Day 4 - Sunday, September 6, 2015
We had seen Washington, DC. Knowing
we would be on our own today, we had planned to go the National
Capital Trackers modular layout show at the
College
Park Aviation Museum. We enjoyed seeing the airport where the
Wright brothers taught pilots to fly their plane. We also learned
how to use the Washington, DC public transportation system.
FYI the Senior SmarTrip® Card, purchased at a Metro Sales Office,
allows seniors to use system at very reasonable rates. The Card
works on the DC Circulator that takes you everywhere the expensive
private trolley runs. The DC Circulator busses stop just outside the
flags at Union Station.
We had dinner at the restaurant in the Great Hall of Union Station
while watching people. We joined the other passengers in the Royal
Street for a break before the 7:00 PM Illumination Tour (Page 7 of
Tour Book).
Day 5 - Monday, September 7, 2015
We took the Washington Area Tour (Page 7 of the Tour Book). We returned to our cars at the station platform at about 5:00 PM. We had snacks and drinks in the Royal Street followed by dinner by Chef Carol. While we were eating dinner we noticed the Amtrak car inspector going over our cars.
THIRD Private Rail Car Adventure
A half hour before Amtrak #85's scheduled departure the Amtrak inspector informed Roger one of the wheels on the Pacific Union was spalling and would have to be ground before proceeding. Since we had been around the station for two days and Amtrak did the inspection so late, Roger was not happy. Our cars could not be added to the Amtrak train. Roger arranged for the cars to go back to the yard and had to scramble to get the wheel set ground. Monday was Labor Day and the Amtrak supervisors were difficult to locate.
Day 6
The passengers in the Pacific Union sleeper got "rare mileage" in the early morning hours when their car went through the wheel grinder. Afterward our cars were pulled back into the station platforms so we could disembark for the first tour scheduled from the Richmond, VA station. Becky had been able to arrange for the Richmond tour bus to pick us up at the Washington, DC station at about 7:15 AM. Roger would have our cars in Richmond, VA after our day's tour.
Roger got the cars to Richmond and Chef Carol fed us another good dinner. Our cars were spotted on a siding at the station while we were in Richmond. Freight and passenger trains ran by frequently.
Days 7, 8 - Sunday, September 9, 2015
See Day 7 tour photos,
Day 8 tour photos, and Page 8 of
Tour Book. It was great
to be able to return to our private car in the evenings. Julie
and Kat served drinks and snacks while we socialized and waited for
Carol's dinners. All the passengers were interesting and convivial.
The Royal Street lounge was a great place to watch trains.
Most of the passengers followed the special guides on all the
tours.
Day 9 - Friday, September 11, 2015
We ate breakfast while running from
Richmond to Washington, DC. We arrived Washington, DC at 8:15
AM, and disembarked train. All passengers left the train as
our cars went to be serviced.
We passed on the optional tour and ventured out on a Duck Tour of
the Potomac River. From the river it's even more startling how close
Reagan International Airport is to the United States Capitol
Building and the White House.
After the Duck tour the DC Circulator dropped us near the Navy Yard where we found a good place for lunch.
We returned to Union Station via the DC
Circulator bus. At 3:00 PM we returned to our train for Amtrak #29's
departure to Chicago. Boarding is a breeze when you can just walk to
your car as soon as it's at the boarding platform.
There is a McDonald's located at Street Level - Eastside Train
Concourse in Washington, DC Union Station. Near 1 PM there had been
a shooting at the McDonald's. The station had been locked down for a
while and all seemed clear when we boarded our cars. While listening
to my radio scanner with all the station and train traffic the
station workers and train crews still seemed rattled. We left the
station late and didn't even care since we were in our private cars
for snacks and drinks, then dinner.
Before arriving at Cumberland around dusk we attempted to spot the
new bridge. Some of the
people in the dining room spotted the cranes and old bridge on the
right as went over the new bridge but I was in the observation car
and missed the new bridge. This is when I should have had my GPS
tracking open on my laptop. It was too dark for photos.