After our ride on the Conway Scenic Railroad, we
drove east to Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor, Maine then south
along the coast to Brunswick, ME. There we relaxed at the
historic and stately Brunswick Hotel and Tavern until we saw Amtrak’s
Downeaster arrive from Portland. We then walked about one-half
block to the Amtrak waiting room inside the local visitors bureau and
waited a few minutes for the conductor to welcome passengers to
board. The waiting area was pleasant and clean and the visitors
bureau hostess was very welcoming.
A scenic view along the drive across Maine
The Brunswick Hotel and Tavern offers excellent accommodations close to the Amtrak station
The Downeaster was visible from our hotel room
Looking north from the station platform in Brunswick
P42 # 130 on the tail end of the Downeaster at Brunswick
A Downeaster logo on the wall of the Brunswick station waiting room
The waiting room is housed in the Brunswick visitors center
Train # 1988 departed at 5:00pm, 25 minutes earlier
than the scheduled departure for our originally ticketed train #
688. The schedule had been advanced to allow time for a planned
bus bridge between Dover and Wells due to trackwork. Christine
and I were only traveling as far as Portland to fill in the last tiny
segment of the Amtrak system that I had not ridden previously.
The Downeaster was led by F40 cab control car 90214
followed by a Business class/cafe car, 4 Amfleet coaches, and trailing
P42 # 130 wearing the Amtrak belt stripe heritage paint scheme.
That engine had led the northbound run that we spotted from the
Brunswick Hotel. We had ample room in coach 82572 as only a dozen
passengers boarded the evening run from Brunswick. The leather
seats and wall plugs for cell phones and laptops made for a comfortable
ride as we eased out of Brunswick.
A refurbished coach on the Downeaster
Our one intermediate stop, Freeport, came at 5:12pm
and added a couple of passengers to our passenger list. The
scenery was relatively unremarkable as woods, a few agricultural
fields, and some homes dominated the view from our window. By
5:37pm we began a reverse move on a spur line to the Portland station
which we reached at 5:41pm. A long, gently sloped ramp led to the
station where we took seats inside the door to the ramp.
The southbound Downeaster at Portland, ME
Portland Transportation Center was clean and
comfortable and an older lady was on duty to greet Amtrak
passengers. Across the waiting room the ticket counter for
Concord Bus line was staffed by two agents and bus service appeared to
be brisk in various directions. The Amtrak counter near our seats
was vacant with the Downeaster hostess stationed at an adjacent
table. Research prior to our trip discovered no restaurants
within easy walking distance of the station but a local pizza place
would deliver. A call to Pizzaiola Restaurant produced a tasty
dinner an hour later.
The unattended Amtrak counter in the Portland Transportation Center with the adjacent Amtrak station hostess “desk”
In contrast to the Amtrak counter, the regional bus company’s counter is well staffed
During the wait for our dinner delivery we observed
a major hiccup in the Downeaster operation as a young woman paced the
waiting room and finally expressed concern about the whereabouts of
train # 688 the scheduled 6:15pm train to her destination, Dover.
The Downeaster hostess was unable to assist her so I explained that
departure time had been moved from 6:15 to 5:50 due to trackwork and
the train number had been changed. With no other trains scheduled
to Boston that night, she made a phone call to someone, presumably to
take her to Dover. Eventually she disappeared and we could only
assume her ride had picked her up. Meanwhile, a group of five businessmen arrived around 6:00pm, looked at
the train status monitor, then looked down the ramp to the platform,
then exhibited confusion about their missing train. By now the
station hostess had gone off duty and left and once more I had to
explain that their train had left. After discussing the
situation, three left in a car to try to catch up to the train in Dover
where passengers were expected to switch to a bus hopefully buying them
some time. The other two hung around the Portland station a while
and may have caught a bus. We speculated that these six displaced
passengers must have not provided contact information for Amtrak to
reach them or may have ignored such contact. We had been notified
of the schedule and train number change a few days before leaving home
12 days earlier so the likelihood of Amtrak being at fault seemed
unlikely. However, it was disappointing that Amtrak or the
Downeaster authority that manages the train did not ensure the hostess
was aware of the changes and had options to present to such folks as
the schedule change was in effect for a couple of weeks.
