Amtrak Train Trip – Train #98 – Silver Meteor – Orlando, FL to Fredricksburg, VA

Well hello there again WebTraveller,

So this post is one that is a writing in progress as I am starting the post from my seat aboard Amtrak. This is about the 8th trip I have been on since I have moved to Florida and each trip gets better and better. Taking these trips aboard the train is one of the many reasons for me starting the blog and to share my experiences with the world not only on Amtrak, but other experiences as well. There are a lot of railroad fans out there and travelling by train is a great experience in my opinion, well as long as one comes prepared due to the length of time it can take to travel from one destination to another.

One of my first trips on Amtrak was the use of the AutoTrain when I moved to Florida oh so many years ago, which I plan to write as a post in the future as to my experience on the train. The one thing I can say about riding the rails to one’s destination can be a long one, but if one comes prepared the trip isn’t half bad. In this modern age of smart phones and local entertainment watching the scenery pass by, Amtrak does have wifi aboard the train, considering that the train itself is using a cellular connection and if you get into a very rural piece of country there could be temporarily be service interruptions. Before I make a trip on the train I hit up the grocery for some snacks to bring along and a few bottles of water just to make sure I have provisions. The train does offer a snack car that has things like chips, sodas, coffee, candy bars, and microwaveable stuff at a cost to the passenger. Some long distance trains have a full dining car (it’s always good to check Amtrak’s website on the particular train number just to be safe. If it is a commuter train (like in the North East Corridor, Washington, D.C. to Boston, MA is where this will be more commonplace) there is just a snack car, from my experience.

However for this particular trip, on the North Bound Silver Meteor, both cars

are available. I decided that I wanted to treat my self to a nice dinner since I was kicking off a vacation basically based on railroads. When I first looked into doing this trip I wanted to do most of it with the use of a train, however, checking the train schedules it didn’t quite work out that way. This trip I was on my way to see some family, with a few side trips which will be other posts from this one. Those posts to be written: the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD, The Strasburg Railroad in Strasburg, PA, The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania across the street from the Strasburg Railroad and last but not least the Red Caboose Motel and Restaurant in Ronks, PA (around the corner from the Strasburg Railroad and Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania). Those posts will be posted after this post in the order of which they happened (a special preview for all you WebTravellers out there).

One of the best things about the train I have discovered are the people you meet from all over, whether it is in the station, or people who sit around you, or even at a meal in the dining car. It’s like a moving city.  If one likes road trips, the train keeps rolling with the exception off few station stops, freight traffic or crew changes, but if anyone needs a restroom the train rolls, even better, no stopping required. Passengers can walk from car to car if they would like to, it is a great way to stretch one’s legs while onboard, and especially if one needs a snack. For those passengers who upgrade to sleepers, they have the ability to walk the train, whereas coach passengers can only enter that areas of the train with the assistance of an Amtrak Employee or upon boarding the train at the station. I have done a roomettes in the past, however this is a simple over night trip and decided strictly on coach to and from, so coach it is!

I was booked on Amtrak’s Silver Meteor (Train #98 – Northbound from Miami, FL towards Penn Station in NYC). The train runs everyday so knowing its schedule is pretty simple. Unlike with an airplane I was able to arrive at the Orlando, FL Amtrak station at about 12:45 PM. Normally the train arrives about 1:23 PM and if all goes well it is a 1:35 PM departure. Orlando is a service stop for the train and a smoke stop for those individuals that need to par take in that.  The boarding process for the train has changed a little since the last time I rode. On this trip unfortunately on this trip Train #98 was running behind schedule. I have learned of a nifty website to track the train (once the site loads simply select the train number of the train you would to see it approximate place). I also had text messages set up on Amtrak’s website to be alerted incase of a major delays. On a few of the trips I have been on I have overheard many travelers being upset about delays, and this is another reason for writing this post is to assist others, put the information out there that sometimes can be hard to find out. Unfortunately we live in a time where I think we just need to plan for them. This train on this day arrived about an hour late. Things happen that are out of the control of Amtrak and the service personnel on the train.

The train was announced at the Orlando station that it would be arriving in a few minutes. Over the loud speaker the station personnel had asked for those travelling in sleeper accommodations to line up near a certain letter on the platform. A few min later it was paged out that if there were parties of 3 or more to line up another letter on the platform, and finally those that were single or couples. Being the single traveller that was my call so, grabbed the suitcases (OH I forgot to mention that certain major station stops along the route there is a baggage car and baggage maybe be checked in, however Fredricksburg, Va is not one of those stations, it all comes with me which I am AOK with, there are overhead racks in coach for stowing thing as well as room below the seat in front of you) and I got lined up for what was going to be a great trip in my opinion. The train had arrived and passengers had disembarked the train. The boarding procedure is a tricky one with this particular train, they do assign everyone a seat as to where you are going. How it worked on this trip, the conductor of the train greets everyone and asks where you heading scans your ticket and directs you to another line in front of the car you will board the train. The second line, at the car, there is a car attendant who asks again where your destination is, and lets you know up the stairs to the right or left and the seat number you have been assigned. One needs to keep in mind that the train has a schedule and the staff are doing their best to take care of business at the station as efficiently as possible. I can’t say that enough, my heart goes out to anyone who does this for a living.

Arrival of Amtrak looking northbound

Arrival of Amtrak looking South Bound

Thinking is gonna be a happy trip!

