AAPRCO Trip, Day 3 - Washington, DC to Spencer, North Carolina

I can't remember much about yesterday except for last night in the lounge of the Dearing.  We had 14-15 people there, some of Bill's Red Oak Beer, Nelson and Borden's prefondled nuts. Cathy taught Elizabeth how to loom a hat during the ride. We had our first sit-down dinner at the table of crab cakes  Debbie almost got Bill killed in her quest to get a bottle of Tangueray Gin....a car ran into the liquor store about 5 seconds after he walked out!  The evening was a racous and memorable good time that won't be forgotten any time soon.  Elizabeth said that this car is now the party car of AAPRCO- torch passed from Dean's Scottish Thistle!?!

We had a few segments of 40 mph so got to sit out on the platform.  Went through Greensboro and got some footage of that with Bill on the platform because that is his stomping ground.  Got to Spencer, NC and parked in front of the NC Transportation Museum.  The railroad shops used to be here and employed lots of people before it closed.   The big roundhouse where NS took a picture of their engines painted in the colors of the lines they acquired is located here and where they set up the banquet.  Banquet was bar-b-que with a red vinegar coleslaw and pretty garden flower bouquets which we were able to bring on board.  Author, lawyer, and mayor of Marion, NC Stephen R. Little was our speaker on the railroad tunnels built by the convicts and on Andrews Geyser.  He spent the night on board and will be riding through the tunnels with us.

AAPRCO Trip, Day 2 - Washington, DC

Started the day located on phantom stealth track 30 ( not marked in station) breakfast on the Dearing while trying to get set up on the wireless and this new blog.

Debbie and Mark Wolff arrived on Amtrak met by their son John, wife Kim and grand kids Mitchell, Lincoln and Nolan from Baltimore. It was their 12th anniversary and yesterday Mark's birthday. We all ate at the Dubliner in Washington DC near Union Station.

Rick and I walked down to the mall for day two of the National Book Festival saw Eric Weiner, John Lewis and Steve Inskeep. Walked back to our car reception with our hosts and the other guests on our car. Kevin Moore gave us the the car safety talk and we enjoyed good food, wine, and company