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The Eastbound Cardinal Part 2, New Jersey Transit Raritan Valley Line and Lakeshore Limited

The Cardinal departed Prince at 1:18 PM {11:43 AM} and made its way to Hinton.

The New River Gorge.

The Cardinal continued east still dark with no HEP.

The train passed the Sandstone Falls on the New River.

Travelling up the Gorge along this former Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad route.

A former Chesapeake and Ohio coaling tower built in 1929 is still standing at Hinton.

We met an empty CSX coal train on its way back to the mines.

Our departure from Hinton was at 1:50 PM {12:13 PM}.

The Cardinal climbed along the slide detector fence.

Minutes later at Talcott, we passed through the Great Bend Tunnel which legend says "Was built by John Henry-the Steel Driving Man".

We passed Alderson, another Amtrak flag stop, originally Chesapeake and Ohio built in 1906. We then kept climbing passing three tunnels before we reached White Sulphur Springs.

The train departed the 1930 Chesapeake and Ohio station at 2:53 PM {1:15 PM} and passed through more tunnels before reaching the Allegheny Tunnel and the Virginia State line inside.

The East Portal of the Allegheny Tunnel as we started down the grade. As we exited another tunnel, the low light caused some neat effects.

The Cardinal reached Clifton Forge and a much-needed bathroom break.

The Chesapeake and Ohio Clifton Forge Amtrak station built in 1871.

My Viewliner "Summit View" built by Amerail in 1996.

We saw a CSX mishap here and while we sat, a CSX yard crew spotted the cause of our HEP problems and it was fixed on the spot so when I returned to the train, everything was working again in my room. We departed at 3:55 PM {2:04 PM} with our train now entering darker, stormy weather. A special thanks to our train crew conductor H.M. Goodoe, Conductor Bob Peters and our Engineers Rodney Wilson and T.R. Hensley for trying their best back at Hinton to fix the HEP problems, but also for keeping us going without HEP. I was told that KFC was being brought on in Charlottesville for all the sleeping car passengers then showed my room and explained its features to a nice woman who always wondered what a sleeping car was like. I sold her on the idea for her next trip and she was most impressed with my salesmanship. The train ran at track speed all the way to Staunton.

We departed at 5:02 PM {3:21 PM} and at Brand, met our sister train, Number 51, which had P42DC 66, coaches 25802, 25018 and 25057, dinette 53507 and Viewliner Sleeper 62030 "Patriot View". That Viewliner really "rocked and rolled" down the siding as though it was out on the high seas. The Cardinal then made its way to Charlottesville, passing through one last tunnel on the way. We took the siding at Afton for CSX 375 West with an empty coal train bound for the mine for another load. I noted that the depot at Cozet was still standing as we met CSX 4788 West.

We made it to Charlottesville, departing there at 6:25 PM {4:37 PM} and My KFC dinner was delivered to my room so I enjoyeda nice two-piece dinner and a roll. Knowing I was going to get to New York City later than planned, I decided to nap, which lasted almost to Alexandria, from which we departed at 9:52 PM {7:46 PM}. The train crossed the Potomac River to enter Washington, DC on a very rainy night. The Jefferson Monument was the only structure that really stood out on a wet night such as this. We plunged into the Capitol Tunnel before arriving at Washington Union Station, where our diesel engine 162 was replaced by electric motor 936 for the trip on the Northeast Corridor.

We departed Washington Union Station at 10:32 PM {7:45 PM} and the 936 gave us a fast trip to Baltimore, only slowing for the Baltimore and Potomac tunnels. We departed Baltimore at 11:07 PM {8:46 PM} and once 936 cleared the last tunnel, it really moved the Cardinal at a rapid rate to Wilmington, arriving there at 11:54 PM {9:35 PM}.

