Acela from BWI to Phila 30th Street and return

[MP57313]

Rode 2250/2251on Saturday (26th). Northbound Acela was virtually full north of Wilmington, DE. This "overpriced train" is poorly patronized? Yeah, right. Rode Biz Class north and 1st Class South. 1st class has better seats but I would advise against it {too pricey} unless you are hungry (meal included in the price) or thirsty. Or maybe for a longer journey. It was too late for lunch [already ate at Broadway Fries in 30th St station] but I did get a Baileys on-the-rocks. Lounge in Philly was quiet, but the free internet service has been disconnected.

Love that 100 mph+ running along the NEC, mile after mile.... but much of the "scenery" is depressing. Not all that many freight customers left; a lot of abandoned factories and other large buildings. {In Eddystone...is any of that one sees the former Baldwin plant, or is that looong gone?}.

Saw a northbound CSX double-stack train on the elevated "freight bypass" around 30th Street station. In all the times I have ridden past there, I have never seen a train on that bridge, and wasn't sure if the line was active.

Each time I see Baltimore, it looks like an interesting place to explore, rail wise. But the neighborhoods next to the tracks look treacherous.

[Anonymous]

How full was the First Class section on your return?

Mitch

[daveklepper]

Don't be afraid in Baltimore, just as safe as any USA citiy. North and just one block west of the Pennsy Station is the Baltimore Trolley Museum. Very well worth a visit, with all Baltimore equpment, a real representative collection of the total history of the classic broad gauge vast Baltimore streetcar system. Friendly people who wil help you. Three blocks west of the station, possibly the branch line connection has been finished, is the main line of the Balltimore Light Rail Line, very well worth a ride. In the south, after passing the B&P Camden station and the sports stadium and crossing a bridge, it goes south on the old Baltimore and Anapolis right of way. In the north is a very scenic ride on the old Baltimore Northern, then Pennsy line that used to run to Harrisburg and carry the Washinton and Baltimore connections for the east-west main-line trains. It runs next to a river for a while. I'm unsure if any freight service is still provided on these lines in any area, when last I rode, some nine years ago, I did not see a track connection to the whole system, but maybe one has been installed. Then of course there is the B&O museum, one of the best railroad museums anywhere. I never felt any need to fear anything in Baltimore and I visited the place about 50 times.

[FThunder11]

I'm jelous, I want to ride the ACELA EXPRESS< its my favorite and i've never seen it in person

[spbed]

Was it a smooth ride or did the coaches rock from side to side? [:D]

QUOTE: Originally posted by MP57313

Rode 2250/2251on Saturday (26th). Northbound Acela was virtually full north of Wilmington, DE. This "overpriced train" is poorly patronized? Yeah, right. Rode Biz Class north and 1st Class South. 1st class has better seats but I would advise against it {too pricey} unless you are hungry (meal included in the price) or thirsty. Or maybe for a longer journey. It was too late for lunch [already ate at Broadway Fries in 30th St station] but I did get a Baileys on-the-rocks. Lounge in Philly was quiet, but the free internet service has been disconnected.

Love that 100 mph+ running along the NEC, mile after mile.... but much of the "scenery" is depressing. Not all that many freight customers left; a lot of abandoned factories and other large buildings. {In Eddystone...is any of that one sees the former Baldwin plant, or is that looong gone?}.

Saw a northbound CSX double-stack train on the elevated "freight bypass" around 30th Street station. In all the times I have ridden past there, I have never seen a train on that bridge, and wasn't sure if the line was active.

Each time I see Baltimore, it looks like an interesting place to explore, rail wise. But the neighborhoods next to the tracks look treacherous.

[Anonymous]

I took teh Acela from Washington to NY and back about a year ago. The ride was very smooth. A little rocking in some areas, but much much smoother than the City of New Orleans or the Empire Builder. Our train was full also. Shows what can be done if we really want to.

[spbed]

OK thanks for the info on the rocking. [:D]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jwieczorek

I took teh Acela from Washington to NY and back about a year ago. The ride was very smooth. A little rocking in some areas, but much much smoother than the City of New Orleans or the Empire Builder. Our train was full also. Shows what can be done if we really want to.

[oltmannd]

QUOTE: Originally posted by MP57313

Rode 2250/2251on Saturday (26th). Northbound Acela was virtually full north of Wilmington, DE. This "overpriced train" is poorly patronized? Yeah, right. Rode Biz Class north and 1st Class South. 1st class has better seats but I would advise against it {too pricey} unless you are hungry (meal included in the price) or thirsty. Or maybe for a longer journey. It was too late for lunch [already ate at Broadway Fries in 30th St station] but I did get a Baileys on-the-rocks. Lounge in Philly was quiet, but the free internet service has been disconnected.

Love that 100 mph+ running along the NEC, mile after mile.... but much of the "scenery" is depressing. Not all that many freight customers left; a lot of abandoned factories and other large buildings. {In Eddystone...is any of that one sees the former Baldwin plant, or is that looong gone?}.

