March 26, 2013:

 

            I was woken up just before 6:00 am by water dripping from the bathroom ceiling. I put the garbage can under it and went back to bed for an hour. By now another leak had formed. I decided to get dressed and finish packing early. I checked out and let the staff know of the leak. I then went to IHOP for breakfast. This leak plus what happened on my first night has made me determined not to return to that hotel!

 

            After breakfast, I walked to the bus stop and rode a WMATA New Flyer D40LFr to Addison Road. I the rode the Blue line to L'Enfant Plaza and filmed the train pulling out. I then caught a Yellow Line train to Metro Center. I rode in a 1000 series subway car. When I got off, I photographed the car since the 1000 series cars are up for retirement in the near future and I didn't know if I would ride one again.

 

 

            I then filmed the train pulling out and transferred to the red line. I rode to Union Station. I filmed the train pulling out.

 

            When I went to exit the Metro, I found I had to pay an additional exit fare of $0.10 which was a minor irritant. I then went to the food court and worked on this report for awhile. After awhile, I went to line up for train 84. Soon, it was time to board. I photographed “Corridor Clipper and a private car lettered for New York Central.

 

 

 

 

            I was seated in Amfleet 1 coach #82687; the second last car on the train. The train departed on time. Shortly after we left, I filmed the Amtrak yard and saw the Superliner coaches that would become today's Capitol Limited to Chicago.

 

            The train stopped at New Carrollton. After we departed, the cafe car reopened. I went to the cafe car for lunch. The train stopped at BWI Airport. I then returned to my seat and worked on this report. The train stopped at Baltimore and Wilmington. I filmed a Southbound Acela pulling in and I filmed Amtrak's Bear shops. I noticed a coach from the Piedmont was sitting in the yard. Most likely, it came for overhaul.

 

            The train stopped at Philadelphia. North of Philadelphia, I saw two of the cars from Amtrak's 40^th Anniversary train in the yard and caught a glimpse of a PCC-2 in service a well as a SEPTA PCC in storage.

 

            The train stopped at Trenton and Metro Park. We were running 10 minutes late. Outside of Newark, I photographed some PATH subway cars from the train.

 

 

            The train stopped at Newark before arriving into New York’s Penn Station 6 minutes late. I got off and took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

            I decided to ride the New York subway system to ride the oldest cars. I caught a train of the old cars on the C line and rode it three stops north to 59^th Street. I photographed the train before I filmed it pulling out.

 

 

            I just missed a southbound "C" train back to Penn Station. I waited several minutes for the next "C" train. I could have taken the “A” train, but it had younger cars. I got back to Penn station and photographed the “C” train and filmed it pulling out.

 

 

            I then returned to Penn Station and went online until it was time to board the Lakeshore Limited. I went to board but found I was missing my toque that I had won in a raffle on the Cornwall Classic charter last year. I went back to where I was but I didn't see it. I didn't to miss the Lakeshore Limited, so I lined up.

 

            When I got to track level, I saw that Viewliner diner #8400 was in the consist. I would have dinner in it later. I was seated in Amfleet 2 coach #25065. I had an aisle seat. The train departed on time.

 

            We passed through tunnels. When I could, I phoned Amtrak and Penn Station to try to inform Penn Station about my toque.

 

            An Amtrak employee took dinner reservations. I chose to have the first seating at 5:00 pm. The train stopped at Croton-Harmon.

 

            At 5:00 pm, I went to the dining car. While I was having dinner, the Eastbound Lakeshore Limited passed, but I was unable to film it. I took some interior photos of 8400.

 

 

 

            The train stopped at Poughkeepsie. I returned to my seat. We later stopped at Albany. This was a smoke stop and where they coupled the Boston Section of the train. I photographed P32AC-DM #700 which had led the New York section from New York to Albany.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then took some more photos and filmed the Boston section being coupled to the New York section.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then got back on the train. Power was soon restored. The Lakeshore departed Albany on time. As we left, I filmed the Amtrak yard just north of the station.

