Home > Rafi on the Rails > Archives > 2007 > September > 27 > Entry
Day 2: Never turn your back on a loaded train
Jon and I transferred from the Downeaster to the Lake Shore Limited in Boston this morning. The Downeaster trip was without incident, and despite the pains of moving four suitcases on the Boston MBTA subway trains, we were able to get to South Station with plenty of time to spare before the Lake Shore Limited stub train to Albany departed (more on the stub train in a later blog item). We dropped our bags off at the First Class Lounge, and strolled downtown to grab a sandwich for lunch.
Got on the Lake Shore, sat down, and relaxed.
Fast forward to 2:35 PM. We arrive in Springfield, Massachusetts, and I hear the conductor make the announcement that this is the only smoke stop on the trip to Albany. I also could have SWORN he said we had 15 minutes until we leaved. Now, I don’t smoke, and neither does Jon, but we both wanted to get a little fresh air and to take some pictures. So we get off as the train was loading a large pack of new passengers. Little did I know, those passengers were apparently marathon stair climbers.
About that time, my phone starts ringing, and it’s Ross Capon (that’s Ross on the left there) from the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP, for short). Ross was returning my call to clarify some facts on the Maine Eastern railroad and the Downeaster in general (which I talked about in my previous blog posting).
Anyway, take a look at the picture at the top of this blog item. That’s me on the phone with Ross. And that’s the train that’s starting to MOVE. Our train. As in, it was LEAVING. Without me. And Jon. And yes, the baggage car was open. Don’t ask me why.
I pretty much yelled, “Are they LEAVING us!?” and hung up on Ross (sorry, Ross!) and ran at the train waving my arms like a madman and screaming God knows what. The conductor stared down at me from the high-level door like a farmer stares at a cow that wandered out of the pasture. Good thing he didn’t have a shotgun, I guess. Anyway, I say (and the train is still moving, mind you), “I thought you said we had 15 minutes!”
“You thought wrong,” he shoots back. “Stand back, please.”
“Are you leaving us?” I’m desperate now. I can’t believe the trip is going to get torpedoed on DAY 2.
Thankfully, the train comes to a stop and we climb on like kids who wandered off on a field trip. But that was a close one, and I clearly wasn’t thinking straight. Thank goodness that conductor had the train stop for us. He didn’t have to, but thank goodness he did.
Lesson learned: Never turn your back on a loaded train.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Lake Shore Limited
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By Matt
September 27, 2007 11:51 PM | Link to this
Somehow I would expect nothing less from you Rafi. Hope all is going great.
By Alan Smithee
September 28, 2007 8:44 AM | Link to this
Funny story, but you missed out on a “hobo moment” — hopping a moving train!