Saw a northbound CSX double-stack train on the elevated "freight bypass" around 30th Street station. In all the times I have ridden past there, I have never seen a train on that bridge, and wasn't sure if the line was active.

Each time I see Baltimore, it looks like an interesting place to explore, rail wise. But the neighborhoods next to the tracks look treacherous.

At Eddystone, a bit of the old Baldwin facility is still there - on the west side of the tracks - much of it parcelled out to other industrial work these days. The old GOB was there for quite a while. Not sure whether it was razed or not. There is (or was) a SEPTA stop called "Baldwin" right in front of it. Septa maintained service there with a pair of trains a day long after Baldwin went belly-up.

[SALfan]

I'll echo what davelkepper said about Baltimore. It's a funky, interesting place. Next time you are there, get off the streetcar at Camden Yards and find the Bromo-Seltzer Tower. It's more interesting at night, when the top of the tower is lit with blue lights, approximately the color of the old Bromo-Seltzer bottles.
MARC, the Maryland rail commuter operation, used to run a "Baseball Special" from Washington, DC up the CSX Camden Line to Camden Station (adjacent to the Camden Yards baseball stadium) when the Orioles were playing in Baltimore. It was great to be able to ride the train to and from the ballgame. Alas, they quit running the baseball trains about 1995.

[MP57313]

Southbound, First Class had a couple empty seats but for the most part had a good load. Business class had a pretty good load also. The trains rocked a bit, and the ride was smooth in most places. What is most noticable about the Acelas is how most of the track noise is really muffled inside. Other than crossovers or switches you don't hear much. You don't need to speak loudly to talk to other people.

As for Baltimore, I did actually ride the light rail line in August '03, from BWI to the Harbor. It was an interesting ride; the spur to Glen Burnie runs on the former B&A right of way.

The Baltimore sites mentioned sound interesting (Trolley Museum; B&O Museum [just re-opened after roof damage from a couple years ago]). I was also interested in being trackside to the NEC for railfanning and it is that aspect that looks too dangerous, and I'm not talking about the trains or the electric overhead. Same for exploring the area around CSX's Howard Street Tunnel - that area looks too risky.

When I am back east I work in northern VA, too far from downtown DC to get to any of the commuter lines in time. I would like to check out the MARC train on the Camden line sometime. (I've ridden the Brunswick line on the Capitol Ltd).

[daveklepper]

The Baltimore Trolley Museum is also an excellent place to photograph the NEC! Part of the museum property abuts the right-of-way!

[Anonymous]

I rode the Acela from Pennsylvania Station in New York City all the way down to the end of the line at Washington's Union Staion... The ride is very smooth and quiet inside, however, not near as fast or as quiet as the TGV in France. And yes, you can see the countryside.... or was it a blur the critics of HSR claim?

[Anonymous]

I rode the train to Baltimore from 3oth street station many times. It is a "scenic" ride through Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. Many factories are shut down but many still are around. You can see the Delaware River very well with a few ships in the water. You can see ship yards of Chester, pa. Baltimore and Philly get bad names but they are not that bad. Areas around the stations are in good shape in the downtown areas.

[espeefoamer]

Also in Baltimore,a few blocks west of Camden station,is the house Babe Ruth was born in.It is now a museum.

[gfjwilmde]

Not only did I once work on them(in DC), I get to ride them sometimes. The tracks should have been repaired long before this HSR project even got off/on the drawing board. There are certain areas where the cars ride a little funny. Yes, I agree with you that it's a bit pricey, but there are some of the runs that are exceptionally full(usually the afternoon runs leaving DC heading north). Whenever the hydraulic tilting pumps are working, the ride can be sweet, but when they're not, it can feel like you're in one of those Amfleets. I must disagree with one assesment though, the seats aren't that comfortable. There are rebuilt Amfleet cars that have much more comfortable seating than those Acela coaches. Thank you for supporting Amtrak and keep riding with us.


GLENN
A R E A L AND D E V O T E D RAILROADER!!!!
A R E A L AND D E V O T E D AMTRAKER!!!!

[Anonymous]

Finally, when you take the light rail line south from Penn Station , get off at Lexington Market- go to the Raw Bar on the Lexington Ave. end of the building and partake in the BEST crab cake sandwich in the state of Maryland, and on the east coast for that matter-- throw for the lump back fin one- its worth ever penny (or dollar)

[MP57313]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gfjwilmde
I must disagree with one assesment though, the seats aren't that comfortable. There are rebuilt Amfleet cars that have much more comfortable seating than those Acela coaches. Thank you for supporting Amtrak and keep riding with us.

I was being a bit selfi***here. The train out of BWI already had all the window seats taken. By riding first class southbound I got a solo window seat in Philly (I do like the 2-and-1 arrangement). But I agree the Amfleets are comfortable...rode one the next day on the Cardinal {separate post} and they are comparable to 1st class in airliners regarding legroom.

[Anonymous]

Baltimore is "okay" as long you stay in the Harbor area (But not the Block) and by daytime there are many good folk willing to assist you. Every city has it's dangers and Mobtown is no exception.