Sorry, TrainGranny fans and blog followers.  I won’t forget you.  I’ll be back in about a year to resume my travels.

One of my Facebook friends, Deason Hunt, posted a quote this morning from the Tales of Winnie the Pooh.  It made me reflect on what it’s like just before a new train trip begins.  I think all railfans will be able to relate.  Here’s what Pooh said when he was asked about what he likes best . . .

Well,” said Pooh, “what I like best,” and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called. — A.A. Milne 

Anticipation is alive in all of us!

***IMPORTANT NOTE:  Phil Mason’s comments (click on “comments” below) added some amazing detail to this story.  Actually, his comments MAKE the story!  Please read them!

In Dee’s own words: 

At my age (71) I am relieved to know that I have not lost my memory nor am I experiencing “out-of-body” travels. Though a train trip would be the way to go.

I have been taking trains since I was a young girl. Mother and I would walk into the small village where we lived in southern RI and flag down the early morning “mail train”. We would then go to Providence for a day of shopping and visiting with relatives. We would take a late afternoon train back, and the conductor would alert the Engineer where we needed to be let off. (Life was far less complicated back then. Imagine this happening in today’s security driven world.)

I began long distance travels with a trip to Georgia to attend Parents weekend at Fort Benning.  About 10 yrs ago my brother moved to Arizona so now I have an added excuse to travel. (I also use the logic that “if I am going that far I may as well see a few places along the way”.) I am currently hoping to make a trip next Feb/ Mar but it is still in the early stages of planning.

A fellow traveler,
 
Diane (Dee) Blank
aka DeeCT on Railforum.com

So, you might ask, who is Dee Blank?   I’m working on that.  Stay tuned!

So, I have a new task ahead.  I must identify the man I met on the Pennsylvanian on May 19th.  He was traveling with his wife; and, when I walked past him, headed to the cafe car, he saw my TrainGranny shirt and followed me.  At the cafe car counter, he asked if I was Martha Hale… I confirmed… and he introduced himself by name.  (Obviously a name that I did not write down!)

From now on, I will carry something to write on.  Maybe… something that other railfans can autograph  …  maybe an autograph train… you know… instead of an autograph wiener dog.

I know that this is a necessary step.  Not only will I forget the  name of the person I have met, I will also randomly assign the person a new name… without missing a beat!  I can even do a sex-change!  No problem!

But, please, if you are out there… very nice man I met on the Pennsylvanian… PLEASE send me a private message or email me (marty.hale@yahoo.com) … or embarrass me publicly, if you so desire.  I deserve it!   But …  however you do it, please contact me and reveal your true identity.

I’m reflecting on my TrainGranny adventures while chugging along the track northward.  Of the twelve Amtrak routes I set out to experience a few months ago, I have now ridden six of them!!  By the end of the summer, I will have ridden eight!  I’m feeling quite good about my progress!

People sometimes ask me, “Which route do you like best?”  And, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to answer that question.  At the present time, I can still defer answering and explain that I have not yet ridden them all!  But, when I HAVE ridden them all, will I then be able to answer the question?  I’m not sure, but I have a feeling I won’t have one favorite, but several!

Coach

I was assigned a seat beside a young mother and her 5-month-old baby and the baby’s car seat.  The baby did not want to be held, but went to sleep quite nicely when he was in his car seat.  So, the car seat sat on the floor at our feet while the baby slept.  I simply left my seat for the lounge car when the mom needed my seat for changing diapers, which was 3 times before Birmingham!

I asked to purchase another seat so I could sit alone; and, also allow the young mother to sit with her baby on the seat beside her.  My request was denied/ ignored even though train was far from full.  By the time we reached Birmingham, the young mom had moved to a seat that another passenger vacated when detraining.  The rest of the trip was ok.  I was sitting alone.  No service to brag about, unfortunately.

Train 1 ( 12)  New Orleans to Los Angeles      Sunset Limited

Roomette (with minimal service from room attendant)

The conductor that boarded in San Antonio and got off in Alpine, TX was wonderful!  His cheerful and interesting commentary on the landmarks we passed made the trip a lot of fun.  Wish I knew his name!   I asked several employees for his name, but no one knew it.

Carmel Gamble and Alan Emiley provided excellent service in the dining car.  Both were friendly, seemed interested in the passengers, and made extra efforts to accommodate special requests.  Both are to be commended.

I met a very nice lady who was a few years my senior.  She was in the roomette right across from mine, and was also traveling alone.  She had been to Rome, GA to visit her son and was on her way back home to San Diego.  I enjoyed her company!

Also had dinner with a couple from Australia who were on vacation in the US and a girl from Romania who was a film producer in LA and had been to New Orleans to scout for filming locations.  Interesting people!

Train 14(14)  Los Angeles to Emeryville     Coast Starlight (southern portion)

Coach

I was assigned a seat beside a nice lady who was also a grandmother, who loves riding trains, and who loves writing.  We shared grandchildren stories and train stories.  I spent a good deal of time in the lounge car marveling at the scenery and a good deal of time with my camera in action!  The scenery was amazing!