The trains conductor scanning my ticket and pointing me in the direction of where to go

In line to get on the train

ALL ABOARD! time to sit and relax

I was assigned my seat, I didn’t get a window seat, but that’s ok the windows of the train car are larger than one thinks! We were loaded and it was time to roll onto the next station. Once in your seat, it is time to get comfy! The conductor comes along to ask again where your destination is, the reason why is that the destination is written on a piece of paper and placed above the seat you are sitting in, for their reference on when you are getting off the train. Amtrak passenger cars do have power outlets for charging devices, which of course that’s the first thing I do! The train was rolling and it is time to start sharing with the world I am on a train and having a blast! Crack out the bottles of water and the snacks, sit back and watch the scenery go by.

I knew this was a shorter trip than the others I had been on and I decided that I was gonna treat myself to dinner on the train (being a coach passenger dinner was on me, however, if one decides on sleeper accommodations the dining car is included with the cost of the sleeper). Yes the dining car! Being a coach passenger at about 4 or 430 PM the dining car attendant walks the train and asks anyone for dining reservations. I made sure to stop the lady, who by luck remembered me from a previous trip (I like to wear my engineers cap when on the train) she had looked at me and said “I remember you,” Her name is Cheryl and a pleasure to talk to. She asked me what time and I decided on an early dinner and 5 PM it was.

So what to do until then, well there is a lot to do, make phone calls, text message, social media, plug in some headphones and listen music, audio books and whatnot. There is more on the train to keep someone busy for sure! I had the pleasure of sitting with a gentleman who was riding from Miami, FL to Washington D.C. We had talked for a little while and I had explained that I had ridden the train a few times, having Cheryl from the dining car call me out proved that.

It was about 450 PM and I figured well, maybe get a little freshened up for dinner so off to to the bathroom it was to wash the face. It was time to walk a few cars back to the dining car. Once there Cheryl greeted me and well low and behold there was another lady who worked with her that I remembered, but her name gets away from me. Another pleasure to have these two on another adventure for sure. (My deepest apologies for sure, but well worth mentioning both of these ladies)

I was seated with two ladies, one was from Russia originally and the other from here in the United States, both travelling to Washington DC (if memory serves me correctly), they had finished their dinners when mine arrived, I decided to get the steak, I mean why not I am on vacation! I started out with a dinner roll, and a salad with some ranch dressing, then for the main course and why not top of a great dinner with some dessert and a coffee!

Table look great!

Dinner Roll

ok i know diet isn’t always the best!

The salad

Steak, mixed vegetables and potatoe with butter and sour cream

Menu overview showing all three meals

the other side of the menu

Citrus Tart

a good way to top off dinner!

Once the ladies had cleaned up and left,  a gentleman was seated with me (unlike a restaurant the dining car on the train is a constant cycle of people, there are tables, but to maximize seating for everyone who is hungry the dining car staff does what they can do to get everyone fed, this is where it is cool about riding the train, you just never know who you will sit with and what stories and experinces will be shared) and it turns out he had come down to FL from north of Albany, NY to assist with the National Model Train Show that I had attended a few days before this train trip, we had talked about a lot details on model trains and layouts, it was even more exciting to be discussing this while riding on a train! I have to say that I was at dinner a good 2 hours before I figured it was time to head back to my seat and get settled in for the evening. I know it was only about 7 PM but knowing that the train should reach Fredricksburg, VA approximately 526 AM I figured it would be good to chill out and relax as the sun was starting to set on this day.

In just a matter of about 5 hours on the train I was already feeling like this vacation was off to a fantastic start!

Here is a gallery of some of the sights as we passed by rolling on the rail:

Rolling out of Orlando, FL towards Winter Park, FL

Amtrak Auto Train station in Sanford, FL

View of the dining car towards the kitchen

View of the dining car

Crossing a pretty river somewhere along the Florida – Georgia Border

Station stop in Savannah, GA time to stretch the legs and say hello to a friend!

As the night had began to settle and as the train moved into more remote locations cell service wasn’t the best and it was time to crack out my iPad and watch some preloaded shows and movies, but first I needed my pillows (neck one and a regular pillow from my bed) and blanket I had packed and get settled for the night!

At approximately 10 PM the train staff makes an announcement that “quiet” hours are about to begin, noise should be kept to a minimum, cell phones on vibrate, earphones are needed, or one should visit the snack car. Passengers do get on and off all night long as the train makes it way north (and south). Approximately every 2.5 – 3 hours there is a major station stop that the train needs to replenish water in the cars, passengers have a few minutes to step off the train and stretch their legs and if they happen to be a smoker, they have time to do that.

On this trip we slipped to about 2.5 hours behind schedule due to a freight

train being disabled, freight traffic gets priority over passenger traffic outside of the North East Corridor (from Washington, D.C. to Boston, MA). That information was found out the next morning when I had awoken and announcement was made over the PA system. There is something about sleeping in a coach chair that well being a tall guy that I am one can “rest” but not really sleep, I know I dozed off real good but I knew I had an early train station stop and that was on the brain not to mention the sheer excitement of the weeks events that had been planned and were about to unfold.

The train was about to arrive in Fredricksburg, VA at approximately 8 AM, the conductor had come along to tell me where the exit would be for the platform and it was time to pack up the pillow, blanket and get the suitcases ready to disembark the train. I had already called the family and they were waiting to greet me at the station. It had been a great almost 18 hours on the train, however breakfast was needed! To IHOP it would be!

Which my dear WebTraveller, will conclude this portion of the story and prompt me to start writing the next portion of the adventure (which are already underway). Please feel free to share this story with anyone you think could benefit, also feel free to comment and let me know what you think. Feedback is always appreciated.

This was an experience that I wanted to share with others, from interactions I had with others on other trips that compelled me to want to share this from the information I had compiled. I had a blast writing this and I hope you have enjoyed reading this.

One final thing I will add to this story is a Youtube playlist of some of the videos I had captured on my way to Fredricksburg, VA from the train. Feel free to have a look, sit back and relax and enjoy:

Thank you for reading, until next time WebTraveller!