I had to add another points run to my southbound Adirondack ticket and decided doing a NYP-NWK-MET trip in New Jersey. It would also give me the chance to visit Edison, the only stop on the NEC other than Hamilton (that I’m saving for when I finally go to Philadelphia via West Trenton). I knew I wanted a relatively leisurely morning at home so I booked a ticket Train #95, the 10:35am train.
I had a nice morning trying to type up the trip report from yesterday and was on the subway a little after 9:30. I got to Penn Station and walked into the Amtrak concourse to Train #95 already boarding. Normally I would simply go down to the exit concourse and board there (something perfected by Amtrak commuters) but I wanted to see a gate usher’s response to a NYP-NWK ticket. I flashed my iPhone (with the train number visible), she glanced at the train number but didn’t notice my itinerary and I boarded the quiet car with Business Class followed by the AEM7 Locomotive in front.
The car wasn’t packed but every seat was taken so I grabbed an aisle seat for the 16 minute trip. I spent the trip hoping a conductor would come by to scan my ticket. I saw him doing Business class in full and those passengers heading through the quiet car to head to the cafe car for their complementary beverages. He could have started doing the first few rows of the Quiet Car but was clearly waiting for Newark. I go up to that vestibule to get off as we arrive and ask the conductor to scan my ticket (so I can get the 100 points). The conductor comments “Well you just got on the train” as he scans my ticket on the platform.
I then have two hours in Newark before my next Regional. My goal for the time is to finish the Newark City Subway stations I still need to photograph. These are all underground. I head downstairs and buy a $1.50 ticket that I know I can backtrack with unlike the 70ยข tickets whose use in that way are ambiguous. I start on the train to Washington Park, and double back via the surface to Military Park. I then head out to Washington Street. At Washington Street I realize via my iPhone just how short the subway portion of the Newark City Subway is (which is perfectly fine, the underground portion of a city subway can be short, there designed to get streetcars off the surfaces of crowded downtowns). I then decide to walk back the one and a third miles to Newark-Penn Station. I wander around a bit getting more oriented to write a photo essay.
Next it is time for Train #171 at 12:51, it is on time and I even manage to find a set of seats to myself that some passengers who are getting off. It is a quite slow ride as we take a local track to stop at Newark International Airport. The conductor comes and scans my ticket as I stay at my seat, not really commenting. We arrive in Metropark at 1:10.
At Metropark I’m off to get more of a photo essay of the station then the last time I was there for 20 minutes. I get on an upcoming train to Edison for $2.25 and for the first time ever on a NJ Transit trip the conductor doesn’t make it to me to collect my ticket. I get off at Edison and do an extended photo essay. Then its time for my clever NJ Transit fare of the day. I’ve realized that a ticket to as far south as South Amboy via Rahway can be obtained for only $3.50. I buy one of these and have an NEC ride up to Rahway where I have a good 25 minutes for a photo essay before my connecting North Jersey Coast Line train southbound. This train comes in and I enter new trackage. Looking at the timetable and fares I realize that getting off at Woodbridge and walking up to the extremely limited (just a few trains a day but one that works for me) service Avenel Station is the best trip idea, as well as the cheapest trip idea (also getting a segment of the North Jersey coast line that ties into the NEC section of my website).
I get to Woodbridge and get my photo essay before heading to the streets for an uneventful 2 mile walk north to Avenel. At Avenel I get on (along with a few other people) the one inbound PM train at 4:57pm (there are no other trains into New York after the AM rush hour). The train is a short-turn from South Amboy and I was nice and empty. It made every stop including North Elizabeth and although I am in the mood for a PATH ride I need to be somewhere at 6:30 in Upper Manhattan and have a nice ride back to Penn Station.
At Penn Station we arrive on Track 1 which is satisfying for me since I’ve never been at a track with such a low number.