Again, one conductor demonstrated outstanding commentary, pointing out landmarks, etc. and taking us into a “total eclipse of the sun” when we entered the tunnels above the horseshoe curve.

The highlight of this trip was definitely the scenery!!

Train 11(15)  Emeryville to Los Angeles     Coast Starlight (southern portion)

Roomette

This trip, the reverse of my trip yesterday, was an outstanding experience.  Being in a roomette was quite nice, even though I didn’t spend much time in there.  I spent most of the day either in the dining car or the parlor car.  (The parlor car wasn’t a dome car, so I think it must have been a substitute . . . but, it was still very nice!)  The wine and cheese tasting was a delightful “extra.”

My room attendant, a wonderful young lady of Cambodian origin named Sokhavy Chea, met me at as I boarded and got my luggage without even asking if I needed help.  Her excellent service continued throughout the trip.  She had a juice bar with ice set up in the car and also had candies in a cup and fresh fruit in a basket.  She provided absolutely top-notch service, and I overheard another employee thanking her for her assistance as the wine and cheese tasting was coming to an end.

For both meals in the dining car, my server was Kyle Buettner.  He provided excellent service, and he was friendly and patient with me when I forgot my roomette number and my car number.  He made me feel very comfortable by making a joke about it.  The food was excellent.  I had a grilled chicken sandwich on flatbread at lunch and crab cakes for dinner.  I was able to chat with the chef, Rhys Taylor, after lunch and extended him a compliment.  He sat down to visit with a couple of other passengers and me.  I enjoyed his personable conversation as much as his food!

I got to meet Carol Voss (TO member) and her husband, Carl at the Salinas, CA stop.  They brought me a bag of home grown lemons and limes from their back yard.  Carol was one of the first TO members to support my efforts!  I was so glad to finally meet her!

Train 4(16)  Los Angeles to Chicago     Southwest Chief

Roomette

This was my first time in a roomette on the lower level of a SuperLiner.  In some ways, I liked it better than the upstairs roomettes, although, the bumpy stretches of track seemed to be more bothersome to my TrainGranny body!  (Especially the notorious track following the stop La Junta, CO!!)

Service on this train was excellent.  The conductor, Miles Post, greeted me shortly after we left LA and (jokingly) introduced himself to me with a message from the “President of Amtrak!”  (One of my blog posts is dedicated to Mr. Miles Post!)

My room attendant was Joe Washington, who was probably the most efficient room attendant I have seen working!  He was always in motion!  The coffee stayed fresh, the bathrooms stayed clean, the trash in my room got emptied, and carpet in the tiny hallways got swept.  Everything stayed perfect!  And, Joe was very helpful to those who needed assistance.   A couple down from me in the “accessible room” had all kinds of problems and about 6 oxygen tanks with them.  I listened as he worked patiently to get them settled and comfy.  It took about 30 minutes and was impressive!

The dining car lead attendant was May Ling, who carried out her duties in a near perfect way.  The announcements made to passengers were decisive and when needed.  The seating chart she used was amazing; and, the friendly but professional attitude she displayed made everyone comfortable.

I met some interesting people on board the SW Chief.  I had an opportunity to have dinner with some Amish folks who had been to a doctor in Mexico and also talked for a while in the café car with an activist who was on his way to Chicago to be part of the demonstrations at the NATO Convention.

I also had the very good fortune of meeting Dave Johansen, fellow TO member who boarded at Albuquerque and introduced himself to me when he spotted my TrainGranny shirt.  He gave me numerous tidbits of interesting info along the route from Albuquerque on to Chicago.  I hope to run into Dave again on a train somewhere, someday!  (He is kachina19-20 on TO.)

Train 30 (18) Chicago to Pittsburgh     Capitol Limited

Roomette

I was pretty tired when I boarded the Capitol Limited.  I didn’t need much service . . . just dinner and my bed put down.  I had dinner in the dining car (salmon, which was excellent) and settled into my roomette after a slight luggage mix-up.  Bill, my room attendant, assisted me with locating a missing piece of luggage and carried it upstairs for me.  He also made my bed within minutes of my request and assisted me with a knock on my roomette door at 4 AM!  He offered to carry my luggage back downstairs without me having to ask.  I was very happy with Bill, although I didn’t have enough time on the Capitol to fully appreciate his services!

Train 42 (19)  Pittsburgh to Philadelphia         Pennsylvanian

Business Class

After sitting in a hard chair in the Pittsburgh station for close to three hours, it was finally time to board the Pennsylvanian!  I enjoyed the trip through the farms of Pennsylvania, and I thought the river and the horseshoe curve were amazing.  When we stopped at Harrisburg, I went up the old metal stairs into the historic station.  It’s easy to see that the station was a gem during the years of heavy train traffic!  It still holds elements of splendor under the dust.

