By Jay Whipple
Trend Magazine Online™
Another Memorable Outing!
Re-published from November 2014 with 2022 Update!
Trend Magazine Online™
Another Memorable Outing!
Re-published from November 2014 with 2022 Update!
My fascination with trains dates
back to when I was knee-high to a grasshopper growing up a block away from a
very busy multi-track route near the old Dorsey High School in Liberty
City/Miami, Florida. We would experience trains coming and going all hours
of the day and throughout the night. So much that I eventually became immune to
the whistle blowing and the sounds and rhythm of the steel wheels interacting
with the steel tracks. It was even more fascinating to see those steel-tracked
monsters up close and personal as I crossed those same tracks many times on my
way to the other side alone and with neighbors and childhood friends. We would
oftentimes play a very dangerous game of chicken to see who would be the first
to jump out of the way of a fast moving train. Occasionally we would actually
board a slow moving train by running alongside it, grabbing hold of anything
stable, and then jumping up to one of the foot stops near the bottom. One time
this dangerous game turned deadly as my cousin lost his footing and was nearly
cut in half by the train’s wheels as he struggled to regain his footing before
safely letting go. Needless to say that was our last time engaging in that type
fun.
I would often find myself
wondering where each train was coming from and more importantly where they were
going. In fact, I was tempted to jump one of those steel wonders with my back
pack and just get off somewhere far away from where I was living. Believe it or
not, these massive modes of transportation and shipping would occasionally get
stopped dead in their tracks as the result of neighborhood gangs placing
certain items directly in their path. They would then help themselves to
whatever cargo that particular train was hauling just like a heist straight
from TV. I of course did not participate in this type thievery. Fast forward to
the 1980’s and I got a chance to ride a train (Amtrak) for the first
time legitimately. I traveled from Charlotte to San Antonio, Texas,
to visit relatives. The first leg of my trip was quite exciting as we chugged
our way from one town to the next and the scenery was quite memorable.
My trip took a turn for the worse
as we entered the State of Louisiana and began crossing one
swampy area after the next. Our top speed was about 25 miles per hour
and the scenery grew darker and gloomier. We then crossed over the daunting Lake
Pontchartrain which extends a whopping 40 miles long. Our car swayed
back and forth the entire trek and all that I could see was water on the left
and right. That is when I began to pray that the end of this seemingly endless
lake was near as we slowly strolled across this watery wonder. We safely made
it across to the other side and the return trip was equally as scary, grueling,
and irritating trying to eat while the diner car shifted from side to side. I
then made a promise to myself to never travel across any swampy area via
train/Amtrak.
Fast forward nearly three decades
later and it was now time for me to try it again; this time over less daunting
terrain. I decide to make a round trip from Salisbury, North Carolina,
to Charlotte, North Carolina, for a business trip. I was quite
surprised that the cost of a round trip ticket was about $30 lower than
taking the Greyhound Bus which takes about the same amount of time one
way. I booked one seat on train #73 Piedmont outbound and was allowed to
bring along my bike at no extra charge. I was in a 56-seat car which is
the same capacity as a tour bus. I arrived at approximately 8:20 A.M.
for the 9:08 A.M. departure. The staff person was very friendly,
cordial, helpful, and even knowledgeable on Military bases name origins.
He said that all of them are named in honor of Civil War Generals. The
waiting area was very clean as well as the men’s room. There was a plethora of
informational brochures on every service they had to offer at various locations
throughout the lobby area and via a kiosk. The station’s train schedules were
conspicuously located throughout the station as well.
When it came time to depart I was
escorted out to the train boarding area with my bike and was given instructions
as to where to wait to load my bike. My train arrived around 9:15 A.M.,
I was given assistance by one of the porters loading my bike and we were off
and running at approximately 9:20 A.M. He then advised me that the
second car was a bit cooler which was great. I, however, decided on the third
car which was less crowded. The interior of train #73 was very clean and
there was quite a bit of space between seats to allow for reclining. There were
electrical outlets at each seat row and more brochures in the back of each seat
-- providing information on their train routes – which also came with folding
trays for eating or working. Also included were games and puzzles to pass the
time away. There were two Train Hosts – an older male and female – that
also boarded in Salisbury that moved from row to row greeting and
conversing with passengers. We made a quick stop/pick-up in nearby Kannapolis
at approximately 9:40 A.M. and arrived in Charlotte at
approximately 10:07 A.M. – 47 minutes total travel time. All in
all it was quite a pleasant experience and smooth ride on the outbound leg of
my trip.
My return trip train was the #76
Piedmont due to depart Charlotte at 5:15 P.M. This station’s
lobby was also clean as well as the men’s room. Their staff was helpful but
more business-like than the Salisbury crew. I was allowed to board first
because of my bicycle which gave me the first choice of coach seats. The car
was clean except some liquid residue from a soda pop above my seat. Apparently
someone shook their can before opening. There was not as much leg room in this
car as the #75 Piedmont outbound. We departed on time, however, shortly
thereafter experience a 20-minute delay just north of the station
because a cargo train was held up. I did not realize before that these
passenger trains run on the same tracks as opposed to parts of Europe
and Asia where they reach top speeds of 224 (360 km/h) and 267
miles per hour (430 km/h). Not much sightseeing going on there! Smile! The
temperature inside our car was nice and cool, and the ride smooth as well. We
arrived in Salisbury at approximately 6:15 P.M. – one hour later;
due to the delay.
