·12 Jul: Cascades Train #506
·12-14 Jul: #8 The Empire Builder: 1|2|3
·17-18 Jul: #48 The Late Shore Limited: 1|2
·21 Jul: Empire Service Train #208
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·Introduction ·12 Jul: Cascades Train #506 ·12-14 Jul: #8 The Empire Builder: 1|2|3 ·17-18 Jul: #48 The Late Shore Limited: 1|2 ·21 Jul: Empire Service Train #208 |
| 17-18 July, 2006: Train #48 The Lateshore Limited-Already an hour late out of Chicago and Loosing More Time | |
My cousins drive me in to downtown Chicago (in their extremely fuel efficient 47mpg diesel VW Bug), dropping me off at Union Station around 7:30. I say my goodbyes, and rushing into the station to check my bag, before heading off on a quick walk before my train leaves. I look at an Amtrak monitor, and notice that #48 is listed as "Approximately one hour late due to mechanical failures." I look at the arrivals monitor and think good, we won't be later due to a connecting train, all westbound arrivals have arrived except for a very late California Zepher, due in at 10:00PM. (No waiting two hours for a connection.). I find the ticket window, and manage to wait in the incorrect line twice before stopping at the baggage counter, and am told that I'm too late to check my bags (sorry sir, it's half an hour before, but we can send them on tomorrow, I decline this), I wonder why and am told even though its an hour late the baggage is loaded before the train backs into the station.
I continue walking with both my backpacks and find the Boarding area for Amtrak, which is just like a departures lounge at an airport, with five lettered boarding gates, and those airport seats. There is a special section beyond the waiting area for the general public for those who will be pre-boarding. I walk around and try to find something to grab for dinner (decide there is no reason to have dinner in the diner tonight, especially with the late departure). I walk outside and the only thing I find is a Subway Sandwich Shop, where I grab a foot-long sandwich. Unfortunately, my favorite the pastrami beef doesn't seem to exist here, so I get the cold cut special. The only nice thing is that it's a dollar cheaper then NYC. I walk back to the waiting area and sit down getting back about 8:10P. The City of New Orleans (#59) as departed on time at 8:00P, but The Hoosier State (#318-since the all the way to NYC Cardinal is try weekly) is also late from its 7:45P departure. There seem to be very few people waiting for this train so I sit by their gate, leaving the crowded gate my train is at. I chit-chat a little with a few passengers on it, one of whom almost missed it, due to a late flight into O'Hare, but luckily its late (this seems quite common, people flying out of Chicago since its cheaper and taking Amtrak a short way's home, judging from the number of airport checked luggage tags I see). At 8:20P, it is announced that both the Hoosier State, and Lake Shore Limited will be boarding shortly as the trains are backing into the station, and that both will be boarding shortly. It is concluded with the announcement that always annoys me: "We realize you have many options for travel these days, and would like to thank for taking Amtrak".
I get up and decide to get in line which seems quite crowded. Behind me, waiting to board are some young Amish. I see that the Hoosier State has backed into the station, but it's rear car must be a private rail car, for it has this weird centered taillight. I get in line, boarding takes a while, at about 8:30 it begin. At 8:45 I'm at the front of the line and told to wait, so that passengers on the platform may board and that the rest of us must wait so we don't have to wait on the sweltering hot platform. A few minutes later its my turn and before I'm let out onto the platform my ticket is checked thoroughly, mostly to make sure it has the right date. Then I'm finally led out onto the train, which is parked on one of the farthest out platforms that is a through track to the north end of the station. As I walk that first thing to strike me is that there is a single Refrigerated ExpessTrak, car at the rear of the train. (Although Amtrak's left the freight business I guess this ones still on due to contractual constraints). I say my destination, Syracuse and walk to the second to the rear car; it is an un-rebuilt Amfleet-II coach with the old red interior. I tell my destination to the coach car attendant who's standing outside, and ask for a window seat that I am assigned (Amtrak's way again of keeping people traveling together, sitting together). I enter the car and find that there is a couple sitting in my seat, they tell me to sit in their seat, which is towards the other end of the car, I due, and as I'm putting my backpack in the luggage rack, I realize why the couple didn't want to sit here, there is a mother traveling with a baby and a probably two year old son, sitting right in front of me, I don't care about crying for sleeping, I'll most likely be plugged into my iPod.