The only exceptional service I encountered on the Pennsylvanian was the fellow who was cheerfully working the snack café car.  I meant to get his name so I could brag on him properly with Amtrak, but we arrived in Philly in what seemed like a very short time, and I didn’t remember to ask him.

Another TO member, whose name was NOT Dee Blank, introduced himself to me on the Pennsylvanian.    He, too, saw the shirt I was wearing and stopped me to inquire.  We talked for a moment at the snack café car, and he told me of a recent private car excursion he and his wife took that sounded amazing.  It was great to meet him. . . and I hope I find out his name! (Obviously I did not write it down!)  See post on 5/23 for more info!

The business class car was not crowded, but neither were the coach cars.  I’m not sure if the extra fee I paid for the business class seat was actually worth the free Diet Pepsi I received, but it was a very nice journey.  I didn’t know Pennsylvania was such a pretty state!  And, walking into Philadelphia’s 30^th Street Station was a real treat!  I thoroughly enjoyed the two hours I spent there!

Train 97 (19)  Philadelphia to Savannah     Silver Meteor

Coach Class (overnight)

With the exception of almost missing the train because I left my purse in the restroom and had to go back inside the station to retrieve it (another humorous blog post), the trip home on the Silver Meteor began in an almost empty coach car at the back of the train.  I had purchased two seats so I could sleep without a ‘bed’ partner; and, when we reached Washington, DC and the car began to fill with passengers, I realized that I had made a wise investment.

While I will still take a roomette any time I can afford one, being in coach was not a bad experience, even overnight.  I had to use my earplugs and eyeshades, but I did sleep off and on throughout the night.  I woke, for some reason, at almost every station stop and checked in on Facebook just for archival purposes.  (Even when I’m in a roomette, I frequently wake up when the train stops.  I don’t know why!)

Traveling overnight in coach is certainly an experience of a different sort!  Walking through the car in the middle of the night seems a little strange at first.  People all around you are soundly sleeping in various strange positions, and you are forced to navigate around the protruding elbows, knees and feet that extend into the aisle.  Most of the passengers don’t look their best while asleep; although, I did see some very adorable little ones sleeping while perched on the stomach or shoulder of a sleeping parent.  It’s just a different world . . . far from the one inside a roomette.  It reminded me of my trips with high school seniors on overnight charter busses headed for Walt Disney World’s Grad Night festivities, except it wasn’t as noisy.  It was survivable with few ill effects, at least THIS time!

AmCrew, thank you for making my third TrainGranny trip another success!

I ran back into the station restroom from the platform with 5 minutes to spare… and the purse was not on the back of the stall door where I knew I left it!  Just as I was convincing myself that I would be ok without money, identification, credit card, iPhone, food or water until 7 AM tomorrow morning, I heard my name called over the PA system. “Please report to baggage claim,” the speaker blared.

I changed the direction of my sprint; and, as fast as I could, (which is NOT fast) I grabbed my purse when the lady extended it through the opening in the glass window. I flew down the stairs and boarded just as the train was about to pull out. We were moving before I got to my seat!

Dripping wet with perspiration and exhausted, I’m the closest thing to riffraff in this coach car! But I made it!  Savannah, here I come!

Your answers reassure me!  Here are some highlights:

Looking out train windows . . .

. . . is fascinating because everything comes to you at a speed you can comprehend.

. . . I see old abandoned houses and cars. I often think when I see an old Cadillac how proud someone once was when taking delivery of that new car.

. . . I begin wondering why we took all that land away from the Indians.

. . . I see older and sometimes neglected parts of cities and towns. The view is momentary, at best, catching people in a snapshot of their lives, seeing things for just a moment.

. . . things still look different in different parts of this country. On the railroad, you’re somewhere else than present-day America; somewhere I like a lot better.

. . . I recall many hours gazing at the beautiful desolation of the Australian outback; wondering if there might be places out there where no human has set foot

. . . isn’t too different from going to the movies for me. I sit down and wait to be entertained.

. . . I like to imagine who lives in some of the remote ranches. And, where do those dirt roads go?

. . . is something I have to do! If I’m stuck with an aisle seat, I will go to the cafe car and camp out next to a window there for as long as possible.

. . .  is why I ride trains.  Virtually non-stop from dawn until long after dark I gaze out the train window. I never read. I never listen to music. I just look. It’s a form of deep meditation, I guess.

. . .  gives me the pleasure of looking away and not worrying  about crashing or falling asleep while driving.  There is an endless supply of things to look at and wonder about.

. . . reminds me of one night in 1969 on the Silver Star when I was watching a light shining in the distance and wondering what it was…a town, a house, a business? The light was visible for several minutes, and when we finally drew within a few hundred yards of it, I confirmed it was a back yard light on a pole behind a house in a remote area.  Train windows reveal a lot as they let you observe and ponder.

. . . while northbound on the City of New Orleans I saw a father with a 3-4 year old son waving at our train. They got into their old beat up Ford pickup and met us at about a half dozen rail crossings waving at each one. When I recall this scene, my mind’s eye sees it in black and white as though it were a half-century ago.