This was a much more pleasant
experience than my trek through Bayou country nearly three decades ago
on Amtrak; and the cost ($21.00 round trip), as mentioned earlier, is
noticeably cheaper than going Greyhound – at least for my trip. In
addition, I like that they offer free (gratis) bottled water and coffee in
their snack cars, and the convenience of being able to print my ticket from
their lobby kiosk or have it emailed to me so it can be scanned via my smart
phone; being able to access their 800 number for train delays via Julie;
and the option of email or text alerts for delays. I have since taken the train
on quite a few similar business trips and have learned that some of these
metallic marvels are susceptible to being upwards of three hours or more behind
schedule due to boarding delays, conflicts with cargo trains, and occasionally
accidents with pedestrians. As such, I have learned to book the earlier train
if I am on a tight time schedule. Other than that, I am sold on Amtrak
as a reasonably priced alternative to Greyhound or driving yourself.
UPDATE!
Fast forward to 2022 and I found the need once again for an alternative to driving my car because this trip required me to rent a U-Haul truck in the North Miami Beach area of Florida to relocate my business storage to the Orlando area. I decided that the most efficient way to accomplish this was to leave my vehicle in Orlando to prevent me from back tracking after relocating my storage thus saving time and money. I decided to once again use Amtrak instead of Greyhound although this go around it was $16 cheaper and I would arrive 1 hour earlier on their direct line. Why; because I had the extra cash and I wanted the experience of catching the train from Orlando to Hollywood (near my hotel) to see the stations and the scenery along the rail route. Plus, I consider the train a much more sexier option than the bus. It just sounds more appealing.
I booked passage on the Silver Meteor Train #97 ten days before my departure and their online system stated that there were only a few seats left. I arrived at their Orlando station at about 11:45 AM; over 1 1 /2 hours before my departure time of 1:19 PM. That gave me enough time to go inside and clear my parking with one of the agents who was very helpful in accommodating me in completing the necessary paperwork. The station was rather small but bustling with the activity of passengers arriving for their journeys. I also had enough time to eat lunch inside my vehicle and chill a bit in solitude before joining the other travelers in the outdoor waiting area. There was a guy selling hot dogs and playing gospel music which added to the ambience of my Sunday travels that also included rain and much cooler temperatures. My train arrived about 30 minutes behind schedule at approximately 1:50 PM which was of concern to me because the hotel where I was staying was privately-owned and they shut down in person check-in at 7 PM. My train was due to arrive in Hollywood at 6:21 PM.
We were boarded and departed the station just after 2 PM. The staff aboard the train were very professional and efficient especially when it came to communicating with the guests where they would be seated, and when each stop was near. They also had a great system of knowing where each passenger was to get off that included the use of cue cards affixed just above each seat. Because of that system I felt comfortable in taking a nap during my nearly 5 hour journey. The interior of this train was relatively clean as well as the bathroom. The staff helped in the process by collecting trash between stops. The AC-type charger outlet at my seat worked fine which allowed me to save on the battery life of my personal device. We arrived in Hollywood about 6:35 PM; only about 16 minutes behind schedule which was great after getting started nearly 50 minutes behind schedule.
I will be taking the Amtrak again when the need arises!
My trip took a turn for the worse
as we entered the State of Louisiana and began crossing one
swampy area after the next. Our top speed was about 25 miles per hour
and the scenery grew darker and gloomier. We then crossed over the daunting Lake
Pontchartrain which extends a whopping 40 miles long. Our car swayed
back and forth the entire trek and all that I could see was water on the left
and right. That is when I began to pray that the end of this seemingly endless
lake was near as we slowly strolled across this watery wonder. We safely made
it across to the other side and the return trip was equally as scary, grueling,
and irritating trying to eat while the diner car shifted from side to side. I
then made a promise to myself to never travel across any swampy area via
train/Amtrak.Fast forward nearly three decades
later and it was now time for me to try it again; this time over less daunting
terrain. I decide to make a round trip from Salisbury, North Carolina,
to Charlotte, North Carolina, for a business trip. I was quite
surprised that the cost of a round trip ticket was about $30 lower than
taking the Greyhound Bus which takes about the same amount of time one
way. I booked one seat on train #73 Piedmont outbound and was allowed to
bring along my bike at no extra charge. I was in a 56-seat car which is
the same capacity as a tour bus. I arrived at approximately 8:20 A.M.
for the 9:08 A.M. departure. The staff person was very friendly,
cordial, helpful, and even knowledgeable on Military bases name origins.
He said that all of them are named in honor of Civil War Generals. The
waiting area was very clean as well as the men’s room. There was a plethora of
informational brochures on every service they had to offer at various locations
throughout the lobby area and via a kiosk. The station’s train schedules were
conspicuously located throughout the station as well.
