Washington to Chicago

Got up early, packed and headed to Union Station for breakfast. The first class lounge, called the Acela lounge in Washington, has a wifi setup so I worked my email and browsed the web some. Pre-boarding for train 51 the Cardinal, was called at 10:40. The Cardinal is the second train I'm riding that I've never been on before, the first being the Crescent from New Orleans to Washington. I got to my room, set up my computer, hooked up my GPS and waited for departure. The Cardinal departed at 11:20, about 10 minutes late. Since we departed by going into the tunnel under Washington, I lost my GPS fix. Sometimes it's hard to get that back while moving at a high speed.

Well, I guess we were moving slow enough so the GPS hooked up right away. Windows Vista however choose that time to automatically install an update and then restart. I think I have that option turned off now. For lunch I got to experience "Diner Lite." In an effort to save money, Amtrak has reconfigured some of it's diners so there is a lounge in one end of a car and diner seating in the other with a preparation area in the middle. Two people are used to run the snack bar and prepare and serve food in the diner that has been precooked and is heated up. The hamburger I had was okay, even though I ordered chicken, so we'll see how it works for dinner tonight.

After an eleven minute stop in Charlottesville, VA we left there at 2:25, about 30 minutes late. It seem strange that a train headed from Washington to Chicago would be as far south as Charlottesville but I guess that has a lot to do with finding a way through the mountains. After after another dip to the south, we cross UNDER the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway in a tunnel. Out of Staunton, VA at 3:38, about 40 minutes late. I've actually been to Staunton before, on my way to the N-scale convention in Chantilly, VA several years ago. I stopped here and parked my trailer in a local RV park so I could visit the Cass Scenic Railroad in West Virginia via roads that I would never take my trailer on. Staunton is a pretty little mountain town and they have a library with a nice genealogy dept. and free wifi.

We wound through the mountains and met the east bound Cardinal at Goshen, VA. Went to dinner, had the salmon, it was very good. During dinner we passed into West Virginia, I'm not sure exacly where. We followed the Greenbriar river for quite some time then connected with the New River. The New River Gorge is said to be quite spectacular. Too bad we will be doing most of it after dark.

Out of Hinton, WV at 7:39, one hour 38 min. late. Finally at Hinton, it looks like we may be headed north for the rest of the trip.

Genealogy research in Washington

I've known about the Civil War service of my Great Grandfather Simpson Jones Nash for some time. He was a Confederate soldier captured at Gettysburg and imprisoned at David's Island in Long Island Sound. I also knew my maternal Great-Great Grandfather, John McIlheran, had served for the Confederates but really didn't know much about his time in the service. I decided to use my time in DC to visit the National Archives and look up his records.

The records themselves are not actually available and would be hard to use if they were. What the government has done is created a sort of event card from each entry of every sort of military record where a Confederate soldiers name appears. Some came from Confederate enlistment records, some from musters or roll calls during service, others from Confederate hospital admission and discharge records and many from Union prisoner of war records. I'm sure there are many other categories. Once these cards were complete, they were brought together as military units then sorted by name then date. This creates a mini-history for each soldier. These cards have been microfilmed in order and are available for researchers to look up and print copies.

Upon finding my McIlheran ancestor, I discovered that he had been a prisoner of war also. He joined up 11 Nov 1862, a member of the 23rd Battalion, Tennessee Infantry, Company D. He was captured on 11 September 1863 during the run-up to the battle of Chickamauga. According to the records, he went first to a prison in Louisville, KY and ended up in the Rock Island Barracks in Illinois. On May 11th, 1865, a few days after the Confederate surrender, he signed an Oath of Allegiance to the United States and was released. He lived to be 98 years old and is buried in the McIlheran Cemetery near Cowan, TN.

More Boston to Washington

The lead loco on my train was 2006, although I didn't take this picture until we arrived at Washington.

Breakfast was served at our seat, I had eggs and sausage. I think we get lunch also. We were on time until we left New Haven, there seemed to be some sort of delay getting away. We are now leaving Stamford, CT about 9 minutes late. Maximum speed I've seen to this point is 125 mph. Next stop New York City.

Arrived New York Penn Station at 12:45 pm, right on time, departed 1:01 pm, I'll call that on time. Went under the river and emerged in New Jersey.

Lunch was served ... small slices of roast beef served cold with a spicy corn and pea salad and a dinner roll.

Departed Philadelphia 2:15, 5 minutes late.

It's truly amazing how many people like to entertain themselves on the train by talking on their cellphone. I was within earshot of two and I expect there were more farther away. I'm not sure how happy the folks on the other end were as most of the talking was being done on the train and by most I mean 90 to 95 percent. I think if I were on the other end I would discover an emergency.

Out of Wilmington, DL 4 minutes late.

They actually have a "quiet" car on the Acela and on the other NEC trains. Unfortunately it's not the first class car but one of the business class cars ... no cell phones and no loud talking.

Out of Baltimore 3 minutes late.

Arrived Washington a couple of minutes early.

I never did see that 150 mph speed that was advertised. My GPS lost it's connection a few times but mostly worked. I guess we could have hit 150 during one of those misconnects but not for very long.

Found my hotel after a little misstep. It was actually closer than I thought.

The Phoenix Park Hotel, 520 N Capitol S NW is due west of the entrance to Union Station, past the National Postal Museum. I veered off to the south too much and missed the first time. Internet is not free ... $9.95 a day, but at least it starts the time you first log in, not noon to noon like at the Marriott that I just left.

Manhattan

Taken from the approach to Hell's Gate bridge.

New Haven

This where I got off to go to Hartford on the way to the convention.

Inside Acela

iPhoto of Acela First Class car.

Acela - Boston to Washington

I had planned to ride the MBTA Red Line from my hotel to Boston South Station but decided to forgo the rush hour with my luggage in tow and took a cab instead. With an over-tip it cost me $15 but I expect it was worth it. I'm now in the ClubAcela lounge, reserved for First Class passengers, and waiting for my 9:15 departure. The lounge is quite, has large soft chairs with soft drinks and snacks available as well as wireless internet. The Redcap informed me we would board at 8:45. I should be in Washington by 3:45. I hope to take a few pictures in-route and post them with my iPhone.