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| The Journey Begins |
| “.....Woke-up, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my head. Found my way downstairs and drank a cup, looking up I noticed I was late. Found my coat grabbed my hat, made the train in seconds flat, made my way upstairs and had a smoke, somebody spoke and I went into a dream.......” Day 1, 11/27 9:00am And so it begins. Another journey into the unknown. Six days of train travel and God knows what else. lol Your first “trip” ( I think ) and my 3568th. Ha-ha-ha Right now were on the commuter train that goes between Milwaukee and Chicago. This is my ride to and from work. I haven’t reported to work yet so our trip has not officially begun, but it will soon enough. First however, you need a little background. We will be traveling on train #27, The Empire Builder, from Chicago to Portland Oregon. A 2,400 mile journey, 1 way. We should arrive in Portland Monday morning, have the night off and then return to work Tuesday and head for home. Arriving back into Chicago Thursday afternoon. “Should” being the key-word here. Anything can happen out here, anything. lol I’ll be working the 2730 sleeping car this trip. I haven’t worked this train in about 10 years!!! So I’m kinda’ lost here too. lol I’ve been working to Oakland Cal. For the past 5 yrs or so. Usually working a sleeping car, sometimes a coach, depends on the time of year and my senority. I couldn’t hold a regular job ( sleeper ) on the Oakland train this winter but I could hold one to Portland, so here I am. This will be my regular run until next spring or until I get bumped of this job by someone with more senority. I could probably write a book describing my job and what exactly what it is I do, but I don’t think I’ll have the time for all that. lol You’ll get a good idea of what I do as we go along. Now as for the train, I’ll be working a sleeper opposed to a coach. A sleeper is like a hotel on wheels and I’m everything from the “maid” to the “manager”. Coach is similar to airplanes, just seats. |
| Well were in Chicago. I need to go sign in. See you in a bit. 2:30pm Well were not off to a good start here. lol We were suppose to leave at 2:10 but here we still sit. There having some kind of problem with one of the engines. Hey!!! Were moving!!!! See-Ya Chicago........ I have already loaded my people into my car. Not too many traveling. 27 in all for my car. It can hold up to 44. I’ve already gone through and introduced myself to everybody and explained not only the room, but the rest of the train as well. IE..Dinning Car, Smoking Car, Lounge Car..... Covered all the basics so I should be free until Milwaukee, about 1 1/2 hrs. Were backtracking here. We are on the same track that we were on this morning coming to work. And yes, I will see my car in the parking lot where I left it this morning. And yes, I will be tempted to grab my bags and get off of here and go home. But not as tempted as I will be on the way back into Chicago 6 days from now. Yep, I’m a home body. I would rather be home than anywhere, anywhere in the world. But I guess when a person travels for a living you can not help becoming a home body!! LOL I love being home and doing “My thang”, whatever that might be this month. LOL Were yet to reach 40mph, let alone the normal track speed of 79mph. Track repair and signal problems are the cause for this. The train operates on a set of signals much like a traffic light for cars. We’ve left downtown Chicago, gone through the warehouse district and are now into the northern suburbs of Chicago. This is where all the rich and affluent live. Hey!!!! There goes my house!!! LOL I wish!!! LOL Brb Glenview, Ill. Well so much for our first stop. I don’t need to be “on the ground” at every stop working the sleeper. I have a list of where everybody’s getting on and off my car. But, you see, I smoke there fore I am. LOL I can’t believe it! Wow!! You see that?? Unreal hey??? Hehehee Smoking on the train has become like everywhere else, a pain in the ##@. There’s only one place to smoke on the train, the dreaded smoking lounge. Open to all. I never....... OK, OK. I’ll tell you what I saw. |
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