The train status board in Portland displays both annulled train # 685 and its replacement # 1985 and indicates # 685 is boarding
F40 # 406 and a positive train control test train laying over in Portland
Northbound Train # 1985 pulled into Portland 13
minutes late at 8:08pm. Fortunately, we had walked down the ramp
to the platform soon after the scheduled 7:55 departure time as no
announcement was made for # 1985. Earlier a recorded boarding
call was played at 7:25pm when train # 685 was scheduled to arrive
before being annulled and rescheduled as # 1985. The train status
monitor in the station had listed the originally scheduled train # 685
as well as # 1985 leaving the uninformed to guess what time their train
would actually show up. The train could not be seen from inside
the station and neither conductor walked inside the station to look for
passengers. Had we not endured a 15 minute wait on the chilly
platform that had no benches, we could have easily been left
behind. This was especially true since dwell time in Portland was
just one minute.
It was surprising to see engine # 104 in the lead
rather than # 130 that was expected to pull the stub train back from
Dover. The conductor explained that incoming bad weather had
postponed the evening maintenance session so at the last minute the bus
bridge was cancelled and both trains ran through to their
destinations. We will never know if the businessmen who missed
the train in Portland managed to catch up to the train in Dover since
the extra time required to transfer passengers to busses was cancelled.
The train backed out of the Portland Transportation
Center at 8:09pm and began its forward motion on the mainline at
8:13pm. We rolled past Freeport without stopping and continued
through the wooded darkness until arriving in Brunswick at
8:48pm. The convenience of the Brunswick Hotel and Tavern was
appreciated greatly as a quick stroll brought us back to our
outstanding hotel room.
It is possible to make a single day round trip between Boston and
Brunswick and the route is reasonably interesting. However,
Brunswick is a charming college town and an overnight stay at the
Brunswick Hotel and Tavern makes for a relaxing getaway. The
Downeaster schedule differs on weekends thus it is wise to consult
Amtrak for times. Additionally, connecting busses take connecting
passengers to multiple points throughout Maine. There are
multiple Downeaster departures every day making this a great way to see
southern Maine.
The final intermediate stop on our New England
journey was in Sturbridge, MA located southwest of Worcester.
Having visited Old Sturbridge Village with my parents in the mid-1960s,
I was surprised by the growth of the popular outdoor history museum
over the decades. Today there are over 40 buildings on 200
forested acres recreating a New England village from the 1830s.
Costumed interpreters demonstrate essential businesses such as a
general store, printing office, cooper, cabinetmaker, tavern, shoe
shop, etc. as well as a school, church, and a working farm with live
animals. The atmosphere of the village is relaxing and strolling
along its gravel streets is like stepping back in time. Near the
end of the visit visitors are funneled through the gift shop and
bookstore whose collection of books about colonial America is
magnificent.
The village green at Old Sturbridge Village
The Old Sturbridge Village general store
A craftsman demonstrates woodworking
One of many craft buildings on the grounds of Old Sturbridge Village
A relaxing walk takes visitors through a covered bridge over a pond
Old Sturbridge Village is an excellent destination
that will interest adults and children alike. The nearest Amtrak
stop is Worcester on the Lake Shore Limited route but it is a short
drive from multiple Amtrak stops including Boston, Springfield,
Hartford, and Providence. There are similarities to Colonial
Williamsburg (VA), Plimouth Plantation (MA), and Conner Prairie (IN)
which each interpret a different period in American history. Each
has its own unique characteristics and Old Sturbridge Village is
definitely a worthwhile place to visit.
During the evening I ventured about 10 miles to
Southbridge, MA to attend a high school football game between
Sturbridge’s own Tantasqua Regional High School and the host
Southbridge High. The visitors won handily and I walked away
pleased to have attended a game in a distant state. The following
morning we drove to New Haven and attended yet another football game,
this one matching Mercer and Yale. The host Yale Bulldogs beat
the boys from Macon, GA and we enjoyed spending Saturday afternoon in
the historic Yale Bowl. There was something special about
watching FCS (Division 1AA) football as the game is the same but
without some of the craziness of Power 5 conference games. Before
the game we returned our rented van and picked up a mid-sized car from
Avis to facilitate the car return on Sunday since Avis is located right
inside New Haven Union Station and open on Sunday. We also
checked some of our luggage to Washington via Saturday night’s
overnight train; it then was transferred to Sunday’s Silver Meteor to
Jacksonville.
