rslitman wrote:I don't know if the current schedule has any such runs right now, but over the years, there have been R5 runs that go from Doylestown all the way to Thorndale, with a return trip all the way back to Doylestown on the same set of cars after a layover. The total round trip is about 5 hours. I have always wanted to ride both ways, with no stopovers anywhere in between. Since food and drinks are allowed on the train, I could just bring something along to eat for lunch. Or I could eat during the layover at Thorndale.
But only recently, it occurred to me that this is an awfully long trip to take with no bathroom opportunity. I don't know what's out there at Thorndale; if there's enough time and a McDonald's or similar restaurant or a library within walking distance, I could probably hold everything in until then. At least I know a couple of places near the Doylestown station that I could drive to in a hurry to use the restroom. I've been to the main Bucks County public library many times over the years, and the restroom there is decent.
Sorry to dump this old topic up to the top, but I wanted to follow up on this. With the various construction projects either finished or at a stage at which they are not expected to cause many delays, there are a few Saturday trips that go continuously from Doylestown to Thorndale and back. Yesterday, I had to go to Ardmore for something and took an R5 from Jenkintown. When I was done, I noticed that the next outbound train through Ardmore was one that went all the way to Thorndale. I had used the restroom at my Ardmore destination before leaving for the train, so that extra train riding time with a 17-minute layover at Thorndale was not a concern. However, I decided this would be a good time to scout Thorndale for facilities in case I ever decide to do this round-trip from Doylestown.
From the Thorndale station, I could see a Wawa fairly close to the station. I don't normally think of Wawas as having public restrooms, but I'm starting to see some in various convenience stores that sell food that people may eat in the stores. So that may be a possibility. Slightly further away is a K-mart. With Thorndale layovers appearing to be about 17 minutes, it looks like this can be do-able with 5 minutes to get there, 5 minutes to get something done, and 5 more minutes to get back to the train. Otherwise, it's about an hour and a half until the next Thorndale train. And that one is probably one that terminates at Market East.
In fact, the train I took back from Thorndale yesterday was one that terminated at Market East. (Back when I first lived in the area, every Saturday R5 went to Glenside, which gave Jenkintown 4 trains an hour and Glenside 3. But that service was cut back in the late 1980s.) I chose 30th Street to make my transfer for two reasons: 1. This need to make a transfer was a convenient way to use the restroom again, and 30th Street probably has the best of the three Center City stations, and 2. I'd get on before the crowds at the other two stations.
If I had had to get back to Doylestown, I would have had to have waited another 15 minutes for the next R5.
Soon you will need to be in your 60s in order to remember the 60s.