We finally leave at 9:05P CT, the car almost completely full, I overhear the attendant reprimanding the couple, whose seat I'm in for switching seats without telling her, she passes by me and I tell her "I'm not in my seat because some people were sitting in it." She knows. I seem to be the only single passenger to have a seat to himself as we slowly leave downtown Chicago. And I watch as we go through its lights, passing the 95th/Dan Ryan Terminus of the CTA Red Line. The dining car Stewart comes through with "Reservations for dinner in the diner at 10:15", only 3 people decide to have it "Breakfast starts at 6:30 tomorrow and is first come, first served, you can come straight up to the diner, it's just beyond the lounge." The Lounge car we are tolled will open as soon as all tickets are collect. Most of the onboard crew has Chicago accents, Shortly though I'm joined by a slightly senile senor citizen (or honored citizen as the Portland Tri-Met calls them), who is also going to Syracuse, being picked up by somebody she doesn't know, and tries to sleep in about ten different positions, once during the night I'm on the verge of rolling over onto her hand that's on my half of the seat (My one other complaint about Amtrak cars, the fact their no center seat rests, for situations like this). I take my sleeping bag out to sleep in, and she immediately comments on the fact it smells of mildew (I did sleep outside quite a bit for three weeks), but "That's okay, I live deep in the woods, alone, deep in the woods of Texas." She also at one point all of a suddon said "I've got the munchies" and started digging in her bag.
The conductor now comes through to collect the tickets but, no seat checks are made, he seems to be doing this in a very hurried manor. Shortly after the Car Attendant comes through and writes everyone seat checks. She then comes through again to tells us that in South Bend Indiana we will be entering Eastern Time, and that the Lounge Car will be closed between Midnight and 6AM Eastern Time so anyone who needs anything for the night needs to get it before then. I finally eat my long belated dinner of my subway sandwich. We curve out of Chicago and enter Indiana, Lake Michigan is in view briefly. There seem to be no further delays, the lights finally go out at about 9:55P CT. I'm awake when we stop at South Bend, IN at 11:23P ET. I look out the window as we go through Indiana, and we are treated to quite a lightning show, it seems to strike all over the place. We slow down in quite a few places so that freight trains going the other direction, the shadow of locomotive headlights approaching in the night I find kind of ghostly.
And then fall asleep, sleeping through Elkhart, IN, Waterloo, IN, and Bryan, OH. I wake up again when were stopped at 2:30A, in Toledo, OH, an hour and a half late (we've lost a little more time, thank you CSX). I decide that I'm going to try and take a little walk, but can't find an exit. I notice though that it's starting to pour and go back to my seat, lisiting to my iPod and fall back asleep, sleeping through Sandusky, OH, and Elyria, OH.
I wake up again at 5:15A, when were stopped in what is Cleveland's, OH Waterfront Station. We almost immediately leave, and the Cleveland Light Rail, comes into view running alongside us for a little while before it ends. I look out the window as we fallow an expressway and slowly leave downtown Cleveland and then the suburbs that surround it, I don't think I'll sleep anymore since dawn is hear, and its getting lighter and lighter. But I do, falling asleep again and now the suns beaming at 6:30. The lady, still next to me says "Excellent, Coffee" and gets up to go to the lounge car to buy some coffee. We slowly enter a city on a viaduct, Lake Erie is visible off in the distance, as we are entering Erie, PA, which from the train early in the morning looks like a fine small city. We stop at 6:40, letting of 5 passengers, the Amish that I saw getting on in Chicago, and a few others get on. We leave Erie, and make our way into Western New York State. Lake Erie is visible in some places but their many trees in the way blocking it from view.
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·Introduction ·12 Jul: Cascades Train #506 ·12-14 Jul: #8 The Empire Builder: 1|2|3 ·17-18 Jul: #48 The Late Shore Limited: 1|2 ·21 Jul: Empire Service Train #208 |
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