 

            The train stopped in Schenectady where my seatmate got off. I saw train 64 at Schenectady but was unable to film it. I gained a new seatmate at Schenectady. After awhile, the train departed.

 

            I went to the cafe car to get something to drink. I also noticed that Amfleet 2 coach #25000 was in the Boston section of the train. I rode #25000 on the Maple Leaf on my Three Rivers trip and on the Westbound Lakeshore Limited on my Arizona Trip 11 months later. Another coach in the New York section was #25010 which I rode in twice; once on the New York bound Maple Leaf when my friends Mark, Jason, and I went to Niagara Falls for the day and again in 2007 on the Maple Leaf when I was returning to Toronto the day after I rode Amtrak's last dome car on the Adirondack.

 

            We were soon approaching Utica. I readied my stuff in preparation to get off. Train 49 arrived into Utica 8 minutes late which is much better than it did the last two times I was in Utica. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

 

            I then filmed the Lakeshore departing. I went into the station to get a cab. After awhile, I got a number from the agent and called a cab. When the cab arrived, I saw there was another passenger in the cab. After the cab left the station, the other passenger asked if she could smoke. I said no. I'd rather not get cancer.

 

            This person was dropped off first. I was then taken to my hotel which was a Ramada Inn. I had booked it on hotwire.com. I had to phone the person at the front desk to come. He said he was getting breakfast ready for tomorrow morning. This hotel was nicer than the one in Washington! I got my key and went to my room. I then phoned home and relaxed. I booked a cab for tomorrow morning at 10:00 am. Later, I eventually asked for a wake up call at 9:00 am and called it a night.

 

March 27, 2013:

 

            I got up at 9:00 am and got dressed. I went to the lobby for breakfast. I then went back to my room and finished packing. I then waited for my cab. It didn't come at 10:00 am. After awhile, I phoned the cab company that said the cab was on its way. It wasn't as bad as the cab company that made me miss the Lakeshore Limited on my Washington-Cleveland trip.

 

            The cab finally showed up at 10:18 am. I still had plenty of time before the Maple Leaf which was scheduled to depart at 11:42 am. Like yesterday, there was another passenger who got dropped of before me. However, I still made it to the station which more than an hour before my train left. I paid the driver and got my suitcase.

 

            I first photographed the Alco locomotive and the Santa Fe dining car on display across the street from the station.

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed the equipment from the Adirondack Scenic Valley tourist railroad near the station.

 

 

 

 

            I saw an ex VIA Rail Canada E series sleeper which had been modified into a coach and even repositioned some of the windows. I photographed it and another coach still in the VIA Rail livery.

 

 

 

 

 

            I learned the Maple Leaf was 5 minutes late. I then photographed other pieces of railway equipment on display at/near the station.

 

 

 

 

            At 11:34 am, Amtrak train #284 pulled in. I filmed it pulling in and then photographed it.

 

 

            I filmed the train pulling out. I went inside and found out train 63 was now 15 minutes late. Train 63 eventually arrived 18 minutes late. I filmed the train pulling in.

 

 

            I was seated in Amfleet 2 coach #25093. The train soon departed. Outside of Rome, we stopped to let train 48 pass. I partially filmed it as it passed. We then proceed to stop at Rome. I went to the cafe car for lunch. I unsuccessfully tried to use the Wi-Fi service on the train.

 

            The train then stopped at Syracuse. I went to the cafe car again and bought a Pepsi.  I took it back to my coach and worked on this report some more.

 

            Outside of Rochester, the train stopped to let train 64 pass. As it passed, I mostly filmed it. We then were moving again and made a brief stop at Rochester.

