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| While waiting for my train to arrive, the southbound Train #97 - The Silver Meteor arrived at Orlando. Train #97 was the one that brought me here a couple days prior. |
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| Heritage Diner #8550 on Train #97, this 1957-built Budd Diner began its career on the Northern Pacific Railway and is slated for retirement as soon as the Viewliner II Diners are delivered in the next couple years. This Diner was also on the Lake Shore Limited at the beginning of this trip on October 30th, though since I was riding overnight, it wasn't serving but you could walk through it. |
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| Heritage Specialty Baggage Car #1753, a 1954-built Budd car that began its career as a Coach on the Southern Pacific, then later to Amtrak. Amtrak converted the car to a Baggage Car in 1996. These cars are now in the process of being retired as Viewliner II Baggage Cars are now entering service as of when this travelogue went online. |
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| The mighty Orlando Station! The sun was "trying" to peak through that day! |
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| I know this is a busy station, being so close to Disney World and all, but it's so busy, that there isn't just a cart of baggage, but a "train" of baggage!!! |
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| Amtrak Train #98 - The Silver Meteor, arriving at Orlando, FL with GE P42DC #157 for power. |
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| Heritage Diner #8524 - A 1949-built Budd Diner for the Southern Railway would be our dining car on today's train. |
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| Speaking of Diners, time for lunch!!! Here is Amtrak's Chicken Caesar Salad and it was delicious!!! |
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| My "office" if you will! The Viewliner Roomette allows for enough room to set up your computer inside! That radio is a Yaesu FT-270R 2 Meter Ham Radio that receives the railroad band, and it has better range than a scanner, I recommend it (I'm also a ham radio operator, so it works well for that too!). |
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| Now in Jacksonville, FL for our service & fueling stop, I had some time to get some night photos in! |
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| Another view of the train looking towards the back of it. |
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| Heritage Specialty Baggage Car #1705. This 1953-built Budd car began its career as a Coach for the Santa Fe Railway. You can still make out the "Santa Fe" lettering vaguely in the letterboard area near the top of the car. Amtrak operated this car as a Coach until converting it to a Baggage Car in 1996. As stated above, these cars are now in the middle of being retired, being replaced by Viewliner II's. |
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| Time for dinner in the Diner! Here is the Amtrak Signature Steak with three grain rice pilaf and mixed veggies with a Diet Pepsi, another excellent meal!!! |
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| And for an honorable mention, this cheesecake I had for dessert was delicious! I probably eat cheesecake on Amtrak trips more than any other time of the year for some reason!!! |
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| A view of the dining area of Heritage Diner #8524. |
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| Now at Richmond-Staples Mill Road Station at Richmond, VA. We were here an extended amount of time account being low on fuel and waiting for "reinforcements"! |
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| While our train was waiting for fuel, I decided to "fuel up" with a delicious breakfast in the Dining Car consisting of Railroad French Toast with pork sausage patties and a Diet Pepsi. |
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| Still waiting in Richmond, we moved to a siding so as to not block the mainline. |
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| CSX GE ES44AH #3090 leads a southbound manifest past the Richmond Station. |
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| Yes, fuel is here!!! |
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| This old Richmond, Fredericksburg, & Potomac tower is located across the tracks from the Amtrak Station in Richmond and today only houses signal relays and has the name on the door "Greendale Interlocking". |
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| The runway at Shannon Airport in Fredericksburg, VA. |
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| Crossing the Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg. |
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| Crossing Aquia Creek at Stafford, VA, big creek! |
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| This is Neabsco Beach and that river behind those houses is the mighty Potomac! |
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| Now at Lorton, VA, we're passing the Auto Train's northern terminal (its southern terminal is in Sanford, FL near Orlando). |
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| The cars seen here will go south later today as Train #53, heading to Sanford. |
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| One of these days I'm gonna have to drive the Honda down here from Buffalo and ride this train back to Florida! |
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| It's amazing how much work goes into prepping a train for its next run! The train needs to be cleaned, watered and serviced before each run! |
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| Hiding behind those trees is an Amtrak GE P40DC. The P40's are the preferred power on the Auto Train. |
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| Now arriving at Alexandria, VA. |
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| A good morning of fishing on the Potomac River! I wonder what's biting today??? |
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| Now crossing into Washington, DC at the Potomac. |
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| Crossing the Center Leg Expressway in Washington, DC. |
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| Welcome to Washington Union Station! |
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| Former Pennsylvania Railroad Pullman Sleeper "Dover Harbor" waiting to be tacked onto the rear of this train for the rest of the trip to New York. |
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| Getting ready for the engine change, removing the P42 that brought us here and replacing it with an ACS-64. |
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| ACS-64 #612 couples onto the train for the rest of the ride to New York. |
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| Catenary Inspection Car #10002 "Corridor Clipper" at Union Station. |
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| GE P42DC #12 with ACS-64 #617, the ACS-64 is quickly becoming the main road power on the corridor outside of Acela Express trains. |
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| Amtrak's President's Car #10001 "Beech Grove". |
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| An Acela Express train waiting for its next run with Power Car #2012. |
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| Beautiful Washington Union Station. |
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| A closer view of the main entrance at Union Station. |
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| The United States Capitol Building, under heavy renovations at the time of this trip as seen with all the scaffolding on it. How fitting, I'll be riding the train that is named after this iconic building a little later today, The Capitol Limited! |
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