The Yale Bowl hosts the Mercer at Yale football game
The Yale Bulldogs defeat the Mercer Bears on an overcast day
A friendly red cap escorted us to the platform to
board Train # 99 at 11:05am. Passengers must go downstairs from
New Haven Union Station’s waiting room to a tunnel beneath the tracks
then upstairs to trackside thus red cap assistance is helpful when
travelling with a suitcase or other bulky items. Soon our train
rolled in behind ACS-64 # 665 and the red cap led us to the business
class car which was on the rear. The only available seats were in
the last row facing backwards which facilitated occasionally getting up
and viewing trackside sights from the rear window. Our eight car
train was unimpeded as it headed toward New York, interrupted only by
scheduled stops in Bridgeport and Stamford. An hour and a half
into the trip we climbed the approach to Hell Gate Bridge and once on
top we passed a CSX garbage train headed the opposite direction.
Train # 99 arrived at Penn Station in the heart of New York at 12:56pm
and we were assisted to the Club Acela lounge off the main waiting room
to relax until our final train was ready for boarding.
The waiting room at New Haven Union Station
Train # 99 bound for Newport News, VA arrives in New Haven
Departing New Haven as seen a few feet from our seats
Passing through Bridgeport, CT
Meeting a northbound Amtrak Northeast Regional train
A Connecticut DOT commuter train is overtaken at Stamford
Approaching Hell Gate Bridge
The Silver Meteor departed New York on-time at
3:15pm with us ensconced in sleeping car 62001, formerly named
“Atlantic View”. After tunneling under the Hudson River and
stopping at Newark, train # 97 barreled along the Northeast
Corridor. South of Philadelphia we went to the dining car per our
5:00pm reservation. Viewliner II diner 68013 “Hartford” was
bright and airy with its double row of windows, art deco decor, and
fresh from the factory feel. As usual I enjoyed a steak dinner
while Christine ordered the surf ‘n turf entree and we both were
satisfied with our selections. There is something special about
watching scenery including paralleling the Delaware River while dining
at 107 mph. By 6:45pm the Silver Meteor reached Washington, DC
and we walked off our dinner by strolling the Union Station
platform. We watched the loading of the baggage car on the tail
end of our train and were relieved to see our checked bags being put
aboard. At the head end we watched electric ACS-64 # 643 uncouple
and move away and a pair of P42 diesel engines connect to the
train. At 7:25pm we were rolling again on a beeline for Florida.
Overtaking a New Jersey Transit commuter train at Newark
The famous “Trenton Makes - The World Takes” sign at Trenton
The airy interior of Viewliner II dining car “Hartford” as we pass the Delaware River
My delicious steak dinner on board the Silver Meteor
One of three major river crossings between Wilmington and Baltimore
Dining car “Hartford” during the stop in Washington
The Cardinal at left and Silver Meteor (right) in Washington
P42 # 184 on the northbound Cardinal at Washington; this engine was on our train # 98 two weeks earlier
We watched northern Virginia flash by our bedroom
window then give way to the city lights of Richmond. The James
River was way below us in the nighttime darkness as we left the capitol
city. We turned in soon but sleep came slowly as we stopped in
Petersburg and Rocky Mount then met the northbound Silver Meteor near
Fayetteville. Daybreak arrived south of Savannah and soon we
headed to the dining car for an excellent pancake breakfast accompanied
by sausage patties and breakfast potatoes. The south Georgia
swamplands welcomed us back to the Deep South and soon we passed the
popular railfan pavilion in Folkston. The St. Mary’s River marked
our entry into Florida and 30 minutes later we eased to a stop in
Jacksonville at 9:17am.
Ground fog is visible as we approach Jesup, GA 80 minutes north of Jacksonville
As we made the three hour drive home we saw trucks
of all types carrying food and storm relief services to people
devastated by Hurricane Michael on the day we visited Acadia National
Park. Fortunately we only lost two trees at our house, a blessing
compared to the damage inflicted upon communities less than an hour
west of our city. We had been concerned that Michael would cause
renewed flooding in the Carolinas and possibly delay or cancel our
train but fortunately this did not take place.
Our trip had covered 16 days, taken us through 13
states, and given us the opportunity of observing fantastic vistas of
autumn leaves. Our six Amtrak trains and four excursion trains
had provided pleasant travel and our overnight hotel stays had been
excellent. We would recommend this itinerary to anyone interested
in seeing New England in the autumn.
