columbus day weekend in charlotte

the bwi amtrak station; i took marc from here to d.c. marc was $6 instead of $1 for amtrak (when bought with the connection in d.c.), but marc runs much more often, and it was worth it to be able to get to the station later leaving and not have to wait for a late train returning.

the bwi station is extremely busy, so they have a bridge connecting the platforms. as i was crossing to my southbound track, there was a marc train headed northbound under me, so i grabbed a quick photo.

comments (0)

looking at the tail end of the train from the other side of the bridge.

comments (0)

and as quick as i turned around, it was on its way.

the middle track is used by the acela trains when they're not making a stop at bwi. a couple of them went by while i was waiting; they just about knock you over.

it was really nice to just walk a few yards and stand out in the fresh air to wait for the train, much better than walking the length of an airport through crowds of people bumping into you.

comments (0)

alas, this turned out to be a horrible day for railfanning. :( it was pouring rain most of the day. this was union station in d.c.. there was nothing to see from the platform, and once inside, no place to view the yard activity except from these impossibly grimy windows. all the csx and norfolk southern trains i did get to see were seen from the train, where i couldn't get any photos much better than this. my sister's house isn't too far from the tracks, though. if there's better weather the next time i'm there, i should borrow my brother-in-law's bike and head over to see what i can catch.

in a lot of the small towns and cities along the way, i saw some beautiful examples of elegant old-fashioned station architecture. the disembarkation section of union station, by contrast, was a run-down modernist wasteland.

comments (0)

at least the inside showed a bit more pride of place.

comments (0)

the ride was everything i'd hoped. it took the same time as if i'd driven nonstop, but with much more pleasant scenery than the interstates provide. much of the route goes along water and woodland, with occasional beautiful views of rivers. many of the small towns along the way still turn their best face toward the tracks as they did when the trains were the front door to everywhere, with inviting stations, streets of shops, and handsome old houses to welcome arrivals.

and unlike a driving trip, you could sleep as much as you wanted, or read or talk to people. each pair of seats had an electrical outlet or two, so i was able to plug in my laptop, and got more work done than i do on many days at home. between reading, working, and listening to music, podcasts, and a particularly appropriate recorded book, the trip flew by.

unlike a plane, you could get up and walk around whenever you liked, and there was somewhere to walk to, a cafe car with lots of booths and tables and an attendant selling sandwiches, snacks, drinks, pizza, etc.

the slips of paper on the luggage racks are placed there by the conductors with the name of your destination, so they can come around and wake you when you're approaching your stop.

when mike met me in charlotte, he noted that everyone who got off the train seemed to be having a good time, and when glenn was waiting for me in baltimore, he said he saw trains pull up with people playing cards and laughing. the whole experience does seem to be a lot less stressful than flying. i arrived much better rested than i ever have after a day of planes and airports, and i caught up with work on the trip instead of having to come home and catch up from the trip.

i highly recommend it to anyone who would like to give it a try. for short day-long trips like this, the train is much more enjoyable than a plane, and i'd be happy to try an overnight trip with a bedroom sometime.

i hope that within my lifetime, declining oil production will bring about a rebirth of trains in the u.s., and maybe bring back some of their old elegance.

comments (0)

the rest of the photos are courtesy of jim's girlfriend, colleen; thanks!

at marie's house: my sister marie, myself, my brother jim, mom, and dad.

comments (0)

mom and dad.

comments (0)

three of the six.

comments (0)