When it came time to depart I was
escorted out to the train boarding area with my bike and was given instructions
as to where to wait to load my bike. My train arrived around 9:15 A.M.,
I was given assistance by one of the porters loading my bike and we were off
and running at approximately 9:20 A.M. He then advised me that the
second car was a bit cooler which was great. I, however, decided on the third
car which was less crowded. The interior of train #73 was very clean and
there was quite a bit of space between seats to allow for reclining. There were
electrical outlets at each seat row and more brochures in the back of each seat
-- providing information on their train routes – which also came with folding
trays for eating or working. Also included were games and puzzles to pass the
time away. There were two Train Hosts – an older male and female – that
also boarded in Salisbury that moved from row to row greeting and
conversing with passengers. We made a quick stop/pick-up in nearby Kannapolis
at approximately 9:40 A.M. and arrived in Charlotte at
approximately 10:07 A.M. – 47 minutes total travel time. All in
all it was quite a pleasant experience and smooth ride on the outbound leg of
my trip.
My return trip train was the #76
Piedmont due to depart Charlotte at 5:15 P.M. This station’s
lobby was also clean as well as the men’s room. Their staff was helpful but
more business-like than the Salisbury crew. I was allowed to board first
because of my bicycle which gave me the first choice of coach seats. The car
was clean except some liquid residue from a soda pop above my seat. Apparently
someone shook their can before opening. There was not as much leg room in this
car as the #75 Piedmont outbound. We departed on time, however, shortly
thereafter experience a 20-minute delay just north of the station
because a cargo train was held up. I did not realize before that these
passenger trains run on the same tracks as opposed to parts of Europe
and Asia where they reach top speeds of 224 (360 km/h) and 267
miles per hour (430 km/h). Not much sightseeing going on there! Smile! The
temperature inside our car was nice and cool, and the ride smooth as well. We
arrived in Salisbury at approximately 6:15 P.M. – one hour later;
due to the delay.
This was a much more pleasant
experience than my trek through Bayou country nearly three decades ago
on Amtrak; and the cost ($21.00 round trip), as mentioned earlier, is
noticeably cheaper than going Greyhound – at least for my trip. In
addition, I like that they offer free (gratis) bottled water and coffee in
their snack cars, and the convenience of being able to print my ticket from
their lobby kiosk or have it emailed to me so it can be scanned via my smart
phone; being able to access their 800 number for train delays via Julie;
and the option of email or text alerts for delays. I have since taken the train
on quite a few similar business trips and have learned that some of these
metallic marvels are susceptible to being upwards of three hours or more behind
schedule due to boarding delays, conflicts with cargo trains, and occasionally
accidents with pedestrians. As such, I have learned to book the earlier train
if I am on a tight time schedule. Other than that, I am sold on Amtrak
as a reasonably priced alternative to Greyhound or driving yourself.
UPDATE!Fast forward to 2022 and I found the need once again for an alternative to driving my car because this trip required me to rent a U-Haul truck in the North Miami Beach area of Florida to relocate my business storage to the Orlando area. I decided that the most efficient way to accomplish this was to leave my vehicle in Orlando to prevent me from back tracking after relocating my storage thus saving time and money. I decided to once again use Amtrak instead of Greyhound although this go around it was $16 cheaper and I would arrive 1 hour earlier on their direct line. Why; because I had the extra cash and I wanted the experience of catching the train from Orlando to Hollywood (near my hotel) to see the stations and the scenery along the rail route. Plus, I consider the train a much more sexier option than the bus. It just sounds more appealing.
I booked passage on the Silver Meteor Train #97 ten days before my departure and their online system stated that there were only a few seats left. I arrived at their Orlando station at about 11:45 AM; over 1 1 /2 hours before my departure time of 1:19 PM. That gave me enough time to go inside and clear my parking with one of the agents who was very helpful in accommodating me in completing the necessary paperwork. The station was rather small but bustling with the activity of passengers arriving for their journeys. I also had enough time to eat lunch inside my vehicle and chill a bit in solitude before joining the other travelers in the outdoor waiting area. There was a guy selling hot dogs and playing gospel music which added to the ambience of my Sunday travels that also included rain and much cooler temperatures. My train arrived about 30 minutes behind schedule at approximately 1:50 PM which was of concern to me because the hotel where I was staying was privately-owned and they shut down in person check-in at 7 PM. My train was due to arrive in Hollywood at 6:21 PM.
We were boarded and departed the station just after 2 PM. The staff aboard the train were very professional and efficient especially when it came to communicating with the guests where they would be seated, and when each stop was near. They also had a great system of knowing where each passenger was to get off that included the use of cue cards affixed just above each seat. Because of that system I felt comfortable in taking a nap during my nearly 5 hour journey. The interior of this train was relatively clean as well as the bathroom. The staff helped in the process by collecting trash between stops. The AC-type charger outlet at my seat worked fine which allowed me to save on the battery life of my personal device. We arrived in Hollywood about 6:35 PM; only about 16 minutes behind schedule which was great after getting started nearly 50 minutes behind schedule.I will be taking the Amtrak again when the need arises!
Want to
book? Just visit www.amtrak.com. Tell them
that Trend Magazine Online™ sent you.