3/28/2005 Midnight found the Cardinal flying at top track speed further north to Philadelphia, which we left at 12:17 AM {10:00 PM} then paused at Trenton to let someone off, who did not belong, at 12:47 PM (not a stop) and 936 took the Cardinal at a fast pace to Newark, arriving there at 1:20 AM {11:10 PM}. From there, it was a quick trip across the New Jersey Meadowlands, through the Hudson River Tunnel and into New York's Penn Station at 1:33 AM {11:30 PM}. That was the fastest Northeast Corridor trip that I had made on regular equipment; the Acela Express makes the journey from Washington to New York in two hours and fifty minutes. The Cardinal just did it in three hours and one minute. Most impressive! A special thank you to my wonderful sleeping car attendant Charles, the dinette staff and all the train crews for such a wonderful ride on the Cardinal.

Using my umbrella, I walked the four blocks on 31st Street east to the Herald Square Hotel and checked in before I called home to my mother then took a well-deserved shower. I was out like a light until the wakeup call came at 5:45 AM and I quickly prepared myself for the day. Using that new umbrella for the second time today, I walked back to Penn Station where I used a New Jersey Transit ticketing machine to buy a round trip ticket to High Bridge, New Jersey.

I boarded New Jersey Transit Train 3817 on Track 1, a Northeast Local to Trenton and rode in car 1430 to Newark, leaving New York City the same way I had arrived just a few short hours ago in the dark, out of the Hudson River tunnel to a rainy New Jersey Meadowlands. The train stopped at the Secaucus Transfer where Hoboken trains can be caught. We then made a quick run to Newark Penn Station where I detrained to transfer to the train for High Bridge and between trains, enjoyed the flip-over Solari train arrival board before exploring the station. Watching the board let me know my train for High Bridge would be on Track 5.

I boarded New Jersey Transit Train 5701 and chose a seat in coach 5230. We departed on time and left an Acela Express train back in the station then a few minutes later, turned to the west off the Northeast Corridor and proceeded through an industrial landscape until the suburbs took over and this line is the only New Jersey Transit non-electrified line. We stopped at Roselle Park where Keen University is located and a Norfolk Southern stack train entered our line at a junction from the south. Cranford Station had a three-track platform with the inbound side having two platforms. Garwood also had three but they are tiny in comparison, causing passengers wishing to detrain there to walk back to the last two cars.

At Westfield, we were back to two platforms as a New Jersey Transit express train zoomed by, causing waiting passengers to quickly move backward. Fanwood had a nice pedestrian overpass as the rain continued to fall. As always, I was glad to be aboard a train! Netherwood had a low platform station, but at Plainfield, it was back to the high platforms.

Between Plainfield and Duneline on the south side was a former industrial area where all the buildings had been recently "tagged". After several other rail lines begin to parallel ours, we pulled into Bound Brook then Bridgewater was another short platform (i.e. last two cars). Our train was then passed for just a minute by a dead-heading train for Raritan as we entered Sommerville. Raritan was where most passengers detrained and has a very nice station. After passing the New Jersey Transit overnight storage yard, our route became single track and crossed the North Branch of Lamington River before arriving at North Branch as the landscape turned more hilly. Whitehouse had a very nice stone station then the line became more beautiful with hills and forests, as well as open land, on a dreary rainy morning.

At Lebanon, there were some former New Jersey Transit cars as well as private cars "Hickory Creek", a New York Central observation car, and New York Central 43, among others, plus a couple of locomotives. Arnandale was just a low platform before we made our run for our last station stop of High Bridge, arriving there a few minutes early. I detrained and this was the first time I photographed trains using an umbrella.

I reboarded the train, now New Jersey Transit 5706, and with the line now ridden, it gave me a chance to relax and I returned to Newark Penn Station riding in car 5167. Sitting on the opposite side of the train than coming west would give me an opportunity to notice more things along the line. Bound Brook had a large brick station still standing but now has another use. Fanwood had a nice wooden three-storey station and at Westfield, a beautiful stone church was on the north side of the tracks. I found the Raritan Valley Line a very interesting and enjoyable ride. Before we returned to the Northeast Corridor, we had to wait for an Amtrak Metroliner and another New Jersey Transit Trenton- bound local then arrived at Newark Penn Station a few minutes later on Track One and this train then crossed over to return to High Bridge.

