Monday, my first day back begins as a beautiful day. I don’t have any work commitments until Tuesday. My original plan is to perhaps visit Greystone, Glenwood or Ludlow before my YNY to NWK points run. I end up getting distracted catching up on things from this trip and don’t leave as early as I mean to. I end up getting to 191 Street for more of a walk at 1:15 and just miss a 1 train refilling my MetroCard. I walk up to the front and start reading my book. I finish a chapter at 238 Street and check my phone realizing I still have the Route 1 (Route 2 also works) schedule from last night on my web browser (the one problem with Bee-Line is they’re not on Google Transit). There is a bus at 1:30, the time is 1:27.
It’s agony entering the terminal at 242 Street extremely slowly and then the doors taking nearly 30 seconds to open. Luckily I’m at the front of the train. I sprint out off he station and across the overpass. The bus is still there loaded with passengers. The doors have already closed and its clearly about to leave. Someone waiting for the 2 or another branch of the 1 sees me and points. The driver opens the doors for me and I get on, I say “Thank You” as I dip my MetroCard. In typical New York fashion he doesn’t respond.
I get to Yonkers at 1:52 and I’m walking down to the station, happy I’m not running from the 1:50 bus just trying to make the train. I start tracking Train #238. It is running late and hasn’t gotten to Croton yet.
2:10 – “Attention at Yonkers, the 2:16 Amtrak train to New York’s Pennsylvania Station is operating 15 to 20 minutes late, repeat…” The digital displays don’t tell me this! A strange piece of MOW equipment then comes through.
There is then a track change that the 2:31 local train to GCT will depart from track 3, clearly wrong-railing down the Hudson.
Empire Service Train #235 comes in at 2:32 at the same time as the wrong-railing Metro-North Local. The locomotive pulls way up beyond the platform and I find the conductor. There a few people getting off and I’m the only one (again) getting on.
Like in Saint-Lambert the conductor just checks me off the manifest, since I’m the only one boarding and scheduled to board. We pass the Metro-North train stopped at Ludlow.
We curve onto the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge at 2:41 and I see a sign that I think is new for New York Division. The foliage is nearly peaking as we head south through the Empire Connection into Manhattan. I notice Amtrak has out up more signs for Streets at least every one in the 60s and the 40s. Some already have graffiti them. We slowly enter the station. I see the Meteor preparing to leave and arrive at 2:59 on track 5. Across from us is the Ethan Allen Express about to leave. I’m right by a staircase so no photos.I leisurely get off, I have 35 minutes to relax in the ClubAcela. I head up and am on the mood for a snack, but the basket is empty.
Like all trips I can use for points runs this Regional originates in Boston and has arrived late, not using all its recovery time. They announce 11E in the Club as I’m maybe sixth in line at 3:26. I flash my ticket and descend at 3:30. I board the nearly empty rear coach assuming I will spend this ride walking to find the conductor for my required ticket scan. Were beyond the baggage car of the Lake Shore Limited. A bunch of Amtrak Employees board with me that are commuting. There at least 10-15 of them. We leave at 3:37. They announce that this train will only stop in Newark before Philly. A short consist with two AEM7s is sitting in the station. I see a conductor behind us scanning. No reason to walk and try and find him! I notice two tickets getting scanned, the rest just employees getting “How far are you going?” I enjoy eavesdropping on an engineer telling another employee, discussing the state if the movable bridges that are structurally sound but break down a lot. Then the differences in horsepower of the AEM7s when coveted from DC to AC. I get off in Newark two minutes late at 3:53 missing hearing about the details of these differences.
I’m not quite in the mood to go home yet and I decide I might as well spend a little time getting more photos of the Newark Light Rail. I haven’t ridden it during rush hours before and service is amazing, every 3 to 5 minutes! I start by taking a train to Park Avenue. I want to get both platforms that requires crossing the street but the next train comes before I have a chance. I take the next train to Bloomfield Avenue, the same thing happens, and continue to Davenport Avenue. Here I get the full little station (it has a pedestrian crossing). I’m in the mood for a walk and have a nice one through the early evening in Branch Brook Park. At this point my ticket is nearing its expiration time (NJT Light Rail Lines are unlimited rides for a certain amount of time) and I buy a second (the total cost of this little excursion is just $3, one-zone rides on buses as well are still just $1.50 in New Jersey) ticket. I head inbound and stop at Bloomfield Avenue and Park Avenue.
I make a final stop at Norfolk Street and photograph the train exiting. An NJT policeman is standing half way up one of the staircases on the opposite platform.
He says something like “Taking Pictures of the Light Rail?”
I say, “Yes, Is that okay?”
The response is one I like “There is nothing illegal about it as long as your not taking pictures of sensitive infrastructure.” Just an answer that I want to hear.
I take the next Subway car into Penn Station and its onto PATH to the World Series where I walk down to Broadway-Nassau for a better chance of getting a seat and head uptown to get home.