I got up at
I called Julie, and an Amtrak agent
said I would be on train 2155 at
The train left 55 minutes late. As
we departed Penn station, I filmed the Silver Star on a nearby track. Some
passengers from the previous Acela departure were also on 2153 because of the
delay. The train would stop at
The seat I was sitting in was
busted and kept reclining so I changed seats. We stopped at
We were passed by various New
Jersey Transit commuter trains, Acela Expresses, and regional trains. The train
stopped at Metropark and
At one point, I saw a worn out
billboard that said, “If you had taken the air shuttle, you’d be there
already!” I found that to be ironic since I believe it was older than Amtrak
since the defunct Eastern Airlines put that up for passengers on the early
Metroliners, (then operated by Penn Central). I also saw a lot with about a
half dozen ex SEPTA PCC streetcars, but couldn’t film them. Train 2153 arrived
into
I walked to the 30th street subway station and bought a day pass. I headed down to the platform just to miss a subway train. While waiting for the next one, I filmed a SEPTA streetcar pulling out. The next train came and I rode to City Hall station.
At City Hall station, I got off and filmed my subway departing. I then turned around and saw PCC #2733 on display. The car was cosmetically restored and was not one that was rebuilt. The car however was painted into its original livery. I took some photos of the car inside and out.
After photographing 2733, I phoned my parents to check in and caught a northbound Broad Street subway train. The cars on the Broad Street line were different and looked older. The cars on the Broad Street line were silver and orange while the cars on the other subway line were mostly silver with two blue stripes near the roof.
I got off the train at Girard Avenue and exited the station. Upon getting to street level, I saw two PCC-2 cars, but they both took off before I could photograph them. I then waiting and finally, PCC-2 #2325 showed up. I photographed it before I got on.
I took a seat at the rear of the car. I noted to myself that this was the first time I had ridden a PCC streetcar that never ran in Toronto! The Halton County Radial Railway Museum in Rockwood, Ontario has an ex Chicago PCC el car in their collection, but it doesn’t count since it’s not a streetcar.
The PCC-2s were rebuilt to run on streetcar route #15. When they were rebuilt, they got new seats, air conditioning, new turn signals, and a wheelchair lift. As PCC-2 #2325 moved, I noticed that the car had new motors and it didn’t sound like the PCCs I rode in Toronto. Instead, the car sounded like a modern light rail vehicle.
I rode the car for about 20 minutes. The car passed by a zoo and several other PCC-2s. At one point, we passed a newer streetcar also running on route 15. I had heard that people in Philadelphia had seen some modern streetcars on 15, and I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t find a PCC. Fortunately, I did.
During the ride, I took some interior shots of the PCC. I got off and took a picture of the car and another PCC-2 that was about to pass it.
I filmed PCC 2325 pass by before I crossed the street. At the intersection I was at, I saw a track heading towards Girard Avenue. I saw a modern streetcar coming out and the rollsign said “Not in service”. I photographed that car.
A few minutes later, I saw another streetcar that also was not in service. I had a gut instinct that there was a car house nearby. I followed the tracks and found a garage used by both streetcars and buses. My hunch was right. I walked around the garage and took some photos.
Some SEPTA employees asked mw what I was taking pictures of. When I told them I was taking pictures of the streetcars, they were okay with it. I then walked to pick up the route 15 back to the subway. On the way, I filmed PCC-2 #2322 coming out of the garage. When I got to the street, I saw two more PCC-2s that were not in service and one going the opposite way I wanted to go. Finally, an in service car stopped for me. It was 2322.
I got on and rode back. After we passed the zoo, I filmed a southbound Acela Express from the PCC. I soon arrived back at Broad Street. I got off and took two more photos of 2322.
I then went back to the subway and decided to go look for a mall. I was directed to one at the end of a stub line that branched off the Broad Street subway. I filmed one train not going to where I wanted.
After four trains passed, the train I wanted arrived. I got on and rode to the end of the line. Once I got off, I looked around the mall for a few minutes.
After, I got on the Market Frankford line train and rode a few stops where I got off. I wanted to ride a newer streetcar while I was here. I got on streetcar #9050 and rode a few stops to 30th street. I got off and took a couple photos of the car.
I realized I still had hours to kill. I headed a couple blocks east and found a good vantage point of watching Amtrak trains. I filmed an inbound train, (either the Silver Star or Silver Meteor). I was hoping to film at least one Acela Express, but after a few regional trains passed, I filmed a southbound Acela.
Shortly after I filmed the Acela, an Amtrak police car pulled up next to me and stopped. The officer driving got out. I was a little concerned that this officer would give me some stupid reason that I couldn’t take photos, but I held my ground.
He asked why I was taking pictures. I told him that I was a railfan and had been all my life. I also told him I was from Toronto. He asked to see my passport which I handed over to him. He told me that there were other railfans who took pictures, and that I COULD continue to take photos. I asked if I was free to leave, he told me I was when he handed me back my passport.
The cop also took a look at my photos. When he saw my photos of the PCC-2s, he said that those were SEPTA’s newest cars! I corrected him by telling him they were the oldest and that they had been rebuilt. I also told him I took the Acela to Philadelphia and would take a regional back to New York. He said the Acela rocked a bit too much for his liking. The cop soon gave me back my passport and left.
I went back to taking pictures. I photographed and filmed a couple more Amtrak trains, including another Acela Express.
I then walked back to 30th Street station. I saw that the Silver Meteor was leaving in three minutes. I sprinted back to where I was earlier and waited. I filmed a regional, and continued to wait. Soon, I filmed the Silver Meteor departing. I then went back to 30th Street station. Back at the station, I phoned my parents again because I was still a bit concerned about my encounter with the Amtrak cop; though I was 99% sure nothing would happen.
Wandering around the station, there was a man mumbling gibberish non-stop. I think he was asking for money. This reminded me of how on my Arizona trip, a woman approached me in Phoenix and spoke gibberish to me! A “starving artist” offered to draw me for money, but I declined. I bought dinner at the station. There was still about 90 minutes before my train, Regional #196 would arrive. The schedule board in the station said the train was running on time.
At one point, I went outside and filmed a two car train of SEPTA MU cars. I went back inside because it was raining. Soon, the train schedule announced that Amtrak Regional train #196 was on track 3. I lined up. Soon, they let us onto the platform. There was no train. I took a photo of one of Amtrak’s Keystone trains before I filmed train 196 arriving right on time.
Even though I had a coach class ticket, I was seated in Amfleet 1 Capstone rebuild #81503, a business class coach! This was the first time since I rode to Kingston in 2004 that I was given a “free upgrade”! The coach was refurbished and had AC outlets by the seats. We departed on time. I filmed the Amtrak yard near the station and a southbound Acela Express. I looked for the PCCs I saw on the way down to Philadelphia, but I didn’t see them.
After my ticket was taken, I took some interior photos of my coach. I wandered to the café car, and to the “Quiet Car” which was at the end of the train. I then went back to my seat.
The train stopped at Trenton, Metropark, Newark International Airport, and Newark. We were making good time and we actually arrived into Penn station 18 minutes early! Shortly after I got off, I took some photos.
I headed up to the main concourse at Penn Station. I heard a female musician singing “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”, by Gordon Lightfoot. I think Gordon Lightfoot sings that song better.
I left Penn Station and headed back to my hotel where I found my family. The New York Yankees game they would have attended was rained out. We eventually called it a night.
Click to read the end of this trip: End of New York trip.htm
