Year 4 - Grande Depart - Mount Joy to Jacksonville FL
What a great day to travel! The sun is shining and temps are in the 40’s. The ladies all came with us to the station to see us off.
I still dislike Amtrak's Keystone Service bike policy. One needs to watch for a car with a bike symbol, one bike per car, then find the rack which is usually full of suitcases, remove the suitcases, reconfigure the rack for a bike, remove your panniers and front wheel. Then you hang your bike from its rear wheel and place your stuff in the bike rack on the floor below your bike. You are supposed to strap your bike securely with the arm and Velcro strap. The Velcro strap on my rack was in such poor condition, it would not stay connected so my bike just hung there rocking and rolling with the trains motion.
It is Eagles football Sunday, so the train was packed. Not normally an issue, but getting ready to disembark in Phila requires that I reverse the process of hanging my bike. Now instead of having plenty of room to remove my panniers and front tire from the bike rack and place them far enough away so I had room to reassemble everything, due to all of the suitcases, people, and an e-bike that was not properly hung in a rack, I was tripping over my own items as I removed my bake and tried to assemble it. Best of all was the lady that came right up behind me, giving me precious little room for my reassembly process, and kept asking me to hand her a very large suitcase so she could stand there anxiously waiting for the train to stop.
The main lobby of 30th Street Station
The baggage area where we started our wait!
The process of “checking” our bikes and luggage went smoothly as we were now fully prepared! I purchased a box and placed all my bike bags in it with the exception of a small duffel that contains my toilet articles, night clothes, and valuables! While waiting for our next train, the 91 Silver Star, in the more quiet baggage area, a baggage person advised us that because we were First Class passengers, by virtue of our Roomette seats, we were entitled to wait in the Metropolitan Lounge. A “Red Cap” took us to the elevator and up to the second story lounge where we were offered free snacks and drinks, free device charging, and relaxing seating/couches! Very nice, but who knew!
When the train is ready to board, or even a little before the train arrives, the “Red Caps” gather us and take us with our bikes, down the elevator to the proper platform. The Amtrak baggage handlers load your checked baggage into the baggage car. You must roll your “checked” bike to the baggage car. Apparently a baggage handler may not load your bike as they made us wait until a “Conductor” came and took possession of each of our bikes individually and rolled them barely onto the train where another person (a baggage handler) then proceeded to place them in the car for the ride! Bizarre!
Views as we leave Philadelphia!
The train stops in DC for about 20 minutes to change from an electric (RMS) engine to a diesel engine. This allows passengers a brief stretch and smoke stop.
Our train as we wait in DC!
Looking across the hall at our friend's cabin! Enough room for two seats till the conductor rearranges the cabin for sleeping!
We enjoyed a great lunch meal and a very good dinner (supper) meal in the dining car, all courtesy of our first-class tickets. Meals are included, even an adult beverage with dinner.
Even though there is a toilet and sink in your roomette, we elected to us the common toilet at the end of the second sleeper car. Plan ahead, its a walk to get there!
See you in the morning! We should be in Jacksonville be a little after 7 a.m.
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