Five minutes later came New Jersey Transit Train 3810 from Trenton to return me back to New York Penn Station on a very wet and rainy day about 10:30 AM.

I walked back to the Herald Square Hotel, packed and watched the end of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" then checked out and cleaned out my e-mail. I had checked the Weather Channel so returned to Penn Station between rain showers and checked my bags into Club Acela then went downstairs for some Long Island Railroad timetables, bought some post cards and a Baskin Robbins ice cream on the way back. I filled out the post cards then ran across the street to the Farley Post Office building in a driving rain storm before watching the television coverage on the 8.7 magnitude earthquake in Sumatra and waiting to see if it produced another tsunami. I relaxed in Club Acela until the boarding of my next train.

It was announced that the Lakeshore Limited would be delayed 40 minutes. As usual, how can a train that originates here be delayed and I wondered if they were cutting out the sleeper from yesterday's train. A Red Cap informed me that our train would come into Track 7 so I went there, found my car 62024 "National View" and put my belongings in room 1. This Lake Shore Limited had P30CH 716, baggage 1710, crew sleeper 2500 "Pine Brook", sleepers 62024 "National View" and 62047 "Village View", diner 8554, dinette 28016 with Amfleet II coaches 25052, 25050 and 25036. I met my sleeping car attendant Coco who informed me that problems with the diner was the reason for our delay. We departed New York Penn Station at 3:35 PM {2:50 PM} bound for Chicago.

The Lakeshore Limited departed by taking the Westside Connection that takes the train from the former Pennsylvania Railroad tracks to the former New York Central line along the Hudson to Albany. It was a very wet and miserable rainy day, so my picture-taking was limited.

The proof of a New York wet day was that the top of the George Washington Bridge was obscured by clouds.

At Spuyten Duyvil, a Metro North train was on its way to Grand Central Station in push mode. The Lake Shore Limited then raced along the Hudson River to Croton-Harmon.

A few Metro North views at Croton-Harmon.

We sped north along the Hudson River.

The summit of Bear Mountain was hidden by the storm clouds.

The Lake Shore Limited passed Bannerman's Castle on a truly ugly day. I went to the dining car at 5:40 PM for dinner and decided to have chicken fried steak and a chocolate sundae. Simon, travelling to Ann Arbor, Michigan, joined me for dinner but they mixed up my order and gave mine to Table 8 but it was resolved, although it took longer than expected. Later, my chocolate sundae came as a strawberry sundae. During the stop at Albany, ExpressTrak car 74048 was added to the rear and 712 was taken off the point and replaced with P42DCs 124 and 136. We departed at 6:24 PM {6:00 PM} and crossed the Hudson River going west into the storm, then at Schenectady, we waited for Train 64, the Adirondack, to transfer several passengers to our train. We departed there at 6:58 PM {6:35 PM} as I watched a few minutes of a film in my room as the monitor was not working then made up my bed and slept the miles away.

3/29/2005 Waking up refreshed, I was in the dining car, sitting with a librarian going to Chicago and a gentleman going to St. Louis from Yonkers, New York. I enjoyed my French Toast and sausage as the Lake Shore Limited departed Waterloo, Indiana on time and sped west across northern Indiana. Back in my room, I turned to Channel 1 on the audio system to listen to some country/rock/jazz music and the toilet facility in the room is one of the better Viewliner features.

The Lakeshore Limited curved into Elkhart, Indiana.

Here was the National New York Central Railroad Museum, after which we proceeded to South Bend on time at 7:46 AM and I switched my watch back to Central Time as we accelerated through Porter and on into Gary.

Norfolk Southern power parked at Porter, Indiana.

The train ran along a beautiful lake with the Indiana Dunes National Monument in the background.

The sprawling United States Steel plant in Porter.

Former Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range locomotives working the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern hump yard.

Near Hammond, an Inland Steel plant switcher worked the mill there.

You could see Lake Michigan near Hammond-Whiting.

The train crossed the busy Dan Ryan Expressway with a CTA train on its way to downtown Chicago. The Lakeshore Limited arrived at Chicago Union Station 19 minutes early at 8:24 AM.