Late trains get later and Julie, Amtrak's automated agent, had an estimated time of arrival into La Plata at 12:22 PM. I was driven to the station from the Depot Inn & Suites.
An eastbound BNSF freight came through at 11:33 AM. A Coco-Cola and Sudoku puzzles passed the time.
The 11:43 AM eastbound BNSF went through.
At 12:22 PM, the Southwest Chief arrived on track two then stopped after the short platform so passengers loaded from the ballast. I boarded coach 34048 and was given a seat on the aisle where the electrical outlet for the car was located. That, and a lady named Amber who sat next to me, were the only two good things about this car. We departed at 12:26 PM {9:57 AM} and I listened to Young Dubliners' "With All Due Respect, the Irish Sessions". I went to the wall garbage bin at the end of the car to deposit a can but could not because someone had put the can in backwards at the 8th Street Yard in Los Angeles 8th. The next car was the same story. It was then announced that the toilets were overflowing in this car and the odour started to give me a headache. The onboard crew could care less! We made our way to Fort Madison and for once I did not get off the train.
Historic Fort Madison as we waited for a barge to clear the Mississippi River Bridge. We made it to Galesburg where just beforehand, Amber, who was going to Princeton, gave me her window seat so I could work on my story. Our late running was caused by problems with the engine's computers systems and an announcement was made that we would be reaching Chicago Union Station at 5:30 PM but no good word about Chicago connections. I watched the first half of "Rush in Rio" then at Earlville, the train crossed over to let the westbound Southwest Chief pass before we reversed onto the mainline, from whence we had came before resuming our tardy trip. I called Amtrak about the lack of information regarding the Cardinal Connection but could not get any information from them either.
The train sped east down the Raceway to Naperville with us all wondering what was going to happen. At Naperville, I used the bathroom in the next car and found an assistant conductor who listened to my concern and offered to find out but he came back with no more information than we all already knew. I had one more idea that might get us some information. I asked the nice lady in front of me to call Julie at Amtrak, asking for train status for Train 50 at Dyer, Indiana, the first stop. Julie gave her the time it arrived but had no information on the train, which meant it had not left Chicago and must be holding for us.
We finally arrived into Chicago at 6:32 PM {3:20 PM}, I detrained and found a Red Cap who told me that Train 50, the Cardinal, was on Track 20 so I went over.
The Cardinal 50 8/14/2007
At 7:02 PM, the tardy Cardinal left Chicago Union Station with me in Room 6 of the Viewliner sleeper 62004 "Beech Grove". Kenneth was my Sleeping Car Attendant for this trip to Charlottesville and our consist, care of the conductor, was P42DC 88, Amfleet coaches 25077, 25016 and 25051, diner/lounge 28012, Viewliner sleeper 62004 "Beach View", Horizon 54555 and 54521. These last two cars are the Hoosier State and would be cut off once we arrived at Indianapolis. We ran next to the Capitol Limited, which left on time for a few miles. It quickly became dark because of the overcast skies then at Dolton, we were stopped by Canadian National 2703 West entering the Union Pacific Yard there.
I watched more of "Rush in Rio" then received an 8:45 PM dinner reservation. I was seated in the dining area with Bob and Jacob who were going to Hinton, West Virginia from Austin, Texas and this was Jacob's first train trip. I had the short rib and chocolate cake as we proceeded through the night then returned to my room, wrote this part of the story before watching the rest of Rush DVD and made up my bed then called it a night.
8/15/2007 I awoke, finding the train rolling down the former Chesapeake and Ohio rails in Kentucky running three hours late, which suited me just fine.
I went the dining area to have breakfast but returned to the room for my camera.
The sun came out from behind the clouds for these interesting scenes along the Ohio River.
We stopped at Maysville and the bridge across the Ohio River. Kenneth made up my room while I enjoyed the French Toast and sausage patties then I returned to my room to change clothes and shave before sitting back and enjoying the bonus daylight running along the route of the Cardinal. I watched the first disc of "Led Zeppelin Live at the Albert Hall 1970" while the the train ran to Russell, Kentucky, a servicing stop.
CSX power as we came into Russell.
