch I was joined by a gentleman. He said that he was a retired engineer. We began to chat and I asked him where he was going. He told me Washington. I asked him what he was going to do there. He laughed and said that he was going to ride his bike back to his home in Seattle! He referred to the C&O trail as the first leg of his journey. It turns out that he is an avid biker. He explained how there are organizations that provide shelter, lodging, and meals for those hardy souls that like to traverse long distances on two human powered wheels. He told me that his bike was in the baggage car. Now I will have to say this gentleman was very convincing. He looked the part and talked the talk. I have a good friend who is an avid biker and this guy fit the description. They usually look kind of like basketball players (long and lean). I hope he is doing well. I asked him if he was coming through Southeast Missouri and he said no. He was going to spend some time in Decatur, Illinois with his mom. Decatur is quite a ways north of my neck of the woods.
We arrived in DC behind schedule. It wasn't too late. I still made my regional connection to Philly.
The Washington Union Station is an impressive place. It was packed with people shopping (some high end retailers), dining, and train riding. I had some lunch while there. I ate at a restaurant that served Mideastern cuisine. Very good. Very friendly servers. Afterwards I roamed around marveling at all of the commercial activity and station's renovation work. I read a historical pamphlet on the history and renovation of the station and apparently it has been, for the most part of its existence, a center of shopping and socializing. The attempt is to restore the station to its former glory. I think that the attempt is going to be successful.
The next leg of my journey was on an Amtrak Regional. Wow! They are fast, punctual, and crowded. It took me a long time to find a seat. The clientele appear to be business folks. I saw lots of men in gray suits and white shirts, women in business attire, laptop computers, and ear plugs or are they called ear buds? Very serious crowd. We zoomed along until I arrived at my destination, 30th Street Station.
I think that this was my third or fourth arrival at 30th Street Station. What a neat place. I had no trouble finding my way around. I grabbed a cab and was whisked to my hotel. I like Philadelphia a lot. Great downtown. The eateries. The neighborhoods. The history.
My trip home was just a reverse of my trip to Philadelphia. The one exception was that both of the trains, the CL and the TE were on time. In general the train attendants were helpful and polite. The food was acceptable and even good at times. The accommodations were clean. I just can't think of anything really negative to say other than the eastbound trip's delays and rough tracks at night. But when one considers the funding process that Amtrak has to endure I am amazed that they do as well as they do.
I have to say that I find long distance train travel one of my most enjoyable pastimes. There is no better way to see the country than by train. And there is no better way to meet people, most of whom have interesting stories to tell. As to the time element of course if you are going from New York to LA the airplane if the obvious choice if you're in a hurry. But the airlines don't always work out. My son, who resides in Florida, flew to St. Louis last year and the flight took 16 hours. That isn't far off driving time. Of course that is the exception. But every mode of transportation has its bad days.
I found it remarkable that several of the folks that I talked with were traveling from coast to coast, or west coast to Chicago. One gentleman was traveling to Florida From LA to see his brother and planned to take the train back to LA.
I can hardly wait for my next sojourn. I have an old buddy in California that I would like to see before Father Time takes away too many of my faculties (I just had cataract surgey and dental work) so I am good for another few thousand miles. I am thinking about the California Zephyr. I might want to go to Portland from California and return on the Empire Builder. Just thinking. But before a western trip there is a Chicago trip this summer. We have started to have a family get together every summer in Chicago. Of course most of us ride the train. Lots of fun.
yukon11 Member # 2997
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Very interesting narrative, Iron Mountain. Thanks for the post.
Richard
palmland Member # 4344
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Gods positive report Iron Mtn, thanks. We're you tempted to try the Cardinal? Did you notice a decline in the appearance and food quality in the diner with the recent cutback in amenities?
Iron Mountain Member # 12411
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Palmland,
Yes, I considered the Cardinal. The scheduling wasn't workable plus the cost is higher. But if the opportunity for a leisurely and scenic trip comes along I might try it. One of these days I would like to go to WAS and see the cherry trees in bloom. The Cardinal might be the way to go.
I think that this was my fourth trip on the CL. In the past I have changed trains in PGH. But I didn't feel like getting off the CL that early and then having a long ride on the Pennsylvanian to PHL. It is just more relaxing to ride all the way on the CL. The westbound is much worse if you take the Pennsylvanian to PGH and catch the CL to CHI. There is a long late night lay over. And he PGH station is not very interesting. I keep hearing talk about a through car that would attach to the Pennsylvanian from the eastbound CL for those who would like a more direct route to PHL. Apparently there are some logistical issues that make that unlikely to happen. The westbound trip would be a scheduling issue unless the two trains modified their schedules. The westbound layover is something like 7 or 8 hours and goes into the wee AM hours. It is especially unpleasant if the CL is late.
I didn't notice any significant decline in food quality in the diner. Although breakfast seemed a bit sparse. The dining car staff did a good job getting the orders right and serving the meals without delay.
One item I forgot to mention on my return trip from WAS to CHI was my accommodations. I booked a bedroom instead of a roomette. It was nice. I enjoyed the bigger bed and took advantage of my own private shower.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Great trip report, Iron Mtn!! Thanks a lot. My big summer trip is now only 18 days away!! I'm looking forward to it, even though I've ridden all the trains and seen all the scenery countless times already!!
My last leg will be on the Cardinal, with my wife. I haven't ridden the Cardinal all the way from WAS to CHI for several years now. I have ridden the Capitol Ltd so many times over the last 20 years that it is becoming a boring ride now!!!, as are the Florida Silver Service trains ("seen one pine tree, seen 'em all," to quote a well-known Rail Forum member).
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