 

            It was snowing pretty badly between Rochester and Buffalo, but the snow soon eased off. The train stopped at Buffalo-Depew. After we departed Buffalo-Depew station, I saw there was quite a bit of snow on the ground for late March. Fortunately it wasn't as bad as when in snowed in October on my Arizona Make up Trip. The train stopped at Buffalo-Exchange Street.

 

            After we left Buffalo-Exchange Street, I was given a form to fill out for customs. I filled it out in advance of the border crossing after our stop at Niagara Falls, New York.

 

            We stopped at Niagara Falls, New York. I stepped off and photographed the train.

 

 

 

            After awhile, we departed. I filmed Amtrak P42 #78 by itself on a side track. The train crossed into Canada and stopped at Niagara Falls, Ontario. We sat for several minutes before we were told to get off. The inspection was fast and painless. After I was clear of Canadian customs, I photographed the train.

 

 

            I went to the waiting room to wait reboarding of the train. When it was time, I was seated in the same coach, but I chose a different seat close to the centre of the coach. The train departed Niagara Falls, Ontario on time.

 

            The bridge over the Welland Canal was down. My second ticket for the Maple Leaf was taken. We passed the connection with the Port Colborne Harbour Railway and saw its ex CN Alco switcher with two cars.

 

            The train stopped at St. Catherines. We soon departed. A CN freight train passed. Normally around this time, I'd be camped out by the window hoping to see VIA train 95 pass, but it was discontinued shortly after my last trip. If it was still running, I may have taken it to Niagara Falls a week earlier instead of the Maple Leaf.

 

            The cafe car reopened. I went there for dinner. I took dinner back to my seat. The train stopped at Grimsby. We were soon underway again. Soon, we were passing through Hamilton. As we passed thought the CN/Southern Ontario Railway yard, I saw an autorack which was damaged and missing some of its side. Unfortunately, I was unable to film it.  I played “Plants vs. Zombies”. The train stopped at Aldershot a few minutes later. 

 

            A hissing noise was coming from the back of the coach. It seemed to be coming from the intercom phone. It seemed to stop when we stopped at Oakville.

 

            VIA train 79 passed but I was unable to film it. The hissing noise started up again.

 

            As we passed VIA's Toronto Maintenance Center, I filmed the equipment in the yard. There wasn't much but I did see a corridor train set with three rebuilt LRC coaches in the consist.

 

            We were soon approaching Toronto. I could see the top of the CN Tower was almost hidden in fog. I readied my stuff in preparation to get off at Toronto.

 

            The Maple Leaf arrived into Toronto a couple minutes early. I got off and took some photos.

 

 

 

 

            I then went downstairs and phoned my mom. I then got on the subway and rode to Finch. I met up with my mom and we headed home.

 

Conclusions:

 

            Washington DC is still a nice city to visit. I will definitely go back in the next couple years. I will not stay at that hotel because of what happened on the first night as well as the leaking ceiling the morning I left. I wish I could have ridden Orion 5 #1153 in Welland. It was also a bummer loosing my Cornwall Transit toque.

 

            I had no problems with the six trains I rode. I’m glad I got to switch to the Carolinian which got me back to Washington much sooner. Seeing the Auto Train was cool. I’m also glad I got to eat inside Viewliner dining car #8400.

 

            As for flying Jetblue again, first, I’m still annoyed by having to go through security at Logan Airport for the second time since I was coming off a domestic flight. This really needs to be looked at. As for Jetblue loosing my suitcase, at least I got it back but 90 minutes after I should have got it back. As a result, Jetblue once again gave me a travel credit! I’m not sure when I’ll use that credit! Will the saga of me and Jetblue end?

 

            I’m glad I finally got a chance to ride PCC 4602 at the National Capital Trolley Museum, though I wish I could have ridden PCC 4603 as well. However, I’ve ridden 4603 the first four times I’ve visited NCTM. Maybe I’ll go around Canada Day in a few years time.

 

            As for me, my next trip will be either to London or Montreal. Most likely I’m not going to fly! Until next time…

 

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