CSX road slug 2278, nee Chesapeake and Ohio GP35 3565 and CSX GP40-2 6929, ex CSX 6256, nee Western Maryland 4357.
CSX GP38-2 2770, nee Conrail 8188 and CSX GP40-2 6467, nee Louisville and Nashville 6605.
The "Beach View" took on water thanks to this helpful CSX employee.
Leaving the Russell area, we passed a CSX coal train.
I walked down for a picture during the crew change stop at Huntington, West Virginia then listened to Aerosmith's "Rocking the Joint" which had a flip side DVD that I watched next. I took a fresh air stop at Charleston, the state capital of West Virginia. Next was the trip to Charlotte and the scenic highlight of the New River Gorge.
Passing Kanawha Falls.
Crossing the railroad bridge across the New River at Hawk's Nest.
Our train went by the Hawk's Nest sign.
Paralleling the New River.
The world's longest steel span arch bridge, over 1,700 feet long and 876 feet above the New River, that carries Route 19 across the New River Gorge.
A loaded CSX coal train at Rush Run.
Chesapeake and Ohio Thurmond station built in 1904, a stop on Amtrak's Cardinal. During the first two decades of the 1900's, Thurmond was a classic boomtown. With the huge amounts of coal brought in from area mines, it had the largest revenue on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. Having many coal barons among its patrons, Thurmond's banks were the richest in the state. Fifteen passenger trains a day came through town and its depot served as many as 95,000 passengers a year. The town's stores and saloons did a remarkable business and its hotels and boarding houses were constantly overflowing.
With the advent of diesel locomotives, and less coal coming in from local mines, the town began a steady decline. The many businesses closed down and most residents moved on. Today, the town of Thurmond remains surprisingly untouched by modern development. It is a link to our past and a town with many stories to tell. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve invites visitors to experience the impact of the industrial revolution and the National Park Service's mission to preserve our nation's heritage.
After Prince, we passed Sandstone Falls then stopped at Hinton as I was in the dining area having chicken wings and chips along with chocolate cake. We went through Great Bend Tunnel before stopping at Alderson and I listened to John Cougar Mellencamp's "Freedom Road".
We arrived at White Sulphur Springs, the station stop for the Greenbrier Inn. Next it was the Poxy Boggards' "Liver Let Die" which took me down out of the mountains to Clifton Forge.
CSX at Clifton Forge, where we had a fresh air break. I rested for a while and we were delayed more by the westbound Cardinal, Train 51, on its way to Staunton.
Going through the last tunnel of the route to Charlottesville, the Blue Ridge Tunnel before entering West Ivy siding to wait for CSX 154 West. We arrived at our destination at 7:03 PM {2:47 PM} and detrained to wait for the Crescent to arrive and I went to Wing Thing next door to order dinner to bring back to the station.
The door that leads to the Cardinal.
The station waiting room of this former Southern Railway station built in 1885.
The ticket counter.
The Crescent track door through which I would exit to get to my next train.
The Crescent 19 8/15/2007
The Crescent arrived on time with P42DCs 181 and 138, baggage 1242, Viewliner 62032 and 62048, diner 8527, lounge 28013 and coaches 25089, 25068, 25102 and 25062. I chose a seat in Car 25068 and set up the computer for my new friend Vernon so we could watch the film "300". After that and Danville, I found two seats near the back of the car but could not sleep. I did Sudoku puzzles for over an hour before arriving at Charlotte early at 2:00 AM and I detrained. I waited only a few minutes before Chris Parker drove up in the rental car that we would be using over the next ten days and we drove to the Days Inn for the rest of the night.
8/16/2007 Chris and I left the Days Inn on our way to Spencer Shops.
We caught an empty Norfolk Southern coal train which we followed north then stopped for snacks at a petrol station before continuing to Salisbury to wait for the Piedmont.
The Southern Railway Salisbury station built in 1908.
Amtrak's Piedmont, whose route is Raleigh to Charlotte, arrived.
The departing Piedmont bound for Charlotte.
We drove over to the station and found a timetable board with train numbers from 1902 and continued north to Spencer for our next train adventure of this trip.
