by Love Train
Back to normal is the way to describe today's Metro adventures. Today I took the Red Line from my home stop Grosvenor-Strathmore to Union Station to drop off my grandmother (visiting from New York, came on Friday) and then came back.
This trip was quite nice. We bought our passes and headed down to the platform. We had just missed a train and it was HOT so I was very annoyed. Luckily, we only had to wait 4 minutes for the next train. It was a 6 car train, destined for Glenmont, not crowded, and all six cars were 4000 series original Bredas. This was interesting because while there are many 4000 series original Breda cars on the Red Line, they rarely make up a whole train; they are usually intermixed with other cars. I was in original Breda #4090, the front car.
Unlike the ride last Friday to pick up my grandmother, this ride was FAST. This was definitely one of the quickest trips between Grosvenor-Strathmore and Union Station I've ever been on. We got some nice speed between Bethesda and Friendship Heights, but my train HAULED @$$ on that same stretch coming back home (more about that later). We actually got some decent speed taking the curves between Tenleytown and Van Ness, which almost never happens.
My grandmother and I had lunch at Au Bon Pain. I had a DEE-LICIOUS Thai chicken wrap, while my grandmother had a boring chicken caesar wrap. Then, I dropped my grandmother off at her gate. I was in tears when I said goodbye to her as I love my grandmother very much but as she gets older she becomes less able to visit. That's why I cherish every time I get to see her. I know its only a matter of time before she passes away, so I know I need to cherish every moment I spend with her.
Anyway, I don't want to turn this into an emotional tearfest, so I'll just continue on about my trip.
I headed back down into the station and saw on the PIMS screen on the mezzanine that a Shady Grove bound train was going to arrive in one minute. I ran down the stairs to the platform just as the train was arriving. This train was also six cars and not crowded. This train was a mixed consist of Breda Rehabs and CAFs. The first two and last two cars were Breda Rehabs and the middle two cars were CAFs. I was in rehabilitated Breda #3186, the front car.
Now let's talk about SPEED. And when I talk about speed, I'm talking about this train ride back home from Union Station on Sunday June 17, 2007. GOD-D*** did my train move! Especially on the home stretch (from Tenleytown to Grosvenor-Strathmore). And between Friendship Heights and Bethesda, we went so fast I thought for a second that the train was being hijacked. We had to have broken 70, and then some. Easily. This train was moving at a degree of speed like I've never experienced before.
I got off at Grosvenor, and here's where the twist happens. As I'm walking down the platform to the exit (I had to walk the full length of the platform because I was in the front car), another Shady Grove bound train came in. It was departing the station when I noticed that the last car of the train was original Breda #4090. This train was the same train that I had taken going downtown!
When everything was all said and done, I had a nice trip and was glad that normalcy had returned to the Red Line. THE END
P.S. During the trip, I saw only two original Breda 3000 series pairs. Pretty soon they will all be rehabbed.
P.S. Another car type that has been close to nonexistant the last few weeks on the Red Line is the CAF cars. I swear, there are about as many CAFs on the Red Line as 3000 series original Bredas. I've noticed this today, Friday, and all the times I watch trains go by from the Starbucks on Rockville Pike.
This trip was quite nice. We bought our passes and headed down to the platform. We had just missed a train and it was HOT so I was very annoyed. Luckily, we only had to wait 4 minutes for the next train. It was a 6 car train, destined for Glenmont, not crowded, and all six cars were 4000 series original Bredas. This was interesting because while there are many 4000 series original Breda cars on the Red Line, they rarely make up a whole train; they are usually intermixed with other cars. I was in original Breda #4090, the front car.
Unlike the ride last Friday to pick up my grandmother, this ride was FAST. This was definitely one of the quickest trips between Grosvenor-Strathmore and Union Station I've ever been on. We got some nice speed between Bethesda and Friendship Heights, but my train HAULED @$$ on that same stretch coming back home (more about that later). We actually got some decent speed taking the curves between Tenleytown and Van Ness, which almost never happens.
My grandmother and I had lunch at Au Bon Pain. I had a DEE-LICIOUS Thai chicken wrap, while my grandmother had a boring chicken caesar wrap. Then, I dropped my grandmother off at her gate. I was in tears when I said goodbye to her as I love my grandmother very much but as she gets older she becomes less able to visit. That's why I cherish every time I get to see her. I know its only a matter of time before she passes away, so I know I need to cherish every moment I spend with her.
Anyway, I don't want to turn this into an emotional tearfest, so I'll just continue on about my trip.
I headed back down into the station and saw on the PIMS screen on the mezzanine that a Shady Grove bound train was going to arrive in one minute. I ran down the stairs to the platform just as the train was arriving. This train was also six cars and not crowded. This train was a mixed consist of Breda Rehabs and CAFs. The first two and last two cars were Breda Rehabs and the middle two cars were CAFs. I was in rehabilitated Breda #3186, the front car.
Now let's talk about SPEED. And when I talk about speed, I'm talking about this train ride back home from Union Station on Sunday June 17, 2007. GOD-D*** did my train move! Especially on the home stretch (from Tenleytown to Grosvenor-Strathmore). And between Friendship Heights and Bethesda, we went so fast I thought for a second that the train was being hijacked. We had to have broken 70, and then some. Easily. This train was moving at a degree of speed like I've never experienced before.
I got off at Grosvenor, and here's where the twist happens. As I'm walking down the platform to the exit (I had to walk the full length of the platform because I was in the front car), another Shady Grove bound train came in. It was departing the station when I noticed that the last car of the train was original Breda #4090. This train was the same train that I had taken going downtown!
When everything was all said and done, I had a nice trip and was glad that normalcy had returned to the Red Line. THE END
P.S. During the trip, I saw only two original Breda 3000 series pairs. Pretty soon they will all be rehabbed.
P.S. Another car type that has been close to nonexistant the last few weeks on the Red Line is the CAF cars. I swear, there are about as many CAFs on the Red Line as 3000 series original Bredas. I've noticed this today, Friday, and all the times I watch trains go by from the Starbucks on Rockville Pike.
