This was a short trip but I had a few reflections to share.
Normally I make the Washington DC-Baltimore trip and it's just fun, but today I asked my dad to take me to Alexandria because the LD Atlantic Coast trains stop there to accept passenger (at DC and north they only discharge when going northbound.)
I decided, since the Silver Meteor is never on time, I could make it (the train was set to arrive at 5:44am, the station opened at 6.) I knew that Regional Train 84 (7:47am) was a backup.
Suprise, the Meteor was late. The attendent looked at me funny when I asked for a Meteor ticket. He said "You know it's 90 minutes behind schedule." I said "Yes, I checked. I just want to experience it." He smiled and said "OK, come ask if you want to know where it is. It's currently just north of Kings Dominion VA."
I sat outside at Alexandria for 2 hours. The station is open, no security. I watched people build up, VRE come in, people move out. Then there's like 1-2 people. 30 minutes later, more people build up, anouther VRE comes.
Then I was sitting and I heard a different horn. I got to see a really long CSX freight train come through. I figured that's what delayed the Meteor.
7:17am came around and no Meteor (that was the time they quoted) so I asked the attendent and he said it had slowed down but would arrive shortly.
At 7:42am I heard the rails begin to vibrate and at 7:44am, I heard a horn and saw the Meteor approaching. The guy had told me to go to position 1, but they were boarding at position 3. I waved at the conductor as the train drove and then ran back to the boarding area.
The train was really nice. The lights were dimmed. It looked like regional buisness class. Outlets, foot rests, curtins. I was really impressed. The menu was posted, some of the food looked good like the angus burger and roasted chicken.
The car I was in was about half full, and I had an assigned seat. That was different.
The trip into DC was pretty nice. I liked seeing the 14th street bridge and DC from the train. Also, the tunnel into Union Station was facinating.
One thing that was sad was to see the abandoned cantary poles in DC. I rode over a railroad bridge near the tidal basin I used to be obsessed with.
I got to DC. I decided to only buy a ALX-Washington ticket. The McDonalds at Union Station was closed for remodeling. I took a regional back to Baltimore.
Fun trip, I will be riding more LD trains.
Normally I make the Washington DC-Baltimore trip and it's just fun, but today I asked my dad to take me to Alexandria because the LD Atlantic Coast trains stop there to accept passenger (at DC and north they only discharge when going northbound.)
I decided, since the Silver Meteor is never on time, I could make it (the train was set to arrive at 5:44am, the station opened at 6.) I knew that Regional Train 84 (7:47am) was a backup.
Suprise, the Meteor was late. The attendent looked at me funny when I asked for a Meteor ticket. He said "You know it's 90 minutes behind schedule." I said "Yes, I checked. I just want to experience it." He smiled and said "OK, come ask if you want to know where it is. It's currently just north of Kings Dominion VA."
I sat outside at Alexandria for 2 hours. The station is open, no security. I watched people build up, VRE come in, people move out. Then there's like 1-2 people. 30 minutes later, more people build up, anouther VRE comes.
Then I was sitting and I heard a different horn. I got to see a really long CSX freight train come through. I figured that's what delayed the Meteor.
7:17am came around and no Meteor (that was the time they quoted) so I asked the attendent and he said it had slowed down but would arrive shortly.
At 7:42am I heard the rails begin to vibrate and at 7:44am, I heard a horn and saw the Meteor approaching. The guy had told me to go to position 1, but they were boarding at position 3. I waved at the conductor as the train drove and then ran back to the boarding area.
The train was really nice. The lights were dimmed. It looked like regional buisness class. Outlets, foot rests, curtins. I was really impressed. The menu was posted, some of the food looked good like the angus burger and roasted chicken.
The car I was in was about half full, and I had an assigned seat. That was different.
The trip into DC was pretty nice. I liked seeing the 14th street bridge and DC from the train. Also, the tunnel into Union Station was facinating.
One thing that was sad was to see the abandoned cantary poles in DC. I rode over a railroad bridge near the tidal basin I used to be obsessed with.
I got to DC. I decided to only buy a ALX-Washington ticket. The McDonalds at Union Station was closed for remodeling. I took a regional back to Baltimore.
Fun trip, I will be riding more LD trains.
